"This guide is no longer maintained" which one to use?

I went to http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/copy_dvd_to_xvid.cfm and it says "This guide is no longer maintained. It is stored mainly for future historians to investigate. For more up-to-date information, please see our other guides."

I don't see a newer Xvid guide on the page it links to - http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/

Is the guide still the best way? Is there a better guide for DVD>Xvid on the web somewhere?

thanks!

 

This guide may helps.

http://www.aoamedia.com/dvd-to-xvid.htm

 

Generally speaking, if you don't know what you are doing, then you will get better quality using something like AutoGK than you will doing things manually.

 

I was hoping there was an up-to-date guide describing the optimal settings and most current software to use.

I'll either do more reading so that I know what I'm doing -- or I may go the hands-off approach and just use Nero Recode (either to go to iPod video or Nero's version of mp4 ... hmmm, I wonder if there's a way to add Xvid to Recode?)

 

There are no optimal settings, since different sources require different settings. Nero Recode only uses its own directshow filters for encoding. Plus although there is an XviD dshow encoder, it is well out of date now, so even if recode could use other dshow encoders, you would have nothing to use.

Also there really isn't a Nero version of mp4. mp4 is mp4. Nero does add chapters and vobsub subtitles, which although not part of MPEG-4 specs are stored in a way that complies with the specs. So they are still 100% compliant.

 

sounds like I'll go with Nero then

(I might even just choose Nero's iPod setting
so that I know it will play on those as well)

thanks so much for the information!

 

Nero is a poor choice for that, it makes proprietary files so you might probably want to stick with mainstream DivX/XviD for that.
For example, who knows if that Nero file will playback on DivX Certified devices?
I think you misunderstood friend celtic_d there, he was not telling you to use Nero - he (and I agree) suggested AutoGK with XviD.
If you really want to make good AVIs Kateri, I will teach you my GordianKnot techniques, LoL ;^)
All you need is the XviD codec, unprotected VOBs and GKnot:
http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_software/dvd_rippers/gordian_knot.cfm
Regards

 

Nero outputs mp4 which is an open standard. Still yes most SAP's don't support mp4.

 

I appreciate all the replies.

I'm going to keep reading up on the benefits of Xvid and of the iPod ("iPod Video" or "iPod Video AVC") options in Recode. (reviews elsewhere on the web seem to like AVC)

It's hard to figure out what I'm going to use the files for in the future, but for now I'm just playing them on a PC.

I don't think it matters to me if they play on stand-alone players.

It isn't necessary, but it could be nice if they would play on an iPod (as long as this doesn't mean totally killing the quality).

Funny, I thought that starting this thread would lead to a clear answer, but it gives me more to research instead (which is just fine, but unexpected).