How to Import a DVD From an iMac to an iPod

by Julius Vandersteen
Extract a video from a DVD if you want to import it from your iMac to your iPod.

Extract a video from a DVD if you want to import it from your iMac to your iPod.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

After you purchase a movie or TV show on DVD, you might not want to be restricted to watching it with a DVD player in your living room or on your iMac. You could import the video to your iPod so you can watch it while on your lunch break at work or during a long airplane flight. Some commercial DVDs have copy protection designed to prevent people from casually backing up the video, but not all DVDs are protected. You might also want to import a DVD that you made yourself, such as a collection of home movies or vacation footage. You need to use an application to extract the video from the DVD.

Extract Video from DVD

Step 1

Download an application for ripping videos from DVDs (see Resources) and install it on your iMac.

Step 2

Double-click on the DVD-ripping application icon to launch it. Insert a DVD into the iMac's optical drive. It will mount on your iMac's desktop.

Step 3

Click on a command such as "Load DVD" or "Source" to select the DVD. The application will scan then scan the DVD. If the DVD contains multiple videos, such as several episodes of a TV series, or a 90-minute feature and with a 10-minute behind-the- scenes-documentary, you will see them listed in the application window or in a pull-down menu. Select the video or videos that you want to extract from the DVD.

Step 4

Click on the type of output file you want the application to generate. There might be a command to "Toggle Presets" or a pull-down menu listing presets. Select "iPod" from the list. This setting will make the application extract video from the DVD into a format that plays on your iPod.

Step 5

Click on the button to browse for an output location, and then navigate to a folder on your hard drive where you want to export the video from the DVD.

Step 6

Click on "Start," "Convert" or a similar command to begin. The application will extract the video and save the file to a folder on your hard drive.

Copy to iPod

Step 1

Launch iTunes, Apple's free application for managing your iPod (see Resources).

Step 2

Plug one end of the included USB cable into the iPod, and plug the other end into a USB port on your iMac.

Step 3

Click on "Movies" under "Devices" in the left pane of iTunes to select the location where you will import your movie to the iPod.

Step 4

Drag the movie file you extracted with HandBrake into the iTunes window. It will copy to your iPod.

Step 5

Right-click on the icon of your iPod, and click "Eject." Disconnect your iPod from the iMac. You can now play the video on your iPod.

Warning

  • If your DVD is copy-protected, your application may not be able to extract the video. Some applications include tools to extract videos from copy-protected DVDS, which is a procedure that may not be deemed legal to use in your country. If you want to make a backup copy of a DVD that you own for use on a device other than your DVD player, such as your iPod, you will have to determine the legality of doing it in accordance with any applicable local laws. If you are extracting movies from a DVD that you made or that has no copy protection, you are not violating a law.

About the Author

Julius Vandersteen has been a freelance writer since 1999. His work has appeared in “The Los Angeles Times,” “Wired” and “S.F. Weekly.” Vandersteen has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from San Francisco State University.

Photo Credits

  • Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images