- Convert a DVD to a Digital File
- Convert Backup Files to Single iPad-Compatible File
- Transfer the .m4v File to the iPad
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Transfer the .m4v File to the iPad
To import the .m4v file, open up iTunes but don't connect your iPad yet. Click the Movies category under your Library. It may or may not be empty. I have a few Thomas the Train videos for my son that you can see in Figure 17.
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Click the File menu and choose Add File to Library. A window appears like the one shown in Figure 18; just browse to the location of that .m4v file you just created and click the Open button.
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Now you should see the movie added to the Movies category as seen in Figure 19.
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Connect your iPad, making certain that the Movies category is selected to be Synchronized. The User's iPad category becomes visible under the Devices category (far left column) after you've connected your iPad. Click on User's iPad (or whatever name is given to your iPad) and then browse to the Movies tab as seen in Figure 20.
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Make certain that the Sync Movies checkbox is checked. You can also place a check in the Automatically include section and then select all or select specific movies.
In Figure 21, I've chosen to sync all my movies from the Library to my iPad. (If you select to automatically sync all movies, the individual movie files disappear. Don't worry—they're still there. )
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Click the Sync button in the lower-right corner and give it some time, especially if you've got a large movie to sync or a bunch of little ones. Pay attention to the text at the top of iTunes which tells you when it's safe to disconnect your iPad.
When all is done, and if you've done everything correctly, you can open your iPad, click the Movies app, and see a listing of all your movies—see Figure 22.
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Click on a movie to play to open it up. Click on the Play button and that's it!
Tapping the center of the screen toggles the controls on and off. If you don't touch the screen for a few seconds, the controls will disappear and only the movie will display.
Repeat as often as you like, or until your iPad runs out of storage space! (And remember: you can delete the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders (see Figure 9) if you want to free up hard drive space on your computer.
Now you know how to take a DVD movie and convert it to a file that can be viewed on your iPad—it's great for long flights and car rides, doctor office visits, and waiting in line at the DMV or post office. Just be warned—you're likely to make a few new acquaintances if it's a good flick, so take along a headset or earphones for private viewings.