How to Copy DVD to iTunes Library for syncing to iPad, iPhone, Apple TV?

In this guide I’ll show you how to rip DVD onto a digital video, store the DVD movie in iTunes. Instead of spending a bunch of money on the iTunes store and buying movies through iTunes you can actually copy any DVDs onto iTunes and then sync it to your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. That’s what I’m going to show you how to do.

If you want to enjoy music or movie on your Apple devices like iPhone, iPod, iPad and Apple TV, the first thing you need to do is to sync videos and audios from your iTunes library to your devices. ITunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop or laptop computers. iTunes could only recognize video files in MP4, MOV, M4V, etc. However, now many DVD collectors online seek help on how to sync DVD to iTunes to protect DVD disc from damage or play DVD movies on Apple TV/iPhone/iPad/iPod smoothly. A third-party DVD ripper must be used to rip DVDs, regardless of whether the DVDs are homemade or commercial (purchased/borrowed/rented). It means if you want to copy DVD movies to iTunes Library, you should rip DVD to iTunes playable videos before you can sync DVDs to iTunes for playback without ever needing to use the DVD again.

iTunes Supported Format: iTunes can support the following audio and video files, AIFF (AIFC, audio CD, MP3, System 7 Sound (SND), uLaw (AU), WAV, QDesign, QuickTime audio (audio only movies) AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) as well as MP4. When it comes to video, Apple has allowed iTunes to read only one video format, which includes MPEG-4 (.mp4, .m4v). Meaning you can only convert your DVD to MPEG-4 for you to play them on iTunes.

If you don’t know which DVD to iTunes converter is suitable and you are desperate to find a solution to play DVD on iTunes, you come to the right place. This article aims to give you the easiest way to solve this DVD and iTunes incompatible problem. There are many DVD rippers in the market that can help convert DVD to iTunes compatible formats. It becomes important to choose the best and top rated fast DVD conversion tool without any quality loss. Continue reading.

Method 1. Rip and Sync DVD to iTunes with Aimersoft DVD Ripper

To do this, we recommend 100% clean and powerful Aimersoft DVD Ripper software. They make the best DVD ripping & copying software out there. It’s by far my favorite — very easy to use, fast, and high quality. The most effective DVD ripper that programmed with advanced DVD decrypting technology. It can help you to remove any DVD copy protection and convert all types of DVD to digital format (MP4, M4V, MOV, MKV, AVI, FLV, etc.) easily, fast while without quality loss. It’s capable to rip DVD in 1:1 quality. Different from HandBrake and other DVD ripping software, Aimersoft DVD Ripper can rip DVD movies to MPG, DVD ISO and folder without transcoding for offline watching. You can get a digital copy of your DVD disc with 100% original quality. Of course, you can extract audio from DVD as MP3, WAV, AIFF or Apple Lossless for iTunes syncing too. The 6x faster speed can help you rip DVDs in a short time effectively.

The built-in video editor is also helpful. You can trim, merge, watermark, change subtitle, select audio track and touch up DVD movies before ripping purchased DVD to iTunes.

The first thing you want to do is click the link at the below for a free trial download of this software. That link will start an instant download of this program. Download and install the application from the link above, and you’ll be able to try it out for free. If you like it you can register and buy for the full version right from the program itself.

  • Rip a 2-hour DVD in 5 minutes without any quality lose
  • Convert DVD to iTunes supported MOV, MP4, M4V
  • Extract DVD background music to iTunes AAC, MP3
  • Automatically transfer converted videos to iTunes Library
  • Embed iTunes movie metadata for easy video management
  • Rip DVD to iPad, iPhone playable formats

play dvd on quicktime         play dvd on quicktime

How to rip DVD to MP4/M4V/MOV for syncing to iTunes Library on PC?

Step 1. Load DVD Movies or iSO Files into DVD Ripper

Once you have this DVD to iTunes converter application installed, insert the DVD movie that you want to copy to iTunes library into your computer’s DVD drive. Load your DVD movie or ISO file in the DVD Ripper. Just follow the detailed guide to complete your conversion.

DVD to iTunes converter

  • Subtitle: Regular DVD movie usually has several subtitles, like English, French, German, etc. You can select anyone according to your need. You also can select “No Subtitle”.
  • Audio: Select Audio is the same as select Subtitle.

Step 2. Select iTunes friendly formats and output folder

After you have successfully completed loading your DVD, select the output format and folder. The video formats available are M4V, MP4 or MOV. In this case, we shall select MP4 format from the common video choices only for description purposes. If you do not have a ready folder, you can choose an output path as the destination folder to save the converted movie.

Step 3. Nitiate the DVD to iTunes conversion process

After all things done, you need to do is click the “Start” button in the bottom right, and it will start copying the DVD movie to your computer. This might take some time. However, it is important to note that the conversion time depends on the size of the DVD movies.

When the conversion is done, please open iTunes on your Windows computer. Then click “File” menu on the left side of iTunes toolbar, and choose the “Add File to Library” option. After that, open the output folder that contains the videos to select the file and click “Open”. Now you can get DVD file imported to iTunes successfully, and you can verify it by going into iTunes into the Movies section. The process is simple all you need is:

  1. Click “File” menu on the left side of iTunes toolbar
  2. Choose the “Add File to Library” option
  3. Open the output folder that contains the videos
  4. Select the file and click “Open”.

If the transfer is successful you can further transfer the movie to your iPad Air, iPad Mini, iPad, iPhone, Apple TV and you can easily enjoy them everywhere you wish to.
That, my friends, is how to put DVDs onto iTunes — the absolute best way to do it. Go ahead and give that a try. Enjoy having your favorite DVDs in iTunes and any Apple devices now!

Method 2. Convert DVD to iTunes supported formats with Wondershare UniConverter

Wondershare Uniconverter is a DVD to iTunes converter on Mac & Windows and designed to meet all personal needs and work super fast. The software supports more than 1000 audio and video conversion formats and ensures lossless quality output. In addition, it supports specific formats for popular devices like Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, Android, PSP, etc., avoiding format compatibility issues. For customization, the program has a built-in editor with a range of functions to cut, trim, cut, and add subtitles. UniConverter is suitable for Windows and Mac versions, supports multi-core processor optimization, and cooperates with GPU acceleration and Apextrans technology to ensure super fast speed. Other specs include batch processing, scheduler, preset custom formats, and more. UniConverter also has a feature screen recorder to record your DVD movies directly in MP4 format. So, when you are looking for a quality and fast solution to add DVD to iTunes, UniConverter is the answer.

  • The best video converter converts DVD to MP4, MOV, within easy steps.
  • Support 1,000+ media formats, including MP4/AVI/MOV/MKV/MPEG and other standard formats.
  • Work as a video editor before converting with features of cropping, trimming, rotating, and others.
  • Download videos from 10,000+ video-sharing sites such as YouTube by pasting URLs.
  • Transfer videos to iPhone/iPad/iPod/Apple TV and Android devices easily via USB cable.
  • Burn videos to DVD with free menu templates and other customized features.
  • Support an additional toolbox with functions of VR Convert, GIF Maker, Copy DVD, etc.

Download, install, and launch UniConverter on your Mac or Windows system.

      

      

Next, you need to set the program preferences so that it automatically syncs files to iTunes after conversion. On the top-left corner, click the drop-down menu at UniConverter. Select Preferences from the given options.

A new window will open from which to choose the Convert tab and then check the option Automatically add files to iTunes library after conversion. Hit OK to confirm.

With this step, all the converted files will automatically sync with iTunes on your Mac after conversion.

Step 1. Load DVD files to UniConverter.

Insert DVD that you want to import. Select the Converter tab from the primary software interface. Open the drop-down menu at the Load DVD icon and select the inserted DVD.

Open All Movies or Main Movies Only as desired and click Load.

Step 2. Convert and import DVD into iTunes.

After DVD files are added to the program, open the Format panel to Output Format: option. Select Apple and the desired device model on which you want to play the DVD files from the Device tab.

Click Convert to start the process.

As the files are successfully converted, they will also automatically sync with iTunes on your Mac.

Once the process of copying DVDs to iTunes is complete, the next step is to sync these files to your iOS device for easy viewing. Save your DVD files on your iPhone or iPad and freely watch and enjoy them wherever you are.

Method 3. Digitize and Copy DVDs to iTunes with Handbrake

HandBrake itself can’t rip commercially copy-protected DVDs. If you want to use HandBrake to rip encrypted DVDs (actually, almost all store-bought DVDs are copyright-protected), you should firstly download libdvdcss. libdvdcss is a part of VideoLAN project capable of reading and decrypting DVDs locked by region codes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and CSS. As an open-source DVD ripper, it won’t cost you a penny. Basically, it can convert unportected DVD to MP4 or M4V videos for adding to iTunes or playing on iPod, PSP, Apple TV, TV, mobile phone, etc.

Simply go to HandBrake.fr – the only official place to download HandBrake – to get a copy fit for your computer and install it following wizard.

Step 1. Open Your DVD in Handbrake

Insert the DVD into the DVD drive on your computer. Open Handbrake and choose your DVD drive from the sidebar that appears.

Handbrake will take a moment to scan the titles on your DVD. Wait until this process is finished. It should only take a moment. If libdvdcss wasn’t installed incorrectly, you’ll see an error saying that the disc can’t be read here instead.

Digitize DVDs to iTunes with Handbrake

Once your DVD is open, head to the “Title” dropdown box and choose which title you want to rip. By default, Handbrake will choose the movie, but if you want to rip any special features or deleted scenes, you can change the target you want to rip here. You can also change which chapters you want to rip, if you only want part of the movie.

Under Destination, click Browse to pick where you want to place the movie after you’ve ripped it.

Digitize DVDs to iTunes with Handbrake

Step 2. Choose Your Quality Preset

Next, you’ll need to decide the quality of your output file. The higher quality the movie, the more space it will take on your hard drive. If you’re technical, you can use the Picture, Video, and Audio tabs to adjust these settings, but most people only need to click one thing: a Preset.

Along the right side of the Handbrake window, you’ll see a selection of Presets (if you don’t see it, drag the corner of Handbrake’s window and expand it until you do). There are presets for nearly anything you could need: Apple TV, Android phones, PlayStation, and lots more. If you’re watching on your computer, use one of the “General” presets – “Fast” and “Very Fast” will be low quality but small in size, while “HQ” and “Super HQ” will have higher quality but take up more space.

Digitize DVDs to iTunes with Handbrake

If you’re ripping a DVD sold in the US, choose the 480p preset. European DVDs are usually 576p. Don’t choose larger presets like 720p or 1080p for DVDs—they won’t make your video look any better, they’ll just make the file bigger.

Step 3. Start Ripping Protected DVD using Handbrake

Once you’ve chosen your Title and Preset, click Start Encode at the top of the window. Then, grab a snack.

Digitize DVDs to iTunes with Handbrake

You’ll see a progress bar along the bottom that will let you know how much time you have left in the rip. Higher quality rips will take longer, so you’ll want to let your computer run for a while.

Digitize DVDs to iTunes with Handbrake

After finishing the DVD to iTunes conversion process, the next step is to add the movies from your computer to your iTunes library so that you can easily sync them with your iPad, iPhone or Apple TV for enjoyment. And here is how to do it.

Method 4. Free Rip DVD to iTunes video formats with VLC

VLC media player is one of the most popular because it is portable and works on all types of platforms. This open source player supports a range of video and audio formats and compression methods. The player also acts as a decent disc ripper and allows converting your DVDs to MP4 format. You can use VLC to convert DVD to MP4 on Windows and Mac systems in order to copy DVD to iTunes for easy syncing to your Apple devices: iPhone, iPad, iPod and Apple TV.

Since the player is not a professional DVD ripping tool, when you try to convert DVD to MP4 via VLC, you may encounter several problems, such as converting DVD to MP4 with VLC, no audio, no supported format, etc. Some of the common disadvantages or limitations of DVD converting with VLC are as follows:

  • Limited format support: VLC only supports a limited number of formats like MP4, WebM, OGG and some others when converting your DVD to video. Therefore, if you wish to convert your discs to multiple formats, VLC will not be a viable solution.
  • Slow conversion: DVD to MP4 conversion is slow, so it will take a long time if the number of discs to be converted is large.
  • Lack of Extras: VLC supports basic ripping of DVD discs to MP4 format without any extras or functions like video settings, editing, adding special effects, etc. So if you want to customize your video while converting, VLC won’t help.

If you already have VLC media player installed in your computer and it’s fine; if not, you can download it as it’s freeware.

The detailed steps to convert DVD to iTunes support MP4 using VLC are listed below.

For your Windows PC, VLC works as a decent disc ripping tool as it facilitates converting DVD contents into iTunes MP4 format. Once converted, the files can be played on a wide range of devices and players without any need for a DVD player.

Steps to convert DVD to iTunes MP4 by VLC on Windows PC:

Before proceeding with the steps below, insert the DVD into your Windows 10 drive.

Step 1: Open VLC Media Player on your Windows 10 PC. From the main menu, click the Media tab on the top-left corner to open a drop-down menu and choose Open Disc. A new pop-up window will open. Alternatively, you can also select the Convert/Save option from the Media tab and then select the Disc tab from the pop-up window.

Step 2: Under Disc Selection, check the box for No disc menus. At Disc Drive, browse and choose the DVD location.

Step 3: Open drop-down menu next to the Play button on the bottom-right corner. Choose Convert from the list.

Step 4: A new Convert window will open from where choose MP4 as Profile format under Settings and location of the converted file and its name at the Destination File tab.

Step 5: Finally, click Start to turn DVD to iTunes MP4 with VLC.

For your Mac, VLC also works great on the Mac system and, just like its Windows version, supports changing your DVD content into iTunes MP4 format.

Steps for DVD to iTunes MP4 conversion on Mac:

Insert the DVD into your Mac drive before proceeding with the below steps.

Step 1: Open the VLC Media Player app on your Mac system. From the drop-down menu at the File tab, choose the Open Disc option.

Step 2: A window with your disc information will open. Click the box for Disable DVD menus. At the bottom left corner, check the box for Stream output.

Step 3: Hit the Settings button that will allow you to a new window. Here check the File option to get the ripped disc as a file on your Mac. Hit Browse to select the location where you want to save the converted disc. In a pop-up window, choose file name and location at Save As and Where tabs, respectively. Click the Save button to confirm.

Step 4: Next, Open the drop-down menu at the Encapsulation Method and choose MPEG 4. Make the needed video and audio settings. Click OK to confirm all the settings.

Step 5: Finally, click Open to start converting DVD to iTunes MP4 with VLC on your Mac.

Then again, it is important to acknowledge the fact that VLC media player can only handle non-protected DVD commercial movies and the output video quality cannot be compared to that of top DVD Ripper since VLC media player is not that good.

Method 5. Redeem digital copies of DVD in iTunes to Upload DVD Movie to iTunes

In addition to physical discs, some DVDs may contain iTunes digital copies of movies. iTunes Digital Copy is a high-definition (HD) digital version of a movie that can be viewed on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC, and Apple TV. To download your digital copy to your iTunes account, you need to redeem the code directly on your portable device (iPad, iTouch, iPhone).

Redeem titles with just a redemption code

✔ On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

1. Open the Apple TV app.
2. At the bottom of the screen, tap Watch Now.
3. In the upper-right corner, tap the profile icon x.
4. Tap Redeem Gift Card or Code. If asked, sign in with your Apple ID and password.
5. Tap You can also enter your code manually, then enter the 12-digit code printed on the insert included with your disc.
6. Tap Redeem.

Learn what to do if you can’t redeem your content code.

✔ On your Mac or PC

1. On your Mac, open the Apple TV app. On your PC, open iTunes for Windows. If you’re not signed in, sign in with your Apple ID.
2. From the menu bar, choose Account > Redeem.
3. Enter your Apple ID and password, then click Sign In.
4. Enter the 12-digit code printed on the insert included with your disc. You might be able to use the camera on your Mac to redeem your code.
5. You can choose to download the digital copy of your movie now or download it later. Learn how to redownload purchases.

On Apple Support Community, Apple has made a very detailed guide on How to redeem digital copies of DVDs or Blu-rays in iTunes.

Disclaimer: Hivimoore does not advocate ripping copy-protected DVDs for any commercial purpose and suggests referring to the DVD copyright laws in your countries before doing so.

We all know that converting DVD to MP4 is becoming a trend, so using a suitable DVD ripper tool to convert DVD to iTunes MP4 is essential. Now you can try these methods and choose the one you like.

Editor’s Recommendation:

Sharon Li

A fan for video streaming. :-)

5 thoughts on “How to Copy DVD to iTunes Library for syncing to iPad, iPhone, Apple TV?

  • March 28, 2015 at 2:41 am
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    This simple to use and affordable program is a great DVD Ripper, but what was important for me was that I was able to use it to rip DVD to iTunes friendly formats for syncing to my iPad Mini 3 and iPhone 6. thanks!

    Reply
  • March 29, 2015 at 12:13 am
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    This DVD ripper runs fast and lets me insert subtitles to my movies. That impresses me. Outstanding!

    Reply
  • April 3, 2015 at 4:09 pm
    Permalink

    Originally I had some bad experience with other DRM converters. BUT this DRM removal works well for me and it’s worth the money I’ve paid.

    Reply
  • April 4, 2015 at 1:21 am
    Permalink

    After using it for nearly a month, I find it very handy and useful for me. With just a few clicks, I can easily rip and convert DVD-video files from DVD disc or DVD Folders. The built-in default presets gives me much convenience in ripping off videos or music to my iPhone and iPad.

    Reply
  • May 12, 2015 at 2:14 am
    Permalink

    I installed the DVD Ripper on Windows computer. Then, all I need to do is drag and drop the folders I want, select output type: MP4 format, and Aimersoft does the rest. It’s much easier.

    Reply

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