dear lazyweb

[emmacrew]

Pip loves watching videos, but has a tendency to wreck DVDs. I've been buying downloads for movies he likes, but we have a few things that aren't available to buy as downloads that I'd like to (edit:getconvert from DVD) into digital form before they get broken. I know it's considered a legal grey area, but I know there are ways to do it. Any

Comments

[pencat]

Transmission for Mac might be helpful for downloading needs.

[emmacrew]

Oh, I meant from DVDs we already have. I don't imagine too many folks have "the napping house" available on a torrent. ;-)

[faecat]

www.handbrake.fr

I've been using it for yonks.

Er, assuming you mean DVDs you have. It comes in both Mac and Windows versions, I've used both, but the Mac version is (IMO) more user-friendly.

[emmacrew]

Yep, basically want to make a copy I can put on his computer so I can hide the physical dvd before it gets eaten. :-)

[bopeepsheep]

I have a program called Jesterware which converts DVD to iPod format; they also have a 'any file format' version. There are simpler and cheaper things out there that do the same thing but I can personally recommend that one. It doesn't work on Disney disks, which have a nasty encryption, but 90% of our DVDs have ripped with no trouble at all. It's very simple to use, although you do have to remember to rename files before you rip or you wind up having to do a lot of tidying up.

[emmacrew]

Most of the Disney stuff I've just been getting in iTunes anyhow. But we are on our third or fourth copy of Goodnight, Gorilla and it's getting a bit much, you know?

[smeehrrr]

You just want to rip DVDs? Get AnyDVD from Slysoft and just copy the VOB and IFO files.

[rmd]

I don't know about the free stuff, but digiarty (http://www.macxdvd.com/) is supposedly pretty good. also a version available for windows.

[emmacrew]

Hm, looks like they have a free version that will probably suffice for the few things I need to convert. Whee!