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CD and DVD ripping

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Dan Michelson edited this page May 13, 2024 · 5 revisions

Optical media comes in two forms: there are playable CDs and DVDs that can be played in a traditional CD player or DVD player without being connected to a computer, and there are data CDs and DVDs that are used to simply store files like you would on a USB drive. While you can simply copy (drag/drop) the files from a data disc to your computer, this method will not be successful for transferring the contents from a playable optical disc.

This process will take a playable CD or DVD, and generate WAV or MOV files that can be preserved long-term.

Outcomes

  • MOV or WAV files saved to LibStaging, from which they can be ingested to LibPres and/or shared through Panopto
  • If they have not previously been numbered, pieces of media will be assigned unique identifiers

Tools

  • Optical disc reader with USB-to-USB-c adapter
  • WinX (full license) and Audacity – both are on the MacBook Pro in Neilson 106B
  • Digital Ingests Workflow
  • Thin Sharpie, Micron or other permanent pen to write on discs

Preparation

  • Log in to the MacBook Pro in Neilson 106B using the SCSC generic login
  • Connect to LibStaging
    • Once logged in, open Finder, and select “Connect to Server” under the “Go” menu
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  • Connect to smb://ad.smith.edu/files/Resources/libstaging
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  • Set up a folder on /Volumes/libstaging/CD_DVD_ripping where you will temporarily store the files from the CDs and DVDs you rip. Follow the instructions in the Digital Ingests Workflow for setting up this working directory.
  • Look at the disc(s) to see if they have had identifiers applied to them yet. If they are not yet numbered, you will need to assign each one an identifier based on the relevant Archival Object identifier or Digital Object identifier, depending on how the description is set up and how many discs you have
    • For processing/accessioning student assistants, the identifier can be generated as follows (unless you’ve specifically been told otherwise):
      • smith_[repository]_ms[collection #]_as[archival object ID]_001
      • repository is ca, mrbc, or ssc
      • collection # is the 5 digit number at the end of the full collection identifier archival object ID is the number at the end of the URL (or URI) of the archival object
      • So for this example in ArchivesSpace, the identifier is smith_mrbc_ms00045_as164147_001
      • Physically mark the discs with the identifiers you have assigned them.
      • For optical media, write on the small interior hub of the disc or on the envelope/case it came in. Avoid writing on the big, main space of the disc, as this can cause damage over time.

How to Rip DVDs Using WinX

NOTE: This method does not work for BluRay. We do not currently have a method for ripping BluRay.

  1. Insert DVD into disc drive and open WinX. Close out of the DVD viewer if it opens, so the rip will go faster.

  2. Make sure the Output Profile is MOV. This is under “General Profiles.” Once selected, click Done .

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  1. Select DVD disc in the top left corner. The DVD will automatically populate. Keep the default settings and click OK.
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  1. Select the track you want to rip. It’s usually the track with the longest runtime, but you can double click to make sure. You can rip multiple tracks at a time, which is helpful for TV shows. Make sure you have the preferred audio and subtitle tracks selected.

  2. Change the Destination Folder to the folder you previously set up for this project on LibStaging. Click Browse to select the folder.

  3. Check Deinterlacing on the bottom right. Click Run.

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  1. If you leave the check box checked, the folder where the file(s) are saved will automatically open once the DVD is done ripping.
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How to Rip Audio CDs using Audacity

  1. Plug the optical media drive into the MacBook Pro. Insert the CD into the reader.
  2. Double click on the Audacity icon on the desktop to open Audacity.
  3. Click on File > Open. Select the CD and audio track(s) to rip, and click Open.
  4. A popup that says “Importing AIFF” will appear while the tracks are imported.
  5. For each track that was imported, Click on File > Export > Export as WAV.
    1. File type: WAV (Microsoft)
    2. Encoding: Signed 16-bit PCM
    3. Save in the folder you set up previously on Libstaging.
  6. On the “Edit Metadata Tags” screen, click “OK.” Check in your destination folder to see when the export has been done (depending on the file size, the popup may disappear quickly).
  7. Click on File>Close or on the red button in the window corner to close the file. When asked if you want to save changes, select “No.”
  8. Eject the disc by dragging and dropping the CD icon on the desktop to the Trash bin

Contents for Tech Services student manual

References

ArchivesSpace User manual

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