“DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter”

Forget paying for a program to rip your DVDs to your computer because thanks to the wonders of open source, HandBrake is here to convert disks to MPEG for free. Considering it doesn't cost a dime, the application delivers exceptional results. Converting any type of DVD through a simple-to-understand UI, the program whizzes through the process of producing an MPEG-4 file to save on your machine.

You'll need to have the right codec installed for the type of file you wish to convert (DivX, Xvid, OGM, 3ivx, etc.) but HandBrake lets you perform two-pass conversions and to codify a double soundtrack. Another great feature is the bitrate calculator, which alters the quality of the video according to the final file size you wish to achieve. You can even trim the black bands around a movie to maximise the size of the file. Although I experienced a couple of crashes with this version of HandBrake, it's nevertheless a great open source solution for ripping your DVDs.

Languages:

English

HandBrake supports the following formats:

MP4, AVI , OGM, MPEG-4,H.264, AAC, MP3, Vorbis, AC-3

Recent changes in HandBrake:

Impressive performance enhancements
Significant interface prettification
Color subtitles now show up in color
Changing dimensions in Picture Settings no longer causes a crash
Forced subtitle support
Closing the main window no longer causes HandBrake to crash
Using "Slow" deinterlacing no longer doubles the chapter count.
MPEG Stream support is now case-insensitive (.VOB as well as .vob, etc) and more compatible
No more error messages sent to standard out instead of standard error
Bigger buffer for the activity log
Proper display of fading subtitles
"Same as source FPS" now works correctly when the end-credits of a progressive film are interlaced.
Target size fixed for the umpteenth time

OS requirements for HandBrake:

OS: Mac OS X

Minimum requirements:

Processor: PPC/Intel MHz
Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)

Pros

Quick conversion
Alters video quality to suit required file size
Chops black bands around a video

Cons

Sometimes crashes

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From the publisher of HandBrake

HandBrake is a GPL'd multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter. It offers a certain number of features you should find useful if you need to take DVD content and rip it to another format.

Features: