Best process to convert DVDs to video files

[Handruin]

I'm investigating some tools to convert my own DVDs to videos in some type of container be it mp4, avi, etc. I plan to watch them on an xbox 360 over my network and I've started playing with handbrake. I noticed Mercutio mentioned this tool a long time ago so I figured I'd check and see if anyone has done this recently and what your findings were?

I'd like to preserve the most quality of the DVD, but most specifically the 5.1 DD or DTS. I've converted one of my videos already using H.264 into an mp4 and so far the only tool I can open it with is VLC. Another interesting tool I was considering is TVersity that claims to do real-time encoding of video files. I guess I'd rather not do that, but encode them and watch them as-is rather than chew up all the CPU time just to watch a video.

Anyone else have any suggestions or tips for converting DVD's into video files on my PC with regards to prefered codec's, containers, bitrates?

 

[ddrueding]

I still use RipIt4Me as a front-end for DVDDecrypter, then I encode using AutoGK as a front-end for the various tools it needs to output XviD. It will preserve DD and DTS streams if you like, I convert to 5.1 MP3 with a target file size of 2GB per movie. That is plenty to not lose quality.

 

[Handruin]

I was doing some more reading and it seems my videos have to be in wmv format to work, so maybe my workflow would be to convert using the AutoGK like you suggested and then use TVersity to do the streaming/real time encoding into wmv for viewing on the xbox since it works like a media center.

Is the 5.1 MP3 supported with most things? What does it do, compress the AAC audio down using MP3 compression?

 

[ddrueding]

Is the 5.1 MP3 supported with most things? What does it do, compress the AAC audio down using MP3 compression?

To be honest I don't know. My soundcard encodes everything to DD before my receiver gets it, and it is 5.1. I haven't payed any attention since it just works.

 

[Mercutio]

Normally I use Nero Recode in the High Definition profile + AnyDVD to make MPEG4 video files. If it's something that I care enough to preserve a DTS soundtrack (the High Definition profile provides dolby digital only), I'm probably doing a DVD-to-DVD copy.

As a proof of concept, I've started using both programs under WINE on my Linux servers, too. Both were amazingly painless to set up.

 

[Chewy509]

I was doing some more reading and it seems my videos have to be in wmv format to work

Windows Media Encoder v9. (Just use your favourite program to decrypt the DVD first).

And XMPEG w/DivX codecs for *.mpeg stuff...

Hint: Transcode the DVD to a single MPEG2 file, and use WME to convert to WMV. (It's all in the FAQ).

PS. WME v9 is free and from here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/encoder/default.mspx