Best way to convert DVD to DivX?

So, I've run into a bit of a snag.

I'm managing some local American cover bands, and I have some live footage of them on DVDs. Because they're in DVD format, I can't burn multiple recordings onto a single disc, even though each one tops out at about 1.5 GB. I need a solid DVD to DivX converter to shrink these files down. Ideally, something easy to use since I'm pretty clueless when it comes to this stuff. Every free version I've tried downloading online seems to have some kind of fuckin' limitation, so I'd really appreciate it if someone could point me toward a quality link for a full version.

Oh, and I'm also looking for a little tool to clip videos into smaller segments so I can upload them to YouTube...

Thanks in advance 👍🙏

For me, the absolute best—and it doesn't even cost a dime—is Gordian Knot.

If you need to rip movies, just use iMovie on Windows. It'll be sitting right there in your Program Files.

Thanks, man 👍

I just finished downloading and installing it—can anyone walk me through this? Also, quick question: can I run this straight from the DVD, or do I need to rip the files to my hard drive first?

No problem 😉

You can rip directly from the DVD—no need to waste space copying it to your hard drive first.
It’s really not rocket science. Just point the Input file to where the DVD is sitting, pick your destination in the Output, and set whatever file size you want in MB. It gives you plenty of presets to choose from. Once you're set, just hit > and then Start. Boom. Done. How long it takes just depends on how big the disc is and how much of a beast your PC is. Could take up to 2 hours.

Aha, okay—Gordian Knot feels a bit overly complicated to me. Is there anything simpler out there that still offers the full version? I think I’ll give it another shot though...

The Gordian Knot bundle comes with extra software that honestly just causes more headaches than it's worth. 🙂

Why can't they just offer a single, standalone program instead of all this clutter? 🙂

I find AG pretty straightforward, but honestly, I have no clue if other tools would be easier for you, so I can't really give you any recommendations here. 🤷 Plus, even with alternative software, you usually have to mess around with the settings, which can be a headache for some people. When I run into something confusing, I just dive in and start "playing" with all the different options and tweaks until the logic finally clicks. You should try messing around with AG a bit yourself.
Just uninstall those programs you got; that'll stop them from bugging you.

If there's anything specific about AG that's tripping you up, just ask and I'll try to help you out.

I finally gave up on Gordian Knot and just grabbed something super straightforward—Handbrake. It took me maybe two hours to get everything sorted out, but I really appreciate all the help you put in. 👍

The main thing is you got it sorted out 🙂

True 👍

Anthony Lopez5 said:So, I’ve run into a bit of a situation here.

I’ve got these live recordings from some local American cover bands I manage—all sitting on DVDs. Because they’re in that specific DVD format, I can't just burn multiple recordings onto a single disc, even though none of them exceed 1.5 GB! It's frustrating, right? I really need a solid DVD to DivX converter to shrink these files down. Ideally, something user-friendly because, let's be honest, I am absolutely hopeless when it comes to this kind of technical stuff. Every single "free download" version I've scavenged from the web seems to have these annoying little limitations—it's such a headache! I would be incredibly grateful if someone could point me toward a high-quality link for a full version.

Oh—and one more thing! I'm also looking for a little utility to slice videos into smaller segments so I can actually upload them to YouTube...

Thanks in advance! 👍🙏

Well, there is one really nifty program out there—it isn't free, mind you, but it literally does everything! You can rip audio CDs, create DVDs (though the menu options are somewhat limited), and you can even rip a DVD or convert video into a massive variety of formats. You can even pull audio straight out of a video—like a music video—and save it as an MP3. There is so much more to it than that!
The software is called Corel VideoStudio. Give it a shot and you'll see just how much it can do. As for slicing, cutting, and joining clips together, there is another commercial option called Adobe Premiere.
If you want something free, there is a little tool called FREE STUDIO, but as you already noted, it's pretty restricted.

I suppose Video Remaker might be the better option for trimming clips. You just cut out the junk you don't need, and since there's no need to re-encode everything, the whole process is finished in a few minutes, I guess.

I'll try to avoid starting a whole new thread here...

I'm running into a wall trying to convert files into DivX or xvid...

The issue is, even when I follow every online tutorial to a T, the DivX or xvid files I produce just don't have that crisp quality you see in an Axxo release or anything else I download from the web.

It’s a total mystery to me. I’m using the default settings in my software (Gordian Knot), running two passes, and capping the file size at a standard 700MB CD capacity—all while keeping everything set to 'high quality.'

Meanwhile, I'll download movies that are roughly the same size, ripped from a DVD, and the quality is night and day better.

It's getting pretty frustrating.

Has anyone else dealt with this? Does anyone actually have a solution for this, or maybe a tutorial I haven't stumbled upon yet??

Gonna jump in on this thread too

Grabbed some Seinfeld episodes off a torrent and they're all in RealMedia files. My VLC Media Player handles them just fine, but my standalone DVD player won't touch them. So I downloaded Handbrake to try and convert them to DivX, but the damn thing keeps hitting 90% and then throwing a "failed" error message right at the finish line...
Anyone got a fix? Is there a trick to this or maybe a better program that isn't a total pain to use?

Joshua Barnes6 said:Look, I'm gonna jump in here too because this thread is getting interesting.

I grabbed some episodes of Seinfeld off a torrent, and they're all sitting there in RealMedia files. My VLC Media Player handles them just fine, no problem at all, but my home DVD player? Total brick. It won't touch them. So, naturally, I downloaded "Handbrake" thinking I'd just convert everything over to DivX and call it a day. But get this—every single time it hits the 90% mark, it just spits out a "failed" error message right in my face. Like, seriously?
Can anyone help me out here? Is there some secret trick I'm missing, or maybe a better program out there that actually works without being a total headache? I just want something simple...

Did you even try the one I linked for you earlier???

I'll try later, check with PP