Advantages of ripping to ISO?

[Dave Briggs]

Most of my disk backup is done simply by decrypting with DVDdecrypter or DVDshrink as a full disk copy and then burning with ImgTool. Pretty much one click operations. However, I see it mentioned many times to rip the DVD as an ISO file. What are the main advantages of ripping to an ISO file? Is it just easier to manipulate/convert the data that way or do you get more accurate results?

[setarip_old]

Hi!What are the main advantages of ripping to an ISO file?Nothing of any significance...

[CWR03]

Only that you can mount an .ISO with a virtual drive and play it as if it were a DVD. For most other uses there's no advantage at all.

[dat720]

You don't even need to mount it, lot's of players can read an iso if it were a disc in the drive, i like ripping to ISO as mencoder can read the iso during my DVD to AVI process so no need to demux.