4Media DVD Ripper 6.0

4Media DVD Ripper is a DVD movie ripper for the Mac. It allows you to copy your DVD movies into video files that you can then play on video playback software on your Mac or Windows PC or mobile players.

The application uses conversion profiles to help you make the process easier by eliminating the need to change any settings. All you really have to do is select one of the supported devices or, if you know what format you want to convert to, you can select it from a huge list. All the popular formats are supported.

Graphically, the application looks identical to most converters by 4Media and Xilisoft, it uses the same graphical interface. Of all the converters I have tried on Windows, it is the best one. It is every bit as practical on the Mac, but I was expecting them to change it a bit to look more Mac-ish. Still, although it doesn't look like a native Mac app, this ripper works well and the interface seemed responsive and quick.

In my testing, I converted a 14-second title from a DVD movie into an AppleTV HD format, and the process took a little over 20 seconds. It wasn't really fast, but I have seen slower rippers. The resulting file played just fine on VLC.

There are three versions of this app, which vary in the formats supported and the additional features included. I tested the Ultimate app, which has a video editor built-in and support for a ton of formats.

This review focuses on the Ultimate version of the app. Pretty much, the feature set on all three versions is similar. Where the Ultimate version outshines the rest is in video editing and video previewing. The editor in the Ultimate version allows you to crop your videos, add a video watermark and edit video effects. One of the cool features of this version is that you can preview what your video will look like before you convert it.