What's the best way to rip the audio off of a DVD?

Are you asking about "dvd audio" or audio from a video dvd? If you ask about the latter, use a dvd ripper such as Smartripper or DVD Decrypter, use the stream processing mode and make the audio stream (AC3) save to a separate file.
If you want to transcode the ac3 file to let's say mp3, use Besweet or HeadAC3he.

It's best if someone else answer the question about how to rip dvd audio.

Emanuel

you're right, I'm looking to rip the audio off of a video DVD. WHere can I find besweet or HeAC3che? I'm on dial up and that really sucks...

First you can use a DVD ripper (I use SmartRipper, but DVD Decrypter looks easy to use too and there's a guide on the website) to demux (separate) the audio from a DVD. Usually you end up with one big AC3 file, although I've seen a WAV file once.

You can then use BeSweet to convert the AC3 file to the format of your choice (OGG, MP3, WAV, etc.). Check the BeSweet homepage for more info (see the guides page). For more questions regarding BeSweet, check here.

Just a note, use nothing but SmartRipper. I've tried to rip several DVD's, did it -right-, DVD Decrypter ripped some properly, but some it just couldn't rip properly no matter what. Nothing currently is better than SmartRipper (and it's easy to use, though not as beautiful as others ). You can get SmartRipper from www.doom9.org or net ..

One more thing that can obscure BeSweet newbies (like I was 2 weeks ago), be sure to download vobinput.dll from the DSPguru homepage and copy it in the BeSweet directory, otherwise it won't work.

As to DVD-Audio...I'm not sure you CAN rip it. I've ask before then started reading. Maybe you could save the pcm stream but it wouldn't be 24 bit 192 kHz? Such a thing dosn't exist as a wav file, does it?

Keep in mind...I'm a newbie.

Well, it depends on if he refers to the audio of normal DVD discs or DVD-Audio discs... The latter is non "rippable" as of yet... (No one has broken the encryption...)

Thanks, smartripper + BeSweet worked well.

I'm quite surprised that no-one's cracked the encryption on DVD-Audio yet. Are they playable on computer DVD-ROM drives in special players, or are they similar to the copy-protected CDs which simply can't be read by the drive? If I remember rightly I think CSS was broken due to bad programing in one of the software players which meant the key could be found by mimicking a software player (I may well be wrong here).

I suppose there is less incentive to break the protection on DVD-Audio since people who buy DVD-A discs care far too much about qualtiy to want to make an inferior copy of the music. All the same I can't imagine it will be too long before someone comes up with a way of circumventing the encryption on DVD-A.

As far as I know, the only way to play DVD-A on a computer is with the new Audigy 2 card.

Well, since there aren't any software DVD-Audio players, I guess we're pretty much screwed unless someone takes a close look at the available hardware players... (I doubt any normal programmer could decrypt the DVD-Audio encryption... Just as you said, it was only because of a crappy software DVD player [Xing] that they managed to retrieve the "DeCSS thingy"... )

If the DVD-A disc has a 5.1 layer also, then you can play it in your DVD Rom player....I've done this with The Doors, L A Woman on DVD-Audio...as to the Audigy 2 card......even if the DVD player could play DVD-Audio....the card is limited to 24 bit 96 kHz....Not that you would probably hear any difference with a computer sound card made by Creative and even decient quality computer speakers between the two sample rates..


As to my other question listed above. A friend of mine has stated that the pcm stream from a player IS limited to 24 bit 96 kHz in stereo.....

I only wish I knew more about it.

Special DVD rom are required to access all the content of a DVD audio, especially the 192 kHz /24 bits track. I've been told that the last DVD ROM burners could play them. How, I don't know.
The Audigy 2, according to the technical specifications, supports 192 kHz 24 bits playback on two channels. I don't know how it works with DVD audio.
We need to get the user manuals in order to know exactly what they do.

about dd 5.1 decoding: are there some tests in existance which would prove that azid is in any way better than dvd2avi built-in rutines or viseversa? (when downmixing 'dd 5.1' to 'stereo with prologic')

It's still normal encrypted files... You can copy a DVD-Audio disc to the HD without any problems using any DVD-ROM, but you can't listen to it since there is not available software...