1) Figure out what title and chapter you intend to capture on your DVD.

Handbrake allows you to capture chapters from DVDs, so it's essential that you know what you're targeting. Do note that in spite of the fact that Handbrake's most atomic element is the chapter, I'll provide instructions on how to trim down your clip if you need less footage than what you've selected.

To find out what title and chapter, it's probably easiest to use a software-based DVD player, and not the player that's hooked up to your television. Typically you can easily see from the onscreen menu what title and chapter you're in.

2) Insert your DVD and close any programs that automatically open (like any DVD player software).

3) Open Handbrake and select the DVD as the source.

On some versions of Handbrake, when you open the software you'll be asked to select the source (i.e. what you want to make a digital movie file out of). Otherwise, you'll have to click the "Source" button at the top of the window yourself.

Handbrake does this because it can accept different types of sources. It can convert video files it recognizes (e.g. a disc image, another .mp4) into other file formats.

Once you select the DVD, it will take a bit (not that long) to scan through the disc and determine its titles and chapters.

4) Select the chapter range you need.

For example, select Chapter 5 to 5 if you want a clip within chapter 5. Just make sure you have the right title selected. If you're capturing a chapter from the film, it's usually pretty easy to tell what title you want - it's the one that's roughly the length of the film.

5) Establish a name and a location for your movie file.

Name it whatever you like, and place it wherever you want. Click "Browse" to set the location and filename.

6) Set your video settings.

Here I have several different recommendations based on what you intend to do with the file.

If you want the entire chapter and do not intend to do any further editing:

• Format: MP4 File
• "Video" tab > Avg. Bitrate (kbps): 500
• Click "Start"

This will export a nicely compressed .mp4, along the lines of 12 MB per minute of video. (This is a very rough estimate and depends on numerous factors.) You can play around with this number if you want to affect the quality of your video (and the file's size).

If you want to trim down the file afterwards (e.g. you only want a minute or two out of the chapter):

• Format: AVI file
• "Video" tab > Constant Quality of 100%
• Click "start"
• Use video editing software to trim the clip to your satisfaction.
• Windows: Use Windows Movie Maker (free, Start > Programs > Windows Movie Maker) to import the clip, trim it to your satisfaction, and save the movie file as a .wmv (a Windows-friendly video format). To learn more about using Windows Movie Maker, click here.
• Mac: Use the full version of QuickTime or iMovie (free) to trim the clip. Click here to learn more about video editing software on the Mac.