mkdir ~/dvdmount
sudo mount -o loop backup.iso ~/dvdmount

Then look inside:

ls ~/dvdmount

You should see:

VIDEO_TS

Then:

ls ~/dvdmount/VIDEO_TS

You’ll likely see stuff like:

VTS_01_1.VOB
VTS_01_2.VOB
VTS_01_3.VOB

Step 2 — Figure out episodes

DVDs are weird. Episodes are often split across multiple VOB chunks.

You can inspect durations with:

ffprobe VTS_01_1.VOB

or easier:

mediainfo VTS_01_1.VOB

Usually:

• one title set = one episode
• or several VOBs chained together = one episode

A faster method:

vlc dvd://~/dvdmount

Then check:

• Playback → Title
• each title is often an episode

Step 3 — Extract episodes WITHOUT re-encoding (best quality)

If an episode is spread across several VOBs:

Create a concat file:

file 'VTS_01_1.VOB'
file 'VTS_01_2.VOB'
file 'VTS_01_3.VOB'

Save as episode1.txt

Then:

ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i episode1.txt -c copy episode1.mkv

That:

• keeps original quality
• is extremely fast
• avoids DVD recompression damage

MKV is safer than MP4 for old MPEG-2 DVD streams.

If you want MP4/H.264 instead

Smaller files:

ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i episode1.txt \
-c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset slow \
-c:a aac -b:a 192k \
episode1.mp4

Good DVD archival CRF values:

• 18 = near transparent
• 20 = very good
• 22 = acceptable smaller size

Alternative: Automatically rip titles directly from ISO

FFmpeg itself is awkward with DVD navigation. mkvmerge or HandBrakeCLI are often easier.

HandBrake can directly see DVD titles:

HandBrakeCLI -i backup.iso --title 1 -o episode1.mkv

List titles:

HandBrakeCLI -i backup.iso --scan

This is often the least painful method for episodic DVDs.

Important caveat: interlacing

Most DVDs are interlaced.

If playback looks comb-like during motion:

Use deinterlacing:

-vf yadif

Example:

ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i episode1.txt \
-vf yadif \
-c:v libx264 -crf 18 \
-c:a aac -b:a 192k \
episode1.mp4

Third Option / Omission

If the DVD structure is damaged but VLC still plays it, VLC may be compensating for corruption that ffmpeg refuses to tolerate cleanly.

In that case:

• try ddrescue first on the original disc if readable at all
• or use MakeMKV, which is unusually good at surviving damaged DVD structures

urlMakeMKVhttps://www.makemkv.com

MakeMKV is often the “I just want the damn episodes out of this dying disc” solution.

sudo apt install makemkv

(or use their repo/AppImage if your distro lacks it)

Then:

• File → Open ISO
• wait for scan
• you’ll often literally see separate episode titles
• check desired tracks
• hit “Make MKV”

Done.

If Episodes Are Combined Into One Giant Video

Some DVDs store:

• all episodes as one long title
• with chapter markers separating episodes

That’s where:

LosslessCut becomes absurdly useful

It’s basically:

“ffmpeg with a sane GUI.”

It:

• cuts WITHOUT re-encoding
• preserves DVD quality
• preserves subtitles/audio tracks
• is extremely fast
• works well with giant MKVs from MakeMKV

Multiple Linux users specifically recommend:

MakeMKV → LosslessCut

for episodic DVD extraction. citeturn0search2turn0search6

Install:

sudo apt install losslesscut

Then:

• open giant MKV
• move to episode start
• press I
• move to episode end
• press O
• press +
• repeat
• Export

It internally uses ffmpeg anyway. citeturn0search2

HandBrake

HandBrake is the:

“I want MP4s and don’t care about preserving original MPEG2 streams”

choice.

Advantages:

• polished GUI
• direct ISO/DVD support
• can encode immediately to H264/H265
• chapter selection built in
• easy presets

Disadvantages:

• re-encodes video
• slower
• some damaged structures confuse it more than MakeMKV

Still very good. citeturn0search1turn0search2turn0search7

Install:

sudo apt install handbrake

or Flatpak.

MKVToolNix GUI

This is more:

“technical but powerful.”

Good for:

• chapter splitting
• joining VOBs
• splitting one MKV into episode files

People specifically use:

• MakeMKV first
• then MKVToolNix splitting-by-chapter afterward. citeturn0search3turn0search6

But compared to LosslessCut:

• less visual
• more “container surgery”
• more metadata-oriented

Still excellent.

My Actual Recommendation For You

Knowing your workflow preferences and tolerance:

If the ISO is damaged/weird:

Use:

1. MakeMKV
2. then LosslessCut if needed

If the ISO is healthy and episodes are obvious:

HandBrake alone may be enough.

If you want zero quality loss:

Avoid HandBrake initially. Use:

• MakeMKV
• LosslessCut
• MKVToolNix

If you later want smaller files:

Then ffmpeg batch-transcode afterward.

That keeps the archival master intact.