# DVDs and music

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvds-and-music/55940>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 26, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvds-and-music/55940 "2001-02-26T16:59:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvds-and-music/55940/1 "2001-02-26T16:59:08Z")

</div>

Okay, I have two questions: one technical and one legal/ethical:

The technical one: is it possible for me to record a song off my movie DVD? For example (not chosen at random), if I wanted a sound file of the “World is Not Enough” theme from my DVD of the movie, could I do that, and if so, how?

The legal/ethical one: I know that with music tapes or CDs you are legally allowed to copy songs for your own use. Does this apply to recording the music from a movie as well?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lemming](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Lemming](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemming)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2001, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvds-and-music/55940/2 "2001-02-26T17:14:49Z")

</div>

Well, I can answer your technical question. Yes, it can be done. There are a few ways to do it. Basically, you can just hook the red and white RCA outputs on your DVD player up to a recording device. Depending on the kind of input said device receives, you may need to purchase an RCA-to-1/8" mini-plug (earphone) adapter. This will result in an analog recording, since the RCA preouts are each mono analog connections, but assuming that you use good equipment, it shouldn’t be bad.

Then, there’s my method. I’ve got a SoundBlaster LIVE! soundcard and a hardware DVD decoder. I’ve got the decoder set to use the soundcard’s waveout as an output, so all I have to do is go into the sound controls and record off of waveout, or “what u hear” (hate it when Creative gets cute with names). This results in a low-distortion recording that may even be pure digital. Obviously, this isn’t an option open to all people, though. Sounds darn nice, though!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2001, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvds-and-music/55940/3 "2001-02-26T17:42:22Z")

</div>

Lemming:

> [@](#):
>
> This results in a low-distortion recording that may even be pure digital.

Yes, but not CD-quality… just wanted to point that out.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2001, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvds-and-music/55940/4 "2001-02-26T22:09:45Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> Okay, I have two questions: one technical and one legal/ethical:

The technical and legal questions are welcome here, but if you want to discuss the ethics of it, please take it to GD. Just a reminder from your friendly neighborhood moderator.