Older DVDs can be difficult to find and may become damaged with frequent use, which can put your collection at risk. How do we ensure that the DVDs last as long as possible? One effective method is to rip DVD to MKV, or other digital formats such as MP4 or MOV and store them on your hard drive. This not only protects your discs from wear and tear but also offers the convenience of easy access to your favorite movies.
MKV, or Matroska Video, is an open-source multimedia container format, ideal for storing multiple video and audio tracks, subtitle files, and metadata — all within a single file. In this article, I will introduce the excellent DVD ripper for Mac and Windows that allow you to efficiently rip DVD to MKV format. These tools offer a convenient way to preserve your DVD collections while enjoying greater compatibility and flexibility for playback on various devices.
Preparation before DVD to MKV Conversion
We need to do some preparation before starting to convert DVD to MKV.
- The DVD movie you wish to convert and store to a computer.
- A DVD drive. Connect it to your PC.
- A dedicated MKV DVD ripper software.
So now, let's move forward with the DVD to MKV converters for encrypted DVDs and home DVDs.
MakeMKV: A Dedicated Tool for Converting DVD to MKV
MakeMKV is a free software compatible with multiple operating systems including Windows, Mac, and Linux, designed for handling both DVDs and Blu-rays. As you can tell from its name, it can convert DVD to MKV files. If you are looking for a digital format file with original quality, MakeMKV is a preferred choice.
- It has a straightforward interface.
- Can deal with both DVD and Blu-ray, including those with copy protection.
- Convert DVD to MKV with lossless video quality, as the ripping process involves no re-encoding.
- Supports only MKV format and does not offer advanced options like DVDFab DVD Ripper.
- Output larger file sizes. To save disk space, you still need to look for other tools.
- Does not support video editing.
According to its website, MakeMKV’s DVD feature will remain free. The user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate. In the following section, I will guide you on how to rip DVD to MKV using MakeMKV.
Steps to Convert DVD to MKV with this Free Tool
Step 1: Download MakeMKV from its official site and install it.
Step 2: Insert the DVD into your PC drive. MakeMKV will detect the disc in the connected drive.
Step 3: Hit the "Open DVD disc" button on the software and then wait till it completes the decryption and opening DVD process.
Step 4: From the list of titles, disable the audio tracks and subtitle streams you don't need and then on the right window, click on the yellow folder icon to change the output folder.
Step 5: Hit the "Make MKV" icon on the right to start to rip DVD to MKV.
DVDFab DVD Ripper: A Versatile Tool for Ripping DVD to MKV
The second MKV DVD ripper I want to introduce is DVDFab DVD Ripper, which offers Windows and macOS versions for use.
DVDFab DVD Ripper, originally known as “DVD to Mobile,” has been a staple in the industry for over 20 years. When compared to MakeMKV, DVDFab offers a wider variety of output formats, including audio options like MP3 and FLAC, as well as video formats such as MKV, MP4, MOV, and AVI (with H264, H265, and 3D options). Additionally, DVDFab provides extensive output choices and flexible video editing features. However, the abundance of output options may sometimes be overwhelming for users who do not understand formats well.
- Can handle both old and newly released protected DVDs
- Supports batch conversion and applies hardware acceleration to ensure a fast-speed conversion
- Supports output high-quality video as well as compressing the video to a smaller file size
- Provides options to edit the video and audio as well as subtitles
- Provides over 1,000 format and device profiles
- It is a paid product. The good thing is that if you prefer not to purchase a license, you can still use it to convert DVD to MKV and MP4 formats after the 30-day free trial ends.
How to Convert DVD to MKV with DVDFab DVD Ripper
Step 1: Download DVDFab from its official site.
Step 2: Launch DVDFab, and then switch to the Ripper module.
Step 3: Insert a DVD into your PC drive. DVDFab will detect and load the DVD in the connected drive automatically. Wait till it completes the analyzing process.
Step 4: Choose the profile needed in the main control window. You can click on the profile to open the profile selector and then choose MKV to output a high-quality file. If you prefer not to lose video quality, use the Passthrough MKV profile.
You can set the chapter range, and select the audio tracks and the subtitle streams you want to preserve.
- Merge: If you want to combine different titles into one single file, use this feature.
- Choose Other Titles: Click on it to choose and add more titles of that movie DVD as the source.
- More settings: from left to right are Preview - Advanced Settings - Video Edit - Trim.
💡Tips: You can directly set the output quality of the video on the main window, or go to the "Advanced Settings" panel to change more parameters as per your preference.
Step 5: Go to the Video Edit window, crop or rotate the video, and adjust brightness, contrast, white balance, and saturation. You can also add watermarks (text and picture) and external subtitles; to enhance human voice or change the playback speed.
Step 6: Hit the "Start" button on the right-down corner of the main window to begin the DVD to MKV conversion. It switches to the Processing panel and shows you all the tasks in the process.
💡Tips: If you don't want to monitor the computer, change the settings from "Do Nothing" to "Shut Down". The computer will be shut down after all the processes are completed.
HandBrake: Convert Unprotected DVD to MKV for Free
HandBrake is another free MKV DVD ripper compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. It offers three output formats, allowing you to convert DVD disc, folder, and ISO to MKV, MP4, or WebM format in high quality. What impressed me the most was its chapter renaming feature, which allows you to jump directly to the specific chapter you are interested in without having to drag the progress bar manually. This greatly enhances the viewing experience.
Handbrake comes in third place because Handbrake does not support copy-protected DVDs, it can only convert unprotected DVD to MKV.
- It is free and compatible with multiple operating systems
- Output high-quality videos
- Offers basic video editing features
- Does not support converting copy-protected DVD to MKV
- Does not offer as many output formats as DVDFab DVD Ripper
How to Rip DVD to MKV Free with HandBrake
Step 1: Download and Install HandBrake on your computer.
Step 2: Insert the home DVD or an unprotected DVD into the PC drive.
Step 3: Launch HandBrake and add the DVD source. Wait for it to scan and load the titles of the DVD.
Step 4: Choose the title, preset the quality, and then choose MKV as the format.
Step 5: Adjust filters, video, audio, and subtitle options, and chapter marker/name if needed.
Step 6: Set the output location and then hit the "Start Encode" button to rip DVD to MKV to your hard drive.
FAQs About Converting DVD to MKV
How do I rip a DVD to MKV without losing video quality to my computer?
You can use MakeMKV or DVDFab DVD Ripper to convert DVD to MKV in a 1:1 ratio to your hard drive.
Can I play MKV files on the car player？
It's a good idea to check your car player's manual to see what file formats it's compatible with. Some cars are equipped with older players that may not be able to play MKV files.
Is there any converter that can rip my movie DVD on the computer to MKV format?
Yes. DVD to MKV converters like MakeMKV, DVDFab DVD Ripper, and Handbrake can convert DVD Video folders or ISO files to MKV. If you need to convert DVD to formats compatible devices like PS3, you can also use DVD neXt COPY.
Conclusion
Do you know how to rip DVD to MKV now? The three MKV DVD rippers mentioned in this article offer effective ways to convert DVD to MKV formats on Windows and Mac. Additionally, two of these options are compatible with Linux systems as well. I hope these methods prove helpful in solving your needs!