I've been thinking...I have a laptop computer with a DVD burner. I can actually burn copies of DVDs with it.

But the question is, how about if I want to RIP DVD content TO my lappy? What software do I need to do that?

A lot of movies ARE copy-protected, but I'm talking about my own home-made DVD-Rs I've been making.

Can anyone recommend a good software program for this?

I have Windows Media Player 11, but I don't see any option to rip a DVD using it...

Any help would be appreciated!

Remember, search engines are your friend!

A quick search for "DVD ripping tool" offered this as a first result:

http://lifehacker.com/380702/five-best- … ping-tools

Personally, I've always used DVD Shrink (it's on the above list) and I can vouch for its quality.
Perhaps more tech savvy people know of better software, but DVD Shrink should suit your needs.

DVD Decrypter is great for doing 1-1 copies or to extract them as individual chapters.

DVD Shrink is great for making Dual-Layer discs into Single Layer discs, as blank dual Layer media (dvd9) are more expensive than the regular dvd4s.

or AVS Video Converter for taking any video files in a variety of formats and converting to the dvd format.

In my experiences, DVD Decrypter is the software to use for putting a DVD on your hard drive. However, I would not recommend burning dvd-r discs for purposes other than data storage. Unless you're a lottery winner or something (extremely lucky person). I have successfully burned more than 100 data storage dvd-r's (because they work) and very few dvd-r movie discs. Same everything (drive, software, computer, blank media) and movies burn at their whim, yet data works perfectly.

It's sneaky the way they do it. I'd be watching a burned disc and 45 minutes into the movie, it'd digitally grind to a halt. And it's a Denon dvd player, too. So I'm done with burning movies (as of several years ago). There was nothing wrong with the extraction, since the movies played fine from my hard drive.

Man, if DVD Decrypter really tears through copy protection, that'll be ideal, considering how practically all DVDs that've been pressed up until now are all copy-protected. Friggin' A!

Even if it doesn't always work, I've plenty of DVD-Rs to try and make movie discs out of. Like, 50 of them, and I don't need all of them for data.

When ripping DVDs, is it at all possible to copy subtitles and different audio language tracks and commentaries as well? If it is, how do you do it?

Yes and yes, all things are possible... if you at least look and explore the options & settings menus of whatever program you choose (rather than expecting someone here to hold your hand through every possible scenario.... TRY something on your own first and THEN ask questions)

Used DVD Decrypter to copy a DVD to my compy, but what I got were a bunch of BUP, IFO, and VOB files.

What are these file formats are supposed to be / mean?

What am I supposed to use to open/play these?

Anyway I can convert them into .avi, .mpeg, .wmv, or other more recognizable, easier-to-work-with video formats? Will AVS Video Converter do that?

Wikipedia is your friend when it comes fileformats:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VOB

VOB is the main container fileformat on DVD-Video. IFO and BUP contain metadata.

Quick overview about DVD structure:
http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/dvd-structure.htm

I don't know man... I've never ripped a DVD because unlike ripping a CD it seems like a major pain in the ass.

The ripping/extraction part is simple enough, as he successfully got some VOBs.

Extracting from a CD gives you a WAV file, to encode to mp3/FLAC/etc..
Extracting from a DVD gives you a VOB file, to encode to avi/mpg/etc..

He just didn't know what to do with it, because he didn't google his question "what is a VOB file" to learn more about what it is.

Bern: Getting the different language tracks or commentary tracks is only a matter of selecting which audio Stream to use. 

Hint  1: in the MODE menu look in IFO Mode and see what's there.
(Chapter Points! PCG programs! Tick those boxes for the parts you want!)

Hint 2: Now look at the STream Processing, and ohh there's different audio streams! Some say English, or French!

I thrive on its challenge.  I haven't yet quelled that "quirky hobby" of mine.

Figured out how to get the different voice and subtitle tracks using DVD Shrink; it rather states clearly that it gets them for you, unless you uncheck the boxes.

I guess my only remaining question is, how can I convert VOB files into avi or mpg, and still get the subtitles and audio tracks of my choice?

Say I want my video as an avi : how do I get the avi file with an English voice track + English subtitles, or the avi file with Japanese voice track + English subtitles? Would they end up being separate video files?

Also, what software can I use, to burn a copy of said DVD, so I can actually play it on a proper DVD player?