Many, many times I have found my self searching the web for software that could help me transform my DVDs into AVIs and MP4s, yet never have I found anything that actually works the way I want them to. Either the program simply doesn’t work, or most frequently, the free version of the program only allows ripping of non-protected DVDs. Yesterday I found a solution!

Using DVD Shrink t0 “back up” the DVD to my hard drive I then use free version of WinX DVD Ripper to convert the VOBs to AVI or MP4. I know – this is using two programs instead of one, but it works and it even allows for one DVD to be ripped while another one is being converted.

The great thing about DVD Shrink is that it allows the user to Re-author the DVD. In other words, the user can select what titles to copy and in what order to place them, and to select what audio and subtitles will follow along. The result is a VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS structure just like the ones you find on original DVDs, but the files are not protected and can be converted with a free DVD ripper tool.

The free version of WinX DVD Ripper can convert a non-protected DVD to any of the following formats:

• AVI (DivX or XviD with MP3 or AC3 audio)
• MPEG2 with AC3 or MP2 audio
• MPEG4 (or H264 with AAC audio for iPod/iPhone/PSP/etc.)
• WMV (version 1 or 2)
• MOV (MPEG4 with AAC audio)
• FLV with MP3 audio
• MP3 audio only

The great thing about WinX DVD Ripper is that more than one title can be converted per run, and each title is converted to a separate file. This is great for converting TV series where you want each episode to be placed in a separate file. It also allows you to select what audio and subtitle stream you want to go with your converted file, if there are more than one that is.

For more info on how to work DVD Shrink, check out DVDShrink.org’s tutorial on full disk copying or their basic re-authoring guide. These are the guides I used to get started. And if you want to download DVD Shrink, just search the web for it. There are plenty or download sites around.

Now, just to finish of, I feel the need to point out that I do not condone piracy and the unlawful distribution of copyrighted material such as movies, TV series and music. I convert my DVDs to AVI and MPEG4 so that I can enjoy them on my notebook and iPod. I do not convert them for illegal purposes, and I suggest you don’t either.