dvdpowerbook
I have an old PowerBook G4. Since my new Mac hasn't any built-in DVD reader, I would like to use the old one to copy the movies onto a USB stick to be able to watch them when I'm traveling with the new Mac (and then delete them, I don't want to do anything illegal! [In my country copying DVDs for personal use is legal.]).
Sometimes I can simply copy the DVD folder content, but that obviously doesn't work with encrypted DVDs. What is the best free DVD ripper for a Mac running OS X Tiger?
Not really, you've utilised the quickest, easiest and cheapest route available with doing it with Handbrake. Don't bother trying to find another piece of software that will do the job better, Handbrake is really the best when it comes to ripping and encoding Apple friendly formats. Thanks, hope this helps.
Given that you want playback on your Mac and iOS devices, Handbrake is really the way to go. As you note in the comments, it's not lossless, but you should be able to get pretty good quality, and with a good reduction in file size.
If you find the quality of your first attempt unacceptable, you can adjust the settings to improve it (typically at the cost of file size).
A good starting point is the Universal or iPad preset in Handbrake. The RF slider adjusts how much compression is used (higher RF = more compression = less quality).
Try setting it around 19, maybe 18 (it's logarithmic, so small amounts make big differences) and do an encode, see how you feel about the quality. If it's still lacking, reduce the RF a bit more and try again. Perhaps just pick a chapter or two as a test encode until you figure out what settings you want.
Best Answer
Handbreak is a great software for ripping DVDs on a Mac. Since your device is older, you won't find a download on the official site, but there are archived versions here. You will should be able the right download for your computer. If you can't find it, try this download.
You can get an official Apple disc drive called the Apple USB Super Drive.(it is a bit pricy, $79 USD). You can also find some pretty cheap USB drives for your new Mac, then use Handbreak. Official Handbreak link(Mac OS X 10.6 or later)
Edit:
You will have to install libdvdcss in order to rip copyrighted discs. It's pretty easily to install, just Google it.