Ripping

Go to the Start menu and open DVD Decrypter.

DVD Decrypter may attempt to connect to a server to check for updates.

Put the DVD in the drive. Select the correct drive from the Source menu.

From the menu, select "IFO I" .

If the RCE Protection window pops up, select the correct region and click .

From the menu, select "Settings..." .

Go to the tab.

Check .

Click .

Highlight the item matching the movie's length. If the DVD contains a collection of episodes, highlight the first item matching an episode in length. If the DVD contains a collection of episodes but there is only one long PGC item, each chapter represents an episode. In that case, uncheck all but the first chapter.

NOTE: If the movie is under 1 hour and 45 minutes in length, or if the DVD contains a collection of episodes, follow the 1 CD instructions for the remainder of the guide.

If the movie is over 1 hour and 45 minutes in length, follow the 2 CD instructions for the remainder of the guide.

Selecting the number of CDs
1 CD for short movies and 2 CDs for long movies is a good rule of thumb, but length isn't the only indicator of compressibility. Later in the guide, optional instructions will be provided for compression testing, which is a much better method of determining not only how many CDs to use, but how high to set the video resolution and sound quality.

If you have your own preferences, (for instance, if you want to use 2 CDs for a movie that is 90 minutes long) the guide will still accommodate you. When you do the compression testing, however, remember that your decision will impact the numbers.

Click the icon and select a destination for the ripped files. Create a new folder with the same name as the movie or series. If it is a series, create a subfolder with a name in the format s__e__, where the first blank is the season number and the second is the episode number (e.g., s01e01 or s12e08).

NOTE: This folder will be referred to as "the ripping folder" for the remainder of this guide.

Click the green triangle when ready.

The ripping process will take about 20 to 45 minutes for a full movie. If the DVD contains multiple episodes, repeat the process for each episode--and for each DVD if there are more.

Referencing the DVD
Even though you are now finished transferring all the data from the disc to your hard drive, you may need to reference the packaging or the movie itself later on. So if you are borrowing or renting the DVD, don't return it just yet.

If you must return it now, make a note of the chapter names, the DVD type (NTCS/PAL), and the aspect ratio before you do.

The example ripping folder now contains 6.14 GB of .VOB files, a "Stream Information" text file, and a "Chapter Information" text file.

Close DVD Decrypter and proceed to the next stage.

NEXT: Decoding the VOB Files