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As a Mac user, you may always find playing your Blu-ray discs on Mac complex. This is so because Mac systems do not have a dedicated internal hard drive. However, instead of investing in an external Blu-ray player, you can grab a reliable Blu-ray ripper for Mac to convert your cherished Blu-ray content into digital media. This will make it easier to not only play but also store and share your content with others for a more flexible playback experience.
This blog post aims to share the 5 best and free Blu-ray rippers for Mac to make things easy and quick. Keep reading to discover deeper insights into each program and select the one that best meets your requirements. Let's begin!
Method 1: Rip Blu-ray on Mac with DVDFab
When looking for the best Blu-ray ripping solution for Mac, nothing comes close to the DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper. It is a versatile program that has the capability to decrypt and rip commercial Blu-ray content titles to over a thousand audio and video formats.
Besides digitizing Blu-ray discs to MKV and MP4 output formats, it has preset options for various playback devices. Furthermore, its built-in editing feature lets you personalize your ripping experience. You can crop your video clips and trim unnecessary footage. It also enables you to rotate your video or merge different clips into one video. You can easily use filters, stylish text—and image-based watermarks, or external subtitles to enhance your videos.
DVDFab's enhanced GPU acceleration makes the whole ripping process 50x faster while ensuring high-quality output. You can obtain a 1:1 lossless (original) quality with a compressed file that works seamlessly on smaller devices.
- Exclusive Cloud Decryption Service quickly removes protection from any Blu-ray
- Rip Blu-ray content titles to different media formats without losing quality
- It boasts the advanced GPU acceleration technologies to rip a Blu-ray movie
- Adds multiple Blu-ray ripping tasks to the queue to save time and efforts
- Built-in video editor to crop, trim, and merge multiple video clips
- Adjust brightness, saturation, and contrast to your video clip
- Handles all types of copy protections, whether old or latest Blu-ray discs
- Customize the output to your chosen digital format
- Advanced customization options with thousands of digital formats
- Lossless quality to ensure the final output meets your desired quality
- The free version supports only two output (MKV and MP4) formats
How to Rip Blu-ray with DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper for Mac
Step 1: First, choose the appropriate version of the DVDFab software. This depends mainly on whether your device uses an Intel or Apple Chip.
Step 2: Place the Blu-ray disc you wish to rip into your Mac's Blu-ray drive. You can also use the Blu-ray folder files or ISO images as the source for conversion.
Now, launch the program and hit the Ripper module from the left sidebar. DVDFab will automatically scan the loaded Blu-ray disc and detect its contents. It will recognize the longest title, usually the main movie, and display it on the main screen for quick access. From there, you can pick your desired output settings for conversion.
Step 3: Next, move to the Choose Other Titles panel to select a different title or add more titles for batch conversion. Additionally, you can set the chapter range. Also, unselect any audio track or subtitles that you wish to discard.
Navigate to the Format tab to select the preferred output profile. Here, you can choose from common video containers and formats. You can also head to the Device tab if you target specific devices, such as iOS devices, including iPhones and iPads.
Step 4: Access the Edit panel to adjust the audio settings, including boosting the human voice for more precise sound. You can also add external or embedded subtitles and include text or image watermarks. In addition, fine-tune the video by adjusting the brightness, contrast, white balance, and saturation to suit your preferences.
Using the Trim and merge feature can help you remove unwanted title clips and keep only the preferred video part.
Visiting the Advanced Settings section helps you change the video output parameters, including quality, video, and audio codec.
Step 5: Finally, set your output path and press Start to rip Blu-ray to digitize it on Mac.
Method 2: Rip Blu-ray on Mac with MakeMKV
MakeMKV is also a free Blu-ray ripper Mac that makes it possible to rip and digitize your desired Blu-ray content in MKV format, allowing you to share and play on different devices easily. Whether you own a homemade disc or an encrypted disc, MKV excels in delivering a high-quality, 1:1, lossless output without compression. While this is a boon for movie buffs, many users can see it as a potential drawback.
Sadly, as the name suggests, MakeMKV can only rip Blu-ray to MKV format. Since it has no compression capability, users with limited disk space might not benefit much from this ripping program. However, you can keep reading as we have more free and powerful ripping options listed ahead.
- Automatically scans and displays the information on the Blu-ray content
- Works seamlessly on a vast range of platforms and user types
- It lets you choose manual titles to select the preferred parts of the Blu-ray content
- Compared to full-feature software, MakeMKV lacks in sophisticated editing functions
- Depending on your system's performance, the entire process can take significant time
How to rip Blu-ray on Mac with MakeMKV
Step 1: Insert your Blu-ray disc into the Blu-ray drive (internal or external). Now, open MakeMKV, and the software will automatically scan, analyze, and recognize the device.
Step 2: Hit the large Open Blu-ray disc button. MakeMKV will process your disc and evaluate encryption to remove any small files.
Step 3: You'll now be able to see all the Blu-ray titles. Simply right-click on an empty area and click Unselect all. You can manually choose the specific title to rip.
Step 4: Adjusting the output folder is completely optional, but you can change it to the location where you wish to save the ripped movie if needed.
Step 5: After choosing your file destination, tap the Make MKV button to extract your Blu-ray content to MKV format.
Method 3: Rip Blu-ray on Mac with HandBrake
Now, if you are seeking versatile, free software to rip Blu-ray Mac, HandBrake can be your go-to option. It is an open-source ripping program that works seamlessly on all devices, whether Windows, Mac, or Linux operating systems. While the user interface of HandBrake is simple and easy to use for all, its elaborate list of preset options makes it convenient to rip Blu-ray content in WebM, MP4, or MKV output formats.
HandBrake comes in handy for ripping homemade Blu-rays without encryption. Plus, its optimal encoder settings enable you to customize your preferences and define the parameters for smooth and tailored ripping. Sadly, HandBrake cannot rip copy-protected Blu-ray discs.
- An open-source and free transcoder for digital video files
- It helps you digitize unprotected or homemade Blu-ray to MP4, MKV, and WebM formats
- It offers a helpful, user-friendly interface with a live preview
- Provides a beneficial batch conversion queueing tray
- Copy-protected Blu-rays are not supported
- It does support only three digital media options
How to rip Blu-ray disc on Mac with HandBrake
Step 1: Load your unprotected or homemade Blu-ray disc into the DVD/Blu-ray drive. Then, install the latest HandBrake version for Mac from the official site. The program supports macOS 10.13+.
Step 2: Upon entering the main interface, a window will automatically appear on your computer screen where you can choose a disc. Click the blue Open icon at the bottom to import your Blu-ray.
Step 3: Once the disc scanning is completed, you will find a list of all the titles. Pick the specific movie title you wish to extract for conversion from your Blu-ray disc. Choose the correct option carefully. Then, choose your Preset and Format for the intended output.
Step 4: Now navigate to the Audio and Subtitle sections and choose your preferred tracks. You can also customize the video settings. For instance, you can customize and change the video resolution, apply filters, or select the desired video codecs for optimal playback and compatibility.
Step 5: Pick your new destination for encoding by tapping the Browse button. Finally, press Start to rip and convert the Blu-ray disc on your Mac.
Method 4: Rip Blu-ray on Mac with Leawo
Leawo Blu-ray Ripper is also a great professional Blu-ray ripper for Mac. It uses advanced disc protection removal technology to convert Blu-ray to digital on Mac smoothly. It can also rip Blu-ray and DVD folders or Blu-ray/DVD ISO image files to common media formats, including the highly compatible MP4 and MKV formats. Its lossless ripping technology maintains the original image quality for superior playback.
Besides ripping, Leawo Blu-ray Ripper can help with basic video editing, including merging, cropping, and adding watermarks to videos. You can customize the video output parameters by adjusting bit rate, sample rate, frame rate, resolution, audio codec, channel, etc., to meet your specific requirements.
- Highly user-friendly interface with fast conversion
- Rip Blu-ray discs at 6x faster speed in 180+ digital formats
- Offers customization to ensure a personalized viewing experience
- Allows you to modify settings for the final output video
- Lacks conversion of subtitles to SRT files
- Supports only SD, HD, and 4K output quality
- Expensive subscription plans compared to other similar software
How to convert Blu-ray with Leawo Blu-ray Ripper for Mac
Step 1: Install Leawo Prof. Media on your Mac and launch it. Tap the Convert button in the top navigation menu. Once the Convert interface opens, hit the first option: Add UHD/Blu-ray/DVD.
When you proceed to load the Blu-ray content, the Leawo Blu-ray Ripper will offer three options: Full Movie, Main Movie, and Custom Mode. Depending on your requirements, select anyone according to the Blu-ray title to rip. For instance, the Full Movie mode lets you load all the content titles, the Main Movie mode enables you to import the longest title by default, and then there's the Custom mode, which allows you to customize the titles to be imported.
Step 2: Once you have loaded your Blu-ray content title into the software, you can see detailed information about the movie. Select your preferred subtitles, audio tracks, and video angles from the right side of the video thumbnail.
Step 3: Now, begin customizing your output format by clicking the Output Profile tab. You can find it next to the green-colored Convert button. A drop-down menu box will appear. Tap the Change button to open the Profile panel. Visit the Format tab to find and select your output format, MP4, so it is ready for playback on various devices.
Step 4: Once you have configured all the settings, visit the program's main interface. Tap the green Convert button, pick your desired output folder, and click the Save to tab.
Step 5: After you have chosen your destination, tap the white-colored Convert button to begin the ripping process.
Method 5: Rip Blu-ray on Mac with VLC
VLC media player (or VLC) is also our recommended pick. While it is a great solution for playing your desired video clips on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android devices, VLC also comes in handy as a Mac Blu-ray ripper that can rip and digitize your Blu-ray content to MP4 for free.
However, VLC is not an exclusive or professional Blu-ray ripper for Macs. That accounts for its underlying flaws, and hence, it cannot rip copy-protected Blu-ray content. But you can add some plugins to deal with the ripping procedure for some encrypted Blu-rays. Moreover, VLC doesn't even give you the leverage to select subtitles or audio tracks when ripping Blu-ray discs.
- Free and versatile media player and DVD/Blu-ray ripper
- Seamlessly plays unencrypted Blu-ray discs and folders
- Converts discs in over 10 output (media) formats
- Works flawlessly on diverse platforms and operating systems
- Despite being free, no add pop-ups while using the player
- Unable to access commercial and encrypted Blu-ray discs
- Limited capabilities to edit and customize the disc video
How to rip Blu-ray on Mac with VLC
Step 1: Install and open the VLC media player on your required device. Enable the media player so it can help rip your protected Blu-rays. Prepare the keys database and AACS dynamic library to do so.
Step 2: Use Java with VLC by downloading a supported Java JRE. You won't need JDK. Simply extract it into a JAVA folder within the VLC directory to ensure proper functionality. To enable Blu-ray decryption in VLC, install the libaacs libraries. Once you get it, just copy the library files to the VLC's directory's root folder. You won't need the aacs_info.exe file to complete the process.
You must download the necessary keys database to enable Blu-ray playback in VLC. It will contain the vital keydb.cfg file, which is essential for decrypting your Blu-ray content. Alternatively, you can use the FindVUK – Synchronize.bat file.
Once downloaded, simply extract the file and place it in this directory:
- ~/Library/Preferences/aacs/
Suppose the folder listed above does not exist. In that case, you can create a new folder in the desired location. By doing so, you can access the required decryption keys and smoothly play Blu-ray discs.
Step 3: You will also require AACS Dynamic Library for your Mac. Once downloaded, just move and place it in the /usr/local/lib/ directory. Again, if this folder does not exist on your system, you can create one manually, as it is crucial for VLC to handle encrypted Blu-ray content properly.
Step 4: Now, you must start ripping your encrypted Blu-ray disc on a Mac. Just insert the disc you are concerned with into your CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive. Open VLC Media Player and tap Media. Then, select the Convert/Save… option.
Step 5: Once the new dialog box opens, select the Disc column and pick your input source: Blu-rays. Once selected, tap the Convert/Save button, and VLC will gear up to initiate the ripping process on your Mac. With this step, you can digitize your Blu-ray content for storage and playback.
Compare the 5 Ways to Rip Blu-ray on Mac
Ripping Blu-ray on Mac can be done with several tools, each offering different features and capabilities. Below is a comparison of five popular tools in terms of supported OS, supported Blu-ray copy protection, input, output, video edit, and more factors to help you settle on the best ripping tool.
Parameters | DVDFab DVD Ripper | MakeMKV | HandBrake | Leawo Blu-ray Ripper | VLC |
User Interface | Simple and clean UI | Simple | Moderate | Moderate | Complex (less intuitive) |
OS | Windows and macOS | Windows, Mac, Linux | Linux, Windows, and macOS | Windows and macOS | Linux, Windows, and macOS |
Video Quality | Lossless and customized quality | High quality | Customizable quality | High quality | Limited customization |
Supports Encryption | Yes. Including the latest encrypted discs | Yes | No (Cannot read encrypted Blu-ray despite libdvdcss) | Yes | No (requires downloading AACS Dynamic Library) |
Input Formats | Blu-ray discs/folders and ISO image files | Blu-ray and DVD discs | DVDs and Blu-ray discs | Blu-ray/DVD discs, folders and ISO | Blu-ray, DVD, and CD |
Output Formats | 1000+ audio and video formats | MKV only | MKV, WebM, and MP4 only | 180+ common media formats | Over 5 digital media formats |
Ripping Speed | Super fast 50x ripping speed | Slow | Decent | 6x higher ripping speed | Medium |
Video Editor | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
FAQs
Q.1. Is ripping Blu-ray legal?
Blu-ray ripping depends entirely on local regulations. For example, unless you rip Blu-rays for personal use and enjoyment, the UK and US regions may consider it illegal to do so.
Q.2. Can I extract only audio from Blu-ray?
Yes. You can use various available audio profiles from DVDFab DVD Ripper and extract only audio tracks from Blu-ray, as needed.
Q.3. Can I transfer ripped Blu-ray to iTunes on Mac?
Yes. You can import and store Blu-rays to iTunes, provided you have ripped it to iTunes-supported media formats (MOV, M4V, and MP4). Simply follow these detailed steps:
Step 1: Open iTunes on Mac and click the iTunes icon.
Step 2: Tap Add Folder to Library… and add a file or folder to the library.
Step 3: Select your desired ripped Blu-ray videos and import them to iTunes.
The Bottom Line
Now, you will never run out of options to rip Blu-ray on Mac as we have suggested the 5 best ones. Whether you need to rip homemade Blu-ray discs or copy-protected commercial Blu-ray content, you have a reliable Blu-ray ripper for Mac for every need. However, for lossless and professional results, we recommend trying the DVDFab DVD Ripper. Its versatility and ease of use make it one of the best Blu-ray ripping solutions for Mac.