#294960 - 10/03/2007 06:49
Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
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old hand
Registered: 15/02/2002
Posts: 1049
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Hi everyone,
Now that the 750GB disks are out and cheap, I'd like to rip all my DVDs onto a video server.
Can you guys recommend ripping and compression software to do this? I have DVD Shrink and DVD Decrypter, but I'm not certain this is the best approach. The whole video codec and container thing is completely bewildering to me. Which combination gives good quality (in case an HDTV monitor is in the future), portability and reasonable disk usage? XviD seems like a popular choice, but I know nothing about this. Comments?
Thanks in advance. I'm just starting to learn about this so if anyone wants to give me any pointers to resources or heads up on gotchas I'm not asking about, that would be great.
Jim
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#294961 - 10/03/2007 12:41
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: TigerJimmy]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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H.264/MPEG4-AVC is probably the (current) future. I'd go that way. It's standards based, so you shouldn't have weird incompatibilities.
The real question, though, is what will your video playback device support? I'd figure that out first and then use what it supports best.
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Bitt Faulk
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#294962 - 10/03/2007 14:14
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: TigerJimmy]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
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I use DVDShrink to rip a single VOB file:
Edit > Preferences > Output Files > uncheck "Split VOB files into 1GB size chunks (recommended)."
Then I use the Re-author mode, only selecting the movie, and I deselect all the alternative languages and all subtitles and I rip the movie. Also make sure you select "No Compression" instead of "Automatic"
At the moment, I'm leaving it that way. The quality won't get any better than that and I can decide what I want to do with them later. I don't have a networkable media player at the moment, but I have a great LG player that will play a wide assortment of files, including just a single VOB file on a disc.
So now, if I want to put the file onto a DVD-RW, I can point DVDShrink back at that file and tell it to compress it this time. Or, if I eventually get a networkable media player, I'll probably use Super (linked in Tony's thread) to encode them into whatever format I want.
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Matt
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#294963 - 10/03/2007 18:40
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: TigerJimmy]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
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Handbrake encoding into a normal MP4 h.264 file as Bitt said. The Windows version is CLI, but guis do exist for it. Can't comment on the Windows quality, but my Core Duo Mac Mini with the OS X version will do a DVD at about realtime speed. You can also queue actions up, great for if you have a dumped image of the disc, or a TV series DVD with multiple episodes per disc.
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#294964 - 10/03/2007 22:58
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: TigerJimmy]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 19/05/1999
Posts: 3457
Loc: Palo Alto, CA
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I use fairuse for this - seems to be pretty flexible and there's a free version to try. Not tried many others, though - when I was looking for some software to archive my DVDs this was the first one I found that actually worked, so I stopped looking at that point  Hugo
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#294965 - 11/03/2007 12:30
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: wfaulk]
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old hand
Registered: 15/02/2002
Posts: 1049
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Thanks for all of these helpful responses.
I haven't settled on a playback system yet. My vision is that its a computer with some software on it. I don't know which software to use for playback and navigation of a movie collection. Any input here would be appreciated as well.
Thanks again everyone,
Jim
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#294966 - 18/03/2007 13:43
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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Is there a way to get DVD shrink to output a single file like a mpeg4 or some other format instead of outputting vobs ?
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Matt
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#294967 - 18/03/2007 14:19
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
Is there a way to get DVD shrink to output a single file like a mpeg4 or some other format instead of outputting vobs ?
DVDShrink does no transcoding. It only compresses.
That said, the answer to your first question "does it output to a single file?" is yes. I wrote how in my first post to this thread:
Quote:
Edit > Preferences > Output Files > uncheck "Split VOB files into 1GB size chunks (recommended)."
That will output the file as a single VOB (as long as it started as one track on the DVD). It will also give you some other files, but as long as you're not playing the result on a standard DVD player, you only need the VOB file. You can then take that file and transcode it using some other application (these days I like Super, as I've posted before).
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Matt
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#294968 - 18/03/2007 14:20
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14482
Loc: Canada
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I thought one could set it to produce an ISO file ?
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#294969 - 18/03/2007 14:48
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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I did uncheck the 1 gb split feature I guess I was confused by the files other than the vob. I was expecting one file not two folders with several files.
Making a iso is a good idea I might just do that if I can't find something I like better.
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Matt
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#294970 - 18/03/2007 19:26
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Dignan]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 20/01/2002
Posts: 2085
Loc: New Orleans, LA
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If I might ask, what's the difference between transcoding and recompressing?
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#294971 - 18/03/2007 19:29
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: lectric]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Context.
Transcoding means converting from one format to another. Recompressing means running through another compressor. Generally speaking, with transcoding, you're interest lies in making it compatible with a different system, whereas the interest in recompressing lies in making it smaller. In both cases, though, you're uncompressing and then recompressing.
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Bitt Faulk
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#294972 - 18/03/2007 19:30
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: lectric]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3995
Loc: Manchester UK
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Quote:
If I might ask, what's the difference between transcoding and recompressing?
I would've said transcoding is conversion of one format to another eg. MPEG2 to MPEG4 and recompression implies the decoding and recoding of a signal using the same format. Certainly we use those terms at work.
EDIT: Dammit, beaten to it.
EDIT: Should also point out transcoding doesn't have involve compression of any type. We would describe converting an SDI video signal to a analogue composite signal as transcoding too.
Edited by andym (18/03/2007 19:33)
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Cheers,
Andy M
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#294973 - 18/03/2007 19:31
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: wfaulk]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 20/01/2002
Posts: 2085
Loc: New Orleans, LA
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Makes sense.... In that case, it's true. Shrink is only outputting other vobs. Evan as an iso, it's still just putting vobs into an iso.
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#294974 - 18/03/2007 21:09
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
I did uncheck the 1 gb split feature I guess I was confused by the files other than the vob. I was expecting one file not two folders with several files.
Making a iso is a good idea I might just do that if I can't find something I like better.
Why? That doesn't make sense. An ISO, I believe, won't be playable by any video playback software whatsoever. A VOB file can (VLC can for sure, and possibly Media Player Classic, among others).
You might want to try using the "Re-author" mode instead of the Full Disc mode. In that mode, you can simply rip individual tracks from the DVD. It will usually highlight which one is the main movie (whichever is the biggest in size). Drag that over and nothing else.
Then, with the previously-mentioned box unchecked, click the "Backup!" button, and in that, uncheck the "create Audio_TS and Video_TS folders" box, and start the backup.
After that, yes, you're still left with a bunch of files, but only the VOB file contains the video. The others can be deleted entirely, and you're left with a single playable VOB file. From there, it's up to you to decide how you're going to want to play your files, and with what program, because you'll either leave it untouched or transcode it.
If you're not certain what you're going to do, I suggest backing up in the highest-quality you can. That means that before you hit the "Backup!" button, make sure to click on the "Compression Settings" tab within the "Re-author" mode, select the video track you dragged over, and choose "No Compression."
Another hint: DVDShrink can re-compress VOB's later on.
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Matt
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#294975 - 18/03/2007 21:11
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
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I also might be confused as to what your final goal is. Do you just want the movie, or do you want the whole movie with all the menus and special features?
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Matt
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#294976 - 18/03/2007 21:26
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
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ISOs of DVDs are playable on the OS X DVD player, as the built in DVD Maker program can spit out an ISO instead of burning to disc. Somewhere out there is even a script for Front Row to see a folder of ISOs as DVDs, it takes care of mounting them and starting playback. Haven't used it myself, I generally prefer the space savings of transcoding to H.264.
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#294977 - 18/03/2007 21:28
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Dignan]
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addict
Registered: 01/03/2002
Posts: 598
Loc: Florida
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Quote:
Why? That doesn't make sense. An ISO, I believe, won't be playable by any video playback software whatsoever. A VOB file can (VLC can for sure, and possibly Media Player Classic, among others).
True, but you can mount the image with Daemon Tools.
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Chad
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#294978 - 18/03/2007 21:31
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Attack]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Or with builtin tools under OSX, Linux, and most Unices.
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Bitt Faulk
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#294979 - 19/03/2007 01:52
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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I have found several dvd playback programs that play iso files as other have pointed out. My goal is to have just the movie in one file that I can play on my laptop. Vob would be ok but I would prefer divx. I found this program that does exactly what I want and it seems to work ok. http://www.simpledivx.org/main/
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Matt
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#294980 - 22/03/2007 15:21
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: TigerJimmy]
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addict
Registered: 09/06/1999
Posts: 558
Loc: Newfoundland, Canada
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My suggestion would be a modded xbox. I have one and we love it. I put a bigger hard drive in it and ripped my little guys movies to it (all within the xbox). Now we have everything on hand without the need to fumble with the discs. I've also tried ripping to divx on my pc but syncing the audio and video is a problem that I haven't been able to solve yet.
Good luck.
Rene
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12 gig empeg Mark II, SN: 080000101 30 gig RioCar SN: 30103114 My blog
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#294981 - 05/04/2007 22:28
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: ShadowMan]
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addict
Registered: 09/06/1999
Posts: 558
Loc: Newfoundland, Canada
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Quote:
I've also tried ripping to divx on my pc but syncing the audio and video is a problem that I haven't been able to solve yet.
After reading this thread I decided to try again. I used SimpleDivX and so far I am having great results.
Rene
_________________________
12 gig empeg Mark II, SN: 080000101 30 gig RioCar SN: 30103114 My blog
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#294982 - 06/04/2007 04:43
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: ShadowMan]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 20/01/2002
Posts: 2085
Loc: New Orleans, LA
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Here you go. Just get one of these.
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#294983 - 06/04/2007 10:26
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: lectric]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
Here you go. Just get one of these.
Wow...that was weird...I'm sitting here eating breakfast and watching DL.TV. The second I read your post they started talking about the court case that company just won.
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Matt
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#294984 - 06/04/2007 11:52
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Dignan]
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addict
Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
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You can achieve something very similiar with XLobby (free), DVDProfiler, and a HTPC. You rip your movies to hardrive and have them available at the touch of a button. A very cost effective solution if you are into this sort of thing.
Attachments
297318-IMG_1873.JPG (200 downloads)
Edited by Neutrino (06/04/2007 12:00)
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No matter where you might be, there you are.
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#294985 - 06/04/2007 12:02
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Neutrino]
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addict
Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
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Another snap of XLobby
Attachments
297319-IMG_1875.JPG (145 downloads)
Edited by Neutrino (06/04/2007 12:08)
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#294986 - 06/04/2007 12:06
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Neutrino]
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addict
Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
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And one more
Attachments
297320-IMG_1876.JPG (191 downloads)
_________________________
No matter where you might be, there you are.
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#294987 - 06/04/2007 13:58
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Neutrino]
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veteran
Registered: 21/03/2002
Posts: 1424
Loc: MA but Irish born
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What are people using for a HTPC, both front end (sits under TV) and backend (just storage?)?
Is it primarily MythTV and hacked X-Boxes?
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#294988 - 06/04/2007 14:14
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Phoenix42]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14482
Loc: Canada
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Quote:
What are people using for a HTPC, both front end (sits under TV) and backend (just storage?)?
Is it primarily MythTV and hacked X-Boxes?
I use a single box, in a shop-built cabinet that holds up the widescreen TV.
It runs Myth (front & back), and powers on/off automatically as required,
to record shows and update it's electronic program guide (EPG).
It has dual analog (NTSC) receivers and dual digital (ATSC) receivers,
all wired up to a pair of outdoor antennas for over-the-air (OTA) reception.
The antennas reside on a 35' tower attached to the house.
Two 320GB SATA drives (RAID0) provide sufficient storage for now.
I have plans (and drives) to replace those with 750GB SATA drives.
Cheers
Edited by mlord (06/04/2007 19:44)
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#294989 - 06/04/2007 14:35
Re: Ripping and compressing DVD movies -- which format and software?
[Re: Dignan]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 20/01/2002
Posts: 2085
Loc: New Orleans, LA
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That is weird. It's WAAY out of my league, price wise, but I'm glad they won.
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