Putting films on Windows Surface help..

moneypooh

Hi, my son has a surface RT.


We have quite a few DVD's on iTunes from DVD's bought.
The Surface doesn't allow iTunes, so is there any good legal software that can convert the DRM versions so he can download them?
He has 'googled' this and 'free' converters have popped up but not sure they are safe and will not download viruses etc...


Many thanks in advance.

Mondez

After a quick google it seems that most of the software looks slightly dubious. At the very least their installers will likely try and install all sorts of additional crap. I'm sure they will succeed in converting them though, I just don't know what else they will do.
Personally I'd aquire the videos in a less restrictive format, maybe real dvd's (not bluray) which have pretty much no effective DRM on them anymore and are easily converted. Then I wouldn't buy on iTunes anymore so as to stop supporting the practice of restricting how end users view content they paid for.

almillar

Yep, you're paying the price of buying DRM'd stuff from iTunes. If it was a matter of simply converting formats, you'd be fine, but the DRM is there to stop you doing exactly the thing you're trying to do. If you've any DVDs you can happily rip them, convert them and copy them over to the Surface, or any other video files that have no DRM.

moneypooh

I haven't bought any DVDs on iTunes, these are the digital copies that come with some DVD/bluRay films these days.


The UV ones aren't a problem it's just these older ones are blocked. I never buy of iTunes as I don't own anything apple.


I agree the software does look a bit 'too good to be true'.
Thanks

JJ_Egan

To good to be true or not ripping DRM may not be legal yet.

Mondez

Best bet is to rip the DVD's then. Even the UV editions are suspect since they can also be cut off at any time. It just happens that lots of companies have signed up to support it so far.
Technically even dvd ripping is an infringement of copyright and that won't be fixed by recent changes to legislation since european legislation prevents laws that allow circumvention of copy protection technology (such that you will have the right to, but can't because there is a technical measure in place that you aren't allowed to break). However no one has ever been prosecuted for ripping dvd's for personal use. Anyhow, there appears to be a nice tutorial on the lifehacker website that uses handbrake and a dll from vlc to make this pretty straight forward. Google for lifehacker and rip dvd to hard drive or somthing like that and you should find it pretty easy.

dogmaryxx

Mondez wrote: »

Google for lifehacker and rip dvd to hard drive or somthing like that and you should find it pretty easy.

http://lifehacker.com/5809765/how-to-rip-a-dvd-to-your-computer