Can I transcribe a DVD? Yes, once it is a file.
Yes, once the disc is a file: a DVD stores video in VOB pieces inside a VIDEO_TS folder, so convert the title you want to an MP4 or an audio-only MP3 on your computer, then upload it, one file up to 10 hours or 5 GB. It is transcribed at about 2 minutes per audio hour with a free preview of the opening minutes, so a 2-hour recorded lecture or ceremony on disc is text in about 4 minutes on the $4 pack of 300 minutes.
From disc to file to text
The one conversion step, and what to watch for.
Why the disc can't go straight up
A video DVD is a folder of VOB pieces plus menus, not a single media file. Converting the main title into one MP4, or saving only its sound as MP3, gives you a file with the whole recording in order. This page does not offer a disc conversion service; it is a step you do on your computer.
Tools people use
Free programs such as HandBrake or VLC can usually open a home-made DVD and save a title as MP4 or audio. Menus and option names differ between versions, so look for an option to convert, save or export. Choosing audio only keeps the file small.
Only discs you may use
Home-made discs of your own events, lectures you recorded or archives you hold the rights to are what this is for. Commercial discs are often copy-protected, and transcribing them is a question of the rights you hold, not of the file.
Upload and read
Files up to 500 MB go in the box here; a bigger MP4 continues on the upload page. Back come timestamped text, chapters, a brief with takeaways and the names, numbers and dates said, with speakers named in the summary and key quotes.
Before and after
A shelf of discs, or a folder of text.
✗ Recordings locked on discs
Discs need a player that fewer computers have, and nobody can search them.
- No drive on newer laptops
- Menus before every playback
- Discs scratched or labelled vaguely
- Quotes found by watching again
- Content nobody has seen in years
- No way to share one passage
✓ Each disc as a document
Convert the title once and keep the text alongside the file.
- A single MP4 or MP3 per title
- About 2 minutes per audio hour
- Chapters for each part
- Names and dates listed
- Speakers named in the summary
- DOCX, TXT, SRT, VTT, JSON
Sample output
A recorded seminar from an old disc.
Illustrative lines invented for this page; not a real disc.
Export
One transcript. Five clean formats.
Every pack exports all five — no format is held back for a higher tier.
Plain text
De-ummed paragraphs. Ready to paste.
SRT captions
Timed to the speech. Every video editor reads this.
WebVTT
HTML5 player + YouTube uploads.
Show notes
Formatted with chapters and pull-quotes.
Machine-readable
Timestamped text for your own tools.
Pricing
Honest pricing, no surprises.
A pack from $4 (300 minutes) opens the full transcript. After that, no subscription and no auto-renew — every tier is a one-time minute pack, and credits never expire. Buy once, use the minutes whenever you need them.
Casual pack
$4/300 min
5 hours of audio — $0.80 an hour. One-time — credits never expire.
- 300 minutes of audio
- All export formats
- AI chat over the whole transcript
- Executive summary & key quote
Best value
$18/3,000 min
50 hours of audio — $0.36 an hour. Credits never expire.
- 3,000 minutes of audio
- Summary, chapters and key quotes
- All export formats
- AI chat over the whole transcript
Bulk pack
$32/6,000 min
100 hours of audio — $0.32 an hour. Credits never expire.
- 6,000 minutes of audio
- Summary, chapters and key quotes
- API access for batch pipelines
- All export formats
FAQ
DVDs, answered.
My computer has no DVD drive.
An external USB DVD drive works with most computers and is inexpensive. Once the title is converted to a file you no longer need the drive, and the file is easier to keep backed up than the disc.
How long is the content of a DVD?
A single-layer disc often holds around two hours of video at normal quality, sometimes more at lower quality. Check the running time once converted; that is what the transcription is counted on.
What does a box of discs cost?
Packs start at $4 for 300 minutes, and credits never expire. Five discs, about 600 minutes, fit the $18 pack of 3,000 minutes. Packs are paid once with no subscription.
Should I convert to MP4 or MP3?
If you only need the words, audio only: it is smaller and uploads faster. Keep MP4 if you want SRT or VTT captions to put back on the video.
What about an audio CD?
An audio CD holds up to about 80 minutes in tracks that must be ripped to WAV or MP3 first. Join the tracks into one file if you want a single transcript; each file otherwise becomes its own.
Is the recording private?
Files made from your discs are transcribed on our own servers and never used for training. Delete the file and the transcript from your Library when you are done.
Related
More on old media and large files.
A disc on the shelf. Text you can search.
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