If you have DVDs in your collection that you watch repeatedly, you may want to keep the audio of those movies with you at all times by converting the audio tracks to MP3 and loading them onto your iPod Classic. You cannot transfer a DVD from the disc to your iPod Classic directly, but you can transfer the video footage from your DVD onto your computer, convert it to MP3, then load the MP3 files onto your iPod just as you'd load any other standard digital video file.
Step 1
Download a program that can rip the video files from a DVD. DVD-ripping programs can be found and downloaded at the website CNET (see Resources). Install the DVD-ripping application to your computer.
Step 2
Place the DVD that you want to add to your iPod Classic into the DVD drive of your computer. Go to the "Start" menu and find the DVD-ripping program under "All Programs." Click the program's name to launch the application.
Step 3
Choose an output folder or destination for the DVD file by clicking the "Browse" button. Select a folder on your computer where you would like to store the DVD file.
Step 4
Pick the "IFO" mode if different ripping modes are available in the program. Click the "Rip" or "Decrypt" button to rip the DVD onto your computer. The files save into the destination folder you chose.
Step 5
Determine which file you want to add to the iPod. Generally, this is the movie file, which is the largest file in the downloaded IFO.
Step 6
Go to an online media conversion site such as Zamzar, or download media conversion software to your computer. Upload the file to the converter using the "Add Files" or "Upload" button.
Step 7
Select MP3 as the output file type in the online conversion program or downloaded conversion program. Click the "Start" or "Convert" button to convert the file. A file converted by software saves directly to your computer after conversion.
Step 8
Download the MP3 from the link provided by online media converters. To download, click the link and choose "Save to your computer." Select a folder where you would like the file to save and click the "Save" button.
Step 9
Connect your iPod Classic to the computer using the USB cord or dock that came with the device. Open iTunes, go to the "File" menu then select "Add to Library." Navigate to the folder that contains the MP3 file created in the conversion program and double-click the file name to add it to iTunes. If the default settings are still in place in iTunes, the file automatically syncs to your iPod Classic.
Tip
- MP3 is an audio-only file format. If you want to convert a DVD to a video format that is compatible with the iPod, choose MP4 as the output file type instead of MP3.
- If you do not see "IFO" listed as a supported file type in a conversion program, don't worry. The actual video file contained inside the IFO file is a VOB file, which is supported by most online converters and media-conversion programs.
