I have a few TV series on DVD that I would like to save on my macbook so I can watch a few episodes while on the go, without needing to have the DVD on me. How do I save a DVD onto my harddive? Is there a good program for it?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Saving DVDs to harddrive
- Thread starter emotistically
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
MacTheRipper will extract the whole DVD (inc Menu's if required) - tis will take up up to 9gb of storage space - dependant on the DVD size. PLaying in VLC will give you Dolby Digital 5.1 sound if you are connected up to suitable equipment (unlikley on the road!)
Handbrake will Rip the DVD to Hard Drive but leave you with only Stereo option for sound. However, File size will be considerable smaller (1-1.5gb and still be of good quality)
Handbrake will Rip the DVD to Hard Drive but leave you with only Stereo option for sound. However, File size will be considerable smaller (1-1.5gb and still be of good quality)
Mac the Ripper also allows you to rip only the main movie, or certain segments if you desire, so the total size can be smaller, instead of the whole disk.
If you want to convert it to a smaller format, I have found Roxio's Popcorn 2 to be an awesome product. It does have a price tag, but its seamless, almost 1 click and will allow you to downsize the movie and optionally make it iPod video ready.
Which would would you guys say is better if I don't care about special features. and stuff like that. Also each DVD has several episodes, how will they be aranged.
I heard there was a potential problem ripping parts of a disc and that full rips were recommended. What the prob was I don't recall.
With Roxio Toast (version 8 just released) you can easily compress The MTR rip and make a back-up DVD. No, I didn't say that. Officer, arrest this man.
I use Handbrake, with the queue enabled so I can rip individual episodes (you can find them in the Titles drop down menu - check the times, most episodes are sequentially arranged in the drop down menu and have the same time) with the following settings:
.mp4 file format
1500kbps video bit rate
MPEG-4 encoding
Two pass encoding enabled (optional, turn it off if you want max. speed)
128kbps AAC audio encoding
Not only do these settings give you good quality and small size they can be loaded into and organised in iTunes' TV Shows section and are also playable on the iPod. Simply tag the video in iTunes after importing it.
Using MPEG-4 allows for faster encoding and at the moment Handbrake doesn't support the H.264 baseline profile (although there is a buggy alpha version that does) that iTunes uses. H.264 gives much better quality at the same bit rate as a MPEG-4 encoded movie but takes much longer to encode.
I heard there was a potential problem ripping parts of a disc and that full rips were recommended. What the prob was I don't recall.
With Roxio Toast (version 8 just released) you can easily compress The MTR rip and make a back-up DVD. No, I didn't say that. Officer, arrest this man.
LOL, I was careful with how I suggested ripping with Mac the Ripper. Its legal so long as it complies with your local laws and you own the original DVD.
I'm only just starting to get into this for use with my imminent Mini-based Media Centre.
I use Handbrake for my TV series and older things (that don't require fill DD5.1) - the filesizes are much better with (to me) acceptable quality. I'd prefer to use it for everything really.
I use MacTheRipper for stuff that I want DD5.1 sound.
As you are probably not worried about sound output, I would use Handbrake to keep filesizes low. Encode with mpeg4 and play in Quicktime/Frontrow. Handbrake does take longer to.rip though.
I use Handbrake for my TV series and older things (that don't require fill DD5.1) - the filesizes are much better with (to me) acceptable quality. I'd prefer to use it for everything really.
I use MacTheRipper for stuff that I want DD5.1 sound.
As you are probably not worried about sound output, I would use Handbrake to keep filesizes low. Encode with mpeg4 and play in Quicktime/Frontrow. Handbrake does take longer to.rip though.
With Roxio Toast (version 8 just released) you can easily compress The MTR rip and make a back-up DVD. No, I didn't say that. Officer, arrest this man.
So Version 7 does this? Hmmmm, very interesting.
Not that would ever do that
So Version 7 does this? Hmmmm, very interesting.
Not that would ever do that
Yes. Video tab and select DVD-Video from VIDEO_TS and click Fit-to-DVD video compression. Drag and drop the VIDEO_TS you burnt in MTR (you don't need the audio folder). In the Toast screen you can select main feature or all and which soundtracks you want. Then burn, baby, burn...
Yes. Video tab and select DVD-Video from VIDEO_TS and click Fit-to-DVD video compression. Drag and drop the VIDEO_TS you burnt in MTR (you don't need the audio folder). In the Toast screen you can select main feature or all and which soundtracks you want. Then burn, baby, burn...
Cheers! I'll be sure to not try that
I love my DVD player as it can play Handbrake files.
It's like a DVD changer in one (dual-layer) disc
It's like a DVD changer in one (dual-layer) disc
Sometimes using MTR, if you just rip the main feature and not the whole disc trying to compress it later causes problems. It can also mess up the region encoding which causes other problems.
If yo do use MTR, your best bet is to rip the whole DVD then when burning then just burn the bits you want.
I use Roxio Toast 7 at the moment but I didn't realise Toast 8 was out. I'll have to check that out
I love my DVD player as it can play Handbrake files.
It's like a DVD changer in one (dual-layer) disc
What's a handbrake file? I know what handbrake does, just curious what this mysterious 'handbrake file' is.....
Sometimes using MTR, if you just rip the main feature and not the whole disc trying to compress it later causes problems. It can also mess up the region encoding which causes other problems.
If yo do use MTR, your best bet is to rip the whole DVD then when burning then just burn the bits you want.
I use Roxio Toast 7 at the moment but I didn't realise Toast 8 was out. I'll have to check that out
Interesting tip. I'll have to try that with my er....ermm...bought DVD's
that didnt want to play ball with selective rips .
Apple DVD Player can pass through AC-3 (Dolby's compression system, I think) audio to external decoders as well. It will also pass DTS through too.
Yes, Apple's DVD player will. But you need's workaround to get Frontrow to play Video_TS folders. If only quicktime would pass it through - we could have ~1gb mp4 files playing DD and DTS from Front Row with easy handbrake rupping
