The other day in the news positing I mentioned about that I was going to be checking out some software to get your video over to your iPod so you could take it with you. So far I’ve got three to play with, free and pay software to kind of get a good feeling for both types. The iPod is one of the most popular devices out there for taking your multi-media stuffs with you, but I just can’t understand how anyone could or would want to, watch videos on it. I’ve got the nano 4th, and it’s small, the screen is tiny, but yet people happily watch videos on it. I know if I had to watch a full movie on that screen I’d go nuts. Then again, people are different and obviously there are some out there that don’t mind the little screen. Of course we could be talking about one of the larger iPods variations but to me it’s pretty much the same, still a small screen either way. Can you imagine trying to read subtitles on such a tiny screen? Wow…
Today I’m looking at WinX DVD to iPod Ripper, and it’s made to do exactly as the name suggests, take a DVD and rip it to an iPod format so you can take it with you. It’s free software, so giving it a try won’t cost you anything, and it just might be what you need to get the job done. It’s the first piece of software I’m taking a look at in this little series to get videos to your iPod, and the bottom line is that it works, albeit slow,it does get the job done. Read on for a quick look at it to learn a bit more…
Info:
Special designed for iPod/iPhone DVD ripper, WinX DVD to iPod Ripper is fully compatible with new iPod 20G/30G/80G/160G, etc, and supports 640×480, 320×240, 480×480, H.264/mpeg4 for iPod Video and TV out. It is region free and easy to control audio and video parameters.
Key features
1. Based on DVD disc sector I/O technology, 100% stable
2. Fully compatible with new iPod 20G/30G/80G/160G, etc.
3. Support 640×480, 320×240, 480×480, H.264/mpeg4 for iPod Video and TV out.
4. Easy video splitting, full control the output video quality and image size
5. Full control all audio and video parameters
6. Support all commercial DVD and remove all the restrictions.
7. Support Dolby AC-3 (Dolby Surround Audio Coding-3).
8. Extract DVD audio to MP3 music file.
9. Excellent picture quality and high sound quality like original DVD.
10. Fastest converting speed, up to 300% real time.
Supported DVD:
Normal DVD, CSS protected DVD, Region 1 – 6, Sony ArccOS, Commercial DVD
Output Video Formats:
320×240 AVC, 320×240 MPEG4, 640×480 AVC,640×480 MPEG4, iPod Video2 For TV (MPEG4), iPod Video2 For TV (AVC)
Platforms:
Microsoft Windows 98, NT, 2000,2003, XP, Vista
What’s in the Box?:
There’s nothing to look at in terms of box shots as this is a download. So here’s a picture of my iPod and the movie I decided to rip to said iPod, Shaun of the Dead:
Installation, Performance and Comparison:
The main interface is simple to use, opening it up you’re actually greeted with the instructions right there on the interface, makes things fairly easy. With this software you’ve actually got two choices of things you can do, covert DVD to iPod or convert DVD to music, why you would just want the soundtrack I’m not sure, but to each his own I guess…
To get started put in your DVD, then click the ‘DVD Disc’ button to open it up:
Once loaded you’ve got a choice of things top select that you want to convert. The main movie is selected by default which is nice, but it also automatically selects subtitles for you as well. I know I don’t want the subtitles displayed, especially since you probably won’t be able to read them on an iPod screen.
Before you get started with the ripping and conversion process you can also change a few settings like audio, resolution, video quality and frame rates. The also a drop down box labeled profile where you can pick a default setting for your movie which includes size, format and audio settings.
Hit the Start button and away you go to wait, and wait.
Checking with the Task Manager we find that the program doesn’t utilize my CPU, a quad core, to the fullest, not utilizing it is a good thing and a bad thing really. On one hand it will take longer for the conversion process, and on the other hand your computer’s performance won’t be bothered by it while it’s running so you can do other work at the same time.
Shaun of the Dead is 1:39:22 in length and it took 56:20 from start to finish to rip and convert the DVD. That’s quite a while, much longer than others I’ve had the chance to look at, then again it is free software, so I can’t complain too much.
Looking at the Properties of the file we see the final product is 512mb in size, not bad really. (ignore the opens with Microsoft Zune thing you see there…)
Here it is playing on my iPod:
The video quality does look good though, it’s nice and clear, and crisp, and the audio is synced correctly with the video.
The resolution of the iPod is 320×240, and that is what I had WinX DVD to iPod software set at, but for some reason it’s much smaller that I expected it to be. It’s widescreen format yes, so the black bars even make it look smaller on the iPod…. as if the video wasn’t small enough as is right? Seriously though I don’t see a way to change the aspect ratio, a full screen or 4:3 choice would be nice when watching video on the iPod. Going in and changing the settings on the iPod made no difference at all.
Conclusion:
WinX DVD to iPod Ripper does what it says it will, it rips a DVD to a usable size and format to use with your iPod.
The conversion process might be a bit slow but I can’t fault it too much as it’s free software. Changing the aspect ration would be a nice choice to have as widescreen on an iPod is very small, and it seems to be much smaller that it should be when ripped. I’ve got other movies from iTunes that were in widescreen format, and yes they had the black bars on them, they didn’t fill the screen of my iPod, but they filled more of it.
The next option of course would be to play around with more settings, maybe try the 640×480 and see what happens I guess.
Pros:
+Free
+Easy to use
+Works as advertised
+Doesn’t hog the CPU
Cons:
-Slow ripping and conversion process
-Funky aspect ratio
-What happened to full screen?
-Lack of options for custom resolutions
Related posts:
[...] iGadget Life spends some time with the WinX DVD to iPod Ripper [...]
WinX DVD Ripper is a handy freeware tool that allows you to rip your DVDs fast and without too much effort. Apart from the naming of the output files, it does a great job and offers even experienced users the tools to alter various parameters for a better result. Good worker.