Holy shit, a day to encode!
It's running on an i5 661, with 4gb ddr3, which is by no means slow, but seems like I might be a bit under powered.
Encoding is really what I'm looking for. I've seen a few mkv files that seem to average between 3 to 4 gb for a 2 hour movie. The quailty of those is superb. Unless there is a direct comparison with the original disc, I can't even tell it's a rip.

I appreciate the help, I'll have a peek at that forum.
I've managed to source a virus free version of anydvd HD, but haven't had a crack at it yet.
I'm pretty good at figuring this sort of stuff out, just need to be pointed in the right direction.
Cheers