There are times you may need to convert a DVD to QuickTime to re-edit the content in Final Cut Pro or iMovie. Maybe you no longer have the original footage or it was edited by someone else. Recently, I received a DVD that was edited by a corporate TV department that needs to run on 5 Macs at a convention. Since very few DVDs have a loop function (none I had available including the Apple DVD player on the Macs) unless the DVD itself was created this way (iDVD can do this). It was desirable to “rip” this DVD to VOB or QuickTime files so I can make a playlist and have it “loop”. Unless you think re-starting a DVD on 5 separate computers scattered around at an eight-hour convention for a 5 minute video sounds like “good” exercise! You could set up a “looping” playlist on a DVD using just VLC media player, but I wanted to have all the footage on the hard drive and not have the Macs DVD drive getting a big work out at all the conventions we had to do. Looping playlists can be done with VLC media player, MPlayer, QuickTime Pro, or even iTunes! See iTunes Tip #9: Play Video Playlists Full Screen.

Anyway, no matter what your reasons. Here is some ideas on how to “rip” a DVD to VOB files and convert them to QuickTime or another format like DV, AVI, etc.

First the Free Solution
Download MactheRipper (free, OS X only) and/or DVDBackUp (free, OS X only). You only need these if your DVD is copy-protected. I suggest you get both, as I have had some DVDs that I could not extract the VOB files from a particular DVD in one application and it worked in the other. Also, since these “free” applications are constantly under attack by the industry giants worried about piracy as they both can “rip” copy-protected DVDs, there is no telling how long they will be around. Check VersionTracker or MacUpdate to find them. I am not here to discuss “fair use” as I am not an attorney. Just want help you solve a common problem that video and multimedia people have.

MacTheRipper

DVDBackUp

DVDs use MPEG2 that multiplex together video and audio. In order to re-edit the contents of a DVD, you will need to convert the MPEG2 stream to something that your editing application can work with. Both MactheRipper or DVDBackUp can “rip” a DVD contents and create VOB files. A VOB (Video OBject) contains several streams multiplexed together: Video, Audio and Subtitles. Video is MPEG-2, audio can be AC-3, Linear PCM, Mpeg2 multichannel or MPEG1 layer2 2 channel audio. Once you “rip” the DVD to VOB files you can play them back individually using VLC media player or MPlayer if you need to. QuickTime does not play back VOB files.

Next step
Download MPEG Streamclip (free). MPEG Streamclip is an application that can convert MPEG files QuickTime, AVI and DV files, so you can easily import them in Final Cut Pro, iMovie, DVD Studio Pro, or Toast.

Using MPEG Streamclip you can convert the VOB files into a format QuickTime can play (MPEG Streamclip can convert directly from a DVD if it contains no copy-protection). It also can covert VOB files to DV, AVI, and many other formats. Some conversions may require the Apple MPEG-2 Playback Component (you can buy it online from Apple, but you already have it if you use either Final Cut Pro 4/HD or DVD Studio Pro).

MPEG Streamclip File Menu

Simply launch MPEG Streamclip, open file into MPEG Streamclip (Open Files under File Menu), and choose to Export file (Export or Demux under File Menu). You can decide which codec you want to use and where to save it.

MPEG Streamclip Export Options

Pick the format you want. If you plan on editing the content in iMovie or Final Cut Pro, DV or QuickTime at full quality is a good choice. MPEG Streamclip offers many options. Pick the one that fits your needs.

Tip:
Using MPEG Streamclip you can choose and in and out point and only convert the section you need.

DVDxDV and DVDxDV Pro
Another application you can use is DVDxDV ($25, OS X only) or the DVDxDV Pro ($80, OS X only) version. DVDxDV you can quickly convert the DVD video back into any Quicktime video format. From there, it can be re-edited and then burned onto a new DVD. DVDxDV and DVDxDV Pro can not work for copy-protected DVDs. They would have to be “ripped” with MactheRipper or DVDBackUp first. See the tutorials for using DVDxDV.

DVDxDV

I hope this post helps if you need to get content off a DVD for a project or to re-edit.

iPods
If you interested in converting DVDs for use on the new iPod with video playback or the new iTunes. Try Handbrake. This freeware will convert DVDs to H.264 or MPEG4. See iPod Tip #10: DVD Video on Your iPod on this website.

Copying DVD
Making copies of long playing DVD can be done on standard DVD-R/DVD +R can be done using Popcorn (or Toast 7) or DVD2one. These applications can compress the content to fit on single layer (4.7 GB) DVD blanks. If you just want to make copies of one of your DVDs, FastDVDCopy ($99, OS X only) will do it in a few mouse clicks. It copies your PlayStation Games also.

FastDVDCopy

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