When Will Apple Decide Ripping DVDs Is Cool Too?

I distinctly remember the weekend I discovered how much iTunes could do for me. I recall being thrilled at the prospect of ripping all of my CDs, playing that music on my computer (and later my iPod), and finally being able to sell my dusty collection of CDs. (In fact, they were all sold, oddly enough, to a middle-aged lesbian couple at a yard sale several years ago. And no, I’m not making that up.) It was truly a joyous day because not only could I now listen to my entire library on my computer, I had reclaimed tons of wasted shelf space that went to more important things like books and cat toys. So, perhaps you can understand, if not share, my frustration as yesterday I stared at my rack of DVDs and desperately wished there was something I could do with them.

The large rack that contains my DVDs is full. It is so full that it has DVDs stacked on top of other DVDs. There are cases leaning against it and more piled at its base. In fact, it has gotten so bad that I’ve finally reached the point where I’m going to have to digitize them just to get them out of my way. The clutter simply has to go. The sad part is that by 2007 I had seriously expected to do this with Apple’s help. Much like they helped me clear out my CDs and move on to a world of digital music, I really thought that by now they would have helped me clear out my DVDs so I could move on to digital videos. Only it hasn’t quite happened like that.

If I decided to put on some pants and drive to Target and buy the White album, then the following would occur when I got home:

1. take off pants (completely optional)
2. put CD in computer
3. open iTunes and rip CD

All fairly easy, wouldn’t you say? But what if instead I picked up a copy of The Matrix while I was at Target? What would be the process for ripping it?

1. go download HandBrake
2. go read the instructions because, let’s face it, you have no idea how to use HandBrake
3. figure out which settings you want to use (frame-rates, compression types, PAL vs NTSC, iPod format, etc.)
4. go reread the documentation because you aren’t really sure you got everything right and you don’t want to waste all this time only to find out you only ripped the first chapter (‘cause then you’d feel stupid)
5. put in your favorite DVD, click rip, and wait a couple hours

However, once you are done ripping you still have a problem. There really isn’t an application designed to handle, archive, rate, sort, and view movie files. Oh, I know iTunes can do it, but I think I’m being generous when I say the experience is less than optimal. It its perhaps more accurate to say that the experience sucks diseased moose wang. (Readers of the Dresden Files will appreciate the moose reference.)

I have been waiting now for a while in hopes that Apple would get its act together and create an iTunes-like application designed for video. Instead they opted to start bolting on video features to iTunes at random and call it good enough. Furthermore, it is an added insult that while Apple is quite enthusiastic about allowing one to rip music, they seem quite hesitant to do the same for movies, thus requiring one to search for a 3rd party alternative like HandBrake. I have nothing against HandBrake mind you, I think it is a wonderful application that fills a vital need. However, it shouldn’t even exist because this functionality should have been added by Apple years ago.

And that kind of brings me back to the title of this post. Just so we are clear, Apple now allows its customers to watch movies on laptops, iPods, and now cellphones. You can make homemade movies in HD! You can wirelessly stream movies to your TV using AppleTV. And there are even rumors of a portable tablet which will no doubt have video playing capabilities. And yet in spite of all that, Apple still refuses to allow its users an easy way to fully use the content they already own. Am I the only one who has a problem with this?