How do I convert home movies on DVD to .mov files?

July 10, 2008 6:06 PM

How do I convert home movies on DVD to .mov files?

A while ago, I had all my family's Super-8 films converted to MiniDV and DVD at a telecine facility. I was trying to capture the MiniDV tapes as files in Final Cut Pro 6 through a JVC MiniDV/VHS recorder when I noticed a burned-in time code on the MiniDV tapes. I tried importing VHS tapes and there was no time code, which makes me think the facility burned in the time code on the MiniDVs themselves, and that it has nothing to do with my FCP settings or my deck. ANYWAY, my question is this: how do I convert files from DVD to QuickTime? The place where I had my Super-8 films transferred also put them on DVDs, and there are no time codes on the DVDs – but the DVDs are encoded. I extracted them a while ago (before I got my deck) via Streamclip (or Mac the Ripper, can't remember), but now I don't know how to convert all the VIDEO_TS to plain ol' Quicktime. The telecine place is closed until August (it's a tiny mom and pop shop), and I wanted to get started on this now as a summer project.

Could you point me to a link where there are step-by-step instructions on how to convert DVD files to QuickTime? Google results yield a wealth of information... all from before 2006. I also realize that detailed instructions on how to rip DVDs might be scarce or iffy, what with copyright laws related to commercial DVDs, etc. But these are only home movies!. Alternatively, if you have any other insight into what might be going on regarding the [seemingly] burned-in time code, I'd appreciate your input. Thanks in advance!

posted by Lillitatiana to computers & internet (5 comments total)

Handbrake
posted by caek at 6:17 PM on July 10

Seconding Handbrake - their site does have step-by-step instructions for converting from DVDs using their GUI tool.
posted by grippycat at 6:29 PM on July 10

You want MPEG Streamclip from Squared5 if you want to convert the DVDs into something you can editing in FCP.
posted by filmgeek at 10:03 PM on July 10

Please do not use HandBrake for this. As filmgeek says, use Streamclip.
posted by jbrjake at 8:06 AM on July 11

If your Final Cut install included the mpeg-2 component, you should be able to open the VOB files directly.
posted by O9scar at 11:09 PM on July 11