How To: Convert (rip) DVD movies to portable media players

Would you like to be able to watch your favorite DVD movies on your iPod, Zune, PlayStation Portable (PSP), iPhone, MP4 player, Pocket PC or other mobile device? This tutorial will explain how to convert DVD video to a format that is compatible with your device.

For this tutorial we will use Cucusoft's Ultimate DVD Converter. This DVD conversion software is easy to use, and performs a single pass conversion which uses the minimum possible time and disk space. Some DVD conversion tools rip the video to an AVI file and then convert this to the output format, which takes twice as long and requires a lot more disk space.

You can download a free trial version of Ultimate DVD Converter, to see for yourself how easy and quick it is to use, and to verify that it can convert DVD video to a format compatible with your portable media player.

Download a free trial of Ultimate DVD Converter now!

Step 1: Start the software

Start Ultimate DVD Converter.

The Quick Guide shows the basic steps involved in the conversion.

In the Profile drop-down list on the right hand side, select the type of output for the converted DVD video. Most of the options list the type of device or destination they are used for - e.g. iPod, Zune, Apple TV, YouTube and so on - so you don't need to know the exact format details. You won't normally need to bother with the other options.

Step 2: Start the movie

Put the DVD into the drive, then press and hold the Shift key to stop Windows launching the default DVD player. When the disc is loaded, click the Open DVD button. A Browse for Folder dialog box will open:

Select the folder where DVD video IFO files are stored. This folder is usually named VIDEO_TS and is located in the root folder of the DVD. Select it and click OK. The video will start to play, and the software will fast forward it to the main menu.

Step 3: Select the content

Using the DVD menu, select what you want to record. Use the mouse to select the items from the DVD menu, just as you would when playing it on a regular DVD player. You can turn on subtitles, if available, or switch to a different language soundtrack. If the DVD contains several episodes of a TV series, you can select the episode you want to record. Ultimate DVD Converter will record and convert exactly what you would see and hear using the DVD player.

After you select an episode or the Play option of a movie, the video will start to play. Now click Convert. This begins the recording process, similar to pressing the record button on a video recorder. The Ready to record video dialog box will appear:

Step 4: Start the recording

The option Record from the beginning is selected by default. Click the Yes button to start the recording. Ultimate DVD Converter will skip back to the start, in case a few seconds of the movie have already played while you were getting ready to record the video.

Alternatively you can click Record from the current time. Before choosing this option you must previously have used the DVD fast forward and back controls to locate the part of the movie you want to record.

Step 5: Finished

When the recording is finished, Ultimate Video Converter will display the Conversion Done! dialog box.

You can now check the output file and upload the converted DVD to your portable player.

Batch mode

This tutorial shows just how easy it is to convert DVD to portable media player format using Ultimate DVD Converter in direct (interactive) mode, choosing what you want to convert from the DVD menu.

But Ultimate DVD Converter also supports a Batch mode which allows you to specify the titles and tracks that you want to convert from a list. This is faster and more convenient if you want to rip tracks from music DVDs or record episodes from TV series compilations.

Click the Batch icon on the toolbar:

to access Batch conversion mode.

Download a free trial of Ultimate DVD Converter now
and try this tutorial for yourself!