capture from dvd

[Brian Pitt]

If you have a minidv camcorder with rca inputs, it’s pretty easy.

I just go straight out of the DVD player into the camera with either an RCA or S-Video input and of course the audio inputs. Hook up your camera to your computer via firewire. in the Capture window, disable device control. From there, just play back the DVD through the camera while at the same time capturing onto your hard drive. Voila!

[Alexander Gao]

Mac the Ripper.

Alexander Gao

“When the revolution happens, I’ll be leading it.”

[Alexander Gao]

I should mention actually that the previous method is more “into fcp”.

Alexander Gao

“When the revolution happens, I’ll be leading it.”

[Ann Lukacs]

I don’t have a miniDV camera with RCA inputs but your answer gave me another option. I do have a Sony DSR-11 deck with RCA inputs. So, I’m capturing it on to a DVCAM tape and, hopefully, I can import to FCP that way.

Thanks.

[Brian Pitt]

I wouldn’t even record it on to a tape. Most decks will do a real-time conversion. Just patch the deck to your computer and use “capture now” with device control disabled.

[Alexander Serpico]

i’ve done this countless times for client reels, ad agency rips, and even big budget commercials for air (in which case the footage has been legally cleared for use).

when coming from non encrypted dvds: copy the video ts folder locally and use Mpeg Streamclip to convert to your codec of choice.
with encrypted dvds: first process the disk with an application such as Mac The Ripper, and then convert with Mpeg Streamclip.

it works wonderfully, and in some cases often processes faster than the time it would take to digitize in real time.