How to Rip Home Video From DVD

A home video DVD can be ripped into its individual video files.

A home video that has been burned to a DVD cannot be edited or have any of the video on it altered in any way. However, you can "rip" or copy your DVD onto your computer's hard drive so that the video files on the DVD can be edited or viewed as desired. You will need a DVD ripping program, of which there are many freely available for both Mac and PC users. The DVD ripping program operates in an intuitive manner that does not require any special expertise.

Instructions

Rip a Home Video DVD to a Mac

1. Download a free DVD ripping program to the desktop of your Mac (see Resources). Double-click on the file when it has downloaded. Follow the installation process to install the program.

2. Double-click the icon of the Mac's hard drive to open its window on the desktop. Double-click on the "Applications" folder inside of the window. Scroll down inside the "Applications" folder until you come to the DVD ripping program. Double-click on the DVD ripping program to launch it.

3. Hold the home video DVD with the front label facing toward you. Place the home video DVD into the slot in the side of the Mac. Release the home video DVD once the loading mechanism engages to pull the home video DVD into the Mac.

4. Wait for the home video DVD to register its name on the DVD ripping program's main screen.

5. Click on "File" at the top of the screen. Select "Save To" from the menu. Navigate to the "Home Video Clips" folder on the desktop. Click the "Open" button on the window.

6. Click on the "Mode" or "Video File" button on the DVD ripping program's main screen. Check all of the video files in the list presented in a pop-up window. Click the "Done" or "OK" button on the pop-up window to make it disappear.

7. Click the "Start" or "Go" button on the DVD ripping program's main screen. Wait as a progress bar on the main screen documents the progress of the video files being copied. The process can take anywhere from 10 minutes up to an hour.

8. Quit the DVD ripping program when the progress bar disappears. Drag the icon of the home video DVD that is on the desktop to the trash to eject the DVD. Remove the home video DVD from the slot on the side.

Rip a Home Video DVD to a PC

1. Download a free DVD ripping program to your PC's desktop (see Resources). Double-click on the file when it has downloaded. Follow the menu commands to install the program onto the desktop.

2. Download a free DVD conversion program to your PC's desktop (see Resources). Double-click on the file when it has downloaded. Follow the menu commands to install the program onto the desktop. Restart your PC.

3. Press the "Eject" button on the computer's DVD drive. Wait for the disc tray to eject. Place the home video DVD on the disc tray. Press the "Eject" button to close the disc tray.

4. Right-click on the desktop. Select "New Folder" from the pop-up menu. Name the new folder "Home Video Clips."

5. Double-click on the DVD ripping program to launch it. Click the "Browse" button next to "Destination" on the DVD ripping program's main screen. In the window that appears, navigate to the "Home Video Clips" folder on the desktop. Click the "Open" button.

6. Select the DVD drive from the "Devices" drop-down menu on the DVD ripping program's main screen. Select ".VOB" from the "Type" or "Format Type" drop-down menu on the DVD ripping program's main screen.

7. Press the "Start" or "Convert" button on the DVD ripping program's main screen. Wait anywhere from ten minutes to two hours for the video to be copied. Quit the DVD ripping program when the progress bar disappears.

8. Press the "Eject" button on the computer's DVD drive. Wait for the disc tray to eject. Remove the home video DVD from the disc tray. Press the "Eject" button to close the disc tray.

9. Double-click on the DVD conversion program's icon to launch it. Click the "Open" button or select "Open" from the "File" menu. In the window that appears, navigate to the "Home Video Clips" folder on the desktop. Click the "Open" button.

10. Click the "Save" button or select "Save To" from the "File" menu. In the window that appears, navigate to the "Home Video Clips" folder on the desktop. Click the "Open" button.

11. Select "AVI" or "WMA" or "MPEG" from the "Format Type" or "Conversion" drop-down menu on the DVD conversion program's main screen

12. Click the "Start" or "Convert" button on the DVD conversion program's main screen. Wait anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours for the video file of the home movie DVD to be converted into a video clip that can be edited or played in video programs on the PC. Quit the DVD conversion program when the progress bar documenting the conversion disappears.

Tips & Warnings

• Blow off the disc tray with compressed air to make sure it's free of debris before putting the DVD on it.

• Do not attempt to copy copyrighted DVDs; that is illegal.

References

• iSkysoft: MacTheRipper: How to Use Mac the Ripper to Rip DVD to iPod, iPhone, PowerPoint, etc. on Mac OS X
• YouTube: Any Video Converter - Freeware

Resources

• MacUpdate: Download MacTheRipper for Mac
• Any Video Converter: Converter: Any Video Converter Freeware
• soft29: DVD Shrink