My favorite new gadget, the Apple TV, would not be complete without an excellent piece of software that turns it into a real digital media library. It’s called HandBrake, and it’s available for Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems. In short, HandBrake rips DVDs and convert them into a format ready for you to add to your iTunes movie library. Its so easy to use, its like Ron Popeil’s “Set it and forget it” infomercials. The best thing about HandBrake is that it is FREE!

You may need to follow some instructions to set up some required software, but trust me, its well worth the trouble. HandBrake comes with some presets, so you don’t need to research the output sizes and quality for the Apple TV, iPod, PS3, and iPhone.

Here is the disclaimer: I do not condone using this software to rip movies you rent from Blockbuster. This is a great tool to convert the movies you OWN so that you can have your own on-demand library.

HandBrake is very easy to use. Just click on “browse” to select the DVD device on your computer, or you can even select a directory if you have VIDEO_TS directories. HandBrake will then attempt to guess the title on the DVD disc that contains the feature movie. Once that is selected, you can click on one of the presets for the output type, and click the start button.

I have discovered that the Apple TV preset, although very convenient, may be a bit of overkill. It sets the average bit rate to 2500 kbps, which results in a beautiful picture but a very large file. I have been able to get this down to 1500 kbps without much noticeable difference in quality, but the final file size is roughly half of the preset.

HandBrake creates a mp4 file, which can be imported directly into iTunes. Once it’s in the library, it can be automatically or manually sync’d to the Apple TV. I use the manual setting because I have found iTunes to be a little buggy. It repeatedly tries to auto sync movies that that been sync’d in the past.

You may find that some DVDs are more stubborn than others when it comes to ripping. Sometimes you will have more success in using other programs to rip the DVD and use HandBrake only to convert into mpeg4 format files. Another thing to watch out for is ripping foreign films. If the movie has a separate English soundtrack or subtitles, you will not be able to mix and match the sound track or add in the subtitle. So add your Gerard Depardieu collection to your Apple TV, and brush up on your French.