How to Rip a DVD to Computer: Best and Free Tools Included
With a growing pile of DVDs and no working player in sight, I realized it was time to make
With a growing pile of DVDs and no working player in sight, I realized it was time to make digital backups. But ripping DVDs?
Not as simple as I expected. Some tools refused to handle copy protection, others felt like solving a puzzle, and a few just wrecked my video quality. After much trial and error, three options stood out for me: DVDneXtCOPY DVD Ripper, MakeMKV, and HandBrake. For each, I’ll walk you through the main pros and cons, plus step-by-step how I rip my DVDs today.
How to Rip a DVD with DVDneXtCOPY DVD Ripper
Whether you’re new to this or just tired of clunky free tools, DVDneXtCOPY DVD Ripper offers something refreshingly user-friendly. I first tried it because I wanted a ripping tool that could actually handle new copy protections and wouldn’t drown me in settings. Right from installation, the interface feels clean. There’s none of that “where do I click next?” confusion. Most importantly, it supports ripping DVDs to over 1000 video and audio formats, and it keeps up with the latest disc encryption, even covering new-released commercial movie discs. The output video quality is impressive too: you can choose a lossless theater mode for perfect picture, or compress the file to fit your phone’s storage. There’s also a batch processing mode, so I don’t have to sit at my desk and wait for each disc to finish.
Highlights
Supports ripping to 1000+ media formats such as MP4, AVI, MOV, and MKV, etc.
Supports DVD, ISO image file and DVD folders as source files
Offers both 1:1 lossless ripping and high-compression modes to suit your needs
Bypasses latest and oldest DVD copy protections automatically such as RC, CSS, DADC, etc.
GPU-accelerated conversion speed with very little quality loss
Clean, modern interface with advanced features for both beginner and tech-savvier
Allows customize videos with built-in editor, adjust subtitles and audio tracks and add external subtitles
Lets you rip subtitles directly from the DVD to separate files
Cons
No Mac version
How to Rip Copy-Protected DVD via DVDneXtCOPY DVD Ripper
Step 1: Download this DVD ripping software from the official website and open it. In the left navigation bar, find the “Ripper” mode. Click “Add Source” to load your DVD from the disc drive. If you want to rip an ISO file or DVD folder instead, you can just drag and drop these files straight onto the main panel. After uploading, the software will automatically detect and display all disc file information.
Step 2: Once your disc or file appears, you can adjust the output settings. The main interface is pretty intuitive: you can choose specific chapters to rip, select audio tracks and subtitles, or even add external subtitles via the drop-down menu.
Next, pick your preferred output format by clicking the “Profile” drop-down menu, then “Choose Other Profiles.” Here, you’ll find every preset and device-specific profile imaginable. If you don’t need anything fancy, just pick a popular format like MP4 or MKV under the “General” section. For advanced needs, explore the “Filter” tab for more options like passthrough, 3D, 4K, and even 8K outputs.
In the “Device” section, you’ll also find hundreds of preset profiles for popular phones, tablets, game consoles, and more. If you’re not sure which formats your device supports, just select your device from the list and the software will automatically apply the optimal settings.
Step 3 (optional): For extra control, click on “Advanced Settings” to tweak output quality, frame rate, resolution, or video quality. Use the built-in video editor and trim features to personalize your movie—crop, rotate, add watermarks, adjust brightness or contrast, or cut unwanted sections.
Wondering how to rip subtitles from a DVD? In the “Subtitle” module under Advanced Settings, choose “Extract to idx/sub file” or “Extract to srt file”. This allows you to save subtitles separately.
Step 4: Once everything’s set, choose your output folder location, then hit “Start.” The software will get to work and begin ripping your DVD on Windows 10/11/8/7.
How to Rip DVD with MakeMKV
If you need to rip a DVD on a Mac, MakeMKV is my recommendation. In my experience, the output quality is excellent (almost as good as watching the disc on a regular DVD player), and the conversion speed is quite acceptable. MakeMKV provides a free beta key for full functionality, though there can be occasional delays when renewing the key. The main drawbacks are that it only outputs MKV files and may not always support the newest disc protections.
Highlights
Completely free to use all features with a beta license
Handles basic DVDs and even Blu-rays copy protections
Outputs your movie in MKV format, preserving original video and audio quality
Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux
Cons
Only outputs MKV files, which are often quite large and not ideal for mobile devices or tablets (MP4 is generally better for that)
The interface appears technical and may feel overwhelming for absolute beginners
May encounter problems with certain newer disc encryptions
Although MakeMKV offers a free beta key, updates can sometimes be delayed, and even after purchasing a license, the activation key may not be delivered immediately
How to Use MakeMKV to Rip a DVD
Step 1: Download and install MakeMKV, then launch the program.
Step 2: Insert your DVD (or Blu-ray) and click the large “Open disc” icon. The software will scan and display all available titles and chapters. You can also click “Open files” to load a disc image file.
Step 3: Review the titles (the longest is usually the main movie). Select which ones you want to rip. You can also choose which audio and subtitle tracks to include.
Step 4: Pick your output folder where the MKV files will be saved.
Step 5: Hit “Make MKV” to start the extraction. Most movies take about 30 minutes depending on the disc and PC speed.
How to Rip DVD with HandBrake
HandBrake is an open-source favorite that I often use when I need more flexibility in output formats or want to compress videos for specific devices. While it doesn’t decrypt most commercial DVDs on its own, you can use it with third-party plugins such as libdvdcss to take full advantage of decryption feature.
Highlights
Completely free and open-source, with active updates and strong community support
Supports MP4, MKV and WebM formats as output
Presets for devices, from iPhones to gaming consoles
Allows to adjust resolution, bitrate, frame rate, audio tracks, and subtitles
Cons
Limited output formats (only three are supported)
Cannot rip copy-protected DVDs alone; you’ll need decrypted files or use it with plugins
The interface can look a bit intimidating to beginners, with lots of options and checkboxes
Occasional bugs or encoding errors with certain DVDs
How to Use HandBrake to Rip DVD to Computer for Free
Step 1: Download and install HandBrake from the official website, then launch the program. Insert your (unprotected or home-made) DVD into your computer’s drive. Click the “Source” button at the top left to scan the DVD. If you’re working with an ISO or folder file, you can also click “Folder” or “File” to upload it. Next, select the title and chapter you want to rip.
Step 2: In the “Summary” tab, select your desired output format—MP4 and MKV are the most common choices. If you’re unsure which format to use, simply choose your device and HandBrake will optimize the settings automatically. Pick a preset profile from the sidebar for your target device, such as iPhone, Android phones, or PlayStation.
Step 3: Customize advanced settings as needed. You can adjust video settings, audio tracks, filters, and subtitles through their respective tabs.
Step 4: Select your output folder by clicking “Browse.” Then click “Start Encode.” HandBrake will process your video, and the conversion time will depend on your DVD’s length and the settings you’ve chosen.
Conclusion
After testing a variety of tools, I’ve found that DVDneXtCOPY DVD Ripper offers the smoothest all-in-one experience, especially for users who want to know how to rip a DVD on Windows and anyone needing broad format support or more robust decryption capabilities. MakeMKV and HandBrake shine if you prioritize backups on Mac. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, so choose what matches your needs best and you’ll be able to safely preserve your movie collection for years to come.
