I’m a bit of a numpty when it comes to Apple things. What’s the best (easiest) way to get videos onto my iPad?

They are mostly in .AVI if that’s worth mentioning.

Download Handbrake, it’s free and very easy to use file converter.

Or install an app like VLC that plays file types* other than mp4, so no need to convert.

(* or “containers”, for the video format pedants)

drlex’s solution is what I do. I use the AcePlayer app which is pretty good and plays practically anything.

VLC has just been rereleased for iOS.

I go with momo’s suggestion. Either get the files in mp4 format or use handbrake to convert to .mp4/.m4v and drag them into iTunes. These days they usually turn up under the ‘home videos’ tab in iTunes & you just need to change their metadata/’info’ to make them appear in ‘TV Shows’ or ‘Movies’.

Once they’re in iTunes you can sync them with your iPad/iPhone/iPod & play them on your Apple TV.

That sounds like an utter faff. One of the reasons I like AcePlayer (and other apps) is I can put them on instantly without waiting hours for conversion or faffing about with iTunes and metadata.

I’ve put a couple through Handbrake, but it takes aaaaagggggeeeeeesssss… Should it take 2-3 hours to process a 2 hour movie?

I use handbrake and have been for a few years. You can set up a queue (icon at top’of screen) that way you can process multiple films overnight, from memory it takes something like 70% of movie time to process. You use hnadbrake to create mp4v format and then dragged into iTunes which is setup to sync to your iPad. FYI I also use the paid app RipIt as I found handbrake a bit unreliable for ripping DVD’s, after RipIt I run Handbrake – so thats quite slow but I like to have my movie collection available and I watch movies on iPad when travelling.. I use VLC as mainnplayer on my mac, its very good so app for iOS would be worth trying.

Should it take 2-3 hours to process a 2 hour movie?

Depends on the PC but yeah it takes a looong time to convert – hence why I don’t.

Sorry for the thread hijack but what is the easiest way to get DVDs onto an iPad?

Depends on the PC but yeah it takes a looong time to convert – hence why I don’t.

Agreed. I use a thing called AVPlayerHD which plays pretty much any format without converting.

^Handbrake will also convert a title on a DVD into a format suitable for an iPad. I use it for getting the kids’ fave DVDs onto the iPad. Some many DVDs have multiple “fake” titles and of course “extras” so finding the one that is the actual movie is important. The DVD player on your PC/Mac should tell you that and then THAT’S the specific title you want to rip in Handbrake. Lots of info on the internet about how to do this. Google is your friend.

Once ripped, dragging it into iTunes does make it easier to do the final step of getting it onto your iPad.

I’ve just copied some across to watch with VLC, works fine. They are divx and mkv format.

Sorry for the thread hijack but what is the easiest way to get DVDs onto an iPad?

Its probably just easier to download them illegally, then copy them onto the iPad and watch with VLC.

Should it take 2-3 hours to process a 2 hour movie?

Depends on the computer, my MacMini chomps through them in 30 minutes

I use RipIt – dead easy ripping and compresser. It’ll even add the files into iTunes for you if you like.

I think it was £10 or something. Alternatively Handbrake does the job.

Its probably just easier to download them illegally, then copy them onto the iPad and watch with VLC.

Someone else has told me this too. I guess that I’d rather not start illegal downloading when I have already paid for the DVD…

I use RipIt – dead easy ripping and compresser. It’ll even add the files into iTunes for you if you like.

An initial Google looks like this is only for Apple computers. Is there a PC version?

Once ripped, dragging it into iTunes does make it easier to do the final step of getting it onto your iPad.

Hmm..

To get them onto the iPad in AcePlayer I can just drag the unconverted files into the app in iTunes, or I can access it via a web-browser from any PC and drag the files into it from there.

Or of course I can just leave them on the PC (or any media server) and stream them so they don’t take up space on the iPad.

Again, no need to convert them – it happily plays WMV, AVI, MKV, RMVB, RM, XVID, MP4, 3GP, MPG

Someone else has told me this too. I guess that I’d rather not start illegal downloading when I have already paid for the DVD…

A lot of DVDs these days include files that you can just copy onto your computer so there is not even a need to create a file from the DVD itself and if you have bought the DVD then downloading a file isn’t really illegal as you end up in the same situation as if you created the file from the DVD. The person distributing the file might be acting illegally but you aren’t, well not in any meaningful way.

if you have bought the DVD then downloading a file isn’t really illegal as you end up in the same situation as if you created the file from the DVD. The person distributing the file might be acting illegally but you aren’t, well not in any meaningful way.

Still illegal.

When you download DVDs via things like BitTorrent you are also uploading and distributing the file it to other people. That’s how it works.

…and if you don’t use a BitTorrent?

Still illegal, but harder to get caught. 😀

I don’t think there are many places out there that just let you download a complete DVD from one server though. Aside from the legality it is too much load for one server. So most use some kind of P2P sharing like BitTorrent or eDonkey

Hmm..

Before settling on Handbrake and iTunes I tried a few different media servers serving up my BD player (and hence TV and hi-fi) over DLNA. Some things played, some didn’t and the media library interface was poor. I then bought Apple TV. The (not really a) hassle of ripping to MP4 is more than worth it for the way it all works so incredibly well (and easily) via shared libraries on Apple TV, iPhones, iPads etc.

As someone said above, just queue them up and leave them ripping. Doesn’t take much effort on my part and if I’m ripping from my own DVDs I might as well rip them in Apple’s format 🙂

I use handbrake, dead easy and free. My MacBook Pro can convert a movie in about 20mins, so no hanging around, you can also queue them to convert three or four while you’re out riding your bike.

I do use handbrake for DVDs, but usually use iFlicks to convert the files to itunes compatable…

the reason for this is, it will download the meta data, and artwork, load into iTunes, and then this serves the apple TV in the living room, and the bedroom, and can load to the ipad…

I also use this in conjuntion with TVshows…..
TVshows downloads the shows I tell it to, and then an applescript fires them up in iflicks, and iflicks does the do… best pvr out there 😉

Errr, OK, proving that I am a complete nuggin…

Many people here saying ‘Drag and Drop into iTunes’. Which bit? where? how. If I open the films bit, and try to drop into there, nothing happens…?

Help!

Mac or PC? I’m on a Mac and just drag the movie file from wherever it is in Finder (equivalent of Windows Explorer) onto the iTunes icon in the dock. Not sure if you can do the same on Windows.

^^ PC running Win7

Sorry no idea then 🙁

Dragging the file from wherever it is on the PC into iTunes shouldnt be a problem, just drag the file into the top part of iTunes where it says music, video, etc, and it’ll just load itsself into the appropriate place. If you haven’t got the correct place, it’ll just bounce back.

@edd I am on a Mac but I use RipIt then Handbrake, in theory Handrake and/or RipIt can do it all but I found this combination works most reliably partly as I have a lot of foreign language films and this way I can create a couple of versions with/without subtitles (the basic rip with all DVD options can be 8gb whereas .mp4v is typically 1gb or less).

@jambalaya Thanks, but I don’t think that RipIt works on PCs…

Before settling on Handbrake and iTunes I tried a few different media servers serving up my BD player (and hence TV and hi-fi) over DLNA. Some things played, some didn’t and the media library interface was poor. I then bought Apple TV. The (not really a) hassle of ripping to MP4 is more than worth it for the way it all works so incredibly well (and easily) via shared libraries on Apple TV, iPhones, iPads etc.

Stream to Me is even easier IMO. I stream stuff in my front room from the HD on my computer upstairs, via an iPhone or iPad to the Apple TV. Works flawlessly and converts on the fly.

@edd – try Handbrake, it’s available for windows, as posted above I found it a bit tricky and gave up but @stilltortoise has some tips above. I’ve just downloaded VLC for iPad and will try that later on non .mp4v files, I’m a big fan of VLC and use it as preferred player on mac mini

DVD Decrypter to rip files from the DVD, then DVDVideosoft’s FreeStudio to convert the file to the format of your choice. MP4 for iPad use.

Finally, File | Add File To Library to get it into iTunes, then sync to your iPad.

I’m just off to try some of the iOS viewers as I need one that views mpegs on iOS devices – thanks all!

MagicDVD does the same job on a PC as RipIt does on a Mac.

‘drag & drop‘ open iTunes, open a finder (mac) or explorer (PC) window, click & hold on the file you want. Drag that file over the iTunes window where the movies/songs/TV shows are listed. Let go. If all goes well, iTunes takes the file and adds it to the library.

I can see if you love file management in explorer or finder then this is a faff. But, if you have multiple iOS devices, Apple TV and share your iTunes library via ‘home sharing’ it avoids a lot of tech support questions from folks who just want things to work.

I loaded the new VLC app onto my ipad1 – but I cannot get .avi movies into iTunes so how do you watch them ? This is why I’ve always converted to .mp4v before loading into iTunes then iPad viewing via sync