First off, allow me to apologize if this is the wrong forum.
I did look under the software section, but I am a newbe and
not sure which software. Please feel free to direct me to a more acceptable forum.

I purchased several DVDs from Best Buy. These DVDs are music concerts such as Metallica and the Eagles. I would like to copy just the sound track (not Video) off of these DVDs onto my computer using my Plextor DVD burner.

Once on computer, my goal is to eventually convert some of these songs (pick and choose) to cda or mp3 audio files and burn them on a CD-R to listen to in my car. (I already know how to convert to CDA and Mp3)

I did install DVD Decryptor, but seems to be confusing with the VOB, IFO and BUP files. Not sure which, if any is the audio files. Have no clue what I am doing once it is Decrypted.

Once on computer, my goal is to eventually convert these tracks to cda or mp3 audio files and burn them on a CD-R to listen to in my car. (I already know how to do this step)

Thank you.

For this task I suggest three programs.
DVD Decrypter - To extract the VOB files. These contain the audio & video.
DVD2Avi - This will allow you to exctract the audio from the VOB files.
BeSweet - This is for converting the audio into something useful, mp3/wav etc..

Or a quicker way... use DVD Decrypter to "demux" just the audio file (stream processing mode). Once done use GoldWave to open the audio file (most likely a .ac3 file, if so, make sure you have a ac3 decoder installed), and before saving use the "Maximise" filter to bring it up to a good volume (many DVD tracks are very quiet). Then save the file as a PCM WAV, from this you can convert to MP3 or whatever.

The DVD DECRYPTER works. It creates some VOB files.
The DVD2AVI does not seem to do anything....or I dont know the actual
steps to use this program. Tell me please?

I used this:

Xilisoft DVD Audio Ripper
http://www.xilisoft.com/dvd-audio-ripper.html
http://www.allformp3.com/dvd-audio-ripper.htm

Or you can use:
#1 DVD Audio Ripper
http://www.dvdtox.com/dvdaudioripper.htm

DVD Audio Extractor
http://www.castudio.org/dvdaudioextractor/

I think they're all full functioning shareware programs.

With dvd2avi you select open, then find the 1st vob file. then select "save project as" and it will save a d2v file which u dont need, and a wav file containing the audio from the vobs. Regards

I am getting closer hehe. It did save a d2v file, but no wav or any other file.

Can we do a msn chat sometime....maybe tomorrow?

BKSinAZ@yahoo.com

OK, use DVD Decrypter like this:

and then GoldWave to convert to WAV.

If you are still happy using the DVD2AVI method, make sure it is set up like this
First go to Audio> Output Method and select "Decode to WAV".


Then make sure you have normalisation on (to bring it up to a good volume, 98 I find is a good volume to bring it up to)


Finally set the output to 44.1khz (this is the CD rate, dvd is 48), not sure if it makes any difference using low/med/high/ultrahigh, maybe somebody else can explain this, so I would go with ultrahigh.


Hope this helps,

Ben

thanks. I will try this later after running some chores.
One more question...Using music live concert DVDs It seems to want to make one single audio track from a DVD. Any way to break it down song by song? Example...if a DVD has 19 songs on it, is there a way to make 19 individual tracks?

DVD Decrypter, Tools-> Settings...-> IFO-Mode-> Options, File Splitting-> 'By CellID' or 'By Chapter' (depending on the input material)

P.S.: You could also use the 'VOBInput.dll'-Plugin for BeSweet instead of DVD2AVI
http://dspguru.notrace.dk/effects.html

what is the difference between cell and chapter?
If I have 19 songs on a dvd, does that mean I have 19 cells or 19 chapters?

Split by chapter, not by cell. You will then have 19 different files to process. (I would use GoldWave on batch mode+maximise filter+resample to 41000khz for this).

Ben

IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!!!!

I used DVD DECRYPTER to decrypt each song individually into wav files. I did not use GoldWave because I don't know how to use it. But do I need it?

One other question. DECRYPTER created the WAVs at 16 bit. How/can do I improve the bits to 16 or 32 or better. Keep in mind that I will be converting these tracks to cda format so I can listen to in my car. Need the best quality.
Can your do a breif chat on MSN messenger? It will also do voice.

How did u get WAV files directly from DVD Decrypter?

All i get is a VOB file, and a IFO file

OK, problem resolved. Confused a bit about the options in the stream process. I get AC3 files now.

[size=1]Step 1: I use virtual dub, File open the avi movie file, I clk video - direct stream copy, audio - full processing mode, audio - compression, audio - no compression and ok. This will create the avi file in uncompressed wave format. I rename this file: pcm filename.avi

Step 2: Virtual dub , I open file: pcm filename.avi ,video - direct stream copy, audio - direct stream copy, file - save wav, I name the wave file: wav1.wav This wil create a separate audio file in wav format.

Step 3: You may now convert this wav file into mp3 using an audio converter, I use Acoustica MP3 To Wave Converter Plus. See next post for step 4.

Step 4: If the volume is low I use Nero Wave Editor to increase the volume of my wave file before I convert it with Acoustica MP3 To Wave Converter Plus. You may also use diamond cut 5 to fix the wave file before converting, etc. You may use virtual dub (the pcm file format ) to cut the music file into parts.