OS X: When Handbrake is just a little too complicated for your less tech-savvy friends and family, MacX DVD Ripper makes ripping DVDs dead simple -- and it's free for the rest of the month.

Have you ever wanted to save a segment of video from your favourite DVD for watching later without fast-forwarding all the way through the movie? VLC 1.0 adds a new "Record" feature to help you.

Linux only: Just over a year ago, we offered a semi-easy way to rip DVDs in Linux to video files. Had we been up on AcidRip, we could've saved ourselves about 900 words.

Windows only: Rip your media hassle free with AutoBrake, a handy tool for automating HandBrake the free DVD ripping tool Lifehacker readers love.

RealDVD, the DRM-laden, DVD-copying commercial software from the folks who brought you RealPlayer, has been taken out of commission by Hollywood studios. Luckily you already know how to rip full DVDs to your hard drive for free without the nasty DRM, so you should be just fine.

The obsolete dinosaur of proprietary media players, RealNetworks, introduces a new DVD-copying tool today called RealDVD. The upshot: For US$30, RealDVD can make simple, DRMed backups of an entire DVD—menus, special features, and all—on your hard drive. RealDVD has gotten a lot of attention for this application, but fact is, you can already do all of this for free with the right tools. If you don't feel like dropping $30 to get RealDVD's functionality, let's take a look at how you can get the same functionality for free.

Windows only: Freeware application AutoGK rips DVDs to hard drive-friendly DivX and Xvid formats for quick, easy, and high-quality backups. It does so by acting as an automating front-end to several other free ripping and encoding tools, which it automatically installs on your system. We've never featured AutoGK, but a lot of readers swear by it. If you happen to be one of them, let's hear more about your experience with AutoGK in the comments. If you're looking for more DVD-ripping tools, like the previously mentioned HandBrake, check out the five best DVD-ripping tools. AutoGK is freeware, Windows only. AutoGK

Windows only: Freeware application bitRipper provides no-hassle, one-click conversions from DVDs straight to AVI video files. Until recently a commercial program, bitRipper handles the decryption and encoding of the DVD video in one fell swoop, emphasising a very simple one-click process (though you can set more advanced options if you like). The on-the-fly encryption and encoding means bitRipper also works very quickly. The downside: bitRipper does not support filetypes other than AVI, which means you'll want to stick with previously mentioned HandBrake when you're ready to rip a DVD for your iPod. If you give it a try, let's hear how you like it in the comments. While you're beefing up your DVD-ripping toolbet, check out the five best DVD ripping tools. bitRipper

Windows only: If you do a lot of DVD watching and ripping on your PC, free, open source application DiscInsert provides an attractive and simple AutoPlay option to Windows that lets you choose between opening the inserted disc in your favourite DVD player or DVD ripper. When you insert the disc, DiscInsert looks up the disc info and displays the simple rip or play dialog; it can also pass parameters (like the DVD title) to your ripping tool of choice. It doesn't automate the entire ripping process like our very own DVD Rip, but if you prefer a more hands-on approach, the free, Windows-only DiscInsert is worth a try. If you're in the market for a good DVD ripping application, check out the five best DVD ripping tools. DiscInsert

Whether you want to watch a movie on your iPod or back up your too-easily-scratched DVDs, DVD ripping is a mysterious realm for many. Even those in-the-know find it difficult to keep up with the best tools for the job, especially in the face of increased copy protection. On Tuesday we asked you to share your favourite DVD ripping tools; today we've sifted through hundreds of comments to bring you the five most popular answers. Hit the jump for a closer look at five of the best and most popular DVD ripping tools, then cast your vote to determine the best ripper of the bunch.