How to Edit a DVD Video (Copy/Convert/Compress/Edit)

The first step of how to edit a DVD is copying the file you need on your computer.

To copy the files, load the DVD into your disc drive and open it in a window. On a Windows computer, go to Control Panel and then Computer. On a Mac, it appears on the desktop.

Locate the main movie file (the largest file on the disk) and drag it to the desktop to copy it. If the disk has several movie files, drag them all.

You can also download a free DVD-ripping program to create digital copies of your discs.

Double-click the installation file you’ve just downloaded and follow the onscreen instructions to install Movavi Video Suite. Run the program, and you’ll see the main window. In this instance, we’ll need just the first two options: Video Editor and Video Converter. The first is for changing the format of your videos and the second is for editing them, making cool new footage for your viewers to enjoy.

Let’s start with the converting process. Click Launch in the Video Converter area and wait for the converter to load. You will see a new window. Now add your videos: click Add Media, choose Add DVD from the list that appears, and then Open DVD. In the window that opens, find and select the folder containing your DVD (VIDEO_TS).

Now you have your files uploaded into the program. Go to the Video tab and find the group of presets for your desired output format. Choose the preset that suits you best (MP4 H.264 – Original Size in this case). Hit the Convert button. The transformation will take a while, depending on the size of your video files. After everything is done, the converter will open the directory where the converted files have been saved. Now let’s switch to the editor. Return to the main Movavi Video Suite window by closing the converter.

Depending on the size of the video file you're working with and how you want to use it, you may want to compress it to a smaller size. DVD movie files can be quite large, and this can make it difficult if you want to share them on social media, send them to friends, or play them on certain devices with limited storage capacities.

To compress your video, in the converter window, click the output size of your file. Move the File size slider and click Apply.

The second part of our guide covers editing your videos. In Movavi Video Suite, click Launch in the Video Editor area to launch the editor. In the window that appears, click Add Files to add videos to the Project files. Add the files you’ve converted, drag them onto the Timeline from the Project files and we can start working with them.

If you don’t want to use the whole video, you can rip your former DVDs. Place the red marker at the beginning of the unwanted segment and click Split, then do the same at the end of that segment. Select the part you’ve separated and hit the Delete button to cut it out.

Now you have several video segments on your board. Let’s add some fades from the Transitions tab to make your footage appear smoother. Look through the list, choose the one you like best, and drag this transition into position between adjacent segments. Repeat if needed. Fades can be different or identical, as you wish.

Another great option that will make your video even more attractive is a new soundtrack. You can add your favorite song or any other music file you have access to – just click the Add Files button again and select the appropriate track. It will be shown on the Timeline below the video. If the music plays for too long, cut it using the same approach as you did with the video. Double-click the soundtrack to display the additional settings menu. Here, you can adjust the volume of your audio, apply sound effects, and more.

Your video is almost ready, but why not give it a little extra pizzazz? You can add filters to give your footage a completely new look, titles to add information to your authoring, or stickers just for fun. These options are not essential, but they will make your creation even more enjoyable.

Go to the Effects tab and choose a category of filters from the list. Then choose an effect. You will see a preview on the preview screen – it will help you to decide whether you want to apply this filter or not. If you want to go ahead, drag it to your video clip.

Titles can be used to show who’s the creator of the footage, why the video has been made and who it is devoted to. In the Text tab, there are many different title styles: for example, the ‘Breaking news’ style adds two lines, one for a name and one for a description; ‘Speech bubbles’ adds bubbles with text as in a comic strip. After you’ve chosen a title, drag it to the Timeline above the video – to the Titles track. You can change the title duration and indicate when they should appear by moving and adjusting the length of the appropriate rectangle. The text can also be edited – just double-click the corresponding block on the Timeline for the titles to appear on the preview screen. Then double-click the text in the preview screen to make your changes.

Now add some graphics to your footage. Choose a sticker from the Elements > Stickers tab and drag it to the Titles track. The sticker will be shown on the preview, where you can change its size and position. The duration of the sticker’s appearance is also customizable – change it by tweaking the sticker’s rectangle length on the Timeline.

Another optional step you can take is to combine multiple DVD movies into one whole file. For example, you might have multiple DVDs with different home movies on, and you can combine them all into one big file to watch with the family. Or you might have different episodes of a show across various DVDs that you want to combine together.

To combine several DVD movies into one, simply add them all together to the project. Click the Add Files button and locate your files. The files will be added to the Project files. Next, drag and drop the video files onto the Timeline.

After you’ve done everything you need with the video, save it. Click Export, then choose a format from the Save video file tab. Enter the name of your file and specify the folder where you want to save the footage. If you want to change some export settings, click Advanced and make your selections. Now hit Start. Wait for a while and… Congratulations! Your video is ready, and you can share it with your friends!

This step is also optional, but it's one to consider if you want to have a physical copy of your new video file. You can then store it as a duplicate or backup, use it in DVD players, make multiple copies to give to friends and family, and so on. You can use Movavi Video Suite as a DVD burner to burn files to new discs. Burning DVDs on your Windows 10 PC, Windows 7 or Vista device, Mac, and other systems is simple with this professional video suite. You can simply copy the IFO, VOB, ISO, MPEG, or image files across to the new disc and burn new DVDs directly. You can also add a custom menu and cover screens, subtitle tracks, adjusted sound, and so on. To burn a disc, open the Data tab in the Video Suite main window and locate the Burn disc option.