Can I transfer videos to different computers via CD-R or DVD+RW without using a ripping program on the second computer?

Yes, of course you can. Don’t format the DVD as a video disc. Just keep it a data disc, and transfer the movie file to it. Just like you would transfer pictures or Excel spreadsheets.

What Mritty said.

And if both computers are on the same wireless network it is pretty easy to set up file sharing on your Mac. That way you can just drag the files across and you don’t need to bother wasting a disk.

@MrItty So, how exactly do I do that?

@johnpowell Same is true of Windows 7 pretty much automatically and with any WinXP or Linux system that you spend a few minutes to configure sharing. But yes, I find that CAT5 cable and 802.11n are more convenient and faster than a burned disc. Personally, I share files between my two Windoze systems, a couple of Linux boxes, and occasionally the neighbor’s MB Pro that way.

@flash74686 The same way you burn any other data to a disc. What operating system does the Windoze box have? If it’s WinXP Pro, VIsta, or 7 then you can pretty much do a CD from teh desktop with nothing more than the OS. Or maybe there is Roxio or Nero or other burning app on there; those also work.

To give exact instructions, we need more info.

Or are we talking the wireless thing? Again, part of that depends on the version of Windows at the other end.

@flash74686 You just do it. You stick the blank DVD in the drive, and you copy the video file from your computer to the DVD drive. Then you take the DVD out, you put it in the other computer, and you copy it from the DVD drive to the computer.

@MrItty So I can go into “My Computer” and drag and drop? Or something like that?

@flash74686 It is pretty much that easy… for some PCs. I ask again, what version of Windows?

@jerv 7, I think? I’m totally Apple-happy so I wouldn’t know. . . but I’m pretty sure that’s it.

@flash74686 Windows 7 is pretty LAN-happy, so you really don’t need to do anything on that end as far as configuration goes. If your Mac can log on to the same router (whether by wifi or by hooking up a network cable) then Win7 will see your Mac and have access to any folders on the Mac you designate as “shared”. Win7 has “public” folders by default, but I don’t think OS X does, so you may have to set a few things on your Macbook.

As for DVD burning, just slapping a blank DVD-R into my Win7 laptop’s external burner prompted a dialog box from Windows that asked if I wanted to burn a DVD video disc or a DVD data disc while doing that in my Win7 desktop kicks off Roxio, which was pre-installed at the factory and is good enough to keep around.

Basically, if it’s Windows 7 then it’s actually simpler than your Mac! Whether you want to burn a disc or do it over the LAN, Win7 is already set up to do it.

As for needing special software, you shouldn’t. Windows 7 burns standard DVDs. If your Mac cannot read a standard-format data DVD then your Mac is defective. I could read PC data discs on my old Mac Performa over a decade ago with no special software installed, so it should work. And any DVD drive that can’t read a DVD video is in need of replacing period.