This tutorial will guide you in using HandBrake, an open-source DVD to MPEG-4 converter, to encode a DVD to a file format playable on your iPod.
- Get started by downloading and installing HandBrake for OS X. The installation is typical for OS X - just drag HandBrake to your Applications folder. Launch it from there.
- Make sure the DVD you want to copy to your iPod is inserted in your Macs DVD drive. When HandBrake opens, it will prompt you to select your source - which in this case is the DVD. Select it and then click Open.
- HandBrake will now read your DVD and make some educated guesses about which part of it you want to copy. For example, the DVD may have ’special features’, an audio commentary track etc. HandBrake will look for what it believes to be the ‘main’ part of the DVD - which is typically (and in this case) the main movie itself.
- Check to make sure that the right Title: has been selected. Generally the first one (1) is the correct one, but if you know the movie is an hour and a half, and the Duration: isn’t 01:30:00 (give or take), use the drop-down list to select the correct one.
Select a location to save the output file, if the default (your Desktop) doesn’t suit you. Then, click the Toggle Presents if the Presets sidebar isn’t already being displayed.
- The presents are a great place to start. Select your iPod or desired output format from the list. Since I have an iPod Touch, that’s what I’ll work with.
- HandBrake will determine the best settings for the movie to play on the iPod Touch. You can view the additional settings by selecting the Video, Audio & Subtitles, Chapters and Advanced tabs from within HandBrake. When you’re ready to encode your DVD, click the Start button.
- On my 1st generation 2.0GHz MacBook Pro with 2GB of RAM, it took just under an hour to encode a one and a half hour DVD movie - and I was using my MacBook the entire time. The encoding process probably would have been even faster if I had just let it run while not using my Mac.
- When the video is done, HandBrake will let you know.
- Now just add the output file to iTunes and add it to your iPod. Happy watching!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
thanks for the tutorial, but every time i try it, it only encodes for about 1 second, and is instantly “done” but hasnt done anything…. I do have leopard, but is there anything else that would prevent it from working??
Thanks
Ross,
I’ve bookmarked this one. I’ve been meaning to explore Handbrake for months now - but haven’t gotten to it. This tutorial will make the process much easier. Thanks!
Hi. I had the same issue. Then I just hit the “add to queue” button, then start, and it worked.
You can hit COMMAND+SHIFT+4 and then SPACE to make a screenshot of the whole window. Try it!
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