Convert DVD/CD to any format with less size

[jason_in]

Could anyone please tell me which software is the best to use to rip DVD or CD and convert into WMV format in very less size and without affecting the quality of the movie? Please let me know of a good converter which is the best you have tried. It does not matter if it is free or not, I will pay. Your help will be highly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

[wader]

There are many tools which do equally good jobs at DVD ripping and conversion to smaller formats, with user-specified levels of encoding quality.

Many such freeware tools and their workflows are explored in other threads at this site. DVD Decrypter, DVD Shrink, ffmpeg variants (e.g., WinFF), mencoder variants (e.g., MediaCoder, IRiverter, WinMEnc), etc.

I have also bought DVDFab Platinum, which makes the entire process incredibly easy and about as quick as possible.

All this is to say that there is probably no "best" tool or tools out there. It really comes down to how you desire to work and what result you seek.

- wader

[doniago]

Also, please be aware that depending on where you're located, there's a really good chance that ripping DVD's of movies that are copyright-protected...which is to say, for instance, nearly any movie DVD you'd find in the United States...is currently a bit of a murky legal area.