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iPod Converting Movies for use on iPod Video

robbieduncan

robbieduncan

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Jul 24, 2002
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Harrogate
In an attempt to stop thousands of threads being started on how to do this I thought I'd start this one with links to the answers!

Currently there are 2 tutorials I know of on-line:

1) Using ffmpegx (free)

2) Using QuickTime Pro (not free).

3) (from motulist below) UsingHandbrake to rip DVDs.

4) arstechnica guide covering OSX and Windows and a variety of software to convert existing movie files and DVDs with screen shots of every step.

Moderators: If you think this is going to be helpfull please sticky it!

25/10/2005: Edit to add more links
 
I had an avi file I opened in QT. I went to 'save as..' and saved it as an mpg. Took about 1 minute to save. I opened the same file in ffmpegx and encoded it to H.264. It took about 3 hours to convert.
On watching both the files, the one I saved in QT is actually better quality...I'm confused...
 
Sky Blue said:
I had an avi file I opened in QT. I went to 'save as..' and saved it as an mpg. Took about 1 minute to save. I opened the same file in ffmpegx and encoded it to H.264. It took about 3 hours to convert.
On watching both the files, the one I saved in QT is actually better quality...I'm confused...
Click to expand...

If the .avi was a wrapper around an MPEG datastream and you saved as the same sort of datastream QuickTime will simply have saved the same datastream to a QuickTime wraper. ffmpegx will have transcoded the whole thing to H.264. What were the filesizes like for each? If you open them in QuickTime and look at the properties what format is the video in each?
 
Thanks, motulist! That's a perfect tutorial! I'm converting The Incredibles right now...
 
I haven't tried following the guide as I don't have an iPod, but it seems to me that MacTheRipper is unnecessary. I've used handbrake to convert a dvd to an h.264 file to fit on a cd in just handbrake alone. Why is the ripper step needed?
 
motulist said:
I haven't tried following the guide as I don't have an iPod, but it seems to me that MacTheRipper is unnecessary. I've used handbrake to convert a dvd to an h.264 file to fit on a cd in just handbrake alone. Why is the ripper step needed?
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's not needed.

Also, if the DVD you're converting is a TV show of some kind, you'll most likely need to hit the "Deinterlace" check box. It's on the same window as the "Resize" stuff.
 
Damek said:
Yeah, it's not needed.
Click to expand...

I wrote to the author of the guide and here's what he wrote back.
_________________________________________________________

Yeah, my initial version used Handbrake exclusively, and someone else complained because apparently Handbrake has some trouble reading some DVDs (but MTR always succeeds). And this way, you get your DVD drive back after 20 minutes.

Cheers
 
Hey, gimmie a straight line like that and a slapstick response is a foregone conclusion! :D
 
motulist said:
I posted this yesterday.

http://diveintomark.org/howto/ipod-dvd-ripping-guide/
Click to expand...
Motulist, I'm in the process of converting Blade Runner right now... the steps you posted the link to are VERY easy to follow. Thanks so much for posting them!

(Hoping to have Blade Runner, Alien, Aliens, Black Hawk Down, all three Matrix movies, and all the Star Wars flicks ready for my iPod when it arrives...)
 
I'm a little unclear if this is illegal or not (in the USA). Can someone tell me if it is (or not) and if so, why, or why not?
(assuming of course thet you are using your own DVD's that you bought legally)
 
EricNau said:
I'm a little unclear if this is illegal or not (in the USA). Can someone tell me if it is (or not) and if so, why, or why not?
(assuming of course thet you are using your own DVD's that you bought legally)
Click to expand...
Technically, I believe it's illegal to rip DVDs onto ANY other storage medium... part of the DMCA.

From a fair use perspective, though, no one's going to bitch at you if you rip your DVDs (which you legally purchased) into computer-based movie files for your own use. Just make damn sure you don't give them to anyone else.
 
clayj said:
Technically, I believe it's illegal to rip DVDs onto ANY other storage medium... part of the DMCA.

From a fair use perspective, though, no one's going to bitch at you if you rip your DVDs (which you legally purchased) into computer-based movie files for your own use. Just make damn sure you don't give them to anyone else.
Click to expand...
Figures, everything is illegal in the USA. I hope Apple figures out a way to let thier users put thier own DVD's onto thier own iPod...It only makes sense.
 
EricNau said:
Figures, everything is illegal in the USA. I hope Apple figures out a way to let thier users put thier own DVD's onto thier own iPod...It only makes sense.
Click to expand...
From the reaction I got at the Apple Store last night when I brought this up (i.e., they covered their ears with their hands and went "la la la la"), I wouldn't expect Apple to address this AT ALL. After all, it's illegal. (Technically.)

The "Mac the Ripper/Handbrake" solution is likely as good as it's going to get, unless some small third-party programming house puts out a utility that does the work of both apps. (Handbrake can apparently do it all by itself, so that might be the solution right there... but read this whole thread for more on why you might also want to use Mac the Ripper.)
 
If you have some $ you can also use this combo:
MacTheRipper to Cinematize to QT Pro
After using MacTheRipper (free) to put the videoTS file on your Mac you can then use Cinematize (not free) to pull out the whole movie or chapters and put these into QT format - you then use QT Pro (not free) to convert it into a format for the new iPod/iTunes.
This would be useful for such movies as Adult Swim DVD's where you only want certain episodes or music video dvd's where you do not want all the videos, etc.
 
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