Suggestions for DVD ripping App

[Steve Kownacki]

MPEG Streamclip or HandBrake

Steve

[Tim Gallaher]

Thanks Steve. I forgot to mention that I tried both Handbrake and MPEG Streamclip before, but could not get either to work and was not able to find any tutorials on the web to make them clearer. It appears that the interface is assuming the user knows something that I must not know. Any suggestions on where to find clear user manuals or tutorials?

Thanks much

[Tim Gallaher]

I realize I should clarify (can’t seem to edit these). One problem with Handbrake, for instance, is when I choose a video title on the DVD to rip, it tells me the source is 720×480, yet the only options for my finished file (which I’m guessing is what “storage” refers to, are 672 X 384. I don’t want that. I want at least 640 X 480. But no where can I seem to alter this. And also, when I try to rip just it’s default 672 x 384, just as a test, I get error messages that say it didn’t work, repeatedly on different DVDs. This has happened before. The instructions on their site are so vague and general that there are no details about how to deal with this sort of thing.

And when I’ve tried MPEG Streamclip, I drag a DVD image onto their interface and absolutely nothing happens. Zero. Yet there too, there are no explicit directions for troubleshooting such things. I know they are free, but that doesn’t help me use them.

Thanks

[Neil Sadwelkar]

Have you tried MacDVDRipper Pro? I had it and used it some years ago. May still have it somewhere but don’t have an interlaced DVD to check. What I remember vaguely is that it does rip to full size files and doesn’t automatically scale down.

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Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India

[Tim Gallaher]

Thanks for the suggestion, Neil. I see now what the problems were. The software is a little buggy and crashes unexpectedly sometimes. But also the archived DVD footage I was trying to rip was recorded at reduced pixel numbers, unbeknownst to me, by the guy who burnt the DVDs. That’s why I can’t get 720 x 480. And apparently even on full DV size, the best you can get is 718 x 480. It refuses to rip if you try to turn off that cropping, which is odd, but what the heck.

Anyway, I’m good now. Thanks for the input, All!