iPod Am I missing something? I want to put my son's DVD movies on my old iPod.

[Scottsdale]

ok, maybe this is simple and I am missing it. I can take all of my music CDs and rip them into iTunes and play the music on my iTunes. I can BUY music or movies and play them on my old 30 GB iPod.

So, I must be wrong. I pray I am wrong. But why can't I do the same things with DVDs I own as it would really help occupy my son on planes or long car rides. I assume iTunes will NOT natively do this, am I just not finding the info on how to do it.

If not available by iTunes, is there an application available that would allow me to put DVD movies I OWN onto my iPod?

I have always just used my iPod for music or iTunes purchased movies, so I apologize if this is simple and I am just not finding how to do it. However I would greatly appreciate help pointing me in the right direction.

Cheers. Have a nice remainder of your weekend.

 

[rjgonzales]

http://handbrake.fr/

 

[txhockey9404]

To rip a DVD for your iPod, use the program at the link provided and select what kind video you want (pick one of the iPod presets) Then put in a DVD and select it as the source, then choose which video on the DVD you want, set how large you want it, and press Start.

Be prepared to wait.

 

[Scottsdale]

thanks for link and notes

is this the best, most common, or only way to do this? I just don't understand why the feature is not included in iTunes. I mean Apple wants us all to buy their music but allows us to rip our own CDs. Since Apple has provided ability for us to watch movies and surely wants us to buy movies at iTunes, I would have thought they would have taken the same approach with DVDs. At least I am not crazy and my MB and iTunes are fine. I was convinced something was broken or I was stupidly missing something easy.

Anyways, thanks again to both posters. Any/all alternative possibilities will be considered. For now, I will be downloading HandBrake. I am so glad there is always someone able to fill in the gaps for the seemingly obvious.

Cheers all. Enjoy the last few hours of your weekend.

 

[aristobrat]

Since Apple has provided ability for us to watch movies and surely wants us to buy movies at iTunes, I would have thought they would have taken the same approach with DVDs.

Apple can't. DVDs are encrypted. Music CDs are not encrypted (probably only because they were invented back in the 80's before anyone thought to encrypt them).

Apple can't because there's no "official" (as in legit) way for US companies to get around the encryption on DVDs. You either need the proper decryption keys (which the studios won't give), or you need to reverse-engineer the decryption keys, which the Digital Millennium Copyright Act prohibits. Any time a US company tries to get around this, they get sued.

 

[QuarterSwede]

Just to note, Handbrake doesn't always remove DVD encryption correctly. I use MacTheRipper first then have Handbrake encode it with the iPod setting.

aristobrat is correct. The DMCA strictly prohibits stripping DRM from digital media, DVD's included. In my opinion, if I bought a DVD and I want to stick it on my iPhone to watch it and that requires that I strip it's DRM then I'm darn well going to. The DMCA is a horrible law.

 

[rjphoto]

iPod version included in some DVDs

There are some DVDs that include an iPod version that you just transfer to your computer and load onto your iPod.

I forget the titles I heard that do this, but it should be something you can search.

 

[maxrobertson]

is this the best, most common, or only way to do this? I just don't understand why the feature is not included in iTunes.

It's not allowed in iTunes because it breaks the DMCA and is therefore illegal. You'll notice that no mainstream company dares to include that feature, and that RealDVD (or is it WinDVD?) is being sued for including that feature and had their product pulled off the market almost instantly. You have your congressmen and the media companies to thank for that.

 

[sandman42]

And, just to clarify for the OP who specifically referred to "DVD movies I OWN", the DMCA (in the US, at least) doesn't differentiate like that. Whether you agree with the philosophy or not, one provision of the DMCA makes it illegal to circumvent the Digital Rights Management (DRM) measures on copyrighted digital media, whether the intent is to otherwise infringe the copyright (e.g. 'share') or even if it's just for your personal use. It's essentially unenforceable (unless you actually do conspicuously share the material, and get caught), and lots of people do it, and even more people disagree with it, but that's the way it is. Many people feel that ripping DVDs you own constitutes 'fair use', but unfortunately that's not for the user to decide (see the 'Common misunderstandings' at the link).

This is why neither Apple nor any other software corporations (except Real) provide this service. It'll be interesting to see what happens (to US law, anyway) now that Real is challenging this provision of the DMCA.

 

[fleshman03]

The whole reason the MPAA does not want to allow DVD ripping is because they feel that if allowed, DVDs will become like CDs.

Personally, I think Apple should work with them to allow Ripping of DVDs and tie that mp4 to the person's iTunes account.

Set up some system that rental DVDs could not be copies and that might be a turning point.

Handbreak is the best to do the job.

 

[Scottsdale]

to thank and clarify

thanks to you all for the information.

I have never stole or downloaded illegal music or movies. I think this law you're all talking about is stupid and interferes with my own use of DVDs I purchased. What do they care if I watch my DVDs on my big screen LCD or on my two year old iPod. In addition, DVDs will lose all credibility for me. I am better off buying them from iTunes so I can LEGALLY watch my own movies on my big screen or my iPod.

Furthermore, the funny thing is, I just want my four-year-old son to watch his "cartoons" like Spiderman, Transformers, and Scooby-Doo. Ridiculous what lawmakers will do to ensure the big entertainment companies will be able to charge (punish) suckers like me for buying a DVD in the first place.

Really sick of DVDs, lawmakers, and studios for limiting me on how I watch movies purchased with my own money.

Thanks again to you all for the information.

Cheers.

 

[Eddie.exe]

 

[Jonathan2373]

Has anyone had any experience with iSkysoft DVD Studio for copying and ripping DVDs?

 

[fleshman03]

thanks to you all for the information.

I have never stole or downloaded illegal music or movies. I think this law you're all talking about is stupid and interferes with my own use of DVDs I purchased. What do they care if I watch my DVDs on my big screen LCD or on my two year old iPod. In addition, DVDs will lose all credibility for me. I am better off buying them from iTunes so I can LEGALLY watch my own movies on my big screen or my iPod.

Furthermore, the funny thing is, I just want my four-year-old son to watch his "cartoons" like Spiderman, Transformers, and Scooby-Doo. Ridiculous what lawmakers will do to ensure the big entertainment companies will be able to charge (punish) suckers like me for buying a DVD in the first place.

Really sick of DVDs, lawmakers, and studios for limiting me on how I watch movies purchased with my own money.

Thanks again to you all for the information.

Cheers.

You echo the cries of millions. Personally, I find the law not justifiable and just a way for the MPAA to make more money off the same content due to their lack of ideas.

The law is clearly unjust and I have never had an intention of following it. I don't know of any case where a person who had copied a legally purchased DVD to portable device/computer for personal use got in trouble. I don't think it would hold up if brought to the supreme court.

It's like charging double for the same thing. I know in these forums we have plenty of people who are content creators. I pose the question, do you think these practices are fair? Do you think the studio or you deserve to be paid twice by the same person because he/she wanted to view your content in a different format?

As for the OP, I like DVDs better than digital. In addition to having a physical backup, I use the digital copy for my normal viewing. (Via my thumb drive and Xbox or iPod Touch. If you only buy the digital copy, it is tied to the account you bought it with and you will need to have a computer authorized to play it. With physical media that is ripped, those limitations are wiped away.

Has anyone had any experience with iSkysoft DVD Studio for copying and ripping DVDs?

Why would you want to spend $60 for software, when you can use handbreak to rip it to itunes and iDVD to put it to a disk?

I must add this to the discussion:

 

[Scottsdale]

So funny!

I had no idea until this week that this was a problem. And it is a huge and serious problem. How stupid and pitiful these big entertainment companies are.

What do we do to ensure we all have rights with our own purchased items. I mean truthfully I thought I bought these DVDs. However, the fine print says I bought the right only to watch it the way they want me to. Additionally, there should be a notification on the DVD that if I wish to watch it in lower resolution on my iPod I should NOT which basically means I did NOT buy it. Right, I paid money for it and got a receipt. But I guess this is one of those 1/10 of the time when purchase and possession is NOT the law (you know: The saying goes possession is 9/10 the law).

New saying, "Possession is 9/10 the law with the exception of DVDs."

That is just how stupid, and BIG, this is!

Thanks again.

 

[sandman42]

So, just so people don't get the wrong idea about me, I agree with you all. I think we should be able to treat our owned DVDs the same as we can legally treat our owned CDs. When I posted that clarification about the DMCA I just wanted to make sure people (at least in the US, though it's the same in some other countries too) understood what the law actually is, whether it makes any sense or not. Like the OP, a lot of people don't realize DVDs are treated differently by the law (and will argue vehemently that they're not) -- I feel compelled to dispel the misinformation. Knowledge is power, right?

The corporate interests are strong, and right now, on this issue, they have the upper hand. I don't know of any individuals that have been prosecuted under this law for copying (transcoding) their own DVDs, but Kaleidascape and Real have been taken to court for facilitating the process. Kaleidascape 'won', but only because they were able to show that they weren't circumventing the DRM (their hardware is licensed to use CSS, etc -- the issue there was whether it's ok to 'timeshift' within the device). Like I said before, on an individual level this law will be difficult to enforce, so I don't think people have a lot to worry about as long as they're not foolish enough to share their stuff on line. I think this law will fall, but there will be some casualties on the front lines of the fight first, I think. My hat's off to those folks.

Oh, and I think Handbrake works great, by the way. Why pay more? You know, ahem, I mean for my uncopyrighted, non-DRM-ed and legally owned DVDs...