MikeTR wrote:There are no real DVD audio rippers yet.
Using DVDDecrypter or Smartrippes is the best you can do for now .
Remember that DVD audio is very compressed and will sound worse than CDDA.
Well, that's not quite the whole truth :)
Just to add to the above, so there won't be any misunderstandings.
DVD discs can also contain uncompressed 48 kHz / 24 bit or 96 kHz / 24 bit PCM tracks (calle often DAD discs). These should be (?) rippable using DVD rip tools.
Also, DTS discs can also contain lossless compressed 96kHz / 24 bit data.
These can naturally be of much higher quality than any CD Audio (including HDCD).
Then there is also DVD-A (DVD Audio discs), which can contain up to 192 kHz / 24 bit lossless compressed audio data. I don't think anybody has yet cracked DVD-A encryption (which is different from DVD video discs). So no, ripping of these yet.
This is perhaps the best consumer audio format along with SACD right now and while the recording/mixing technology may not be able to take full advantage of it yet, it can theoretically sound much better than any CD Audio.
But yes, most audio tracks from DVD video discs are compressed with lossy compression algorithms and are not usually up the level of normal Red Book standard audio CDs.
Then again 99% of the music people listen to these days is so heavily (dynamically) compressed, limited, expanded, auralized and further processed that it doesn't mean diddly squat.
Even 192 kbps mp3 is good enough for most craply compresse pop music of today.
regards,
Halcyon