Converting DVD movies for the iPod using Windows

Anders

2009-12-09

The Goal:

Take whatever source you have (DVD or video file) and rip it to an MP4 (mpeg 4) video file at 320 x 240 resolution so it can be played on an iPod or iPhone. The 5G (fifth generation) iPods will not accept video at resolutions higher than 320 x 240 so you usually need to convert your video. A typical DVD movie will take up about 500 to 700 megs when converted.

How to get there using free software on Windows:

Start with a clean slate:

Blow away any previous tools and software you might have installed that you don't need and you think might conflict with getting a good DVD rip. Also blow away any old media files you don't need. This process is fairly heavy on resources so generally the more room you have and the less things that can get in the way, the better.

Software you need:

DVD Ripping Package: DVD Decrypter 3.5.4.0 (free download)
MPEG 4 encoder: Videora iPod Converter (free download)
iTunes (free download) Read More