Excellent software, and can't beat the price.

For some reason, I get a message saying HandBrake has unexpectedly quit under 10.3.7, yet the app continues to run with no ill effects. This may be an issue the author wants to look into. Also, the documentation could be a bit more robust, and mention the delay at the end of encoding. Perhaps a visual explanation of what is happening during this time, or an indication that the app hasn't locked or crashed?

According to the FAQ, the files produced by HandBrake cannot be used to create VCD's or imported into iMovie. This is not technically correct: I have been able to do both with the .mp4 format, but there are sound synchronization issues with both uses of the file, with the video lagging behind the sound. This may be related to the speed of my computer when encoding the .mp4, but may not, as I have discovered a way to correct the problem.

Here is a workaround (note that this requires QuickTime Pro) that will allow you to import into iMovie or burn a VCD/SVCD:

1. Download and install the XviD codec for QuickTime (search for XviD above).
2. Extract the title you want from the DVD using MacTheRipper. This will help save your DVD drive. Trust me, on a slower Mhz machine, you will want to do this.
3. Encode to .mp4 using the XviD encoder in HandBrake. I use 512 to 1024 kbps for my video depending on the length of the movie, 2-pass encoding because it looks better, and Crop & Scale to 400 high with autocrop.
4. Open the resulting .mp4 in QuickTime Pro, and select File > Export. Choose QuickTime movie, use the default settings and turn off the "Prepare for internet streaming" option.
5. Burn the resulting .mov to VCD using your favorite software (I use Toast 6.0.7), or import into iMovie.

Total time (extract VIDEO_TS, rip to .mp4, export to .mov, encode and burn to VCD) was 34 hours +/- on my 500 Mhz G3 iMac, and produced good results. YMMV.

Overall, an excellent piece of software. It has become part of my toolkit.