Converting your family DVDs to video files will make sharing easier.
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DVDs can be played in a few different ways. Using a standard DVD player is the most obvious, but a computer with the right hardware and software can play these discs as well. This might be fine for your own use, but if you want to send a DVD to a friend or transfer it easily to another computer, you may need to convert the DVD to a video file. The most widely used file format for this purpose is MPEG1 because it is compatible with most video players.
Step 1
Download and install file conversion software on your computer. A good choice is Format Factory, which is the program discussed in this article (link in Resources).
Step 2
Click the "Start" button on your desktop and select "All Programs" to display a list of applications installed on your computer. Locate the video converter software you just installed and click on the program to launch it.
Step 3
Insert a DVD in the computer's optical drive and click on the "ROM Device/DVD/CD/ISO" tab on the left side of the program screen. Click the "DVD to Video File" button. A new window will open and your DVD should be listed next to the "DVD" label. Click on the drop-down menu next to it to search on another drive for the DVD that you want to convert.
Step 4
Look for the drop-down box midway down the program window – it should now display "MP4." Click on the menu and change it to "MPG." Click the "Convert" button at the top right of the window to return to the main program screen. The conversion process will be listed here.
Step 5
Click the "Start" button to begin the conversion process. When the blue progress bar displays "Completed," your MPEG file will be ready to use.
Tip
- Click the "Output Folder" button to display the destination folder where your newly converted MPEG file was saved.
Photo Credits
- Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
