How to Convert DVD to MP4 Mac in 2024 | Top 5 Ways [Free & Paid]

In the contemporary age, the video entertainment industry has embraced digital formats for instant access. As a movie enthusiast with an impressive collection of DVDs, you must be familiar with the frustration when your precious and cherished movies start showing signs of wear and tear. Adding to your misery is the disc copy protection that makes it more challenging to make backup copies or watch your favorite films on different devices. But fear not, as we are here to unlock the best practical ways to help you convert DVD to MP4 Mac.

This article aims to provide the 5 best free and paid software to rip DVD to MP4 Mac in high quality with a detailed overview that includes the methodical and clear-cut process. Our fruitful suggestions cater to all your needs, whether you have unprotected or protected DVDs for playback on various devices. So, let's jump straight into it without any further hesitation.

Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac: Why You Need to Do?

You may think of converting DVD to MP4 Mac to watch and enjoy your video content on different modern devices. As it is, the digitization of video entertainment has transformed the industry in recent years, and with this advancement, DVDs are becoming outdated. Among various digital formats available, MP4 stands out as a versatile and highly compatible format. When you rip DVD to MP4 Mac, you can easily store, share, and play movies across different platforms without the limitations of physical discs.

Features and Benefits of MP4

• Supports all standard OSs, such as media players, smartphones, laptops, tablets, and computers, including open-source players (VLC)
• It offers strong compression with a significantly small file size, making it easier for large-scale video storage and video streaming across various devices
• Many variants are available, such as .m4a for files that only contain audio and .m4v for visual bitstreams
• Supports metadata and additional data stored as per the EDP format, including subtitles, PNG/JPEG images, and PDF files
• Helps package video content with user navigation options and other interactive elements, including 3D visuals

Comparison Matric: DVD vs. MP4

DVD is known for its physical media storage, while MP4 emerges as a stronger opponent for digital media, offering instant access and portability. Learn the differences between DVD and MP4 and find out how the two differ in terms of common parameters.

How to Rip/Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac for Free (Unprotected DVDs)

1. Rip DVD to MP4 on Mac with DVDFab HD Decrypter

DVDFab HD Decrypter is a completely free and comprehensive program that integrates DVD or Blu-ray decryption backup and conversion features to create a seamless ripping process. It can remove nearly all copy-protections from DVDs and Blu-rays released one year ago and ensure lossless video quality for smooth playback on media players, Home Theatres, and other modern devices.

Detailed Process to Rip DVD to MP4 Mac Via DVDFab HD Decrypter

Step 1: Download and install the DVDFab HD Decrypter software from the official site.

Step 2: Head to the Ripper module in the top address bar on the main interface for DVD conversion. Load the source disc file to let DVDFab HD Decrypter remove the protection first. Click Info in the screen's center to see all the copy protections.

Step 3: Move down to Output and select the Custom (MP4) dropdown menu. Tap the Choose Other Profile… option, and a new interface will automatically pop up, allowing you to select MP4 as the output format.

Step 4: To further personalize your video, click the built-in video editor's icon at the bottom right of the center pane. It allows you to trim, crop, or add watermarks and subtitles to your content.

Step 5: Once you have finished editing, simply hit the Start button for conversion of your DVD to MP4 Mac.

2. Convert/Rip DVD to MP4 on Mac with VLC

VLC is another fully featured and robust media player that offers a simple solution to rip DVD to MP4 Mac. As a free, open-source software, VLC works seamlessly on Mac and other devices and platforms. Beginners trust VLC for the conversion of DVD videos for free and playing MP4 output formats anytime and anywhere.

Detailed Process to Convert DVD to MP4 Mac Via VLC

Step 1: Visit the official VLC website and find the download link for Mac computers, whether mcOS Sonoma, Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, or recent iterations. Even if you are using an older version of Mac, you can download previous releases on either a 64-bit Intel processor or an Apple Silicon chip. Once downloaded, proceed with the installation process.

Step 2: Load your DVD into your Mac's built-in CD/DVD drive or use an external one. Launch VLC and tap File in the top menu. Choose Open Disc… to load the DVD info.

Step 3: A new Open Source window will display on the screen. Tap Disable DVD menus so that you don't get any DVD ripping loop errors. Tick the Stream output: box at the bottom in the left corner. Similarly, click Settings… to access the Streaming and Transcoding options.

Step 4: Choose your output format (MP4). To do so, click File to convert DVD to MP4 Mac. Then, click Browse to change the file name and set a folder for your output video to save the file. Ensure that you select the .mp4 extension to name the file.

Hit the Encapsulation Method dropdown box and select MPEG4 output format. Then, move down to the Transcoding options. Select video codec as H.264 recommended and Audio code as MP3. Similarly, choose Bitrates, Scale, and Channels.

Step 5: Once you have carefully chosen all the required settings, find the OK button at the bottom right and click it to confirm your selection. You will then automatically be directed to the DVD information window.

Click the Open option to begin the DVD to MP4 conversion. Depending on the length and file size of the video content, the process may take from a few minutes to an hour to complete.

While DVDFab HD Decrypter and VLC offer free conversion solutions, they have limited functionalities. For instance, VLC is not a professional tool. It has slower conversion speeds and fewer customization options. Most importantly, it cannot even rip copy-protected DVDs. On the contrary, DVDFab HD Decrypter is a lot better as it supports bypassing encryptions from DVDs and Blu-ray discs. However, both the software may hinder your experience while removing copy protections from the latest DVDs and Blu-rays.

How to Rip/Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac (Protected DVDs)

1. Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac with DVDFab DVD Ripper

DVDFab DVD Ripper is a powerful yet lightweight software to convert DVD to MP4 Mac and 1000 other digital formats. It can rip any protected DVD, ISO files, and folders while preserving the original quality. Its GPU Hardware acceleration technology further helps speed up the ripping process up to 50 times faster. It has six copy modes to help you professionally edit and customize your output videos.

Learn How to Convert DVD to MP4 Mac Using DVDFab DVD Ripper

Step 1: Get DVDFab DVD Ripper on your Mac and launch it. Then, put the targeted DVD into your disc drive, and the program will automatically analyze and load it. Preferably, you can drag your DVD and drop it on the software's homepage.

Step 2: Browse to the Choose Other Profile menu to set MP4 as your output format.

You can also rip other titles by clicking Choose Other Titles. Similarly, settle with your preferred audio track(s), subtitle(s), and output quality.

Step 3: Modify your audio and video parameters by navigating the Advanced Settings menu. You can adjust the video resolution and codec or alter the quality, bit rate, frame rate, and more parameters to get the perfect video output. Once you'be done this, tap OK.

Now adjust your video properties such as speed, contrast, audio, brightness, saturation, etc. You can even crop and trim your video clip. Use the built-in editor to make further modifications. For instance, add external subtitles, text, or even image-based watermarks and required effects to your clip to meet your needs.

Step 4: Finally, select an output directory to save your video file and press Start. As the process unfolds and the task is completed, you will be able to see the detailed progress results on your screen.

2. Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac with HandBrake

HandBrake is a popular, free tool to rip DVD to MP4 Mac. It offers two additional output formats, WebM and MKV, for easy navigation and conversion. However, Handbrake alone cannot handle encryptions and requires installing libdvdcss to recognize and bypass copy-protected discs. It also offers advanced parameters like adding video effects, encoding settings, and more.

Detailed Process for Conversion of DVD to MP4 Mac With HandBrake

Step 1: Download HandBrake version 1.6.1 on your macOS 10.13 or above. Always download the latest (newest) version from the official site.

Step 2: Now, download and install libdvdcss on your Mac computer to bypass copy protection on your DVD discs and convert the DVD to MP4 Mac. For that, you must:

Open Terminal on your Apple computer and install Homebrew by running this command:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Now, launch Homebrew and run the command: brew install libdvdcss to install libdvdcss.

Step 3: Now, visit HandBrake and tap Open Source. Select the loaded DVD, and HandBrake will automatically detect and scan it. The scanning time depends on your DVD content and the disc drive.

Step 4: Once done, choose the ripping quality from the Preset option to cover the video resolution, speed, and frame rate with various categories. You will find many categories: General, Web, Devices, Matroska, Production, and Legacy. As a beginner with less experience and knowledge, you can settle on General (Fast576p25 or Fast480p25).

Now, select MP4 files as the output format. To do so, visit the Summary tab and click the Format dropdown menu. Usually, HandBrake has MP4 in the H264 codec as the default output format.

Similarly, adjust the customization options under the Video tab if necessary.

Step 5: Specify the output storage folder for your final output by tapping Browse. Ensure the selected location has sufficient disk space. Once you are satisfied with all the selected parameters, click Start in the top menu bar, and HandBrake will gear up to deliver the customized results.

3. Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac with DumboFab DVD Ripper

Despite the software mentioned above, if you are seeking measures to convert DVD to MP4 Mac, DumboFab DVD Ripper can help you with conversion. The program integrates ripping, conversion, and backup options in a single place. In addition, it can digitize your DVDs at a 30x faster speed. However, there are some restrictions on the free version, and as a beginner, you may get confused with the interface.

Quick Process to Convert Your DVD to MP4 Mac With DumboFab

Step 1: Download and open DumboFab DVD Ripper for Mac. Then, load the DVD disc you need into the optical drive (DVD-ROM).

Step 2: Move to the Format bar and pick a device profile from the format list. In our case, we will choose H.264 encoded MP4 from the Common Video category. To get a smaller video file size, you can also choose H.265 MP4.

Step 3: Set the output parameters from the Profile Settings window and tailor the video effects.

Step 4: Tap Browse on the main interface of the DumboFab DVD Ripper. Select a destination to save the output MP4 files.

Step 5: Hit Convert to convert your DVD to an MP4 format on Mac.

A Breakdown of the Five Software Features and Offerings

After learning about all the DVD to MP4 Mac converters, if you want clarity on settling on the perfect one, this detailed breakdown chart of the converter software's features and offerings can help. This comparison table highlights key aspects such as compatible platforms, input/output formats, editing, and other functionalities to help you make an informed choice.

FAQs of Ripping DVD to MP4 on Mac

Q. 1. Is converting DVDs to MP4 Macs safe and legal?

Yes. You are good to go as long as you use the converted MP4 output videos for personal use. However, if you distribute the converted files commercially, you may face legal complications as DVDs are protected for copyright works.

Q. 2. What is the conversion time for converting DVDs to MP4?

There is no fixed time as it may differ with each software and your system specification. Several other factors also affect the DVD conversion speed.

• DVD size
• Conversion settings
• Disc condition
• Chosen output format

Q. 3. Can I convert the DVD to MP4 online?

Yes. Many online converters are available to do so. You can use ZamZar to add your DVD files, select the output video format as MP4, and click the Convert Now button for quick conversion. However, you may need to upgrade to a premium ZamZar subscription if your DVD file exceeds 50MB.

The Bottom Line

DVDs are slowly becoming obsolete with the revolutionizing video formats in demand. Even modern devices are compatible with such formats for easier playback. Now, you can easily convert DVD to MP4 Macs to preserve your cherished movies. With our free and paid converters, it is pretty easy to rip DVD to MP4 Mac and even watch them on other devices such as mobiles, tablets, and laptops. For lossless and speedy conversion, you can download and try DVDFab DVD Ripper or DVDFab HD Decrypter.