[tanstaafl]

I've been asked about putting some DVDs on a laptop and the only simple way I can find is to convert the DVDs to iso files and play them with vlc. This works but the files do gobble up HD space.

I understand that Xvid files would be much smaller and would be playable on vlc. Unfortunately, after a bit of googling I'm now more confused than when I started! So, I'd be grateful for any advice on the subject of DVD to Xvid conversion. For example, is it fairly straightforward or is it not for the faint of heart? Any recommendations for free software? Are there any good tutorials? Do I really need to download a codec or is one already available in vlc?

[mac2708]

This will do the job http://www.freemake.com/free_video_converter/
If you try it be careful of other things it wants ti install - READ the options

This may also help http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=221407

[tanstaafl]

I've got Ver 2.3.4 of Freemake Video Converter, and an excellent piece of software it is too. However, I can see no sign of Xvid and it isn't mentioned in the list of supported files. Where exactly should I be looking in Freemake?

[tanstaafl]

Aha, I have just looked at your second link and I see that Xvid is mentioned. I haven't time to check it out now but I shall give it a more detailed look later.

[Matt D]

You could try -


DVDFab (free) to rip: http://www.dvdfab.com/hd-decrypter.htm

Handbrake (free) to convert: http://handbrake.fr/

[tanstaafl]

OK, I've now discovered that that the Xvid bit is inside the avi container. Many thanks to mac2708 for the info; I'd probably never discovered this otherwise in a month of Sundays! And I see that what I now have are all the DVD titles converted to avi/xvid files. All I seem to need to do is keep the main title (I don't need all the other stuff) which is only about a quarter of the size of the DVD. It will play on WMP, but with vlc, I can change the aspect ratio.

And thank you, Matt D for the other suggestions. I'll bear them in mind if I have any further problems.

And all of this seems much, much simpler than the impression that I was getting on googling Xvid. Ah, well, I'm not complaining.

[mac2708]

Originally Posted by tanstaafl

I've got Ver 2.3.4 of Freemake Video Converter, and an excellent piece of software it is too. However, I can see no sign of Xvid and it isn't mentioned in the list of supported files. Where exactly should I be looking in Freemake?

In Freemake click on 'Add video' and select the VTS/VOB files you wish to add.
Then select 'Join files'
Next from the formats shown at the bottom choose .avi
The next screen gives you a choice of .avi output parameters including Xvid
Chose the one you prefer and click 'Convert'

EDIT: I see you sussed it whilst I was typing a reply
Easy innit?

[tanstaafl]

Actually, I don't think I have sussed it all out. I didn't notice the "join files bit" you mention, not that I was looking too hard. I'll have to go back and investigate, although I've solved my immediate problem which is to have some compressed video files that I can put on a laptop to keep one of my young relatives happy.

[LeonJefferson]

I used to rip DVDs with a paid software. They also provides free trials but unable to setup detailed parameters of the output files.

[Red_Dwarf]

If your laptop is up to it and/or has a graphics core which can assist with decoding, then using x264 would make the video file size smaller and the quality could be better.

It takes longer to encode to x264 rather than XVid but the videos will take up less than half the space ie more videos available. XVid is getting a bit old now and x264 has largely superseded it.

Freemake can also do x264 so it might be worth trying to see if it is worth the extra time to encode.