How-To: Use Handbrake
Posted by james in 
Today we learn how to use Handbrake to rip DVDs for playback on AppleTVs, iPhones, Game Machines etc.This How-To has a few basic requirements:
Note:
As of Jan. 18, 2010 when I wrote this there is a note that VLC has suspended the 64 bit OS X version of VLC until further notice. This may cause problems with the 64 bit version of Handbrake. If you are having trouble ripping DVDs with 64 bit Handbrake, please download the 32 bit version.
A little background: Handbrake no longer decodes DVDs on it’s own, it uses the decoding portion of VLC. I have been running 64 bit VLC since the Handbrake .94 betas – at that time Handbrake required 64 bit VLC, I don’t know if that is still true or not and honestly I haven’t had time to play with it yet to see if there is any impact.
If you are having trouble with the 32 bit/64 bit thing please e-mail me and I will try to help – if nothing else I can point you to the dark corners of the web that have 64 bit VLC downloads.
That out of the way, let’s start!
Step One: Load a DVD and Start up Handbrake!
Note: You have to have VLC installed on your Mac, but you won’t have to start it up to rip DVDs with Handbrake.
The screen should look like below:
For this example, I am using my wedding DVD titled “ARIEL_&_JAMES_WEDDING” (This will work with homemade DVDs as well as commercial DVDs)
For movie DVDs (Which is the primary purpose of this How-To), the film should automatically be selected.
If the duration looks shorter or longer then the movie, it might be special features or an extended cut of the movie. Play with the title drop-down until the duration equals the length of hte movie you intend to rip.
Step Two: Pick a Preset!
If you don’t see your preset drawer, click on the Toogle Preset button in the menu.
You should see a selection of choices like the ones on the right.
Since Handbrake was originally designed as a ripping tool for iPods, you will notice that the presets have become very Apple-centric. The good news is that most devices have embraced the beauty of the h.264 video file. This is the best compression method when ripping movies for an Apple device and these files will play back on most devices you have laying around the house!
Let’s look at what you have:
If you don’t plan on watching these files on a tv or are looking to cram the most files on a hard drive, this is the best setting for you.
These files are at the maxium resolution of the iPod. They are decently small file wise and while looking outstanding on iPods and iPhones, they look ok-to-decent on a television or computer screen.
These medium resolution files will play back on all Apple devices as well as game machines/media streamers that support h.264.
If you don’t have an iPod Video/Classic AND you don’t plan watching these much on a tv or computer screen, this is the best setting for you.
These files are optimized for the iPhone’s widescreen and lower resolution. These look outstanding on an iPhone and significantly smaller in file size then a traditional iPod video file. They do not look good on a tv or computer screen however due to the lower resolutions.
These low resolution files will play back on all Apple devices as well as game machines/media streamers that support h.264.
So basically: Use this to rock the iPhone and use the one above to share between iPods and iPhones/iPod Touches and other media machines.
These are pretty much untouched from the original DVD and it takes true talent and study to spot the differences in most cases.
These files will not play back on an iPod or iPhone/iPod Touch due to the resolution. However they will look like the original source material on tv and computer screens. These files play back beautifully on Xbox 360s (have not tested them on the PS3) as well.
Since you are doing this often, I would suggest you make your default preset choice. Click the little gear icon in the bottom corner and select “make default”.
You can also update built-presets this way.The Handbrake community views encoding as a dark art, not a science. They are constantly tweaking the preset for the best trade off between size, quality and encoding speed! Make sure you check back often!
Step Three: Go!
Though there are a ton of options at this point, most of them are not needed on a daily basis. I will cover these in an upcoming advanced Handbrake article.
For Now, let’s choose a output destination (where you want to save the movie) and go!
That’s all for now! I will be back at a later date with an advance lesson in DVD ripping and encoding with Handbrake. Trust me, I went to community college to learn this stuff.
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