I use:
AnyDVD (As the other posters have said, it works wonders)
with
1ClickDvdCopy (never failed me yet)
then
CopyToDvd se (comes free with 1click, again...never failed me)
Then Dr Divx to make a Divx avi file for my PVR, you ain't lived until you've watched lord of the rings on a 3.5 inch screen at 35000ft