DVD ripping

Folks - what's the best (preferably free) DVD ripping software?

I'm using Adobe Premiere for editing, which is really picky about the formats it can import, so I preferably need it to rip to mp4 in the best quality possible.

Or is that an oxymoron?

I'd first rip one full VOB file with DVD Decrypter, then I'd convert it to lossless AVI which is pretty much the best way of preparing a DVD footage for editing. Many softwares should be able to convert it to AVI, I'd use VirtualDub though. Conversion to MP4 would reduce quality even if ever so slightly. Lossless AVI is equivalent to WAV in audio, MP4 is probably more like MP3.
Both DVD Decrypter and VirtualDub are free.

I have not seen the 1975 Odeon concert available on CD from Hollywood records (other than the Super DeDuper edition).

I plan on buying the DVD (and would like to buy the 2 CD version for less than $17) ... if possible

Will it be possible to rip the audio from the official DVD, or are there likely DRM impediments?

Queen ever implemented DRM in any of their DVD releases? I don't think so.

There's nothing better than the ancient DVD Decrypter for 99% of commercial DVDs. And yes, you can either rip the disc in disc mode (which will give you exactly the needed file structure) or in IFO mode (which will allow you to just rip the wanted streams, e.g. just the LPCM stream)

BTW Premiere should support both mpeg2 and vob, so if it's true the best thing you can do is import the footage directly from the DVD

[QUOTE] [b]pittrek wrote:[/b]

BTW Premiere should support both mpeg2 and vob, so if it's true the best thing you can do is import the footage directly from the DVD[/QUOTE]

Indeed - some .avi files work and some don't. Sometimes Premiere will import a file as is, or it will just see the audio, or neither. I guess .avi can have many attributes ?

I'll have to give DVD Decrypter a try, but to this point I've only been able to get it to create .mp4 files with WinX.

Also - DVD Decrypter will only rip from a disc, not a VIDEO_TS folder on the hard drive. And while WinX can do this, it only rips to lossy formats.

What a mess computer software can be !

But really - what point is there in maintaining quality for a video that's going to end up on YouTube, when most people will watch it on a screen that's 2 inches wide and listen to it on a speaker smaller than a fingernail?

Oh, I see.

AVI is just a container, it can contain video (and audio) streams in different codecs. Some editors require that you have the correct codec installed (VFW codec, DirectShow codecs are for some reason not usually supported), that's why some files are not imported.

If you already have a VIDEO_TS folder with IFO, BUP and VOB files, you need something like PGCDemux (also free), which will read an IFO file and allows you to demux the correct VOB files to elementary streams.

But to be honest, if you don't care about quality, mp4 is "good enough"

Oh, I definitely care ! But if it's going to take me ages to figure it out, and YouTube is my audience - then I can make that sacrifice.

But if I can do it properly with relatively little headache, then of course I'll prefer that.

Let me give PGCDemux a try. Thanks for all the advice !

The longer way with DVD Decrypter and VIDEO_TS folders is to make the folder into .ISO file with a software like ImgBurn and then mount it on a virtual disc drive with Daemon Tools. It will appear in your My Computer as a physical disc therefore DVD Decrypter will recognise it. It's easy to do not all that time consuming, of course unless you don't have the software and previous experience of doing this.

Also, if you have Windows 10, you have to create the ISO with DVD Decrypter and open it. Windows will mount it automatically.

[QUOTE] [b]pittrek wrote:[/b]

If you already have a VIDEO_TS folder with IFO, BUP and VOB files, you need something like PGCDemux (also free), which will read an IFO file and allows you to demux the correct VOB files to elementary streams.[/QUOTE]

I tried this program - it demuxes to two separate files, ac3 and m2v, both of which are lossy. Even still, the m2v actually looks just fine - but Premiere won't import it.

So the answer really should be obvious - Premiere is a piece of shit. It doesn't import mpg, some avi, nor m2v. What bloody good is it for professional reasons if it can only import lossy mp4?

What video editing software isn't so picky about importing but has the same capabilities as Premiere?

[QUOTE] [b]Panchgani wrote:[/b]

I have not seen the 1975 Odeon concert available on CD from Hollywood records (other than the Super DeDuper edition).

I plan on buying the DVD (and would like to buy the 2 CD version for less than $17) ... if possible

Will it be possible to rip the audio from the official DVD, or are there likely DRM impediments?[/QUOTE]

I picked up the Hollywood 2CD at Best Buy for $13.99. Amazon.com still does not have the Hollywood version but instead shows only expensive import CDs (Japan and UK).

However, I have to wait until X-Mas to unwrap and listen to it.

My wife did not buy my excuse that I had to listen to it now because it is "Christmas" music.

ahem ... back to the regularly scheduled programing

Interesting suggestions, I'd been using MAKEMKV for a source of DVD ripping (although it converts to MKV, it seems lossless, with the options of selecting the various Audio and Subtitle tracks on or off...


Thank you for these suggestions, I've always wondered if there were useful and FREE dvd copying software. I've been trying to convert my CHAPLIN: KEYSTONE collection from PAL region 2 to a Format useful on DVD USA.

wish I were sharper on the specs. But I'm not. Can't teach an old dog new tricks, unless his tail wags

[QUOTE] [b]Chief Mouse wrote:[/b]

Many softwares should be able to convert it to AVI, I'd use VirtualDub though.[/QUOTE]

VirtualDub doesn't recognize .vob files. But I did manage to create the long .vob file for the complete disc, so I've made some progress.

What's another program I can use to convert to .avi ?