NAME
    Video::DVDRip - GUI for copying DVDs, based on an open Low Level API

DESCRIPTION
    This Perl module consists currently of two major components:

      1. A low level OO style API for ripping and transcoding
         DVD video, which is based on Thomas Oestreichs program
         transcode, a Linux Video Stream Processing Tool.
         This API is currently well undocumented.

      2. A Gtk+ based Perl program called 'dvd::rip' which provides
         a nice GUI to control all necessary steps from ripping,
         adjusting all parameters and transcoding the video to
         the format you desire.

    The distribution name is derived from the Perl namespace it occupies:
    Video::DVDRip. Although the DVD Ripper GUI is called dvd::rip, because
    it's shorter and easier to pronounce (if you omit the colons... ;)

PREREQUISITES
    transcode

    dvd::rip delegates all the low level DVD handling to transcode, which
    can be obtained here:

      http://www.theorie.physik.uni-goettingen.de/~ostreich/transcode/

    As of this writing, transcode 0.5.0 is the stable release dvd::rip is
    tested with. dvd::rip expects all transcode binaries to be found in the
    standard search PATH.

    Image Magick

    For image processing dvd::rip uses the widely distributed software
    package Image Magick, at least the programs identify and convert should
    be installed on your system. All versions above version 4 should work
    (actually tested with 5.3.1). dvd::rip does not use Perl Magick.

    Perl Modules

    For its GUI component dvd::rip needs the Perl Gtk module, which presumes
    Gtk+ version 1.2 or higher. I tested dvd::rip with Version Perl Gtk
    0.7008.

    You can find the Gtk module on CPAN, e.g.:

      http://www.perl.com/CPAN/modules/by-module/Gtk/

    xine

    If you have the movie player xine installed, you can preview selected
    DVD titles with the appropriate audio channels. Maybe I'll support
    mplayer, too, in upcoming versions.

DOWNLOADING
    You can download dvd::rip from any CPAN mirror. You will find it in the
    following directory:

      http://www.perl.com/CPAN/modules/by-authors/id/J/JR/JRED/

    I recommend downloading from a mirror, which are listed here

      http://www.perl.com/CPAN/SITES.html

    You'll also find recent information, some screenshots and documentation
    on my homepage:

      http://www.netcologne.de/~nc-joernre/

INSTALLATION
    First install all packages listed in the PREREQUISITES section.

    Then extract the .tar.gz file, change into the created directory and
    generate the Makefile and execute make:

      perl Makefile.PL
      make

    Among other things this builds the binary program 'splitpipe', which
    uses dvd::rip for ripping and scanning the DVD in the same run.

    Now it's up to you to type

      make install
  
    which installs all the Perl modules in your Perl library path, and the
    two executables

      dvdrip
      splitpipe

    in your Perl bin directory. Otherwise you can use dvd::rip right here
    and now by executing the 'dvdrip' program from the build directory.

BASE CONFIGURATION / PREFERENCES
    On first startup of dvd::rip you should check the global preferences in
    the Edit menu. Enter your DVD configuration and data directory here. The
    defaults will most likely not work on your system.

    These settings are stored in your home directory:

      ~/.dvdriprc

    Remove this file for falling back to the defaults.

NOW HAVE FUN
    Create a new project by choosing the appropriate entry of the main menu.
    The GUI should be more or less self-explanatory. Please check my
    homepage for more details on using dvd::rip.

AUTHOR
    Joern Reder <joern@zyn.de>

    You can contact me by email. Please place the word "dvd::rip" in the
    subject, because this helps me classifying your email correctly. Thanks.

COPYRIGHT
    Copyright (C) 2001 by Joern Reder, All Rights Reserved.

    This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
    under the same terms as Perl itself.

SEE ALSO
    perl(1).

CHANGES
    $Id: Changes,v 1.1 2001/11/26 22:34:30 joern Exp $

    Revision history for Perl extension Video::DVDRip

    0.20  Tue Nov 27 2001, joern
	- First public release. Should be usable but is not tested
	  with thousands of DVDs.