How to Import From Unprotected, Homemade DVD to iMovie

[ajaxsg]

Subject says it all.

I have a friend's homemade movie burned on a DVD. Not encrypted. What's the easiest way to get that sucker into iMovie so i can edit? Can I route a DVD player through my digital video camera then import? Any ideas? It should be easy, right?

Thanks!

[pixeljammedia]

Rip to a single VOB using YadeX then just use MPEG Streamclip. Drop the vob/mpeg onto the window and select File>Export to DV. Make sure segment files is selected and let it go. Find your iMovie project folder and drop the files you created into the Media folder.

[Frobozz]

The above steps are excellent. Another option if you have Toast 6 is to drag the VIDEO_TS folder from the DVD to the Toast video window, select the movie and click Export. This saves it as a DV file. The MPEG Streamclip method is definitely preferable if you want to select just a portion of the video to export to DV.

[reloc]

Talk about timing! I just had this project on my mind. But after successfully using yade X, I'm stuck.

I'm getting an error message with MPEG Streamclip. It comes up with "Error: Can't prepare the movie". I've got a home video that's about 1:35 in length from a DVD and I'm trying to edit it in iMovie. What's the problem? Is there an alternative program, other than Toast? I only have Toast Lite.

Thanks.

[hand]

I found a MAC application that can rip DVD to DV format that drops right into iMovie. This is a perfect application for editing those home movies again. I can't find this program now. I think it was called DVDxDV, but I can't find it now. Can anyone help us?
Thanks

[hand]

Well the smart text in this forum answered the question automagically!

[maetel99]

You can also try Cinematize to extract from DVDs. This is the only application I have found that avoids all the audio/video sync problems.

[Aquilla]

I've been reading all the replys to the question about ripping DVDs to iMovie program and I'm a bit confused. I'm real new to the iMovie and iDVD world but I have a lot of digital video to turn into iDVDs. I need to take them off of the little digital video cassettes and save them to DVDs so I can use the cassettes again. I have downloaded MPEG Steamclip andI have Quicktime 7 but when I try to use them they say that I don't have Quicktime 6 to use MPEG 2s. IS there a single program that will allow me to downlad my own DVDs to edit in iMovie?

[AntnyMD]

If you use a tool to rip the entire movie to a single VOB, after changing the extension of this file from .vob to .mpg, the latest iMovieHD will import it directly. It converts the file to DV in the background.

[maetel99]

If you use a tool to rip the entire movie to a single VOB, after changing the extension of this file from .vob to .mpg, the latest iMovieHD will import it directly. It converts the file to DV in the background.

This is only true if you have the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback component installed. The component is not free. In addition, the component has a number of bugs that lead to decoding and sync problems.

[AntnyMD]

At this point it is an essential tool to have to deal with MPEG2 video on the Mac. You spent a thousand dollars or more for your Mac... spring for the extra thirty dollars and get the tool.

[Aquilla]

Thanks for the information.

AntnyMD said This is only true if you have the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback component ... has a number of bugs that lead to decoding and sync problems.

What kinds of bugs?
Will I be able to select the VOB and change it without another program? Is there any loss in the video or sound images?