Lazy newbie seeking "1-click" recommendations

[stuartnz]

I have read the rules, especially Rule 12, and done a quick search of these forums, and am now tentatively ready to ask this.

I am a complete newbie to ripping from DVD to AVI (or whatever), and am looking for recommendations of simple software that will do an OK job without requiring a great deal of user input. I have a largeish collection of old Hindi films that I'd like to rip, complete with subs, to my HDD to make watching them repeatedly more convenient for me. I don't have hours free to become a guru in this art, so I would be very happy to receive any recommendations for app.s that will let me fire it up, point it to my DVD, press "go" and have it rip a decent quality AVI with subs.

I am most emphatically NOT asking for "the best", but have tried to outline my situation and seek recommendations for app.s that might fit that situation. Low-fuss is a higher priority than drop-dead gorgeous quality output, and I'd like to be able to get such an app for no more than $50-$80US, if possible.

I hope that asking in this fashion has not breached the rules, and look forward to any responses. Thanks!

[QuadcoreHD]

Asking what a "good" program to do a certain task is totally ok so have no fear ! :P

I'd HIGHLY recommend Auto GK (auto gordian knot). It is a very good program that is capable of the "1 click" back-up solution your looking for. If your looking to take a DVD you own, remove the menu, extras, fbi warnings etc... and just keep the feature video file, then covert it to avi, xvid, or something similar Auto GK is definitely the way to go. If your looking to preserve the DVD "as-is" (i.e. keeping all the extras, the menu, etc..) than DVD Shrink is the way to go.

Also there are specific guides on this site under the guides section detailing exactly how to use these programs.

Good Luck!

[unskinnyboy]

Another vote for AutoGK (http://autogk.me.uk/). It can't get simpler than that. One thing though - if it's old Hindi films you are dealing with (esp. the ones spit out by Eros and the like), the resultant AVI won't be that great. If you look closely enough, you might find ghosting, blended fields and the like, but probably quite watchable though. These DVDs require special treatment which is beyond the capability of AutoGK and would require some level of expertise. I know you aren't looking to do that, but just had to warn you nonetheless. :-]

[stuartnz]

Another vote for AutoGK (http://autogk.me.uk/). It can't get simpler than that. One thing though - if it's old Hindi films you are dealing with (esp. the ones spit out by Eros and the like), the resultant AVI won't be that great. If you look closely enough, you might find ghosting, blended fields and the like, but probably quite watchable though. These DVDs require special treatment which is beyond the capability of AutoGK and would require some level of expertise. I know you aren't looking to do that, but just had to warn you nonetheless. :-]


Thank you very much! I can actually see the ghosting etc. wtihout much effort on several of my originals, especially in DVDs of films from the 50s and my one from 1948. So if I can live with them on the DVD, I can live with them in the AVI. How complicated is it to make subtitiles with AutoGK?

[stuartnz]

Asking what a "good" program to do a certain task is totally ok so have no fear ! :P

I'd HIGHLY recommend Auto GK (auto gordian knot). It is a very good program that is capable of the "1 click" back-up solution your looking for. If your looking to take a DVD you own, remove the menu, extras, fbi warnings etc... and just keep the feature video file, then covert it to avi, xvid, or something similar Auto GK is definitely the way to go. If your looking to preserve the DVD "as-is" (i.e. keeping all the extras, the menu, etc..) than DVD Shrink is the way to go.

Also there are specific guides on this site under the guides section detailing exactly how to use these programs.

Good Luck!

Thanks so much. The only thing besides the feature video file I want to keep is the subtitling, since my Hindi's not that good yet. It's this that I was thinking might make the "1-click" type approach more difficult. I'm really hoping the answer isn't, "download program A to rip subtitles, download Program B to rip movie, download program C to merge subs with movie, download program D to make avi from merged file and finally download program E to kill yourself when you realise that you've spent so much time making copies of old DVDs that you've been fired. "

[unskinnyboy]

How complicated is it to make subtitiles with AutoGK?Quite simple. AutoGK will list all the available subtitles on the DVD (although on these older movies, I'd expect only English subs). You just select the ones you want and AutoGK will take care of it. There are a couple more options, like the ability to burn the subs on the video etc., but I don't want to repeat what's already there in the tutorial (http://autogk.me.uk/modules.php?name=TutorialEN). Read it.

[stuartnz]

Quite simple. AutoGK will list all the available subtitles on the DVD (although on these older movies, I'd expect only English subs). You just select the ones you want and AutoGK will take care of it.

Thatis EXACTLY what I wanted to hear. Thank you very much. Now I shall use the rest iof this holiday Friday to give it a go.

[setarip_old]

@stuartnz

Hi!

Just a point of information regarding your quest for "one-click" capability - Nowhere in the posts to this thread has anyone mentioned that before you can use AutoGK, you have to "rip"/decrypt your DVD...

[stuartnz]

@stuartnz

Hi!

Just a point of information regarding your quest for "one-click" capability - Nowhere in the posts to this thread has anyone mentioned that before you can use AutoGK, you have to "rip"/decrypt your DVD...

Thanks. I already have RipIt4Me installed, and now I'm actually trying to figure out how to setup the "1PGC per IFO" thing for AutoGK. My very first IFO selected had 1PGC of 1hr55m, and another of 13 minutes 20 sec, so I have to figure out how to make each of them an IFO. ONE click was always a tad on the hopeful side. :thanks:

[stuartnz]

I just wanted to say an extra "THANKS" to everybody here after reading AutoGK's tutorial that specifically mentioned cutting back the audio on rips of old movies to mono to free up more space for better quality video. Since this is very directly relevant to my needs, it was very pleasing news. If I could give karma here, you'd all be drowning in it. :)

[stax76]

A list of applications can be found here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=129748). A DVD backup is a complex task where novice users just too often choose bad options, it's a good idea to read a couple of tutorials.

For hard disk storage you might want to consider mkv container, AAC and x264 codec using quality based rate control and VobSub subtitles. You need 30-40% less disk space compared to codecs you would use with AVI.

[stuartnz]

A list of applications can be found here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=129748).

A DVD backup is a complex task where novice users just too often choose bad options, it's a good idea to read a couple of tutorials.

For hard disk storage you might want to consider mkv container, x264 and AAC codec using quality based rate control and VobSub subtitles.


Thanks, stax. I'm never going to be a real afficionado, which is why I'm just looking for the simplest solution. I am tempted to give TMPGEnc DVD Author a go to see if it's sufficiently sloth-friendly to warrant the price tag. If I can master the 1 PGC per IFO thing, though, I think that I'll be happy to stick with AutoGK.

[unskinnyboy]

Thanks. I already have RipIt4Me installed, and now I'm actually trying to figure out how to setup the "1PGC per IFO" thing for AutoGK. My very first IFO selected had 1PGC of 1hr55m, and another of 13 minutes 20 sec, so I have to figure out how to make each of them an IFO. ONE click was always a tad on the hopeful side. :thanks:Is the 13:20 mins also part of the movie or are they trailers or ads? If it's the movie, just rip them all to hard disk, and then rename all the VOB files in sequence. e.g: rename it like VTS_01_01.VOB, VTS_01_02.VOB...VTS_01_0n.VOB. Just point AutoGK to the IFO file of the first PGC and proceed as usual. In the input file information, AutoGK will only show the details of the first PGC, but when processing, it'll pick up everything, as long as the VOBs are named in sequence. You can also use IFOEdit to create an IFO file for all the VOBs if you like, but it's not needed.

I am tempted to give TMPGEnc DVD Author a go to see if it's sufficiently sloth-friendly to warrant the price tag. If I can master the 1 PGC per IFO thing, though, I think that I'll be happy to stick with AutoGK.TMPGEnc DVD Author? I thought you wanted to convert to AVI format with subs?

[stax76]

Thanks, stax. I'm never going to be a real afficionado, which is why I'm just looking for the simplest solution.

Without much ambition you are on the right track with AutoGK, with some more ambition I would recommend my latest StaxRip beta, it's generally designed with high usability for novice users. It expects however to setup image processing filters manually, it's not easy to master this but it can improve image quality just as much as the new codecs can reduce filesize.

[stuartnz]

Without much ambition you are on the right track with AutoGK, with some more ambition I would recommend my latest StaxRip beta, it's generally designed with high usability for novice users. It expects however to setup image processing filters manually, it's not easy to master this but it can improve image quality just as much as the new codecs can reduce filesize.

Thank you. Once I've done a few, I might look at stepping up, especially for my poorer quality old movies.