I have recently gotten my arrrr setup functional!! fuck ya! I am just about ready to cancel all my streaming subs. Feeling liberated here. BUT I am quickly running out of HDD space. I need to get a handle on file formats etc etc. This is just about videos.

Regarding videosHaving a huge confusion about "quality profiles" and the general issue of file formats. All the info seems to be directed at, no offense, rich snobs. I'm neither.

What I want:

Efficient use of HDD space
Don't overwork the shitty offbrand >10 year old android-turned-linux TV box when playing/rendering
Audio: I don't know if this is relevant but it is really annoying when there are drastic changes in volume e.g. talking very quietly then an action scene and it's 20x louder and you accidentally woke up your neighbors

I'd be interested in how to mitigate that problem

Video: See enough detail to tell what's happening in all cases including read text, hard coded subs etc from across the room on a small tv
For a select few media that I anticipate will be more difficult to re-obtain, I will keep higher quality versions to be forward looking

What is the range of qualities I should look for?

A chart from bottom to top? does it exist?

In terms of the media I have that's taking up so much space, I guess I need to use handbrake of something to transform it into something smaller.. what should be the target?

Other advice...?

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[–] LocustOfControl@reddthat.com 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I find stereo mixes are better for more smooth audio levels - if you get a surround mix (assuming you don't have a surround sound system), then the centre channel is too quiet in the downmix. You might be able to boost the centre volume, which depends on your setup.

I mostly use private trackers, and normally the only stereo is in multi-track releases so you will waste a bit of storage there (plus they tend to be larger, high quality files).

[–] laserjet@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 week ago

That is great info thank you I have been bothered by this issue for years and never able to find any useful insight into solving it. Because everyone who care about audio has fancier equipment of course. It makes sense I will try to select stereo instead of surround. I just use the TV speakers.