Importing DVDs into iMovie

[vasellina]

I downloaded Mac the Ripper to copy DVDs onto my computer. I thought this would enable me to import the Audio and Video TS files into iMovie, but it didn't work.

Any suggestions on how to make it work? Is it even possible to do with iMovie?

thanks.

[Frobozz]

iMovie can import QuickTime movies, DV video and MPEG 4 video. What's in the VIDEO_TS folder is MPEG 2 video, so that's not on the iMovie list. There are several applications available that will convert video from a VIDEO_TS folder to one of the formats usable in iMovie. MPEG Streamclip is popular. Cinematize is designed for this. Toast and Popcorn 2 can do it.

You do not need to rip DVDs unless they are encoded with copy protection. So if these are DVDs you recorded you can just drag the VIDEO_TS folder to the hard drive to copy them and don't need MTR. I mention this because the main reason people use iMovie is for their home videos, not for editing movies from commercial DVDs.

[mike47]

ffmpegX is great for this job, free conversion for mac, drop the video ts folder in the left window, and chose a new format in the right window to convert to for imovie

https://www.videohelp.com/tools/ffmpegX

[terryj]

ffmpegx is NOT free.
Eventually, Major is going to get REAL tired of people
saying that.....
I eventually see ffmpegx going the way of MTR currently....
after all, people have to eat.....

[rumplestiltskin]

You need Apple's MPEG2 component which may be purchased at the Apple Store Online (www.apple.com/store). Note that you do NOT need "QuickTime Pro" as this is an entirely different animal.

Once you've installed the MPEG2 component, any VOBs may be accessed directly though any QuickTime-enabled applications. If you have a DVD that is not copy-protected, drop the first ".VOB" that contains the first part of the footage onto MPEG Streamclip (free); when it asks you if you want to open the whole movie (or something like that), do it. That will bring the entire title (all the footage in all the VOBs) into the MPEG Streamclip window where you may cut out what you don't want and then "Export to DV...". That will create the DV-Stream footage iMovie likes. Drop that into iMovie and go for it.

[terryj]

don't forget to Fix Time Code Breaks after importing the
VOB into MpegStreamclip......

[rumplestiltskin]

Yes, terryj is right. If MPEG Streamclip asks to fix the breaks, do so. It only takes a few minutes.