Rip DVD Movies To Your iPod (Mac Version)

Download Handbrake.

  • Insert a DVD of your choice. If DVD Player opens, quit it.

  • Run Handbrake. Select Detected volume, as shown in Figure 1.

    [Handbrake source selection dialog]

    Figure 1. Selecting the video source in Handbrake

  • Click Open. Handbrake will detect all the titles on the DVD. If you’re ripping a movie, just select the longest title in the list. If you’re ripping a TV show or something with multiple episodes on one disc, then select the episode you want, as shown in Figure 2.

    [Handbrake title selection menu]

    Figure 2. Selecting a title

  • In the Destination section, set File Format to MP4 file, as shown in Figure 3.

    [Handbrake file format menu]

    Figure 3. Selecting the proper file format

  • Set Codecs to MPEG-4 Video / AAC Audio, as shown in Figure 4.

    [Handbrake codecs selection menu]

    Figure 4. Selecting the proper codec

    Note: A previous version of this guide suggested using the “AVC/H.264 Video” codec, but that does not work because the video iPod can not play the H.264 files that Handbrake produces. I have first-hand reports that the MPEG-4 Video codec works correctly. As an added bonus, MPEG-4 encoding is much faster.

  • For File, enter the full pathname where you want to save your movie, as shown in Figure 5.

    [Handbrake output filename box]

    Figure 5. Setting the output filename

  • In the Video section, set Quality to Average bitrate and enter 400. This can be as high as 768, but unless you squint you probably won’t see much difference. Higher bitrate = higher quality video = larger file size.

    [Handbrake video quality box]

    Figure 6. Setting the video quality

  • Optional - Under Quality, select 2-pass encoding, as shown in Figure 7. This takes twice as long to encode, but it improves the video quality and doesn’t make the file any larger.

    [Handbrake 2-pass encoding setting]

    Figure 7. Enabling 2-pass encoding

  • In the Audio section, for Language 1, select the audio track in your preferred language, as shown in Figure 8. Given the choice between MPEG and LPCM, choose MPEG.

    [Handbrake audio language menu]

    Figure 8. Setting the primary language

  • The Sample rate is entirely up to you. Higher sample rate = higher quality audio = larger file size. The video iPod is compatible with any of the sample rates supported by Handbrake.

    [Handbrake sample rate menu]

    Figure 9. Setting the audio sample rate

  • For Bitrate, you can keep the default of 128, or select a rate up to 160. Higher rate = higher audio quality = larger file size.

    [Handbrake bitrate menu]

    Figure 10. Setting the audio bitrate

  • Click Picture Settings. In the Picture Settings dialog, decrease Width until either it reads 320. Handbrake will auto-adjust the height to match. For a full-screen movie, the height will end up at 240; for wide-screen movies, it will be lower.

    [Handbrake resize picture settings]

    Figure 11. Resizing the movie

  • Close the Picture Settings dialog and click Rip. Encoding time depends on the speed of your Mac, the length of the movie, and whether you selected 2-pass encoding. Handbrake will display a progress bar, as shown in Figure 12.

    [Handbrake progress bar]

    Figure 12. Encoding progress

    When encoding is finished, quit Handbrake.

  • Run iTunes. Find the .mp4 file that Handbrake created and drag it into your iTunes library, or select Add to Library… from the File menu and select the encoded movie.