Importing material from dvd

Question

does anyone know how to import video from a dvd for editing?
i have material that isn't on a camcorder, it's contained in dvd and i can't seem to figure out how to import.
thank you!
claire

Answer 1

It would be helpful if you would read the posts you are responding to carefully before responding. I don't appreciate being accused of some illegality. My stated goal was to rip recorded DVDs. MY recorded DVDs. Not commercial copyright protected stamped DVDs. There are no copyright or legal issues involved, which was what half your response indicated. I detailed to the salesperson exactly what I was trying to do, and he stated as a fact the imac would do it, and the help text also indicates it would do it.
I''d agree with you NOW that recorded DVDs are not suitable for further editing--the results are poor based on my experience. But I was also told I'd be able to do this with no loss or even better looking results--not that I believed the latter. I didn't think the results would look like third or fourth generation. If I had been told that the day of purchase, I wouldn't have.
What does "you can import video from a CD or DVD" mean if not, in the vernacular, ripping a DVD? I don't believe imovie indicates anywhere that it ONLY imports DV files, and it will import .mov which I assume it converts to .dv. Imovie does its own conversion in some cases, just not in the case of ripping from a recorded DVD, which it states and was advertised as doing.
Also from imovie help:
"Importing video from a VHS tape or other non-digital format
You can also have your video transferred to digital format by a company that offers digital processing services. You can often choose whether to have your footage transferred to DVD or digital videotape. After your video has been digitally processed, you can import it into iMovie."
What use would it be to have it transfered to DVD if imovie couldn't import it, as this statement indicates you can do?
Seems to me Apple intended at some point in time to provide this ability in imovie and then changed its mind. Not providing the ability restricts my ability to import/copy/rip information I've recorded. That makes no sense.
Note that I am not advocating being able to rip commercial copyright protected stamped DVDs.
Sorry--I don't agree with most of the points in your post. imovie was intended to be a fairly comprehensive all-purpose edit tool from what I can see.
Again, from imovie help:
"Movie HD supports importing a variety of video formats, including DV, widescreen DV, high definition (HDV), MPEG-4 (Simple Profile), and more. You can also capture live video with your iSight (including the built-in iSight on your iMac) and send it directly to iMovie HD.
If you have video or audio clips stored on your computer, you can drag them into an iMovie HD project from your desktop. You can even drag video and audio clips from one iMovie HD project to another!
...Magic iMovie can import your footage from a DV or HDV camcorder via FireWire and assemble it into a movie, complete with a title, transitions between scenes, and even a music track of your choosing."
Nothing there about only importing .dv. And even if imovie was .dv only, how would someone new to macs know that, given all this text and the salesman telling you otherwise! Very confusing!
Regards, Dale