How do I get the best quality DVD rip?

Sorry for the late response to my own question! So I tried Mpeg Streamclip and I found that using Apple Pro Res 422, I got a huge 7GB file for 11 minutes and the quality was worse than the original. That is, on frame by frame inspection, I could notice significant distortion on some, but not all frames.

Can you suggest a codec to use that will simply give me no less quality than on the DVD, but not make a file that is way bigger than the DVD was? Any other Mpeg Streamclip settings to note as well?

Here's a screen grab of the same frame from the DVD and then from the file encoded with Mpeg Streamclip using Pro Res and Apple Intermediate (they both looked much the same). Notice the distortion and the weaker colour.

Oops, you're right. Sorry. I used an app called ripit to create a copy of the DVD on my hard drive. It's a package with the .vob files inside, so still needs to be encoded to edit. It's from that file that I am getting the screen grab in the previous post. Then I used Mpeg Streamclip to do the encode I already talked about.

If you're wondering why I am not using Mpeg Streamclip to copy directly from the DVD, it's because the DVD has encryption. I know, that sounds like I'm ripping copyright material, but it's my own material that's on a commercial DVD. Long story, but it is my own material. Just to be clear.

Tom Wolsky wrote:

Looks like it's been scaled. What are the complete specs of the media?

The media is 16x9 SD DVD, so I used 854 x 480 to get it output 16x9 and I de-interlaced. If I used the unscaled option, it outputs at 4:3 rather than 16x9, but in any case, I tried that to check the quality and it looks much the same. That is, not good.

The images I already posted are from the DVD after it was ripped to disk by Ripit, so it can't be Ripit causing the problem or the file would be distorted before I convert from the ripped DVD. I can try without de-interlace, but if I do, what are you suggesting for fixing that later? Is it wise to do yet another process to the file rather than all at once?

Tom Wolsky wrote:

That's wrong. You should use 720x480 anamorphic, which is what the original file should be if it was correctly made. I can't say what rip it is doing but that's the way it works.

I don't see the option to use "anamorphic", so it comes out 4:3. How do I fix that?

In terms of Ripit's involvement in the process, I have also tried this using Streamclip, direct from a DVD and get the same results, so for all intents, Ripiit is not a factor here. I only use it to get the encrypted DVD on to my drive (see earlier note about the material being my own work!).

The distortion I see seems to coincide where interlace shows the most distortion too, so I'm figuring this may be related to de-interlacing, but I do need to de-interlace, so how do I get around that? Here's the same image from the non-interlace output. Otherwise, the Streamclip copy looks good, but stil need to deal with interlace.