DVD to Mp4???

Inline_guy

Inline_guy

Dockboy
OK here is my question. What do I need to do to rip a DVD? Now before you answer, answer this question : is it illegal to rip a DVD I own to make it into a quicktime/Mpeg4?

If the answer to the latter question is yes, then don't tell me how to do it. I will figure it out on my own. If however, the answer is no, then by all means explain to me what I need to get and do to make Mp4's of my movies (for on the road... allot easier than carrying a bunch of movies...)

Thanks

Matthew
 
I'm not sure if you can get a clear answer to the legality question. Fair use seems to imply that it is legal to make, at the very least, personal copies for yourself of your own media for use or for backup. On the other hand, it seems to be illegal to break the DVD encryption scheme, which you have to do in order to make copies of DVDs into any format. I've heard so many 'professional' opinions on all this that I'm not sure who's got it right anymore. I'm definitely not an expert or a lawyer, however, so if I'm wrong somebody please correct me.

Here's what I know works for making personal copies if you're using OS X:
1. Rip the DVD to your hard drive using 0SEx. You can rip it as:
---a) a DVD image, which you can then mount later using Toast. No quality loss but also no extra compression so it takes up as much space as it does on the DVD -- usually around 8GB. If this is what you want to do you are done after this step.
---b) "Elem. streams" (zero quality loss audio and video files), which you can then convert (with quality loss) to mp4 files. (see Step 2)
---c) other options that I haven't found very useful.

2. If you choose "Elem. streams" you need to use tools like mAC3dec (for the audio) and mpeg2decX (for the video) to convert the audio and video to mp4 files. Then you can paste them together using quicktime pro.

Ripping DVD's losslessly isn't hard at all, but converting them to other formats like MP4 is still pretty messy on the Mac in my experience and unless you're willing to experiment and make a bunch of mistakes I probably wouldn't bother with it. There are sites out there that deal exclusively with this sort of thing. I can't remember any off the top of my head but a google search should turn them up if you're interested. Hopefully this will get you started though.

If you really want it to be easy, however, you've gotta get a PC. :)

Here's where you can get those tools:
mpeg2decX (versiontracker)
mAC3dec (versiontracker)
0SEx (cs.buffalo.edu)
 
first of all ... DVD backup 1.3 is a much better app than 0SEX for this kinda work

second of all. if u have the mpeg2 decoder for quicktime. i (think) you can export the mpeg2 (DVD) into a mp4 file without needin to do the audio and image with 2 diff apps
and u can also manage the type of mpeg4 compression :)
 
I think the best codec to rip DVDs into is 3ivx. And the best app to rip mpeg2 with is DiVA. On a Dual 1Ghz you can get DiVA to convert MPEG2 to 3ivx at speed over 35fps. You could rip a 2 hour movie in under 2 hours.:)
 
Thanks for all the info guys. That will be a good start. Maybe I will sit down tomorrow and start looking at all the different options...

Matthew
 
Use 0SeX to rip. Use ffmpegX to convert the DVD to DivX (MPEG-4) with mencoder. Great quality and perfectly in sync results.
 
There's a new one-step application for ripping DVD to DiVX (or VOB or VCD), it's called forty-two. It seems to work nicely.

<a href=http://homepage.mac.com/kaicherry/index2.html>click here</a>
 
Forty-Four does not work for me. I installed it like it says and it still says that the font folder is missing, and the mpeg2enc file they told me to download is a .txt file, then it says it is missing..

So I am not sure what to do, and to top it off I think I really messed up all my permissions in the Library folder! ARGGG

Matthew
 
Ok... I got the app to run.. I put the Forty-two folder in the wrong Library.
Now my question is this. Which options do I pick if I want the file to be in Mpeg4 format? Do I go into the DVDMP option or the DVDvX.

It also warns me that I need 15-20 gigs which is crazy since the whole move in a Vorb format is no more than 3 gigs.. The end file is not going to be 20 gigs... Because that would defeat the purpose all together.

And will this run on Quicktime? Is it going to be a avi? Sorry I am so lost about all this. But I really really thank you for the app. It is great so far. I really love the one step thing.

Oh one last question... How long does this take on a g4 iMac (flat screen) with super drive. It has no progress indication? So if you have a ballpark guess at how long that would be great.

substrate Thanks again for the app.

Matthew
 
Inline_guy: Where can I download Fourt-Two?

edit: OOPS! I read this thread about two hours ago and I walked away. When I came back I replied and realized my question was already answered. thanks and sorry.
 
WDW Tell me what you think of it compared to the others you have tried... This is the first one I am really trying completely.

Matthew
 
Originally posted by Inline_guy
If I use ffmpegX... should I break the OSeX file into seperat steams, or just the one vorb file?

Matthew
Click to expand...

No need to break up the VOB in 0SeX. I'm a big fan of ffmpegX, as it has gone through quite a bit of refinement and can convert to/from so many different formats. There was a lot of hype about "42" before it even came out - mainly because of it's claim that it solves the sync issues that many Mac users have been plagued by. People were bowing at the feet of the author's, telling them how awesome the app was etc, etc. Now some people have used it and claim it is a godsend, going crazy over this thing. I'm like WTF? I've been creating perfectly in sync high quality (X)(S)VCDs/CVDs for a while now with ffmpegX. What's so great about 42? It uses the same UNIX tools (mpeg2enc/mencoder) as ffmpegX for MPEG-1/2/4 output. Plus, it only excepts DVD discs. That's right, no converting from VOB, DivX, .DV, etc. ffmpegX converts so much more and is way more customizable. Not trying to slam 42, it's just amazing to me that people have had such a hard time with (s)vcd/DivX creation on a Mac when it's really not that hard.

GO DOWNLOAD ffmpegX!

http://homepage.mac.com/major4/
 
What I use to rip directly from DVD to Divx is:

Mencoder

The latest version of Mencoder will rip directly from DVD to Divx.

Video Lan Client (VLC)

This will play your freshly ripped Divx

DivxDoctor

This'll fix the audio and create a .mov file for Quicktime. Just drag the ripped avi file into Divx Doctor and it will create a .mov file for Quicktime.

3ivx

You'll need to get the OS X version of 3ivx and install it so Quicktime can play your freshly ripped Divx movie.

Works just fine for me. One step rip and convert to Divx if you want to watch the movie using VLC.
The other steps are only necessary if you want to watch the movie using Quicktime.
 
Wow guys this is a much bigger under-taking then I thought! Mabye I did not know what I was getting myself into..

Matthew
 
Does ffmpegX have a progress indicator? Not to sound like a baby, but all these UNIX things make me nevors. Seeing as this is my first mac, and I no nothing about UNIX.

Right now I have terminal windows open for Forty-Two... Now to close these windows do I have to log off the terminal session? OR can I just close them?

The worries of all this. I most hand it to the Movie Industy for making it so hard to rip their DVD format! Bravo...

Matthew
 
I don't like Forty-two. if I can't rip into 3ivx I don't want to use it. I rip the video and audio seperatly. I use 3ivx and AAC. I then copy and paste them together in QT and save them.

I ripped a movie (that shall remain nameless) that was 2 hours and 24 minutes long. I used 3ivx at 95% constant quality and 21fps. It's size is 679MB, which is perfect for burning to CD. Check out the quality on the nameless movie:
 

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I have an .avi file now of my movie. It has the audio on it, but I can not hear it on Quicktime (which is what I want to use). I can watch and hear it on VLC. How can I get Quicktime to play this now?

Matthew
 
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