[sanford]

[Note, this is for DVDs that we bought and own that I want to put on my iPod, PSP or stream to my Xbox 360. Not for things I rented at Blockbuster that I want to copy and own for the price of a rental.]

Anyone know of a Mac OS X DVD ripper as good Magic DVD Ripper 3.6 for Windows? MacTheRipper and Handbrake haven't been updated in so long, they choke and stop on newer DVDs. Take for example Monster House -- which, like I said, we bought for my son and *own* -- both MacTheRipper and Handbrake haven't been updated in so long they can't deal with the new encryption. They stop after a couple minutes of movie -- and what they do get is trash. I booted into Windows on my MacBook, downloaded the Magic DVD Ripper trial version, rips the whole movie, no problem, all frames look great. Then I transcode to iPod or PSP resolution in MP4 with Handbrake, and then for the 360 I can transcode the MP4 to WMV with Flip4Mac. I don't need a transcoder. I can use Handbrake, which still works fine for transcoding from a properly ripped VOB, or I bought Flip4Mac, which does WMV and some other formats, too. But I need a ripper that works and is continued to be updated. I'd rather buy one for the Mac so I'm not having to reboot into Windows all the time.

Pleas don't suggest Visual Hub, which seems great, but only transcodes, doesn't rip.

Any reason Handbrake hasn't been updated recently? I prefer an all-in-one solution, and it works on older DVDs, but again, I just need a regularly updated Mac OS X ripping application that will work with new DVDs.

(Oh, please, please let there be something that isn't command-line only.)

Thanks.

[eminton]

even though mac the ripper hasnt been updated it should still work the newer dvds. i just got a copy of the 2nd pirates movie and i ripped it just fine with it. alot of the new ones have encryption on it and you have to set the rce on that region for it to work. havent found many other free ones since i dont have much money to purchase these

[sanford]

Originally Posted by eminton 

...set the rce on that region for it to work.

Does that mean just setting the region code -- to 1 since I'm in North America? Or is there more to it? I was going to test it right now, but my 31-month-old son saw me get the Monster House DVD case out to get the disc and so now that DVD is going to be tied up for a couple hours -- or all day, depending -- in his room. It's a big favorite of his and he hasn't watched it in a week or so. But I'll test with that specific DVD and see what happens. Please let me know exactly what you mean by "setting the rce on that region", so I can do it properly in MacTheRipper -- which I assume will run on my Intel MacBook, just slower under Rosetta. I sold the PowerBook G4 I originally tried to rip Monster House on. I guess I can always use the G4 Cube downstairs if MTR won't run on Intel Macs.

But since you've done the latest Pirates, that gives me hope I was just not setting something right, or that the Monster House DVD is just a fluke, just one of a few that won't work in MTR but will work in Magic DVD Ripper. Unfortunately it's one of the ones I'd like to be able to take on my iPod or PSP for him to watch in the car/hotel/country house, etc. -- with all these devices I have that play movies, and I don't want to drag my MacBook everywhere, I'd rather not end up buying a portable DVD player w/ screen on top of everything else, just to play a few movies I can't get to the iPod or PSP. And the iPod is nice because I can connect that to a TV.

Magic DVD Ripper is $35, and I'd be willing to pay that; of course free is better, but if I have to buy something I'd really rather it be something I don't have to boot into Windows to use. I don't do anything much in Windows -- mainly there just in case I just *have* to do something with a Windows program -- so I have to let it run by itself and can't get work done while the ripping is going on in the background.

[sanford]

I tried what you said, and it still stalled out at 314MB of rip, just spinning the disc up and down, no longer ripping.

Then I went in and turned the "new region" from all to just "1" -- which I don't think is really having any affect since it was the ripping that stalled not setting the region codes on the ripped files. But I also changed from "main feature extraction" to "main feature (ARccOS) extraction" -- and it's already past the 314MB trouble spot and up to 1.92GB of ripped movie. The only drawback being it takes twice as long, or about real-time, to extract with that setting. I think it's going to work with that ARccOS setting, but I'm going to let it run all the way through until it's done just to make sure, even though I already have an MP4 copy of Monster House I transcoded with Handbrake from 1 of the 5 trial rips that you can do with the Magic DVD Ripper for Windows demo version.

Oh, and MacTheRipper works fine under Rosetta. It's going at least as fast as it did native on my old 15" PowerBook G4 1.25GHz.

Basically, I think you're right: MacTheRipper will work for anything if you play with the settings. Probably the reason it hasn't been updated. You just have to use something else to transcode to your preferred resolution(s) and encoding(s) -- which I have plenty of free and paid-for software to do that.

Thanks again.

[sanford]

...and I suppose the new region code setting only matters if you want to burn a DVD, not if you're transcoding to a file.

[sanford]

Well I got a bad sector error after 5.29GB and MTR never could get passed it. But that's got to be a fluke that won't affect playback but will affect a rip. I doubt that has anything to with a failed rip due to settings. So I'll call MTR a winner. (And I already have they Magic-ripped Handbrake-transcoded copy of that movie anyway. I'll just need to be careful and not delete it if that DVD never will rip again.)

[shiff]

Weird, I have yet to find a DVD that MacTheRipper or Handbrake cannot rip. I could be just lucky though.

[eminton]

the rce region is an encryption but someone can tell me other wise. now there might be somethings that it just wont rip at all. ive only been doing full dvd's with titles and extra features. now i have found programs that are paid for that will rip to what you want it like psp, ipod, or w/e you want to put it on. havent found a need for those and i just use MTR. it could be the disk or something. i will work on just ripping and see what i find out. now are you doing the entire disk or just the movie. as i said ive been doing full and not just movie

[macaframa]

MTR has been less that 505 success for me lately. I have to turn on my old Windows box and use ripit4me in conjunction with dvd decryptr to backup my movies. Works every time, but I have to do everything on a Windows box I never use.

[threestain]

why don't you try the new beta version of MTR? Found via the forums at ripdifferent.com

[nickw311]

Yeah I agree with threestain, I have the new beta version of MTR and I haven't had a single dvd not rip. Most of them have been new DVDs that I bought so I think it should work for you.