I'm one of those hipsters who doesn't use streaming services.
I did, a while ago, but I quit using them because the experience is kind of awful, and I'm happier now for it. I collect physical media and watch it using Jellyfin on my Linux-based home theater PC, and I'm completely satisfied with how it works.
I'm making this video because I am really troubled by algorithmic helplessness, and I feel like corporate-centralized streaming media makes that worse. Maybe this video will encourage someone else to cut the cord and rediscover an appreciation for owning your media and being choosy about what to "watch next". Or maybe I'm just wasting time. Who knows? I suppose, you know, you're reading this description, right?
If you read the description, say "algorithmic helplessness sucks" in the comments. That'll make me feel better.
Oh right, I need to tell you about the things I mentioned in the video.
Software:
- MakeMKV: https://makemkv.com/
- To support MakeMKV and get all the advanced features: https://www.makemkv.com/buy/
- That LibreDrive forum post on the MakeMKV website which is hard to find (contains list of LibreDrive compatible drives): https://forum.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=79712#p79712
- Handbrake: https://handbrake.fr/
- Asunder: http://littlesvr.ca/asunder/
- Jellyfin: https://jellyfin.org/
- Kodi: https://kodi.tv/
- Finamp (via GitHub): https://github.com/jmshrv/finamp
Hardware I mentioned - not sponsored and no affiliate links.
(These drives might not be currently available at Micro Center, but I'm providing these links as they're probably the most helpful if you want to find one yourself.)
- My LG portable Blu-Ray drive, a BP60NB10: https://www.microcenter.com/product/607144/lg-slim-portable-blu-ray-dvd-writer-w-3d-blu-ray-disk-playback-and-m-disc-support
- And my internal Asus BW-16D1HT drive: https://www.microcenter.com/product/435513/asus-16x-blu-ray-disc-drive
- FLIRC receiver (I don't remember if I bought it here but maybe): https://www.pishop.us/product/flirc-rpi-usb-xbmc-ir-remote-receiver/
Other links of note:
- 13 minutes of videotaped footage of the Wii Netflix app: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raAOW1pP66E
- Video about smart TVs by @LonSeidman : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TPV9yQvcIQ
- My PeerTube (watch this video without ads or tracking): https://tinkerbetter.tube/c/veronicaexplains/videos
- My blog post about how I use Handbrake: https://vkc.sh/handbrake-2025/
Lastly, links to support my very unsponsored videos:
- Patreon: https://patreon.com/VeronicaExplains
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/VeronicaExplains
- Bandcamp: https://thestopbits.bandcamp.com/
Chapters:
0:00 My motivation for ditching streaming
3:21 Physical media is awesome
4:05 Ripping media
5:59 Serving with Jellyfin
7:09 Bookstores and libraries are lit (get it?)
8:10 I don't want an algorithm programming us.
I have about 200 discs at this point, but I’m worried about stressing my laser trying to rip all of them. Is that legitimate, or should I feel safe putting my drive through all that?
How do you plan on watching those movies without stressing the laser an equal amount?
If you watch all your movies once and a single one more than once... Won't that stress the laser more?
But that’s what I’ve thought about. It’ll be a few years at least before I watch that much from my Blu-Rays. I only watch about 5 or so a month. This would put the equivalent of 3 years of watching into just a couple months of ripping.
And how many times can you watch movies from your ripped collection throughout your lifetime before putting any stress on your laser?
Your worries only make sense if you expect to pass away within the next 3.33 years. 🤷
I thought my external drive had failed after about 1.5k hours of use. It would stop working sporadically, until it basically wasn'tbeing detected. Tried different cables and various other things. Turned out it was the daughter board that was failing. Swapped that with an old donor external DVD drive, and it's happily working again.
That seems a bit irrational given the relatively low expense for commodity drives, alongside the fact that you rip once and you're done. Just back up the files onto any storage medium. Also, I doubt you'll stress the drive significantly.