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

Lillitatiana — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:06:26 -0800

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!

By: caek

caek — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:17:13 -0800

Handbrake

By: grippycat

grippycat — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:29:55 -0800

Seconding Handbrake - their site does have step-by-step instructions for converting from DVDs using their GUI tool.

By: filmgeek

filmgeek — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:03:23 -0800

You want MPEG Streamclip from Squared5 if you want to convert the DVDs into something you can editing in FCP.

By: jbrjake

jbrjake — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:06:48 -0800

Please do not use HandBrake for this. As filmgeek says, use Streamclip.

By: O9scar

O9scar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:09:50 -0800