Tools Needed:
SmartRipper v2.41
DVD2AVI v1.76
VCDHelp's Bitrate Calculator
TMPGenc & VFAPI
My LongVCD Template for TMPGenc
Nero 5.0 !!!NOT 5.5!!!

BEFORE YOU START!

Before you start the guide, make sure that all of the tools that you downloaded are all in the same folder (with exception to the calculator and the template). The programs will glitch out on you if they are not

ALSO - You must have a DVD-ROM to rip DVDs, if you have another file that you wish to convert, just skip the ripping step


RIPPING THE DVD

1. Insert the DVD you wish to rip into the DVD-ROM drive
2. Open SmartRipper v2.41
3. SmartRipper will check the DVD to make sure it can open it. When the main screen pops up, click on 'Settings'.
4. Make your screen look identical to this:
[img]SR_Settings.png[/img]

5. Press the Browse button (the one under the target box) and choose a directory to place the ripped files
6. Under the box that says 'Total-Selection' find where it says 'Length' and WRITE THAT TIME DOWN!
7. If you have enough space on the drive where the target folder is, the 'Start' button should appear below the 'Settings' button, click it
8. SmartRipper will now rip the movie to the selected target folder
[img]SR_Ripping.png[/img]


FRAMESERVING THE RIPPED FILES
1. Open DVD2AVI v.1.76
2. Choose File->Open
[img]DVD_Open.png[/img]

3. In the filebox, choose the first number of your files that SmartRipper ripped off of the DVD
4. Next, choose the following settings in the menus:
- Under 'Video':
- Under 'Field Operation' choose 'None'
- Under 'Color Space' choose 'RGB'
- Under 'Audio':
- Under 'Track Number' choose 'Track 2' -(The English/Stereo track is usually under Track-2 while the Dolby Surround sound track is usually under Track-1. DVD2AVI can only decode the Stereo track. These tracks can vary from DVD to DVD though)
- Under 'Channel Format' choose 'Auto'
- Under 'Dolby Digital' and 'Downmix' choose 'Normal'
- Under 'Normalization' choose '100'

5. Click File->Save Project and enter the filename to save the project as
6. It will now encode the video and the audio for TMPEG to convert


FINDING THE PROPER BITRATE
1. Open VCDHelp's Bitrate calculator
2. Enter the length that you wrote down in the SmartRipper step
3. Choose 'XVCD' under the 'Type' combo-list
4. Type in '1' under 'CDs' and choose the length of the CD you will be writing to
5. Choose your audio bitrate (224 or 196 is best)
6. Where it says 'Calculate Average Bitrate' WRITE THIS NUMBER DOWN!


MAKING THE MPEG FILE
1. Open TMPEG