Anyone know how to convert a DVD to an AVI?

I purchased a DVD of a swim I went on while on vacation and while I have the RIGHT to duplicate it, I don't have the MEANS to!

I can get the DVD into a .VOB format easily enough, but from that point on I've been stymied at every step. I can load it into VirtualDUB, but VDub refuses to play back the audio. And all the other conversion programs I've tried to use also fail to convert the audio. Even when I, through painful methods, extract the audio to .ac3 and then convert it to .wav I still can't play it back or attach it to the video in VDub. Not that I'm convinced doing so will result in the audio being synched to the video properly!

I'm assuming I need a codec, since the audio format is the issue with VirtualDub, but I tried installing "AC3 codec" and all that did was make the file playable in Windows Media Player. I can't even load it into Sound Forge!

Argh! What's so hard about writing a simple utility which outputs an uncompressed avi with an uncompressed audio source so I can recompress it with whatever tool I want to?

Shouldn't be hard with a non-protected DVD. I use this :
http://www.aoamedia.com/dvd_ripper.htm

Because it's the only one I could find which would enable me to cut clips out of a DVD instead of ripping a 2 hour DVD just to get 10 mins of footage.

On Windows, use GordianKnot from www.doom9.net.


On a Mac you could use ffmpegX.

Well that dvd ripper program seems to have done the job well enough. Wasn't able to play the xvid avi in windows media player though. But was able to load it in virtualdub to edit it and resave it.

On my Macbook I use Handbreak. Very easy.

on linux 'dvd::rip' should do it.

www.xilisoft.com

DVD Ripper Platinum 4 costs, but I find it better than GordianKnot.

Couple it with AnyDVD...

(FWIW: I transfer DVD's to my video iPod to watch while I'm exercising on my treadmill)

sswift: Download and install the GordianKnot Codec Pack (also on doom9.net) and Windows Media Player will be able to play the Xvid AVI (and AC3, DivX and what-the-heck else).

You can also install VLC from videolan.org, if you don't want to use Media Player. VLC is also great on the Mac, btw. :)

If you want to create iPod compatible videos, you can use Instant Handbrake (currentliy in Beta) on the Mac. The regular Handbrake cannot yet do that. For ripping on the Mac, use MacTheRipper.

look on www.doom9.org , that has all the tools and codecs you could ever need.