Best Tool: Simple DVD to *quality* MPEG

[mlewis]

Everything out there seems to compress. I'd like to have all of my DVD's in digital format on the server so that I have instant access to them. I'd like the following features, not much more;

-This is for my own personal use so can't justify hundreds on an app.

-To be able to click on the chapters I want based on a video preview window.

-To be able to get the best quality possible encoded into standard MPEG2.

-IF possible, to get the full 5.1 or dolby stereo into the MPEG as well.

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

[redwudz]

Why not just use DVD Fab Decrypter and rip them directly to your hard drive? Figure 7GB+ per DVD average. If you wanted them smaller, DVD Shrink them and lose the extras and second languages and subtitles. If you wanted to preserve the chapters, a copy of the DVDs would be the way to go. They should play fine with a program like Power DVD from the HD. Cost= 0$. I hope you have a lot of HD space, though.

BTW, DVDs are already in digital format. All video on the computer will be in digital format.

[mlewis]

>Why not just use DVDFab Decrypter and rip them directly to your hard drive?

Didn't know about it but I'll certainly check it out. I do have CloneDVD2 which I toyed with. I found that I could rip to ISO, then rename the extension to mpg. It would work fine on the PC but it would not play on the media player I'd like to use (Roku).

I'd like something that will allow me to pick the chapters since I don't care to see the previews and other things every time I play my digital files.

>BTW, DVDs are already in digital format. All video on the computer will be in digital format.

I don't want to play them back on the PC, I'd like to store them on a server, which is then accessed by a media player. This is why I need a standard format as well, such as MPEG2 for example, or DivX;.

[dutchboy45]

If I use DVD Shrink - how can I create a file from that portion of the movie that I can put on my hard drive and use it in a powerpoint presentation or a similar program? As far as I can tell, DVD Shrink just lets me shrink what I have on a DVD and put on another disc.