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ALL THINGS The Free iPod + iPhone Book 4<br />
74<br />
Convert Other Videos... Slowly<br />
Apple doesn’t include a DVD ripper in iTunes, and iPods<br />
and iPhones are extremely format-limited: you’ll need<br />
to convert virtually any video you buy or download<br />
from a source other than Apple. This takes a long time,<br />
and the iTunes files often fall short of DVD quality, so<br />
you may need re-convert later for better devices. If you<br />
can deal with this, read on.<br />
DVD Conversion: Legal Issues<br />
In the U.S., it’s presumably illegal to turn DVDs into<br />
iTunes video files, because conversion removes the<br />
discs’ copy protection - the reason iTunes doesn’t rip<br />
DVDs. In other countries, ripping DVDs is entirely legal,<br />
and consequently DVD conversion software is widely<br />
available online. To be safe, follow your local laws.<br />
Free Mac OS X Converters<br />
For downloaded videos, start with iSquint (isquint.org).<br />
It’s fast and requires two clicks - drop in a file, and<br />
press Start. HandBrake (handbrake.m0k.org) converts<br />
DVDs for iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV playback. Select the<br />
DVD or folder to convert, press Open, select the iPod<br />
High-Rez Preset at right, hit Start and that’s it. Both<br />
programs offer quality settings, but don’t use them<br />
until you’ve read their documentation.<br />
Free PC Conversion Utilities<br />
Windows PC users have many free iPod-format video<br />
conversion options; read our latest Video Conversion<br />
for Windows PCs tutorial (ilounge.com/index.php/<br />
articles/tutorials/) for what’s best. For most Internetdownloaded<br />
videos, Videora’s iPod Converter<br />
(videora.com) is free and works well, but doesn’t rip<br />
DVDs. HandBrake (handbrake.m0k.org) does.<br />
Something Worth Paying For?<br />
If you’re willing to buy software, such as Avanquest’s<br />
DVD2iPod ($30, PC) or InterVideo’s iVideoToGo<br />
for iPod ($30, PC), you’ll get a nicer user interface,<br />
modestly superior speed or video quality, and wider<br />
support for video formats. Elgato’s turbo.264 ($100) is<br />
a Mac USB attachment that delivers up to a 5X increase<br />
in H.264 encoding times; ADS Tech’s similar PC version<br />
Instant Video To-Go ($80) has software bugs.
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