• On GameSpot: And the best games of E3 were...
February 13, 2008 5:50 AM PST

Watch DVDs on your iPod, iPhone, PSP, etc. with HandBrake

by Rick Broida
(Credit: HandBrake)

So you just bought an iPod touch or iPhone and want to stock it with movies from your DVD library. There are countless commercial utilities that promise to rip DVDs, but I recommend trying HandBrake. This open-source (read: free) utility for Windows (download), Mac (download), and Linux converts your DVDs for viewing on iPods, iPhones, Sony PSPs, and other portable media players. It's by no means new, but I just had to share my newfound appreciation for it.

I recently picked up the hilarious Flight of the Conchords on DVD. I also just acquired an iPod touch (quite simply the coolest gizmo I have ever owned). I wasn't about to pay iTunes for a show I already own, so I fired up HandBrake. A few hours later, presto: New Zealand's fourth most popular digi-folk duo appeared on my iPod.

Note that because most commercial DVDs are copy-protected, HandBrake can't work its magic without a decryption utility running in the background. Rumor has it that DVD43, also free (but Windows-only), works really, really well.

Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog.
Recent posts from The Cheapskate
How to get the Windows 7 upgrade for free
Get Logitech Z Cinema speakers for $79.99
Return of the $179 24-inch LCD--for $169
Speaker dock, subwoofer for iPod, iPhone: $79.99
iPhone Deal of the Day: Five App Store freebies
Get a 24-inch 1080p LCD for $179.95 shipped
Get an 8GB iPod Nano for $124.99 shipped
Get a 'Homer Simpson' GPS for $89.99 shipped
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (4 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
by peteyboy84 February 13, 2008 7:43 AM PST
Thanks Rick for the information about DVD43. I've been using DVDShrink for a few years now and it is severly outdated. I'm gonna give this a try tonight!
Reply to this comment
by jslande01 February 13, 2008 12:35 PM PST
DVD43 sits in the tray and decrypts for whatever program you are using to rip/compress...
Reply to this comment
by skimike4 February 13, 2008 5:11 PM PST
Using it, loving it, thank you! I can leave the portable DVD player at home.
Reply to this comment
by shakenbaker July 11, 2008 10:27 AM PDT
Freeware use to be good, but it is not supported and Hollywood has been adding dozens of add-on copy protections (on top of CSS) in recent years. There is a great blog article: "Why Should I Pay for DVD Copy Software" at: http://bestdvdcopysoftware.wordpress.com . Also, all the best dvd copy software and dvd burning software is listed, reaked and reviewed at: http://www.dvdxcopy.com
Reply to this comment
(4 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next

Making sense of Windows 7 upgrades

faq The basics and the fine print on Microsoft's options for those eyeing the next operating system from Redmond.
• Full Windows 7 coverage

Road Trip 2009: Big Sky Country

CNET News reporter Daniel Terdiman takes his car full of gadgets to the Rockies and the Great Plains in search of tech, science, nature, and more.
• America's Fortress: Cheyenne Mountain

About The Cheapskate

The best things in tech are cheap. "The Cheapskate" scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets, and all the other tech stuff that makes life worth living. Send your own cheapskate tips to thecheapskate@gmail.com. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

Add this feed to your online news reader

The Cheapskate topics

advertisement
advertisement

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right