Newb here, I was just wondering is there any loss in quality if I first rip a DVD to my HDD with Shrink and then use Rebuilder to encode it?
I like to use Shink to get rid of the menus and extras and unwanted audio, so Rebuilder only has to do the main movie. I set the target disc in Shrink as a DVD-9 so it wont compress anything, then rip it to the HDD.
My questions: Is there any loss in quality by ripping first with Shrink? Is there any difference between ripping with Shrink and DVDdecrypter?
Also, the HC encoder seems to be the best of the freewares (I dont want to pay for CCE), is that the general consensus around here too? thanks.

I'm pretty confident that there's no quality loss, but I'm not 100% certain as I haven't used Shrink in over two years now. Also, DVD Rebuilder already has a "movie only" mode as well as a "movie and menus only" and "movie, menus, and slideshow extras mode" modes, and the ability to select which audio and subtitle tracks you want to include so there's no real need to use Shrink anyway.

Are those options you mentioned only in the pro version of DVDRB?

Oh, possibly yeah.

Simply set the target size to DVD-9 in Shrink and rip the DVD with 'no compression'. Then you'll have 100% movie quality. I suggest you also try to rip the movie with Deep Analysis and AEC and then compare to DVD Rebuilders result.

Shrink doesn't "remove" anything. LOL.

And ripping with Shrink is useless on any new discs.

I personally rip with AnyDVD, process with VOB Blanker to remove the bits I don't want, and THEN run Rebuilder.

I don't bother removing extras or menus, just the FBI warnings, ads, etc. since Rebuilder can remove extras and menus.

Then again if I only want the movie, I don't bother removing ANYTHING with VOB Blanker, since Rebuilder can pick just the movie.

'Course, as noted I own Rebuilder, don't know if "movie only" is only a Pro option.