How Do I Get My DVD Library Transfered To iTunes?

You know the way you can load a cd and it imports the cd/songs into your iTunes library? I would like to do the same thing with my DVD's, and have them accessible to view in the movies section of iTunes.

Don't worry. I only have a few DVD's I want to do this with, so space should not be a problem. Also, I don't care if the quality is not the same as DVD, as I don't expect it to be.

Thanks!

Regrettably, "ripping" your DVDs to iTunes is judged to be illegal in the US due to the DMCA, and this site follows US law. It's silly, I know, but there you have it.

For any non-commercial DVDs you may have, I'd suggest using a tool like Handbrake (free) to convert the movie file to an MP4 (you can set a preset for the target device you have -- iPad, iPhone or iPod).

chas_m said:

Regrettably, "ripping" your DVDs to iTunes is judged to be illegal in the US due to the DMCA, and this site follows US law. It's silly, I know, but there you have it.

For any non-commercial DVDs you may have, I'd suggest using a tool like Handbrake (free) to convert the movie file to an MP4 (you can set a preset for the target device you have -- iPad, iPhone or iPod).

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Well that's just it. Every app that I look at seems to indicate that it facilitates viewing on iOS devices. Nothing seems to mention being able to watch on your regular OSX computer. Does it really not matter, once it's an MP4? I had no idea there was a law against it. I don't understand really. I guess I don't see the difference between digital media content and intellectual property as it pertains to audio and not video? (I need a face palm here) I can rip cd's I've purchased and throw them away, but not DVD's I've purchased...but people can copy commercial DVD's onto blank physical DVD+or-R's all day long (Can't they? Don't They?). Whatever. Anyway, thanks for all of the advice! It sounds like a hassle though, so I'll probably just throw my DVD's away and when I want to watch a certain thing, just find it on YouTube.

Thanks!

Check out Vudu's new disc to digital service - link. For $2-$5ea from the comfort of your own home, you can now obtain permanent cloud access to your DVDs & Blu-Rays.

• $2 per DVD to convert to Standard Definition ('SD')
• $2 per Blu-ray disc to convert to High Definition with Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound ('HDX')
• $5 per DVD to convert and upgrade to HDX

And with their Vudu To Go app, you can download them for offline viewing.

At $2/ea, I'm not sure the time spent ripping and re-encoding is worth it any longer.

Its not illegal to copy your purchased CDs or DVDs for personal use, it becomes illegal when violating the copyright law/pirating selling for profitable gain or even giving to other people to watch or copy also, borrowing CDs/DVDs from friends to copy by you for a personal library. My ITunes library has either been purchased and downloaded from ITunes or copied from my personal CDs so I could sync them to my IPads and this process has never been considered illegal and its about the only way it can be done. I have copied a few movies onto my computer, (I store them on a external drive), because they are formated for Region 2 (European) and, using VLC app converted them so they can be played on my TV. These are my DVDs and I am the only user, I do not rent/sell or loan them to anyone, they are for me alone.

Sorry, while it may not be illegal to make a "fair use" copy of DVDs and CDs you own, it is illegal here in the U.S. and in many other countries around the world to break the encryption that is found on practically all commercial DVDs - whether you agree or don't agree. Breaking that encryption must be done prior to being able to make a playable copy.

(Stephen Seagall's movies are some of the few that are put out without such encryption in place.)

Thanks for the imput, I was not aware of the encryption on these products. However, with all these rules and regulations about violating the copyright rules you would think they would take these products of the market, I guess its like the MJ rule, you can buy the periphonalia, but you can't buy the product. As far as copying Stephen Seagal's movies, who wants to?

JMTKS5 said:

As far as copying Stephen Seagal's movies, who wants to?

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Here's who!

bobtomay said:

Check out Vudu's new disc to digital service - link. For $2-$5ea from the comfort of your own home, you can now obtain permanent cloud access to your DVDs & Blu-Rays.

• $2 per DVD to convert to Standard Definition ('SD')
• $2 per Blu-ray disc to convert to High Definition with Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound ('HDX')
• $5 per DVD to convert and upgrade to HDX

And with their Vudu To Go app, you can download them for offline viewing.

At $2/ea, I'm not sure the time spent ripping and re-encoding is worth it any longer.

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Is this a recurring monthly service, or a one time fee? Also, if I can just download them for offline viewing, couldn't I just close my cloud account after downloading them? So... I wouldn't be violating any copyright law if I uploaded the content to a cloud service and then re-downloaded the content to my hard drive from the cloud, and then closed my account with the cloud and never had anything ever to do again with the cloud service?

That is a one time fee per disc.

Why would you want to cancel? You only have a single DVD you now or ever will want to be able to stream or watch on another device? What happens if your drive dies, your house burns down (god forbid), etc.

With Vudu you can stream to Windows and Macs, iPhone, iPad, Android, Roku (and a great many DVD players) in 1080p. Personally, think they got about the best service going currently. And I purchase from them along with Amazon and iTunes.

bobtomay said:

That is a one time fee per disc.

Why would you want to cancel? You only have a single DVD you now or ever will want to be able to stream or watch on another device? What happens if your drive dies, your house burns down (god forbid), etc.

With Vudu you can stream to Windows and Macs, iPhone, iPad, Android, Roku (and a great many DVD players) in 1080p. Personally, think they got about the best service going currently. And I purchase from them along with Amazon and iTunes.

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You're probably right, but the whole "cloud" thing weirds me out and always has. Honestly, I only have about five DVD's I would want to transfer and none of them are movies. I rarely ever watch movies because I don't have a long enough attention span for them. As a result, I tend not to purchase them on DVD. I have one DVD with some music videos and a few DVD's from a work out program I purchased a while back.

I went to that Vudu site and I also found it quite daunting, for me anyway. There's so many options and you also have to enroll in something in addition to Vudu called UltraViolet. Meh... But thanks for the suggestion.

I may only watch one or two actual movies a year and that includes the theater, online and television combined. Even getting me to sit through that one or two usually involves arm twisting to boot.

Aspergers Marc said:

Well that's just it. Every app that I look at seems to indicate that it facilitates viewing on iOS devices.

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Sounds like you are looking in the App Store, which naturally will never mention Mac computers. You need to be looking in the Mac App Store perhaps.

Nothing seems to mention being able to watch on your regular OSX computer.

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You can certainly watch DVDs -- even commercial ones -- on your computer. You already have software built-in that can play it.

If you've made an MP4 of a noncommercial DVD, you can also certainly play that on your computer as well.

I had no idea there was a law against it. I don't understand really.

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Nobody does, it's a fairly dumb law as laws go.

It's not "making a digital copy of a DVD you own" that's strictly illegal -- it's that you have to break the DRM on the commercial DVD to do so -- that's what is illegal. Indeed, just possessing programs that COULD do this is illegal. In the US (not necessarily in other countries).

I can rip cd's I've purchased and throw them away

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Actually, no. You are not legally permitted to sell, give away or dispose of an audio CD until you have erased any digital copies you have made of it. I'm just telling you what the US law is, not what I think of it ...