I have a 9 minute video on a DVD that I wish to put into DropBox and create a link so that someone in another city can view it. The same DropBox folder would have a PDF of several pages.

My problem is that I cannot figure out how to convert the DVD to something usable in DropBox. How do I do it?

You will find a list of the file types acceptable to Dropbox here. Since both .mov and .mp4 are on that list and they are standard OS X/MacOS formats there are a variety of standard apps that can produce those formats including Photos, iTunes, iMovie, etc. If you have to convert the video I have had good results with Free DVD Ripper but there are a bunch of alternatives on the App Store.

CAUTION: If this DVD is DRM protected, you may run into conversion problems.
WARNING: If the DVD is copyright protected and you do not have written permission from the publisher and artist to copy it, you could run into legal problems from Dropbox, the publisher of the DVD, industry organizations, even federal authorities. In that case, you might want to have an attorney on retainer.

This did a swell job of making an mp4 except the free version is only good for 5 minutes and mine is just over 9. I'll check the others.


Not an issue, it's my work.

Right now there’s a DVD ripper in this free bundle*. No idea how well it works, but it may be worth a shot.

*) You’ve got to register (free) to log in, but StackSocial is good with your info, based on my experience.

Handbrake is another free DVD ripper with a good reputation. All of the copyright caveats above still apply.

In which case you may want to put a copyright notice on the material for your own protection. You do not have to register the copyright, just add a warning the work is copyrighted by you and the date.

OS 10,6,8 I converted a DVD 8 minute video to a MP4 which I have in my dropbox
I used imedia converter deluxe, not free though. I understand that with a gmail account there is a procedure whereby you can send up to 10 Gbs. jaybass

There is also a procedure where you can do that using iCloud.

Thanks. I got it done with iTunes….by dragging it from "Home Videos" to the DropBox folder. I was, however, taken aback that the DropBox upload took several hours, as did the storyboard….a 48 page PDF.

Uploading is an issue, even with DSL, forget altogether about dial-up.

My DSL gives me 7.8 Mbps downstream and 0.9 Mbps upstream, and transmitting anything longer than a yawn takes forever.

I can now get Fios with 50 Mb d/l and u/l speeds, but I'm not going for the introductory offer only to get skewered down the road. (Although I'll probably get skewered anyhow when I'm forced to switch...when Verizon drops support for my landline...which, hopefully, won't be for a good many years.)

I just converted that same video of mine with visual hub to avi so it seems there are many ways of achieving the same thing. jaybass

Yawn is for sure….my speeds are "up to" 15Mbps down and "up to" 512 Kbps up, and the ISP sure has a lot of latitude with their "up to" caveat. What really ticks me off is that they're always whining about how hard-done-by they are, and yet they posted profits last year that were 64% higher than the previous year.

Boo hoo.

The "up to" caveat is because DSL speeds are a function of the condition and layout of the physical cable plant, the cable miles between your location and the central office ord repeater station, and the laws of physics governing electrical transmission. The closer you are to the CO or repeater in cable miles the faster your DSL will be and vice-versa. Since more and more users are abandoning landline phone service in favor of cell phones, don't look for your telco to spend much money on improving the physical plant either.

In my case, delivery is via the cable company (and, of course, laws of physics apply) but, interestingly, the telephone company has just brought fibre optic cable to our neighbourhood. I have a coil of it in a box on the side of the garage.