[bgaviator]

I am not sure if this is the appropriate forum for this question, but I am getting very confused on different file formats and how they are used. So far I have been just ripping my DVD collection to .ISO files.....they seem to be average around 4 gigs in size. Eventually I will upgrade to getting Blurays once I get a HDTV, so I am trying to learn the ropes ahead of time on how to get Blurays onto the HTPC hard drive. It seems to me that a lot of people rip the Blurays into an MKV file format, using a program like MakeMKV....and then shrink it down using Handbrake. I was trying to learn the ropes of these programs last night, so I tried experimenting with making a regular DVD into an MKV, and then shrinking it down. The first thing I didn't understand about the MKV folder is....why was it so much larger than my .ISO rips? My MKV folder ended up being just over 7 gigs, where my ISOs that I make using DVD Cloner 8 are always around 4 gigs. I then went into Handbrake and tried shrinking it to see what kind of space savings I could get. I chose the "High Profile" preset, and I believe I left all other settings alone. When I started the encoding, the estimated time to completion shot up to over 10 hours! And this was just for a DVD! Now granted, I only have a single core, 1.5 gig machine.....is this the main culprit, or was it due to the settings I chose? I am just extremely confused on this whole process....despite the fact I read all of these Wiki tutorials and articles, and I search for answers on the forums, I just don't seem to get it.....it seems to get all very technical, with multiple ways and programs to do any given task. I would appreciate very much for some guidance on my questions. Thanks!