User blog:Carlos2295/How to Rip a DVD

This is a very brief guide on how to rip a DVD. If you have any questions, ask me in the comments.
 * 1) Download and install HD Decrypter. It is bundled as part of DVDFab 9. The paid version of the software can rip and encode, but we're doing it the free way. All you get for free is the ability to decrypt a copy protected DVD. This alone is perfect.
 * 2) Insert DVD into disc drive and open the software.
 * 3) If ripping a season box set, each episode can be ripped individually. The entire disc can be ripped into one long movie, but it's a lot more practical to have individual episodes.
 * 4) There will be a plus sign underneath the main title, click it to view each episode.
 * 5) You only need to rip the first of a pair, such as 1(1). You do not need to rip 1(2).
 * 6) By default, it will be in your documents folder under DVDFab 9/Main Movie. There will be a folder for each DVD ripped. The episode will be in .vob (video object) format. Technically, you're finished here, as this alone can be watched using VLC Media Player, but the format is unreadable by almost all media players, e.g iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. One more step is needed to convert it.
 * 7) Download and install Handbrake.
 * 8) On the top left, click source. Navigate to the .vob file and double click it.
 * 9) On the right hand side under presets, click high profile.
 * 10) In the middle, where it says output, you can change the format it is encoded in. You may either keep it as MKV, or change it to MP4.
 * 11) MKV is only compatible with VLC Media Player and a handful of other software, but is a very interesting codec. It can store subtitles and separate audio tracks for different languages. However, these are not embedded by HD Decrypter, so I wouldn't bother using this format.
 * 12) MP4 is readable by all major media players, e.g iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.
 * 13) Most episodes of any series will have small black bars on the side. These can be eliminated by cropping a few pixels off the sides. To do this, click cropping and change it from automatic to custom. For Ed, Edd n Eddy, I've noticed that it needs to be cropped by 2 pixels on each side. Change the left and right numbers to 2.
 * 14) On the left where it says anamorphic, change it to strict.
 * 15) In the middle where it says destination, put it anywhere you want. This is where the finished video will go to. You can look up the episode information here.
 * 16) Once all this is done, click the green start button on the top. The progress bar on the bottom will say Queue Finished once done.
 * 17) Organize the episodes however you wish, as we are now done.