How to Turn a DVD Into a Video Clip on the Computer

Say you have a movie on DVD, but you want to watch it on your phone, tablet, somewhere else. You can "rip" that DVD—or turn it into a movie file on your computer—to play it wherever you want. Here's how to do it.

Many people may have big original DVD collections of favorite actors and most of these DVDs are copyrighted. To prevent these valued DVDs from any loss or damages, the best way is to keep them well on computer. To preserve your DVD's content, use DVD ripping software to convert the disc to video files. Because Windows doesn’t include DVD ripping software, use a free third-party program such as Freemake Video Converter, HandBrake or Pavtube DVDAid, then use Windows Live Movie Maker to create and edit video clips from your ripped DVD. 

Rip the DVD

Step 1

Download and install a DVD ripping program, such as Freemake Video Converter, HandBrake or Pavtube DVDAid.

Step 2

Insert the DVD into the computer’s disc drive.

Step 3

Launch the DVD ripping software you downloaded, and then follow the program’s instructions to rip the disc to your computer.

Create Video Clip

Step 1

Launch Windows Live Movie Maker.

Step 2

Click the “Add videos and photos” button on the Home toolbar. Select the video you created with the DVD ripping software, and then click “Open” to import the file.

Step 3

Select a start point for the clip by clicking the “Play” button in the Preview window, and then clicking “Pause” when you reach the exact location. Click the “Edit” toolbar tab, and then click the “Start set point” button to mark the beginning of the clip. Alternatively, click and drag the slider bar in the Preview screen to the exact point you want the video clip sequence to start, and then click the “Start set point” button on the "Edit" toolbar.

Step 4

Select an end point for the clip by clicking the “Play” button, and then clicking “Pause” at the exact frame you want to use as the end of the video clip. Click the “Edit” toolbar tab, and then click the “Set end point” button. You can also select an end point for the clip by clicking and dragging the slider bar to your desired video frame in the Preview screen, and then clicking the “Set end point” button on the "Edit" toolbar.

Step 5

Click the “Movie Maker” tab, highlight “Save movie,” and then select the “For computer” option. Enter a file name for the video clip, and then select your preferred destination folder, such as My Videos.

Step 6

Click the “Save” button to save the video clip to your computer.

Tips
Consider transferring the ripped video files to a flash drive for further safekeeping. If your hard drive crashes, you can use the flash drive to transfer the movies to a new computer. Windows Live Movie Maker saves all videos in the WMV format. To save a video clip in an alternative format, such as MP4, AVI or MPEG, install a third-party video editor.

Warnings

Creating backup copies of copyrighted material is considered piracy. Only use DVD ripping software to create copies of movies you created.

References

Freemake: How to Rip DVD Movies Free
HandBrake: Windows GUI Usage Guide
Microsoft Windows: How Do I Trim a Video in Movie Maker?

Resources

Freemake: Free Video Converter
HandBrake: Download
Pavtube DVDAid Onlinehelp