How to convert DVD TV episodes to AVI Xvid or MP4 H264 with subtitles

[Baldrick]

With FairUse Wizard can you easily convert your DVD TV episodes to separate files with optional burned in subtitles. Convert to AVI Xvid files that can be played computers, standalone DivX players and many portable devices or convert to MP4 H264 that works on computers, Ipod, Iphone, etc.



Required tools
Preparation
Guide
Problems



Required tools
FairUse Wizard($30) or download the old free FairUse Wizard 2.8 here
AnyDVD($50) or the free DVDFabDecrypter if you want to rip from commercial DVDs



Preparation
If you have a commercial DVD you must decrypt it, you can either install AnyDVD(it will decrypt in real time while you convert) and continue with the main guide below or use the free DVDFab Decrypter and rip the DVD to one ISO file:
Choose the DVD Drive and click on the ISO-image and set the folder and filename. Start!




Guide
Start FairUse Wizard
Set a name for your project and add the %session% and your episodes will be named like Seinfeld1.avi, Seinfeld2.avi, etc
Set the output folder
Set the video format, Hardware Players for AVI XviD. You can also choose Ipod, Iphone, Xbox 360, Zune, PS3 or your custom format.
Hit Next.



Select your DVD Drive or if you have ripped to an iso file choose the iso file.



FairUse Wizard will automatically try and select the episodes but check so it choose the correct ones.
Hit Next



You can choose to add burned in subtitles by click on Include subpicture and choose the language.
Hit Next



Choose Auto Detect and Fairuse Wizard will automatically detect what deinterlace settings to use.
Hit Next



Set the output file size for each episode, like 200MB. You will see the average bitrate below. Try to stay between 500-2000kbit/s. Higher bitrate=better quality. If you don't need a specific output file size then use Quantizer mode or so called Constant Quality Mode.
Choose resolution, use around 672x480 or similar for AVI Xvid. If you use lower resolution you can also use lower output file size.
Hit Next



Click Process all session to start encoding



Wait...



Done



Problems
Nope.

[jamesd86]

Any ideas what to do when DVDFabDecrypter ripped the ISO but FU Wizard doesn't find the episodes, just one big file?

[manono]

Any ideas what to do when DVDFabDecrypter ripped the ISO but FU Wizard doesn't find the episodes, just one big file?

I don't use FairUse, and don't know how it handles things being done differently. For your problem, you could decrypt using DVD Decrypter set for IFO Mode (at the top, Mode->IFO), and select the chapters that correspond to each episode, decrypting each episode to its own folder. Then use AutoGK to encode.

Either that or use FairUse to get the one big AVI and then split them up afterwards.

[jamesd86]

Any ideas what to do when DVDFabDecrypter ripped the ISO but FU Wizard doesn't find the episodes, just one big file?

I don't use FairUse, and don't know how it handles things being done differently. For your problem, you could decrypt using DVD Decrypter set for IFO Mode (at the top, Mode->IFO), and select the chapters that correspond to each episode, decrypting each episode to its own folder. Then use AutoGK to encode.

Either that or use FairUse to get the one big AVI and then split them up afterwards.

thanks, i'm trying to rip the ISO using dvd decrypter instead of dvd fab, seeing if that makes a difference. I don't think it will but hey, never know. also, FU did take 4 episodes down to 168 mb, completely watchable on the computer with dual audio. had to delete that though, I only want the japanese version with subtitles..must have missed that step.

[blackarmy]

Might be a noobish post.

Is the end result supposed to be just 1 big avi file? Wondering how to end up with a seperate avi file for each episode.

Fair Use does detect all the episodes separately, I select the separate episodes instead of the 1 big selection. Still end up with 1 avi file.

[chipped]

Might be a noobish post.

Is the end result supposed to be just 1 big avi file? Wondering how to end up with a seperate avi file for each episode.

Fair Use does detect all the episodes separately, I select the separate episodes instead of the 1 big selection. Still end up with 1 avi file.

Me too, i also end up with 1 single AVI file, its the last episode. It seems every time it starts a new session it overwrites the old one.

I followed the instructions to the letter.

Any ideas?

PROBLEM SOLVED: In the first step of the "Guide" you have to choose "%session%" NOT "%part%" if your are doing multiple episodes. Could a moderator or the poster make the appropriate changes.

[thecaptureking]

when i try to use fairUse, when i try to convert it it says the DVD could not be converted >>>>>Could not load codec settings. any idea?

[thecaptureking]

never mind i used the free one.

[jchristl]

I used the 2.9 one, and it seemed to work fine, with one exception. It added another 40 minute indexing step, before the "Include subpicture" part.

Not that I mind, but that does double the project time. Thoughts anyone?

[Sierraguy]

This is exactly what I was looking for, with one exception. I don't work from DVDs or ISO. I need to work from a DVD image (Video_TS)on my harddrive. Any pointers on how do pull episodes out of the raw Video_TS file without the DVD?