Once upon a time, I wondered what the fuss was about media servers. Then I discovered the convenience of a Roku streaming device and the joy of not paying satellite TV over $100 a month for stuff we have no interest in.

Then a co worker mentions he uses an app called "Play On or PlayOn" that uses the computer as a proxy to stream even more programming thru the Roku.

Then I notice there's a feature called "My Media" bundled with Playon and decided to try it out.

Then I discovered I needed something to rip a DVD to an MP4 which I found and it worked on a few of the older DVD's lacking encryption. Well, about now, I was hooked on building a media server and a bit torqued over the entire encryption issue anyway. Our bluray player was made before 2012, before the new encryption methods were released, and it's now obsolete.

I talke to my co worker again and discover he uses a program called DVDFab. To date, it's the only program I have found that can circumvent DVD and bluray encryption. Damnably expensive and you have to pay for every module if you want the entire program.

I've no interest in copying DVD or Blue ray, just ripping media I own to a digital file for our personal use.

In a nutshell, DVDFab will rip a DVD in about 35 minutes doing a 2 pass method and a bluray between 3 to 5 hours.

There is now an injunction against the company that wrote the program. Their U.S. web sites have been shut down and credit card companies ordered to not process payments to the company.

I do not think I am wrong, I legally purchased the media and have it in my possession. I am converting it to a digital format for my familys use only in the privacy of our home. Not for resale or illegal file sharing purposes.