MacDVDRipper Pro vs. Handbrake question

[GanChan]

I just made M4v files of two different 28-minute video segments, one with MacDVDRipper Pro and the other with Handbrake. MacDVDRipper Pro was set to the default ("High Quality") Rip and Convert settings, while on Handbrake I had the RF set to 17.8.

Both of them generated files of approximately the same size -- about 350 MB. MacDVDRipper Pro made it easy to select soft subtitles; with Handbrake I just burned them onto the file, but I suppose there's a way to do soft subs there as well.

I was surprised to find that the "reduced file size preset" (which produces a 564x432 image) in MacDVDRipper's video encoding menu gave me an image that looked just as good when "blown up" to fit a 20-inch monitor as the standard 640x480 file size did when played back in QT.

The only real difference in video quality was that the Handbrake file displayed noticeable de-interlacing lines, while the MacDVDRipper Pro file looked smoother. Is this a common result?

I originally thought I'd need to rip discs in one application and then compress them in another, but I guess not. Any other clear advantages/disadvantages between the two applications?

 

[ColdCase]

You mean besides MacThe Ripper, $50.... Handbrake, free....

 

[rctlr]

I've used Handbrake to rip DVDs (you need VLC installing to do this), and have always have handbrake preset to "Universal".

I've not seen any real degradation in quality using those settings, and have now ripped my 500 DVD collection to hard drive without any issues.

R.

 

[joema2]

I just made M4v files of two different 28-minute video segments, one with MacDVDRipper Pro and the other with Handbrake....

The only real difference in video quality was that the Handbrake file displayed noticeable de-interlacing lines, while the MacDVDRipper Pro file looked smoother. Is this a common result?...

Both Handbrake and MacX DVD Ripper Pro have user-selectable deinterlacing. HB has several different settings. It sounds like you had them turned off, and maybe MacX's deinterlace was turned on.

This is further complicated since by definition DVDs are interlaced and deinterlacing is done somewhere in the playback chain. On a computer the software player may or may not have deinterlacing. VLC for example has many different deinterlace modes.

So the content can be "hard deinterlaced" at conversion time or just output as an interlaced file with the expectation the player will deinterlace. In this day and age I'd suggest hard deinterlacing using the best algorithm available. You may want to test the various settings on different types of material and playback methods to see what works best overall.