How-To: Convert a DVD for your iPod (with video) in Windows

Today's how-to will take you through the steps of getting from DVD to the new iPod (with video) on the Windows platform. Happy portable watching!

What you will need:

• a dvd to avi ripper program (we used the free DVDx 2.3 off of sourceforge)
• an avi to mov (quicktime) program (we used the trial version of Xilisoft Video Converter)
• the new itunes 6.0 (free download from apple)
• 
  

Procedure

Load your DVD in DVDx 2.3 by choosing “OpenDVD Root” from the drop down menu and navigating to and selecting the VIDEO_TS file of your DVD.

Prepare your input settings for the dvd in DVDx 2.3. In
DVDx 2.3 you should choose the correct video track,
language of audio, output frame rate, and subtitles in the
“Input Settings” menu.

Next, choose the correct parameters in the “Output Settings” menu. Choose AVI, Export Settings resolution of 320x240, choose a video codec (we used Cinepak), etc. and click “Apply”.

Now rip the dvd by clicking on the red encode button on the bottom right.

This process may take quite a bit of time and disk space depending on the quality and length of the video. Next launch Xilisoft Video Converter and choose “File > Add”. Navigate to the .avi file you just created with DVDx 2.3. Now on the bottom left of the window choose “QuickTime Format (*.mov)”. Choose a destination for the file you will create. Lastly, change the video size in the right hand column to 320x240 and click the “Encode” button.

Launch iTunes 6 and choose “File > Add File to Library”.
Choose the .mov file you created in the last step. Click on “Videos” in the left column and double click on your file to make sure the video works. Load it on your shiny new iPod and voila!

Thanks to HackADay reader Fred Bonatto for the tips.

[JUNK @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

This is a good tutorial for MAC
http://diveintomark.org/howto/ipod-dvd-ripping-guide/
It takes a long time but it works well.

[Dan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Thanks for the post that proves that no serious number of people will ever own PMPs*! Thanks guys.

*In this case "never ever" shall be taken to mean until someone comes up with a way to view video on portable devices without using three seperate apps, two of which take a degree in computer science to operate.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

So the obvious question is couldn't you just rip straight to QuickTime? If you do a straight mpeg2 rip, wouldn't it be better to convert to h.264 in QuickTime Pro, assuming you have it?

I'm just wondering if there are other ways to do this that are both easier and would result in better quality. The only important thing is that you end up with a QuickTime 7-compatible file, right?

[LH @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Nice. You re-compress the video two times and crap the quality.

[Pancake @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Handbrake for mac is all you need.. Rips straight to MP4

http://handbrake.m0k.org/

[lizocka @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

JUNK - all you need is Handbrake. MacTheRipper is not necessary.
Fire up Handbrake, open the DVD that's inside the computer, select the title you want, formats that you want it compressed to ( MP4 with AVC/H.264 & AAC audio, 320 x 240, crop off whatever you don't want - black lines on top and bottom, ... bit-rate about 800 ) and location where you want it saved. That's it.

[AFD @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

I'd say extract the MPEG-2 video with DVD Shrink and encode to .mp4 with Quicktime Pro. Quicktime's MPEG-2 add-on is designed for transcoding MPEG-2 to Apple's MPEG-4.

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/

Though personally, I think you could achieve the same results more cost-effectively if they would have added DivX / Xvid decoding to the new iPod - or at least included Quicktime Pro w/the purchase of a new iPod.

[alex @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Last time I checked, HandBrake was only for Mac and Linux -- this tutorial is for Windows users.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

"Though personally, I think you could achieve the same results more cost-effectively if they would have added DivX / Xvid decoding to the new iPod"

Well, Dr. Divx is the same price as QT Pro, and neither is really unreasonable ($30).

xvid is free, I guess, but I have had nothing but trouble trying to use xvid. It messes with my other codecs (it takes over divx playback, no matter what I do) and I don't get as good quality encoding with it as I do with Dr. Divx. Playback is always juddery.

Neither codec is as good as h.264 anyway, though - both divx and xvid are based on older mpeg-4 codecs. h.264 is the latest and greatest. Not that you'd probably really notice on a 2.5" screen, but you would at least notice if playback was not 100% smooth.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Oops, my bad. Looks like Dr. Divx has gone open-source!

[Senor Pantalones @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

People are always saying that there way more apps for Windows than Mac....

If any of them look like the above, I'm cool with having my choices limited...

thats just 10 kinds of ugly.

[Shnugi @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

I will never buy a PMP, until I can drag and drop video clips on to them.

[Ben @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

So, I can stick a CD into my PC and get it on my iPod with iTunes but I can't do that with my DVD's? What's up with that? I don't understand.

[EJ @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Once you extract the DVD into an AVI, or other compatible format, just import into iTunes and hit "convert to AAC", and it will put it in an ipod comatible format.

[Nelson @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Now that there's going to be all this video out there for PSPs, I wonder if there will be more available for my PPC... I've been converting DVDs for years; it would be nice to get some ready-to-go files.

[Paul @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Why do you have to convert it to a .mov file. Itunes plays MPEG4 files. Cant you just convert the DVD to Mpeg4 and then put it on your ipod?

[Richard Franco @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Isn't the file size limited to 2.5MB for a video for the new iPod?
(http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html)

Does a commercial DVD movie fit into 2.4MB at a 320x240 size?

[Teve Torbes @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Nero Recode files should work on the iPod (Nero Recode uses MPEG-4 H.264). Nero Recode is very simple to use. You basically select the folder with your ripped DVD, select the encoding profile, and wait for it to create your movie. I guess its to be seen if the iPod can read these movies.

[Andrew Gimber @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

The 2.5 is mbps ie the maximum bitrate of the video files. There doesn't seem to be an upper limit for the total size of the files.

[Adam @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Richard,
That spec is 2.5 megabits per second, not a file size limit, but a bit rate of each video. So, you can't have more than 2.5 megabits each second, that's all.

[Richard Franco @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Hi Andrew

Good news then. I am going to get one.
What is the bitrate on a video file and kind of restrictions does this present?

[Sintax @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

uh no its 2.5 mbps mpt mb im sure you can have as hard files as it will handle.

[ProphetSix @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Reply to #17:
No, that's not a 2.5 MEGABYTE (Mb) file-size limit, it's a 2.5 megaBIT per second (mbps) video playback limit for MPEG-4 encoding. Two different things.

I don't see a file-size limit on video (or any) files on that page. I'd say you're good-to-go.

FYI: I've encoded 1.5 hour DVD's for playback on a Dell PDA via Divx, and got those down to 240Mb with 30fps, 320x240, and decient stero audio. I'm betting you could get 2 hour movies with superb quality in under 500Mb. (500Mb movies, 60Gb iPods.... wow.)

[Richard Franco @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Here we go, the explanation is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitrate#Video

So the 2.5 mbps expresses the image quality not the max video file size like I thought.

[Richard Franco @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

#20;

Thank you! I also have a HP iPaq. Could you please explain to me how to achieve what've done- DVD compression to DivX file and then on the PDA DivX playback?

[Maxwellion @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

I just think that there needs to be a better protection system for film distribution companies before they would even consider DVD to ipod video conversion in itunes.

Also, nobody is bothered ripping their own films it's easier, CHEAPER and faster to download them off bit-torrent. I'd like to see Warner brothers come back to that...

I know Apple are going to make a deal with all the big movie companies to have full length films to buy for ipod straight off itunes. Until then it will be just be music videos then movie trailers...

What about updating the itunes name? iFilm? iPlay? iMovie? iCinema... or something worse.

[Dignan17 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

I'm sorry, but it seems to me that the EASIEST way to do this would be to use the FairUse Wizard:

http://www.fairusewizard.com/lang_en/fairuse_wizard_dvd_divx_xvid_backup_tool_light_edition.html

The latest version includes H.264

So with FairUse you could do it all in one step, instead of ripping it and then converting it. I've used this program for all of my Xvid rips, and it's a great program. Well worth the 20 bucks he charges.

[Dignan17 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

"I will never buy a PMP, until I can drag and drop video clips on to them."

Uh, Shnugi, there's been those for years now.

Go check out Archos.com. What you're looking for is called a Mass Storage device. Every Archos product falls into this category, including Engadget's gadget of the 2004, the Archos GMini400.

I'm with ya, too. This and the soup mode are the ONLY two reasons I've never bought an iPod.

[GUnit @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

So um, you can do it...but why the funk (Black Eyed Peas term) would you want to?

tiny screen, poor image quality, poor sound. If you get off on this you you have
a) too much time on your hands
b) no life.

Better option - read a book on the train/plane and watch DVDs where they are meant to be watched - on a decent TV with decent speaker system in your lounge room.

Seriously people - what's with this funked-up obsession with piss-poor movie watching experience?

[Dignan17 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

"gadget of the 2004" -> "gadget of 2004" (I started saying year and ended up saying 2004 - I don't like to display poor grammar)

[Matt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

You could just use dvd decrypter, then convert it with Nero.

[Consused fool @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

When i try and get my root it says that i need some ASPI thingy at adaptec.com or something. i D/L it and it wont install WTF!!

[Kevin H @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

I downloaded the program THEY DVD to AVI ripper program they used but I can't find any EXE or any further ZIP files to actually RUN the program for Windows!

What the hell?

[Rob_ @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Glad to see someone else said FairUse Wizard 2, it's the velcro shoe of DVD converters. Will do DivX, Xvid and h264, leaving the user needing only the knowledge of how to use a mouse. Free version comes with a limit of 700mb per file, which is enough for a movie; but if you want you can split the movie in half - having two 700mb files, or in quarters... Also has no problems with encrypted dvds, subtitles...

[Mark @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Can the video iPod play MP4 video? If so, then you can just take the AVI file and convert it to MP4 format with the free PSPVideo 9 converter, a program which, ironically enough, is used to make videos for the PSP. www.pspvideo9.com

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

to #29

unless i wanted to carry a plasma screen(at least 42") nice surround sound setup, dvd player, and anything else to get a non piss-poor movie watching experience, i think a nice portable player would do the job. if you want a quality movie experience, guess what you don't do it in a plane, train, bus, on the street. You go to the movie theatre or you stay at home.

What if you have some time to kill and you want to watch you favorite movie. Do you pull out the movie equipment(see above) and do it, say in the quad? No, you pull you ipod(or whatever) and you watch it. It is not about looking good or sounding good, it is about seeing that right there because you wanted to.

I'm sorry but i dont need the ultimate experience when i am on the go. If i want that, there are other places for it.

[Jason Anderson @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Damn, that's an ugly ass application.

[don @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

funny how they choose kill bill 2 to rip considering the battery will die before they are even near the end of the movie. at least for the 30gb version ne ways

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Too tired to look who mentioned it, but Nero Recoder is hands down the fastest and easiest to use DVD ripper. Rips right into the h.264 codec. Took only 70 minutes to rip a 2 hour and 6 minute movie! And if you're all for hacked SNs paired with shareware ;) check this out and you will get the program at no added expense: http://www.addict3d.org/index.php?page=downloadfile&ID=154

[Hari Seldon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

I haven't seen anyone mention that the new iPod supports playback of MPEG4 encoded video at 480x480 resolution. I for one have been encoding DVD's at 512x384 resolution for some time. This was my 'perceptual' quality threshold resolution (that is, DVD's looked like shit below this res using DVI out to my 50" plasma..) I for one am simply going to crop my files to 480x 384 (assuming the new iPod retains the pixel aspect ratio of my files). I think that losing 16 pixels on the left & right of a 2.5" screen is no biggie - and no re-encode required! All hail the new iPodean Overlord!

[Paul Craig @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Ok #42 that is just ridiculous. I love the idea of the new ipod. Having it for "music first" and it being even smaller than the first ipod. It is super portable and easily fits in my pocket but has the option of also watching video when it is convienent. I think this is the best idea because Im not necessarily watch movies on it all the time because Im gonna use it as an MP3 player. But its awesome to have the option in such a small package and descent price.

[dtrinh @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Actually - once you convert your DVD to AVI; convert the AVI to AVC. Using a program designated for PSP media (same thing) - PSPvideo9, take the AVI and convert it to the correct resolution (320X4??) with AVC encode. Then! Wahlah! Crisp quality, smaller file size, great file :P

[Math Johnson @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Makayama has a DVD-to-iPod tool in the making that claims to do it in a few clicks: http://www.makayama.com

[Fran @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

The converter that you used only converts five minuites of the movie.

[JeffV @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

No if you use FairUse Wizard? What Formats can the New Ipod Use???? Will it play DivX, Xvid and h264????

or use Mov. ?

I'm looking for let on the best way to move my DVD onto my new Ipod.

Thanks.

[KianTech @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

i think my way is better and it works, Rip with dvd decryptor, then encode with psp video 9 easiest.

[Rob @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Why not just rip it with DVD decryptor and then take the vob file, rename it to an mpg and then convert direct from quicktime pro? Seems like less steps and even though quicktime pro costs 30 bucks I'm sure a creative person can figure out how to get it for less (as in zero).

[DJ @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

If you already have your content in AVI format from torrents here is a one step process to convert your videos and it is fast.

http://techgadgets.blogspot.com/2005/10/how-to-convert-your-divx-torrent-files.html

[Paul @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

Hey anyone who uses FairUse Wizard. How do you get it to do a resolution of 320 X 240??? I cant find it anywhere.

[Jimmy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:26AM]

"Hey anyone who uses FairUse Wizard. How do you get it to do a resolution of 320 X 240??? I cant find it anywhere."

It's one of the options after it's cached the chains. You need to turn off "Use TV display mode" to see it though.

Has anyone managed to import the encoded H.264 files from FairPlay to iTunes? Even if I change the file extension to .mp4 or .m4v, iTunes doesn't play it and Quicktime says that the file is not a movie file. Any advice?