[Reid Kistler]

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/fe...tures/handbrake

"Whether you own an iPod touch, Zune HD, Nintendo DSi, or any number of other portable devices, there's one tool that makes easy work out of ripping DVDs and converting incompatible video files into manageable formats: Handbrake. This wonderful utility has just about everything you could ask for, including robust compatibility, a slick interface, and snappy performance. And if that weren't enough, the developers have chosen to give the program away for free, no strings (or trialware) attached."

Paul Lilly, at MaximumPC, has written a detailed "Power User's Guide" for HandBrake, a powerful video transcoder which is available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. The emphasis is on converting video for use on various portable devices, and there appears to be a lot to like about the application, beyond its being available at no cost. For one, the developers present a keen sense of humor, using a pineapple and a cocktail (Pina Colada?) glass as their logo, and promoting their application as coming "with 21 essential vitamins and minerals!" There is also an active support and discussion forum, as well as available documentation. Find myself tempted to run out and buy a suitable device simply in order to give this application a try!  

 

[Reid Kistler]

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/fe...tures/handbrake

"Whether you own an iPod touch, Zune HD, Nintendo DSi, or any number of other portable devices, there's one tool that makes easy work out of ripping DVDs and converting incompatible video files into manageable formats: Handbrake. This wonderful utility has just about everything you could ask for, including robust compatibility, a slick interface, and snappy performance. And if that weren't enough, the developers have chosen to give the program away for free, no strings (or trialware) attached."

Paul Lilly, at MaximumPC, has written a detailed "Power User's Guide" for HandBrake, a powerful video transcoder which is available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. The emphasis is on converting video for use on various portable devices, and there appears to be a lot to like about the application, beyond its being available at no cost. For one, the developers present a keen sense of humor, using a pineapple and a cocktail (Pina Colada?) glass as their logo, and promoting their application as coming "with 21 essential vitamins and minerals!" There is also an active support and discussion forum, as well as available documentation. Find myself tempted to run out and buy a suitable device simply in order to give this application a try!  

 

[timmy]

I can really recommend Handbrake! I have been using it for a year or two and I am really pleased with it.

It's quite Apple centric though, but if you just want to encode a DVD to a h.264 MP4 file you can select "Normal" profile, and you'll get a video file with the same 720*576 resolution that at least my DVD's are in.

Handbrake is no speed demon, but it produces great results! You can embed subtitles and create batch jobs of video encoding that can run over night as well.

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by timmy

I can really recommend Handbrake! I have been using it for a year or two and I am really pleased with it.

I'll have to give it another try...I've tried it a few times, and every time it flakes out on me and won't do what it's supposed to do.

[Reid Kistler]

Originally Posted by timmy

I can really recommend Handbrake! I have been using it for a year or two and I am really pleased with it.

If you don't mind my asking, what device(s) do you create (convert) videos for, and for what purpose: simply entertainment, or for some business use?

(Rereading your post, gather that it is largely for entertainment - ??)

At a time when our home tvs - or computer monitors for that matter! - are getting larger & larger, find the thought of wanting to view video on a SMALLER screen somewhat curious....

Still, DOES look like a neat bit of programming....

[timmy]

Originally Posted by Reid Kistler

If you don't mind my asking, what device(s) do you create (convert) videos for

No problem, mainly my Dell D420 with a 12" 1280*800 screen and sometimes my iPod Classic (there I agree about the screen), and yes, mostly entertainment.
The Dell comes with external DVD reader so when travelling it makes more sense to encode the DVD into h.264 (which often results in a 1.2GB file for a normal movie) and then making it possible to watch whenever I want to.

I haven't tried the files on a larger screen, like a TV, but on my 12" screen it looks as good as the original (not surprisingly considering the small screen), but still, it makes the software a real "lifesaver" for me when travelling. I am as I wrote in my previous post using the "Normal" profile which provides good results, and 1:1 resolution, but if you'd like to rip DVD's to a home theater system there is a HD profile as well, haven't used it though.

Jason had some issues with earlier versions, but this latest version seems more stable and easier to use. The developers have tidied up the interface and removed lots of codecs deemed obsolete.

[Reid Kistler]

"No problem, mainly my Dell D420 with a 12" 1280*800 screen and sometimes my iPod Classic (there I agree about the screen), and yes, mostly entertainment.
The Dell comes with external DVD reader so when travelling it makes more sense to encode the DVD into h.264 (which often results in a 1.2GB file for a normal movie) and then making it possible to watch whenever I want to."


Yes, for someone who travels a lot could certainly see the appeal of being able to take along your own movies - and even with a built-in dvd player the hassle of packing physical media might make the encoding-to-hd process attractive.

That is a usage I should have anticipated - thanks for pointing it out!

Also interesting how quickly we forget things: our first dvd player was installed in a home-built computer system (with a Hollywood decoder card) - and our first dvd movies were watched on a 17" crt monitor, and then later on a 25" tv that we connected to the system - and this with a family of 5 kids!