How to Rip Blu-ray on Mac: 6 Best Programs for Easy Blu-ray Ripping
Summary: This article explores how to rip Blu-ray on Mac using the 6 best tools, including paid options like DVDFab and VideoByte, and free software like HandBrake and VLC. It compares their features, conversion speed, video quality, and supported formats to help you choose the right tool for Blu-ray ripping on Mac.
Table of Contents
It is widely recognized that many Macs lack an internal disc drive, which means playing a Blu-ray disc on your Mac is not possible. Besides, relying on physical media could be somewhat impractical with today's technological advancements. Instead, you should rip the Blu-ray on your Mac to preserve a copy of your favorite movie. This means you won't need Blu-ray discs or external Blu-ray player hardware anymore, as you'll have easy access to the movie whenever you want.
So, if you want to learn how to rip Blu-ray on Mac, you've come to the right place. This post will walk you through ripping Blu-ray discs on macOS with some of the best tools available.
How to Rip Blu-ray on Mac Using Best Tools
Choosing the appropriate software for ripping Blu-ray on a Mac is crucial to guarantee a smooth ripping process. In this section, we will present some of the top ripping software available for Mac, along with reviews and detailed operation steps for each software. Let's dive in!
Rip a Blu-ray Disc on Mac Using DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper
- macOS: 10.10 - 14.x
- Rating (Trustpilot): 4.6/5
DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper stands out as the top software for ripping Blu-ray on Mac. This software supports the easy removal of copy protection from Blu-ray discs, including the latest ones. It features a Cloud Decryption Service that can handle both old and new discs in just 5 to 10 seconds.
Moreover, this Blu-ray ripper can convert any Blu-ray disc to more than 1000 video and audio formats. Supported video formats are MKV, MOV, AVI, MP4, M4V, TS, DivX, WMV, and many more. Meanwhile, audio-supported formats are MP3, AAC, FLAC, WMA, OGG, M4A, etc. You can freely rip your Blu-ray disc to any format you need.
How to rip Blu-ray on Mac using DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper
Step 1. Run DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper and choose Ripper mode
- Download and launch DVDFab 13 on your Mac device.
- Select Ripper mode on the main screen.
- Put your Blu-ray disc on your external drive or add the source by clicking the Add Button. If your source is an ISO file or folder, just drag and drop the file to the main screen.
Step 2. Choose a profile and customize the output video
- Click on Choose Other Profile to pick a profile you want to convert to.
- Customize the output video by clicking Advanced Settings to adjust the frame and sample rate, quality, resolution, codec, subtitles, channels, and more. You can also use the Video Editor to crop, merge, trim, add watermarks or subtitles, and adjust contrast, brightness, or saturation.
Step 3. Set the output path and start ripping your Blu-ray disc
- Specify the converted video by clicking on the Folder icon.
- Click the Start button, and the ripping process will begin.
Rip Blu-ray on Mac Using VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper
- macOS: X 10.7 or above
- Rating (Trustpilot): 3.1/5
Another Blu-ray ripper for Mac that you can try is the VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper. This Mac's Blu-ray ripper allows you to convert Blu-ray to 300+ popular video and audio formats. It also offers a lossless output quality at a 1:1 ratio.
Moreover, the VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper can rip copy-protected Blu-ray discs, so this software can easily decrypt CPRM, BD+, Cinavia, ARccOS, APS, CSS, and region codes. If you want fast and reliable software, this Blu-ray ripper can be the one. It offers 6 times faster speed with advanced tech.
How to rip Blu-ray on Mac using VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper
Step 1. Install the VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper and run the software
- You need to download and install the software first.
- Connect an external Blu-ray drive to your Mac.
- After that, launch the software.
- Click Load Blu-ray and choose Load Blu-ray Disc from the drop-down menu.
Step 2. Choose the movie titles
- Now, you must hit the Full Movie List button and choose the movie titles you want to rip.
- Next, navigate to the upper-right Rip All to the drop-down menu and choose the desired output format.
Step 3. Edit metadata and enhance video
- In the Media Metadata Editor window, you can import a cover image, which can be a movie screenshot, as well as customize various metadata information, such as Genre, Artist, Comments, and more.
- VideoByte also includes a Video Enhancer feature that offers four options, Upscale Resolution, Remove Video Noise, Reduce Video Shaking, and Optimize Brightness and Contrast, which you can apply and preview before proceeding.
Step 4. Customize output
- Utilize editing tools to trim, crop, or add subtitles to the video, and apply presets tailored for specific devices such as Android, iPhone, or TV.
Step 5. Start ripping the Blu-ray disc
- Click the Rip All icon to start the ripping process.
Rip Blu-ray on Mac Using Leawo Blu-ray Ripper
- macOS: 10.13 - 15
- Rating (Softpedia): 3.8/5
If you want to smoothly rip Blu-ray discs on Mac, the Leawo Blu-ray Ripper is a good option. This software allows you to rip Blu-ray discs to more than 180 media formats while maintaining lossless output quality. You can also rip Blu-ray to portable media players such as the Xbox 360, iPad, and Apple TV.
Additionally, it includes basic video editing tools such as merging, cropping, and adding watermarks to your Blu-ray video. It also features a built-in 3D conversion tool, allowing lossless conversion between 3D and 2D Blu-ray movies for enhanced playback options.
How to rip Blu-ray on Mac using Leawo Blu-ray Ripper
Step 1. Launch Leawo Blu-ray Ripper and choose the loading options
- Install and run the software on your Mac device.
- Click on the Convert button and tap the first option: Add UHD/Blu-ray/DVD on the Convert interface.
- After loading the Blu-ray disc, the software will offer you three options: Full Movie (to load all the content titles), Main Movie (to load the longest title), and Custom Mode (to choose which titles to import).
Step 2. Choose audio tracks, subtitles, and angles
- Once the Blu-ray disc is loaded, you can view full details about the movie. You can now select your desired audio tracks, subtitles, and video angles.
Step 3. Choose the output profile
- To select your output format, click the Output Profile button close to the green-colored Convert button.
- Next, hit the Change button to access the Profile panel.
- Navigate to the Format tab to choose your output format.
Step 4. Specify the output destination and start ripping
- After configuring all the settings, proceed to the software's main interface.
- Select the green Convert button, choose your preferred output folder, and then click on the Save to tab.
- Finally, click the white Convert button to initiate the ripping process.
How to Rip Blu-ray on Mac Using Free Software
Some free software options can also be used to rip Blu-ray on a Mac. However, because these programs are free, you should be aware of their disadvantages. While they may not cause serious problems, they can sometimes interfere with the ripping process. Which free software can you use to rip Blu-ray on a Mac? Let’s explore!
Rip a Blu-ray Disc on Mac Using HandBrake
- macOS: 10.13 and later
- Rating (TechRadar): 4.5/5
If you're looking to utilize free software to rip your Blu-ray discs, consider trying HandBrake. HandBrake is a free and open-source software that enables users to rip Blu-ray discs, Blu-ray ISO files, or folders into various popular formats such as MKV, MP4, and M4V.
HandBrake offers batch processing capabilities, allowing you to save time while ripping Blu-ray discs efficiently. However, the main limitation is that HandBrake is unable to rip protected Blu-ray discs. You need to install libdvdcss library if you want to rip protected Blu-ray discs.
How to rip a Blu-ray Disc on Mac using HandBrake
Step 1. Insert the Blu-ray disc and open HandBrake
- Put the unprotected Blu-ray disc on your external Blu-ray drive.
- Launch HandBrake on your Mac. Then, a window will appear, and click Open to add the Blu-ray.
Step 2. Choose the title, output format and preset
- Once the scanning is complete, a list of the titles will be available. Choose the title of the movie you wish to rip.
- To choose an output format and preset, you can click Format and Preset drop-down.
Step 3. Select your desired tracks and choose a destination file
- To choose the tracks, navigate to the Audio and Subtitle. You can also adjust the video resolution and codec, as well as add filters.
- Then, hit the Browse button to specify an output destination.
Step 4. Start ripping the Blu-ray disc
- Press the Start Encode button to begin the ripping process.
Rip Blu-ray on Mac Using MakeMKV
- macOS: 10.13 and later
- Rating (TechRadar): 4.5/5
MakeMKV can be another option if you only want to rip your Blu-ray to MKV format because the output format supported is only MKV. However, it offers you a 1:1 lossless quality output without compression. Keep in mind that MakeMKV retains all the original data to maintain the original quality, resulting in output files that can be quite large.
Additionally, MakeMKV can decrypt the latest version of BD+ and AACS copy protection. So, you don't need to install any additional software to rip protected Blu-ray discs.
How to rip a Blu-ray Disc on Mac using MakeMKV
Step 1. Download and Install MakeMKV on your Mac
- Install the newer version and run it on your PC.
- Insert the Blu-ray disc into your external Blu-ray drive. The software will start to load the Blu-ray, and it takes about a few minutes.
Step 2. Select the title you want to rip
- When the loading process is done, click the Open Blu-ray disc icon.
- Then, right-click on the empty space and choose "Unselect all" before manually selecting the desired title.
Step 3. Set the output folder and start ripping
- Click the Folder icon to specify the destination.
- Select the Make MKV icon to rip the Blu-ray movie on your Mac.
Rip Blu-ray on Mac Using VLC Media Player
- macOS: 10.7.5 or later
- Rating (Trustpilot): 3.1/5
VLC Media Player includes a built-in Blu-ray ripper for Mac, allowing users to perform Blu-ray ripping tasks on their Mac at no cost. Additionally, once you rip Blu-ray using VLC, you can seamlessly play it with VLC, as it is an excellent media player software.
However, it is unable to rip copy-protected Blu-ray content. But with certain plugins, you may be able to rip certain encrypted Blu-rays. Moreover, VLC does not let users choose specific subtitles or audio tracks when ripping, limiting customization options.
How to rip a Blu-ray Disc on Mac using VLC Media Player
Step 1. Install VLC Media Player
- Download and install the VLC Media Player
- Next, set up the keys database and AACS dynamic library to allow VLC to rip protected Blu-rays.
Step 2. Download the library
- Download a compatible Java JRE (there's no need for the JDK) and extract it into a java folder within the VLC directory.
- Next, install the libaacs libraries and place them in the root folder of the VLC directory (the file ‘aacs_info.exe’ is unnecessary).
- After that, download the keys database and extract the keydb.cfg file required for Blu-ray playback. FindVUK – Synchronize.bat can be viewed as a simplified version of the keydb.cfg file.
- Save the file under ~/Library/Preferences/aacs/. If you can't find the folder, simply create a new one.
- The AACS Dynamic Library is also required. Download it onto your Mac and transfer it to the /usr/local/lib/directory. If you cannot find it, create a new one.
Step 3. Launch the VLC app
- Place your Blu-ray disc into the drive, then launch VLC and navigate to Media > Convert / Save…
Step 4. Choose the Blu-ray content and start the ripping process
- Select the Disc column and choose the Blu-ray you wish to rip.
- Then, click the Convert / Save button to begin the process of ripping Blu-ray with VLC on your Mac.
Comparing Different Methods to Rip Blu-ray on Mac
Now that we've explored different ways to rip Blu-ray on Mac, you might be wondering which method best suits your needs. To make your decision easier, we've put together a comparison table outlining the key features of each Blu-ray ripper, helping you weigh the pros and cons of each method.
Features/Product | DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper | VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper | Leawo Blu-ray Ripper | HandBrake | MakeMKV | VLC Media Player |
Output Format | 1000+ | 300+ | 180+ | Limited | Only MKV | Limited |
Conversion Quality | Lossless | Lossless | Lossless | Good | Lossless | Good |
GPU Acceleration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Conversion Speed | Very Fast | Fast | Fast | Fast | Slow | Medium |
Video Editing | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes (Basic) |
Support New Encrypted Discs | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
FAQs
Can I rip a Blu-ray disc on Mac without losing quality?
Yes, you can rip a Blu-ray on Mac without losing quality. Software like DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper supports 1:1 ripping, but choosing the right format, M2TS, MKV, or MP4 "Passthrough", is just as important to keep the original quality.
How to rip a Blu-ray disc on Mac with subtitles?
To rip a Blu-ray disc on Mac with subtitles using DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper, go to Advanced Settings > Subtitle Mode in the Ripper module and set it to "Extract to SRT Subtitles." This will save the subtitles as a separate SRT file along with your video.
Is it legal to rip Blu-ray on Mac?
Ripping a Blu-ray disc on a Mac can be legal if you intend to enhance playback convenience or create a digital copy for personal use. However, it is against the law to rip a Blu-ray for commercial purposes.
Conclusion
That's how to rip Blu-ray on Mac. Ripping a Blu-ray on a Mac can be a simple task if you find the right tool. Whether paid or free software, you can compare them all to help you make an informed decision. However, you should remember that free software will always have drawbacks that might affect the ripping process.