| RIP DVD Plus: Standard Video Formats for PC Playback |
Common Video Formats for PC Playback
The following output profiles are intended to create files to play on a PC, and have the same settings:
- Windows Media Video (WMV)
- AVI Xvid
- AVI DivX
- MPEG 4 Simple Profile
- MPEG 4 Advanced Video Codec
- QuickTime MOV
This help topic explains the settings for all these profiles.
Windows Media Video (WMV)
The Windows Media Video (WMV) format was created by Microsoft. It produces small files with good video and audio quality.
Windows Media files use proprietary Microsoft compressors.
AVI Xvid and AVI DivX
The AVI (Audio/Video Interleave) file format for video produces high image and audio quality and is an excellent choice if the video will be edited later. It is also a good choice for backing up DVDs. AVI files tend to be larger than other formats, so this may not be the best choice for portable devices with limited storage.
Xvid is an implementation of the MPEG 4 video compression system, which is now widely used and produces very good video quality and small file sizes.
DivX is another implementation of the MPEG 4 compression method for video. It produces excellent video quality with small file sizes.
AVI files created by Rip DVD Plus use MP3 audio compression. This is the most commonly-used and best-supported audio compression system, and should work on almost any PC.
MPEG 4 Simple and Advanced Profiles
MP4 (MPEG 4) files are generally smaller than AVI files for the same video and audio quality. The Simple profile produces larger files than the Advanced Video Codec. The Simple profile requires less computer resources both to create files during ripping and to play back, and is more suitable for older and slower PCs as well as some devices which do not support the Advanced Compression system.
The default settings will produce high quality video and audio. If you choose, you can change the settings by clicking Customize.
MPEG 4 files use the Advanced Audio Codec. This lets audio take up less space without losing quality and helps produce very small files.
QuickTime MOV
The QuickTime format was created by Apple Computer. QuickTime files have excellent file sizes and quality. You may need to install the QuickTime Player or other software to play QuickTime movies.
MOV files created by Rip DVD Plus use the MPEG 4 Simple video compressor and the Advanced Audio Codec for sound compression.
Settings
All these file formats have the same settings:
Default values may be different. For instance, the default bitrate will vary depending on which output profile you have selected. We have selected defaults for every profile that will give very good quality with the smallest possible file sizes.
Video Settings
Frame Rate
The frame rate is the number of times the picture updates each second. The higher the frame rate, the smoother motion will seem in the video. There is no benefit to increasing this above the Frame Rate of the original DVD. Generally, you should only lower the Frame Rate if you have chosen a very low Bitrate (see below).
Bitrate
The Bitrate is the amount of information that is stored in the file to represent each second of video. If you set a bitrate of 2000 Kbps, a 10 second video file will contain 20,000 bits of information about video. (There will also be audio information.) The higher the bitrate, the higher the quality of the video, but also the larger the size of the file. Generally, smaller dimensions will allow you to use a lower bitrate and still have a good quality picture.
Dimensions
By default, ripped files are the same size as the original DVD video. If you want to alter the aspect ratio of the video, select Change dimensions. Increasing the dimensions above the original will reduce the picture quality rather than improving it. Reducing the dimensions and lowering the Bitrate can produce smaller file sizes, but when played on a larger screen will reduce the video quality.
The "Aspect Ratio" of a video image is the relationship between the width and the height. Standard TV has an aspect ratio of 4:3, meaning that it is 3/4 as tall as it is wide. Movies and HD TV have wider pictures, meaning a different aspect ratio. If you choose to Change dimensions, you can unselect Lock Aspect Ratio. If you know that you are converting widescreen movies, you should be sure that the dimensions you select are in the correct ratio before converting.
Audio Settings
All AVI Xvid rips use the MP3 (MPEG 1 Layer 3) audio compressor. This is the most widely supported compression method and will play on almost any computer.
Frequency
Audio Frequency is the number of times per second that the audio signal can be adjusted.
Higher frequency values give better sound quality but also increase the size of the audio. Generally, use higher quality settings for music and lower for speech. Select from the Frequency dropdown. By default, the audio will be encoded at 44.1 KHz (which is audio CD quality). Lowering the Frequency will reduce audio fidelity and will not make the ripped files any smaller.
Channels
Select Mono to include only one sound channel with your AVI file, and Stereo to include channels for both left and right speakers. Using Stereo produces slightly larger files.
Custom Profiles
If you expect to use the same modified settings again, press Save Profile. This will create a Custom Profile which you can use in the future to quickly select the same options again.
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