Want to take your DVD and watch it on your iPod, PDA, smartphone, or just build a movie collection inside your computer? Simple and easy it is with Handbrake, a multi-platform (Windows, Linux, and MacOS X) DVD to mpeg-4 converter.

Handbrake will allow you to extract video, audio, and subtitles of the DVD. The output formats (containers) are: MP4, MKV, AVI, and OGM. It uses mpeg-4 and H.264 video encoders and AAC, mp3, and vorbis as audio encoders.

Using it is pretty simple, you’ll see one large window where you’ll choose the format, the codec, and adjust audio / video / subtitle settings if needed.

Infra Recorder is a very good software that I use to burn CDs and DVDs on my Windows machine. I’ve used it to burn data CD/DVDs, and work with iso files. Which means, bye bye proprietary Nero. According to the site, its full features are:

• Create custom data, audio and mixed-mode projects and record them to physical discs as well as disc images.
• Supports recording to dual-layer DVDs.
  
• Blank (erase) rewritable discs using four different methods.
• Record disc images (ISO and BIN/CUE).
  
• Create disc copies, on the fly and using a temporary disc image.
• Import session data from multi-session discs and add more sessions to them.
• Save audio and data tracks to files (.wav, .wma, .ogg, .mp3 and .iso).

This program is a Windows only. Sorry, I usually try to find cross-platform programs but I wasn’t able find one for this category.

You can download a full installer or just work as a stand alone application. The nice thing about Infra Recoder is that it also has an Express (irExpress.exe) app that is self-executable – there is no need to install – and will make using the complete functions much easier. You’ll be directly forwarded to settings used to create a music CD, data DVD, or whatever type of project you choose.

Visit the download page here.

Want to burn a movie DVD with files from your computer? Do it ever so easily with DVD Flick. I’ve yet to find another program that is better and easier to use then DVD Flick.

You can even add subtitles (and edit its appearance), add different audio tracks, and adjust some other settings of your DVD project. The process really couldn’t be easier.

For a simple burn just select the file and click on “Create DVD”. Under 1 minute’s worth of effort and then you can just wait (a couple of hours) for the project to be completed all by itself. If you want to modify some settings – I always choose to burn directly to the DVD for example – you can easily do it.

Here is a video tutorial for you explaining step-by-step. Enjoy!