It is very easy to copy a DVD to an iPod which can come in handy if you plan on traveling and don’t want to lug around all of your DVD’s. First, you’ll need to download a copy of HandBrake which is the application that will handle the DVD ripping and encoding. HandBrake is available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux for the low price of FREE! If a 64bit version of HandBrake is available for your platform make sure that you download the 64bit version as you’ll experience a 10% performance increase over the 32bit version. HandBrake works in conjunction with VLC which you will also need to download. Like HandBrake, VLC is also free. Please be aware that if you are using the 64bit version of HandBrake on OS X that you’ll need to download a special version of VLC which you can get here.

Now that you’ve downloaded and installed the required software its time to start HandBrake and begin the copying/ripping process.

1. Open HandBrake and select your source DVD drive. Click the open button and HandBrake will begin to scan your DVD for titles and chapters.

2. After HandBrake has finished scanning your DVD, click on start to begin the ripping process. Note, we are going to use the default values for the purpose of this tutorial.

3. Depending on the speed of your computer, it can take 30 minutes or more rip a feature length DVD. You can however continue to use your computer while HandBrake is running.

4. HandBrake will inform you when it has finished… Now all you have to do is drag the encoded file into your iTunes library.

One final thought, if you plan on hooking up your iPod to your television then you will need to purchase an Apple Composite AV Cable from the Apple Store. Although the cost of this cable is $49.99, it does include a USB wall charger so that your iPod’s battery will not drain while you are watching movies.

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Written by | Mike Steben

Mike enjoys computers and technology, playing the piano, selling stuff on eBay, playing video games, cooking, and eating at Teddy's Pizza. He started CompuNoodle in 2009 and loves to hear from his readers.