Bob Donlon’s Adobe TV Blog

I get asked this one all the time -- how to get video from a DVD into an editable form.

First off, you need to understand that commercial DVDs (i.e. Hollywood Films, TV Series, & the like) are copy protected with CSS (Content Scramble System) and/or Macrovision. If you're trying to rip a copy-protected DVD to an AVI or Quicktime, the only way to do it is with illegal software.

Now if you're honestly trying to get non-copywrited material from a DVD to an editable file format (as I myself had to do today) there are many companies out there that make conversion utilities. But I found out something today that I didn't know -- Adobe Premiere Elements has this capability build in! (thanks, Giles, for turning me on to this).

The Adobe Premiere Elements Media Downloader, importing video from a DVD

It's simply a matter of going to the File menu and selecting Add Media>From DVD Camera or Removable Drive. That opens the Media Downloader (above), which is very straighforward and intuitive (select the DVD and let 'er rip)!

I learn something new every day at this job.

BTW -- I picked up my Giants season tix today. Still a Mets fan, but I had to adopt the local team as well (and I have a birthright anyhow as the whole reason I'm a Mets fan is because my dad was a Giants fan back when they played in Manhattan. When the Giants moved to SF, he was without a team until the Mets started up in 1962. So I was born a Mets fan even though I grew up in Yankees country. So I guess I suffered enough with the Mets to feel too guilty about it . . .)