As often as we compose about taking the DVDs you own and change over them to a format you’re able to enjoy on all your medium players , people go on to have doubtfulness . Here are answers to some of those questions .

Q. I have a film on a commercial-grade videodisk that I ’d wish to play on my iPod . How do I exchange it ?

A.There are a smattering of tools available for doing this . HandBrakeis one . MacTheRipperis another . AndRipItis a third . HandBrake and MacTheRipper are free . RipIt be $ 19 .

Q. What are the difference between the three programme ?

A.HandBrake is the most configurable of the bunch . It includes a kind of presets , allowing you to rip your disk for specific devices and address — Apple boob tube , iPhone / iPod signature , QuickTime , and iPod High- and Low - Resolution , for model . HandBrake will mechanically detect the principal feature article of the disc and offer to extract just that main feature . you could also enquire it to pull other bits from the disc — prevue , for example . you could choose the output signal single file data format , which can be MPEG-4 , MKV , AVI , or OGM format ( for Mac users , MPEG-4 is the way to go as it ’s compatible with the Mac and iPod , iPhone , and Apple TV ) .

The rendering of MacTheRipper commonly establish on the vane is old and not compatible with some newer copy - protection strategy . you’re able to get an update interlingual rendition of MacTheRipper by joining theRipDifferentforums and buy a copy of MacTheRipper 3.x . It too can pull the chief feature or any other percentage of the disc you like . It produces a folder that contains an Audio_TS and Video_TS folder . Apple ’s DVD player will play the substance of a Video_TS leaflet . Just choose Open videodisc Media from DVD Player ’s File menu , sail to the Video_TS folder , and click Choose to act the folder ’s contents . you could then take that Video_TS booklet and expend HandBrake or an coating such as Roxio ’s $ 100Toast Titaniumto commute it to a motion picture playable on your twist .

RipIt is the least configurable of the lot but it rive just about everything you bemuse at it . Insert a record and it rend everything on it to a .dvdmovie file cabinet . Right - select that file and you find a Video_TS folder within . Again , you could encounter that with DVD Player or change over it with HandBrake or Toast Titanium . you could read more about RipIt in Dan Frakes ’ Mac Gems review .

Q. I ’ve downloaded the late version of HandBrake and it wo n’t rive commercial-grade DVDs .

A.In order for the current adaptation of HandBrake to extract movies from commercial DVDs ( those that are copy protected ) you need to set up the freeVLC(VideoLan Client ) . VLC put in the components that run around DVDs ’ re-create tribute engineering science . If HandBrake sees that these components are present on your Mac , it will be able to get past the disc ’s written matter shelter .

Q. When I rip my videodisk and sting a back - up copy to another DVD , will the region coding remain ?

A.Let ’s start up by defining what region codes are . commercial-grade DVDs are protected not only against duplication , but they have region code embedded on them — codes that many DVD player look for that indicate in which countries the videodisk can be played . The U.S. and Canada make up Region 1 . Your Mac allows you to change regions up to five time — so bet a Region 1 DVD , then Region 2 , back to Region 1 , over to Region 3 , and back a last fourth dimension to Region 1 . On the fifth region change , the Mac ’s media hardware locks to that last region .

Some people like play phonograph recording write for other region because those discs ca n’t be had in their aboriginal nation . But playing those magnetic disc mean you may lock your player to an unwanted region . For this reason , multitude who play disc from a mickle of regions will often buy actor that ignore part computer code . Regrettably , your Mac is n’t capable of doing this .

For this reason , it ’s helpful to remove part coding . And when you rend a commercial-grade videodisk with a tool such as HandBrake , MacTheRipper , or RipIt , you do incisively that . copy you make will be realm free .

There ’s a fly in this ointment , however . The media campaign inside today ’s Macs will not rive discs from one area when the movement is set for another region . The solution is to either play a bit of the original disc to shift realm or , better yet , use an external DVD burner for discs from other regions . These external drive do n’t have this “ not my region ” limitation when rip discs .

Q. I have Toast Titanium , can I use it to pull my videodisc ?

A.Toast and its sibling , the $ 50Popcorn 3 , ca n’t take away the written matter - protection from a videodisc . However , they ’re tremendous tools for extracting telecasting from unprotected DVDs and converting video to other formatting . Like Toast , the € 39.99 ( around $ 51)DVD2Onecan be used to take unencrypted dual- or exclusive - layer videodisc or Video_TS leaflet and sting them to single - layer videodisc .

Q. I ’ve seen posts in entanglement land site forums extolling the virtues of programs not list here . Why not use them ?

A.When companies have to stoop to spamming forums with instructions for rip DVDs or converting files with Tool X , Y , or Z , it distinguish you something about the quality of that party and its product . The three programs we ’ve listed will do the job .

Q. I download HandBrake , ripped a DVD , and it created an m4v file . I ’d like to edit this film with iMovie but iMovie wo n’t import it . What do I do ?

A.All you have to do is alter the .m4v file extension to .mov . Do that , opt File - > Import - > Movies in iMovie ’ 08 or ’ 09 and the motion picture will be import into your iMovie task . With iMovie HD you’re able to just drag the .mov file into the ABA transit number or timeline .

Q. Where can I find instructions for rend DVDs ?

A.Macworldsenior editor , Jonathan Seff ’s Convert Video For Any twist is a terrific usher for doing this .

Q. In the article you referred to , Mr. Seff advert VisualHub for converting video . I followed the link and found that the program is no longer useable . What now ?

A.You’re right , VisualHub has gone to the majuscule bit - bucket in the sky . But as I direct out in this clause , part of it stay on in the phase of two open author projects — FilmRedux and PunyVid . Note that both FilmRedux and PunyVid are very much alpha releases — some part stay on inedible .

In the meantime , there are other applications for convert video . Roxio ’s Toast Titanium , Popcorn , and $ 40Crunchcan convert video . Squared 5 ’s freeMPEG Streamclipis another alternative .

If you ’ve already converted a movie to an MPEG-4 or .mov file , there ’s a good chance you may convince it with iTunes for playback on an iPod or Apple TV . Just add together the moving-picture show to your iTunes library , choose it , and choose Advanced - > Create iPod or iPhone Version or Create Apple TV Version .

Q. Whoa , whoa , whoa , is n’t this illegal ?

A.The apparent motion picture ship’s company and supporter of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ( DMCA ) would like you to believe so . But this has n’t been tested in the courts . There ’s precedent under Fair Use for make backup copies of the medium you own . So , it ’s a gray area . If you ’re implicated about potentially violating the constabulary , do n’t do it . What is far dicier , from sound and moral point of view , is pull the media you own and give out it .

Q. Okay , so maybe it ’s effectual , mayhap it is n’t . Are n’t kids who have no deference for the legal philosophy the only ones who will do this ?

A.Apparently you are childless , or , at least , you have n’t had a five - year - old in the house for many year . It ’s an indisputable verity that where there are five - class - old , there is jam , and that hole will find its room from the five - year - old ’s finger to every DVD you own . Unless you enjoy purchasing multiple copies ofFinding NemoandMary Poppins , you ’ll understand why absolutely respectable parents seek manner to back up their videodisc .