please help newbie

Hi all,

I'm new to dvd ripping. I just bought a lot of dvds that I want to preseve.
I don't have a dvdr otherwise things would be simple; all I have is a dvd player with cdr.

My quest is to backup my dvds so that they are as close to dvd quality as possible while limiting the use of blank cds.

Here are my questions
Which one is better in quality? VCD or AVI? Which one produces a smaller file?

If I rip with output as avi or mpg, can I later convert the avi and mpg back to a vob (dvd quality)?

Which ripping program is best for my quest? I've tried so many with poor results: many take way to0 long.
Please help.