Following on from my walkthrough on creating a home media PC using XBMC, I thought I’d focus on how exactly to build up your home media library in order to use the system.  Similar walkthroughs will be appearing in both the Windows and Linux sections of the site but seeing as I am just getting into doing this on a Mac myself, I thought it’d be a good place to start.

Before we begin, I must point out the following:-  Technically, it is still against the law to make a copy of a DVD that you own, be it by creating a digital backup, a copy of the disk, or even a transfer to a video cassette.  This is the same piece of out of date legislation that decrees that it is illegal to copy a CD onto a blank tape, or even convert a CD for MP3′s.  To my knowledge, no one has ever been prosecuted for any of these offences, and my personal opinion is that no one ever well (providing the copies you make are strictly for personal use!).  However, I must point out that I take no responsibility for any legal action that occurs as a result of using the methods detailed in this walkthrough.

Back to the task at hand.

Up until recently I have always used Windows based programs to encode the video files on DVDs into video files that I can store on my computer (or PS3, iPod, smartphone, wherever).  However, around 2 years ago I made the switch to Mac and ever since then I’ve been meaning to look into a suitable solution that would allow me to convert DVD’s on my Mac.  A little bit of searching around on the internet revealed a product called Wondershare Video Converter Pro, and it is this software that we will be using to convert our DVD’s in this video.

I’ll start by mentioning that Video Converter Pro (lets call it VCP from now on) is not free.  You can download a copy for free from the developers website here but any videos you make will have a watermark over them making them un-watchable.  However, doing so will allow you to try the software, and if you like it you can then decide whether it’s worth spending money on.

The download is a .dmg file, just dropping the application into your applications folder is enough to install it.  Once you’ve installed it and started it up you’ll be presented with this screen:

Once you’re at this screen, insert your DVD movie (and close DVD player if it opens).  With your DVD inserted, select “File” and then “Load DVD” (or hit cmd-D).  A navigation window should appear as below:

Select your DVD drive in the left hand pane and then click “Load”.  You should see the following screen indicating that the software is loading the DVD:

Once this as passed we will be back to the main Wondershare window but now the video files on the DVD are displayed in the browser.  Normally there will be a few seperate files on the DVD (depending on whether there are any “special features” etc.).  To capture the feature presentation we will be looking for the file that is the length of the movie, in this instance the video that is 01:32:45 long:

We can confirm if this video is the feature presentation by selecting it and then clicking the “play” button on the right hand pane.  In doing this you can also check any subtitle tracks or audio tracks (most DVDs will have multiple audio tracks, some with directors commentary, etc.).  Once you are happy that you have the correct video file, deselect any other video files in the left hand pane, as shown below:

Now we are almost ready to convert our DVD to a video file, but first we need to decide what video format to save the file as.  The software includes presets for many different devices and screen sizes; clicking on the drop down box on the “Format” selection at the bottom of the screen will provide this menu:

In this example we’re going to use the Xvid AVI file format, which is a widely supported file format for near DVD quality reproductions.  As you can see there are also presets on the left hand pane for a variety of different devices, in order to get the best image and file size for your intended purpose.

One final step before converting the DVD is to make any fine adjustments to the aspect ratio (screen size) of the output video, to do this, click the “Edit” button at the top of the window:

You may need to make some adjustments in this wonder in order to ensure that the output video is to the correct screen format for the device you intend to play it on.  Most DVD film releases are now recorded in widescreen format (16:9) but older movies or TV show DVD releases may be in traditional format (4:3), in this window you can choose to change the original to meet your requirements.  Once you are happy with the adjustments, close the “Edit” pane to go back to the main window.

We are now ready to convert our video.  Click on the “Convert” button at the top of the window to begin.

Note:- If you are using the trial version of the software you will be presented with a message informing you that your video will have a watermark (logo) across it.  There is nothing you can do to prevent this other than purchasing the software.  The watermarked file will at least demonstrate the software in action and from there you can make a decision to purchase the software or not.

Above you can see the DVD file being converted to an AVI file on the hard drive.  Once this has completed the pane will close and you’ll be back to the main window within the software.  The converted video file will be in the “Movies” folder within your home folder.  And that’s it!