I would like to rip the audio tracks form a DVD as an MP3 or the like

[fd3]

I thought I could do this with VLC, I was wrong.

[Feanor]

Have a look at EAC.

https://www.exactaudiocopy.de/en/

[Tim Hall]

This how to suggests it is possible

https://whooshtranscription.com/how-to-extract-audio-from-a-dvd-using-vlc-media-player/

If not what about Handbrake?

[fd3]

1.  I forgot to tick the box
2. I can convert to .flac and .ts and .mp4 but not .mp3 for some reason.  As my audio editor works with mp3s I now have a new problem.

Also, ? - itunes won't open the .flac but VLC will.

[Mr Larrington]

According to Wikinaccurate “iTunes supports WAV, AIFF, Apple Lossless, AAC, and MP3 audio formats”.  So no flac, alas.

[road-runner]

I can confirm that Wikinaccurate is accurate in this instance.

fd3, .flac and .mp3 are audio formats whereas .mp4 and .ts are video formats. Be careful you are not getting unnecessarily confused.

Audacity and other apps can read FLAC so it can be used to convert FLAC to MP3.

Video editing apps should be able to extract and export the audio track from a video file. iMovie exports audio as AIFF, so either use iTunes, Audacity or another app to convert from AIFF to MP3.

[Mr Larrington]

Humax PVRs* use .ts for both video and audio recording, though for the latter it's usually far quicker and easier just to download the thing from whatever they're calling iPlayer's radio thingy this week.  What do you mean, you want to record wireless content from a commercial broadcaster . Are you** some sort of barbarian?

* and possibly others as well
** generic “you”, obv, not road-runner

[Lightning Phil]

Handbrake will do what you want

[fuaran]

Could do this with FFMPEG. It is a command line thing, but there are a few GUIs using it.
WinFF is quite simple to use. https://www.biggmatt.com/p/winff.html

[fd3]

  all