DVD Ripper Software Review - Compare the best DVD Ripping apps to determine what will work best for you. Tested by Rob Boirun, Lead Product Reviewer for BurnWorld Test Date (updated) : April 18, 2012 Over the past few month I have been looking at the best DVD Rippers for Windows platforms. Ripping apps have changed and are now mostly a way of getting your DVD content onto your PC then to your iPod, iPhone, Zune, Cell Phone, or other portable device. Many visitors have been asking the best way to do this and using a DVD Ripper is the way to go. Below are my recommendations for DVD Ripping on Windows. Also see: Best DVD Copy Software | Mac DVD Rippers Last Updated: April 18, 2012
	DVD RIPPER	GET IT!	WHAT WE THINK!	OVERALL
1		Buy Now ($39) Download	DVD Ripper Platinum offers much more than what is found on freeware DVD Rippers which we think is worth the $39 price tag. The old days (2003) ripping a DVD was like ripping your hair out. Today, the 1 click ease of software makes this task much more enjoyable and anyone can do it. I liked the ability to rip into mp4 so I can watch on my ipod. Full DVD Ripper Platinum Review
2	DVDfab	Visit Site Download	DVDFab DVD Ripper has been around since 2002 but the features and reliability have been updated ever since which puts the latest version ahead of the class. With CPU optimizer this software is the fastest in the DVD Ripper class of 2011.
3	Open DVD Ripper	Visit Site to download	Open DVD Ripper 2 is from the makers of DVD Cloner 8 which is one of the leading DVD Copy software apps on the market. With its intuitive user interface anyone can make a rip of a disc as easy as saying 1-2-3. You simply insert the DVD you want to rip and then click the 'Rip' button to make a perfect bit by bit backup to your hard drive. It's not my favorite ripper but still does the job.

Other Types of DVD Rippers

While the software titles listed above contain both a ripper function and a converter function which is useful if you are looking for an all in one solution there are other types of software available that simply unlock or 'crack' the copy protections on a disc to allow you to extract the content off of the disc or to make an image file on your hard drive so you can have a disc less movie experience. The most popular ones are:

• AnyDVD - This is probably the best option for a disc ripper that runs in your system tray and when a DVD movie is recognized it will unprotect the content for you automatically.
• PassKey - Very similar in functionality to AnyDVD but also includes ripping for Blu-Ray content too.
• DVD43 - This is a freeware app that is no longer updated. But it may work on most older movies but don't expect full support for the newer copy protections.

Why use a DVD Ripper?

DVD rippers are used when you want to take the contents of a DVD disc and put them on your hard drive, to a virtual drive for playback without using a DVD drive, or to convert to other formats such as to an iPod, iPad, or other portable format.

Benefits for ripping DVD's to your hard disc include:

• Having a digital copy on your PC for storage
• To view without having to use your DVD drive
• Take the original and store it away knowing that it won't be damaged

The simple task of making a backup is made easier if you use the right software. To make this as simple as possible use a recommended DVD ripper.

After reviewing the latest round of DVD Rippers this year we like Wondershares offering for a number of reasons. First off is the overall feature set included in this years version. Compared to previous editions this version adds a few impressive tools to help with overall DVD ripping. A few additions are:

• Rip and Convert in one step
• Video cropping - Have black bars in the video? Well crop them off using the built in video editor with only a few mouse clicks
• Convert to portable formats - support video on your iPod, iPad, Cell Phones, Xoom, Tablets, etc...

Reasons Shareware DVD Rippers are Better Than Free DVD Rippers

There are many advantages that paid DVD rippers have over their freeware counterparts. The main reason you should stick to a paid solution is simple: Updates! DVD copy protections codes are constantly being updated and modified. Nearly every week there is a new copy protection scheme being introduced, so a software such as this must stay on top of these and apply the latest updates. The reason these are paid options is mainly to stay on top of the constant updating. In addition to staying current, paid software also has an inclusive video converting system integrated in the software where with freeware you need to switch back and forth between apps which could get messy and frustrating. The final reason is support when you need it, either by email or a chat box, it just depends on what the company offers. With all that being said these are the best recommendations we can make to you after testing dozens of different DVD rippers.

Free DVD Rippers include tools such as DVD Shrink and DVDFab HD Decrypter. The current issue with DVD Shrink is that it is no longer updated. The last update was in 2009. It should still work on a majority of DVD movies, mainly ones produced around and before that time and could work on some titles today. So if you have an older collection of movies then using DVD Shrink might be a good option for you if you only want to extract the video from the disc. You would still need to use an editing software to cut/trim/edit the video and then use a burning software to burn to a blank disc.

DVDFab HD Decrypter on the other hand is updated more often because it is supported by FengTao software which makes many different media backup solutions including DVD Copying and Blu Ray Copying. Their free ripper is just enough of a software to give you some good ripping options but not enough for you to be the master of your own video domain. Check our their site to see what you think.

In Conclusion, when choosing a DVD ripper just know what your options are before decidin