Can the iPad play DVD files?

No.
DVD is mpeg2, the iPad only plays back mpeg4 video of certain specs(found on iPad page under tech specs).

You need to pop in your DVD on your Mac, use HandBrake (free download), browse to your DVD, choose the video_ts folder, choose the output folder, choose Apple Universal format, then hit the Start icon. It creates an M4V file that can be synched to your iPad.

Very helpful! Thanks.

How about a solution for BD .isos?

Message was edited by: landoncube

Caveat: not sure if the menus will display; I've never done that but you can get your video_ts folder contents converted and ported to the iPad. That I have done, many times so far, and it plays perfectly.

Sorry, I can't help you there. I don't own any blu-Ray movies to test out. But why would you want to do that anyway? Seems to me you'd lose a lot of the resolution on the conversion. Not to mention the resulting file size taking up some serious space.

I have ripped many of my movies using handbrake. They are in the m4v format. When I select these movies to sync to the iPad it states I cannot sync the movies.

I've done a fair share of converting DVD to other formats like described and the problem will be that apps like handbrake are converting a single file...the main movie title only and thus will not have links to the menus...

For file conversion to most any mobile device the menus are lost...

Menus are separate VOB files and have to be linked somehow within a DVD to allow a user to play them upon a click...you can't do that when converting just the main movie...and even if you converted all VOB files in the DVD you still have removed the links that allow for any navigation so it just wont work this way when being converted to iPad or most any mobile device format

Next best thing for menus is to buy movies from iTunes with iTunes Extras content...

Apopilot, what setting are you using in handbrake? I use Universal. You could also try AppleTV format. But also, from what format are you converting?

A lot fo you are not understanding his initial question, he wasn't asking if any DvD can be played on the ipad, he wants to USE and NAVIGATE through a traditional DvD menu, so he can show his client the different menus and submenus and transition effects. We all know the iPad can play DvD's and Movies, including Blu-ray, with some easy conversion tools like Handbrake etc.

Hey Roberto,

I too like you am wondering the exact same thing. I recently put together a DvD with menus and submenus for a investment proposal and want to show it to the client on my ipad, but I googled to see if this is possible...here I am. The only thing I can think of for the time being, is to create a video of the menu (using SnapzPro), and video myself clicking on the DvD menus, then import that into keynote and compose (with the actual videos themselves) the whole thing as a video presentation, then export it as a singular movie.

The final result is no I can't literally click on the menus and submenus, but I can show a video of what happens when I do click on it.

Have you found an alternative solution?

Can you tell me how to do this with Windows? I've done it by DVD converter years ago, but can't find that free software anymore.

I have the SAME question. I have been searching for a way to play DVD w/ navigation menus. I have this language multi-media DVD that I want to use on my iPad, so I am not trapped to be in front of a computer.

I'm thinking I could use VLC, if Apple approves it for AppStore, then transfer the file to the iPad and view the .IFO file that contains the menuing system. I can manually open desired IFO file from VLC on my Mac (SnowLeopard).

Handbrake and others won't work, because this converts the VOB files ignoring the .IFO files. That doesn't help me as it makes the multimedia DVD with complex menuing system to navigate the language files useless.