Trouble using Handbrake 0.9.5 to convert DVD to iPod

[courtnet85]

Basically, I would like to convert my large collection of DVDs to MPEG4 so that I can add them to iTunes and then to my iPod Classic. A lot of people online recommended Handbrake so I downloaded Handbrake 0.9.5 and then the VLC media player 1.1.9 (which, if I understand correctly, allows Handbrake to read the encrypted DVDs?) Everything seemed to be working fine until I tried to play the resulting files--rather than the movie playing, I get a lot of blocks of green and gray with occasional grainy glimpses of movie scenes and snippets of sound. This has happened with all the DVDs I've tried. I tried fiddling with the detelecine, deinterlace, etc. settings with no apparent effect (but I have to confess I don't really know what I'm doing.)

Does anyone know how to fix this? Or can you recommend another program to me (preferably free?) I have limited experience with this sort of thing (I had a Cucusoft program that I paid for and worked pretty well for a while, but it hasn't supported widescreen format for a long time and the picture is stretched out, which drives me crazy.)

I have a PC running Windows Vista Enterprise 32-bit, Intel Core2Duo processor, 3 GB RAM.

Would much appreciate any help!

[aedipuss]

vlc is not a "decrypter" of dvds. you need something like anydvd or a dvdfab product. i believe dvdfab still has a free version. use it first to copy the dvd to your hard drive with all the protections removed then use handbrake on the files on your computer. or use mediacoder or xmedia recode, etc... xmedia recode has presets for apple devices and works well.

[ranchhand]

What aedipuss said; I have Pinnacle Studio 14 video editor, and all my Cannon camcorder AVCHD files must be converted to mpeg4 in order for Studio to recognize them. I use Handbrake exclusively, and it does a great job. Handbrake is not set up for for DVD disks, though. you might try Format Factory; not sure if it will work, but its free. Rip the DVD, then convert to mpeg4. http://www.pcfreetime.com/

[stiltman]

I couldn't get 0.9.5 to work
It would encode everything with my presets, but when I went to play it in VLC, I just got a gray screen with the occasional flash of the real movie

I went back to 0.9.4 and the problem went away.

Strange but true

[orsetto]

PC media players often do the grey macroblock thing when they have some sort of internal issue playing a particular file. Not that it matters: as others have told you, Handbrake cannot do anything with most DVDs unless you have decryption software installed. The freeware DVDfab products should work for you following the workflow aedipuss recommended. Many here do this, I do not have the patience. I purchased the SlySoft suite of AnyDVD (decryption) and CloneDVDMobile (rips DVDs to MP4). With this software, ripping directly from DVD to iPod format is a one-step process. Using midrange settings, I get reasonably-sized files that will play out of the iPod onto a hotel TV set in excellent quality. Ripping a complete DVD takes about half an hour. Drawbacks? The software bundle costs $119, once in a while with some rips the lipsync audio drifts a little bit, people who prefer more complicated ways of working just so they can stick with freeware will sneer at you. Handbrake is wonderful and free but its slow and not the most intuitive application in the world. I use it now and then to iPod-encode the rare DVD that gives CloneDVDMobile lipsync issues. If you have a free decryption app like DVDfab, the time to let Handbrake do its thing, and you understand its settings, its capable of superior iPod rips at zero cost. CloneDVDMobile makes great files in a quarter the time with less fuss, but its expensive for what it does.

Like everything else, its a question of $ vs convenience. In my case I preferred and wanted to buy the AnyDVD-HD decryption app anyway, so adding the CloneDVDMobile iPod ripper was fairly cheap. Someone else who has long used the DVDfab software might lean more toward Handbrake. Handbrake is cross-platform, made for both Windows PCs and Macs, the SlySoft suite is for Windows only.

[courtnet85]

Thanks everyone! I'll get a decrypter and give it another try.

[stiltman]

It must be a VLC problem with handbrake 0.9.5
Even though it didn't play right in it, it played just fine on my WDTV

[Laraine_Mae]

use "DVD Decrypter" before Handbrake.

[hech54]

use "DVD Decrypter" before Handbrake.

Why would courtnet85 do something stupid like that? DVDDecrypter is antique software(as far as ripping goes) since it hasn't been updated since 2005.

[Laraine_Mae]

How would it be stupid considering the tool works just fine? It's free, it works, and it does the job. All it needs updating for is to run on Win 7. Are you the developer or are you trolling? Getting hungry... I'm off to find a low-sodium snack.

[hech54]

How would it be stupid considering the tool works just fine? It's free, it works, and it does the job. All it needs updating for is to run on Win 7. Are you the developer or are you trolling? Getting hungry... I'm off to find a low-sodium snack.

It has NOTHING to do with Windows7. DVDDecrypter(though still a useful tool for jobs other than decrypting new DVD releases) will NOT decrypt new DVD releases....plain and simple. Telling someone "just use DVDDecrypter" without telling them that it will not work on new DVD releases because it ceased development way back in 2005 can be nothing other than as I described.

[Laraine_Mae]

I use DVD Decrypter with DVD43 on my new DVDs and have not run into a DVD that has failed. But I have not used BluRay and maybe it also depends on the movie studio producing the DVD. Dunno about all types of new DVDs.

I have had trouble with DVD Decrypter crashing on my Win 7 machine, but I have not looked into it yet.