Best way to save personal movies on DVD's into iTunes?

[Turnpike]

I have a number of very rare, instructional DVD's (VHS as well but the DVD's are what I would tackle first) that were part of either some training program where I taught, or how-to videos on installing custom parts and other company-video types of things. These are NOT major studio releases, and don't have any copy protection on them I don't think. I've been carrying this box of them around for the last 10+ years, is there a way I can put them into say an iTunes account like a song from a CD so that I can play the on my iPad in the 1% chance I'd ever need to in a few years from now? Is there an app, a process, or a way to do this?

Thanks in advance for your help!

*By the way, I'm not opposed to spending $$$ on an app, software, or something else that works especially well. Playing them on an iPad is important.

 

[Dave Braine]

Use Handbrake(free) to make mp4 files of your dvds and then you can put them in iTunes.
https://handbrake.fr

 

[ColdCase]

What he said, works great. If the DVDs turn out to be copy protected, you may need a ripper type program.

Handbrake has a number of presets, I use the apple TV setting and load those files into iTunes. In the iTunes, iTunes Media folder is a folder called "automatically add to iTunes" I just drag and drop the HB converted files there. You can edit the video descriptive info in iTunes, but something like the subler app may be easier/better. Use it before sending them to iTunes.

 

[Umbrarian]

Handbrake + import for the DVDs

The VHS stuff, I use RCA cables and record it to my Camcorder, then import that. Might be a better solution today, as that was a while ago.

 

[essential]

I prefer Ripbot but Handbrake is the most common piece of software for your needs, and probably the easiest to use.

I'd also use a program like DVD Shrink or DVDFab to rip uncompressed copies of the DVDs to your HD in .ISO format ideally, just for backup purposes. If the DVDs are really that important it would be good to have a 100% identical copy on your HD as well (assuming you have the space).

 

[ColdCase]

Disk utility makes 100% identical image of DVDs that can subsequently be played or burned or processed. When I had a DVD library I used it often. If I recalled correctly, it was quicker and more reliable to make DVD disk images and then run handbrake (or a Ripper) on the image. One or two DVDs not much difference, but if one had dozens, it was a smoother work flow. You could use handbrake to batch convert a folder full of DVD images unattended, for hours/days.

 

[phrehdd]

I'm in the minority here. I don't recommend Handbrake at all. The reason is that the conversion offered by Handbrake favours compression. I would suggest a couple of things -

1) check your DVD (open them up on a computer) and see if they actually contain "VOB" files. If yes, they are typical DVDs. Some training DVDs that are meant to go in computers use other formats (some even playable with iTunes.)

2) If you have a true DVD with the vob files, consider a true conversion uncompressed into a format that iTunes can play. The key is to make sure you have the vob (these are the actual media files within the DVD) the correct order and labeled accordingly.

3) Consider an alternative such as a straight copy of the DVDs and a different playback than iTunes such as Kodi (formerly XBMC). This can be either ISO or in traditional directory/file format.

I don't know what you plan to play back your converted DVDs on. If it is a TV or regular computer screen, again don't compress. Most DVDs were in 480i or 480p resolution. These are already less than what modern TVs can do. In order to fill your screen, the DVDs would be upscaled. If you compress the files (as Handbrake does) it can look worse on your screen of choice. If you are playing back on say an iPhone, by all means go for Handbrake.

If your DVDs are old, see if you can find "Mac the Ripper" and it might be able to decrypt them for copy back to a drive. Mac the Ripper is long gone (unless someone else picked it up and "enhanced" it) but works well with old DVDs.

 

[Turnpike]

I'm in the minority here. I don't recommend Handbrake at all. The reason is that the conversion offered by Handbrake favours compression. I would suggest a couple of things -

1) check your DVD (open them up on a computer) and see if they actually contain "VOB" files. If yes, they are typical DVDs. Some training DVDs that are meant to go in computers use other formats (some even playable with iTunes.)

2) If you have a true DVD with the vob files, consider a true conversion uncompressed into a format that iTunes can play. The key is to make sure you have the vob (these are the actual media files within the DVD) the correct order and labeled accordingly.

3) Consider an alternative such as a straight copy of the DVDs and a different playback than iTunes such as Kodi (formerly XBMC). This can be either ISO or in traditional directory/file format.

I don't know what you plan to play back your converted DVDs on. If it is a TV or regular computer screen, again don't compress. Most DVDs were in 480i or 480p resolution. These are already less than what modern TVs can do. In order to fill your screen, the DVDs would be upscaled. If you compress the files (as Handbrake does) it can look worse on your screen of choice. If you are playing back on say an iPhone, by all means go for Handbrake.

If your DVDs are old, see if you can find "Mac the Ripper" and it might be able to decrypt them for copy back to a drive. Mac the Ripper is long gone (unless someone else picked it up and "enhanced" it) but works well with old DVDs.

This is the level of knowlege I knew would exist on here.... What I plan to play these on is either a Macbook or more likely iTunes. I was hoping to make them into some kind of file like a song off a CD would be, so I can keep it in my iTunes acount and move it from computer to device with a cable. Would this still work this way?

 

[Dave Braine]

Once you've made video files from your DVDs, using Handbrake or something else, you can put the files wherever you want to.

 

[phrehdd]

This is the level of knowlege I knew would exist on here.... What I plan to play these on is either a Macbook or more likely iTunes. I was hoping to make them into some kind of file like a song off a CD would be, so I can keep it in my iTunes acount and move it from computer to device with a cable. Would this still work this way?

If you know the file formats that iTunes can handle natively, then you already have a good start. The next thing is to examine your DVDs and in particular, those training DVDs. As I stated some are meant to work with TVs while others might be really "data" DVDs that you put into your computer for playback as they may be HTML plus media files or include tests etcs. If they are vob files (DVD media files) then you convert them and hopefully, with no compression and figure out which vob file is what with respect to "chapter" titles. If they are data discs that you put into your computer, often the media files are stored in directories and you can see what format they are and if iTunes will recognize them. They often have odd names so you would spend time renaming them in order to know which files is which and in what order. If they are in groups and must be in a certain order, then you need to have a plan for a naming convention. It might be just as simple as giving them all the same name but with numbers in front or to the back. Putting them to the end/back may have advantages with iTunes.

My training chapter 1 - 1
My training chapter 1 - 2
etc.

Next group might be just changing the chapter number. This way it puts them ideally in the right order. The above is just a primitive simple method. There are slicker ways to do all this but it might prove wiser to go with simple and successful.