How to Copy a DVD to an SD Card

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Inserting a DVD into a DVD-Rom tray of a computer.
Image Credit: AtnoYdur/iStock/Getty Images

Many personal electronics can play back video files from SD cards. If you have a device like this, you're probably wondering how to get your favorite movie from its DVD to your SD card. The process is time consuming, but worth it if you'd like to take movies with you on the go.

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Convert the DVD

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Step 1

Open the DVD with your conversion software. Usually, you will be given the option to select which tracks you want to convert, so you can skip the movie previews and extra features, if you'd like.

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Step 2

Select the settings for the converted file. Use the smallest screen resolution to fit your needs—the larger the resolution, the larger the file.

Step 3

Click on the button to begin the conversion process. This may take several hours, depending upon the speed of your computer, the length of the movie and the resolution you selected.

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Step 4

Verify that the DVD was converted correctly. Open the video file and watch several seconds of it at different intervals. Look out for audio that is out of sync with the video, missing frames or colored spots over frames.

Step 5

Close the conversion software. This will release any computer resources it was using so copying the file to your SD card will be faster.

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Transfer the Video to Your SD Card

Step 1

Insert the SD card into your reader.

Step 2

Open the SD card's folder. In Windows XP and Vista, you will be given the option "Open the Folder to View Files" as soon as your computer recognizes the card.

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Step 3

Copy the video file to the SD card. You can either drag it from its current folder to the SD card's folder, or use the "copy" function in your operating system. Depending upon the size of the file and the speed of your computer, this can take up to an hour.

Step 4

Make sure the file was transferred correctly. If the run time or size of the file on the SD card is different from that of the file on your hard drive, the transfer was unsuccessful.

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