How to convert DVDs to watch on your iPhone

The iPhone has a fantastic high resolution screen that makes it an ideal portable video player - but how do you get stuff you want to watch onto the device?

The iTunes store may be the ideal place to buy and download TV shows and movies in the US but in the UK we only have a fraction of the content that they have across the Atlantic. The obvious alternative is to dip into your existing collection of DVDs and convert these so they can be viewed on the iPhone.

Note: technically ripping your DVDs - like ripping your CDs - is against the law in the UK, even if you own the discs and it's for your own personal use. DVDs in particular are a legal grey area because converting these involves bypassing the built-in anti-copying software. But no one has yet been prosecuted for doing so.

Windows instructions

On Windows you can use free software to rip the DVD onto your hard drive and then another free program to re-encode the ripped file into a smaller file that can is compatible with your iPhone.

You will need the following free software programs:

• DVD Decrypter
• Videora iPod Converter

Part 1 - ripping the DVD

Launch DVD Decrypter and insert the DVD your want to rip into your PC. You should see a screen like that in figure 1 - if you don't, click on the Mode menu and select IFO I. DVD Decrypter will automaically select the longest file on the DVD - usually the movie - as well as selecting all the chapters

Click on the Stream processing tab and click in the check box labelled 'Enable Stream Processing'

Click on the Tools menu and select Settings. Click on the IFO Mode tab and in the pull-down menu labelled 'File Splitting' select None. Then click on OK

Now it's time to rip the DVD. Click on the main button showing a DVD to hard drive icon. The program will start ripping the DVD. Go and make yourself a cup of tea and when you return you should see a .VOB file in the destination folder (it's shown above the main button - in this instance it's C:\SHAUN_OF_THE_DEAD\VIDEO_TS\)

Part 2 - encoding the ripped file

Launch Videora iPod Converter - if it's the first time you've used it you will be asked to choose your iPod - click on iPhone. Now click on the Convert tab and select Normal Mode

The onscreen instructions are pretty idiot-proof but can be confusing - the Select File button you need to click is at the bottom of the window. Click on Select File and navigate to the location where your ripped file was deposited - in our case it was a folder called SHAUN_OF_THE_DEAD on the C: drive

You will be asked to choose where you want the converted video to go - leave it at the default settings and click on the Next button

You will be asked to enter a title for the converted video - this is what will appear on your iPhone. So rather than something cryptic such as VTS_02_1 we will change this to Shaun of the Dead. Click on Next

You will see various options to vary the video size and quality. Remember that the higher the quality the longer it will take to encode and the bigger the final file will be. You can see an stimate of the final file size - it will change as you adjust the settings. Click on Next then click on Start Converting to begin the conversion

The conversion will now begin. Depending on the speed of your PC this could take several hours. If you click on Conversion Progress you will see an estimate of how long it will take as well as a progress bar. Feel free to stare at this if you have nothing better to do.

When the encoding is complete the software should automatically launch iTunes and import it into the iTunes Library. If it hasn't, open iTunes and drag and drop the .mp4 file onto the iTunes window to import it manually. The next time you connect your iPhone to your PC the encoded video will be synced across to your phone.

Mac instructions

On a Mac ripping and re-encoding videos for the iPhone is a lot simpler thanks to a wonderful program called Handbrake.

Launch Handbrake. Insert the DVD into your Mac. Click on the Source button at the top of the Handbrake window and select the DVD you want to convert then click on Open

Handbrake will take a few moment to get data from the DVD. On the Presets drawer to the right of the window click on iPhone. If the drawer isn't visible click on the Window menu link and select Presets Drawer

Click on Start button at the top of the window to begin the ripping and encoding. The Start button will change to a Cancel button and a progress bar will appear at the bottom of the window. Time for another cuppa...

When the encoding is completed you will see an alert message saying 'Put down that cocktail...your HandBrake encode is done!' Click on OK

Find the encoded file - the default destination is your Mac's desktop - and drag it onto the iTunes window to import it into your iTunes library

Connect your iPhone to your Mac. If you've set up your iTunes to Sync videos automatically the encoded file should be transferred across to your iPhone immediately. Otherwise click on the Video tab and select the check box next your encoded video then click on Sync to transfer it across to your iPhone