DVD ripping question

[brn2rnjk1]

If there is a "how to" guide on these questions, please let me know and I will read it.

I just received a MacAir. In the past on old iMacs, I only wanted to rip dvds to itunes to download on my itouch, so I used handbrake and worked great.
However, now I am thinking of loading up the Air with dvds for travel. So, my questions are.
1. What is the best for ripping to the Air if I want great video quality on the Air itsel?
2. Can I rip in that quality and then later convert it for downloading to my iTouch if I decide to?
3. Can I compress the dvd for theAir and still have great quality on playback. (ie decompresses on playback?)

I am sure these questions are not as clear as I would like, but any help would be great.

 

[spinnerlys]

How to backup/copy/rip video DVDs to your HDD and transcode them to another format.

How-To: Automating DVD & Blu-Ray (Backup, Encoding & Tagging) for Mac OS X 10.6
​

1. AppleTV or iPad preset, the MBA does not really differ that much from other computers regarding playback of ripped media. Video DVDs have a set resolution and you can't enhance or enlarge the resolution without getting image quality loss, thus you will be left with 720 x 480 (NTSC) or 720 x 576 (PAL) and the image will be scaled up during full screen playback.

2. You can use the Apple TV or iPad preset in Handbrake (as in 1.) and don't need further transcoding.

3 Heh? No need, the MBA is just like any other Mac or PC regarding its components. SD video playback is not that CPU taxing.


MRoogle is a good tool to search these fora for already existing threads about questions you have. It might be able to answer you quicker than waiting for an answer.

 

[brn2rnjk1]

So, you are suggesting not using another program like "Mac the Ripper" and just handbrake in a different setting. How much better is the video in "apple tv" setting than in iTouch setting? (Just wondering if I should continue to rip in iTOuch setting which quality isn't that bad on the MBA.

 

[spinnerlys]

So, you are suggesting not using another program like "Mac the Ripper" and just handbrake in a different setting. How much better is the video in "apple tv" setting than in iTouch setting? (Just wondering if I should continue to rip in iTOuch setting which quality isn't that bad on the MBA.

I'm not suggesting anything. The first link I provided just gave you several options on how to transcode video DVDs to whatever format your like.
One option is to rip the DVD first and then let Handbrake do the transcoding via the presets.
The other option is to forgo the ripping and use Handbrake directly (with the help of VLC) to transcode the video while the DVD is inside the Mac.

I don't know about the quality of the presets, but as the iPod touch has a smaller screen, the compression is not as noticeable. I don't rip DVDs anymore (did that with my iBook G4), thus I don't know, if the iPod touch preset will suffice for your MBA. You can test it if you want, via selecting chapters instead of the whole movie, thus making several files using several presets and testing them on your devices.