Fastest / Best software for dvd to divx?

[butt_crack]

I decided that I want to convert majority of my movies that are on dvd and put them to divx format.

What I would like to know is what software out there is the best / fastest for authoring this?

Thanks all

[guns1inger]

Before embarking on what will be a major undertaking, make sure you have thought it through.

Why Divx - there are better quality codecs around ?
What will you be watching these on (portable device, CRT TV, LCD TV) ?
Using what device (WDTV, gaming console, DVD player, HTPC) ?
What playback features are you expecting to get ?

Next - speed and quality rarely go together. The secret to getting a quality encode fast is to use the best encoder you can find, and throw as much hardware behind it as you can, and accepting whatever timeframe this combo requires. If your specs are current, you don't have much hardware to play with, and your options are pretty limited in the OS X world. Otherwise, if you want fast, you will sacrifice quality. There is simply no way around it.

If you were working in Windows I would suggest AutoGK or AVI.net, doing a quality based encode (single pass). You have no control over the file size, but it will be as fast as you will get and the quality will be what you want.

However in the Mac world you will be looking at one of these : https://www.videohelp.com/tools/sections/macos-video-tools

[butt_crack]

guns1inger - great questions.

I will be putting all my movies into a portable hard drive. I will be watch it from my Playstation3 and I have a 50" Plasma. This is more for my older movies. My new disc's are in blu-ray, but those I will keep original.

Thanks

As for computer, I own a PC and my OS is WinXP sp3

Thanks

[guns1inger]

Update your profile specs, as they currently say it's a Mac . . . .

I would skip Divx and use Xvid4PSP to convert them to M2TS files (so you can keep the AC3 audio) with H264 video using the PS3 profile. The quality will be far better while maintaining small file sizes, and the PS3 will upscale them better than it will Divx (although it is no slouch there either).

If you have stereo audio then you can use the MP4 container instead and get smaller files again.