8 Workable Ways to Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac (Free & Paid)

How to rip DVD to MP4 with HandBrake

1. Put a DVD into the optical drive.
2. Free Download and Install HandBrake
3. Choose the target disc from the automatically drop-down window, and then choose “Attempt Scan Anyway” to analyze and import your DVD disc into HandBrake for ripping.
4. Choose “Title” and “Chapters”. Handbrake will automatically identify the longest title as the main title and choose it for ripping.
   
5. Select “Output Format” and adjust output settings.
6. Under “Summary” tab, choose “MP4” from the Format box, and adjust more output settings from other tabs.
   
7. Find a destination folder for the output video.
8. Before converting, if you want to extract other titles from the DVD, click “Add to Queue”. Then go to “Title” box to choose another title and repeat the above steps to add others one by one.
9. When done, click “Start (Queue)” to start to extract DVD to MP4 on Mac.

Note:

1. Handbrake has the inability to rip commercial DVDs because of its OS compatibility issue. You may meet its cracks when you update your Mac to the latest OS X 13.0 Ventura. It has an unattractive interface and low conversion speed. For safety, we had better resort to a professional DVD ripper application for help.

2. HandBrake’s way of ripping DVD is encoding, so it will not preserve all features in a DVD. The DVD menus and other contents may be lost.

Best Handbrake DVD to MP4 Settings

Though we can simple choose MP4 and start convert, the output will not so satisfactory. If you are unfamiliar with video and audio codes, here is the best settings for convert DVD to MP4 with Handbrake, this will give you the best quality.
* Super HQ 480p30 Surround
* Framerate: 30 (Peak Framerate)
* Encoder Level: 3.1

Rip copy-protected DVD to MP4 with Handbrake

If you want to rip copy protected DVD to MP4 with handbrake you need to install libdvdcss. and you can see the detailed guide here: https://www.cisdem.com/resource/handbrake-dvd-to-mp4.html.

 

#3 VLC - Free Encrypted DVD to MP4 Converter for Mac

Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later/ All versions of Windows

VLC is enormously popular as a free multimedia player working on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It has many hidden features, and one well know feature is that it can convert normal or low-class encrypted DVD files. As an assist function, it is understandable that you can only use it to export video. don’t expect any editing features or video options for controlling the DVD to MP4 converting process.

How to Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac with VLC

1. Insert a DVD disc into the DVD drive on Mac.
2. Open VLC, go to the top menu, choose File > Open disc.
3. Go to the Disc tab and select the inserted DVD disc, then click the “Disable DVD menus”.
   
4. Move to the bottom, tick out the “Stream output” box and then click “Settings” button. On the popped-up window, choose a destination to save the file and choose MP4 as the output format. Click OK.
   
5. Finally, click “Open” to start the conversion.

Can VLC rip copy-protected DVD to MP4?

Yes, VLC can free convert copy-protected DVDs, but its most safe to say it supports most of css protected DVDs, for other encryptions like 99 title DVDs, regional DVDs, Old DVDs, VLC will fail 90% of the time.

Can VLC Handle DVD with Multiple Episodes?

For DVD with multiple title, you can use VLC to play the video first and find the real title, then choose the title to convert.

Note: there are unexpected issues with the process of ripping DVD to MP4 with VLC. If you want to figure out the corresponding solutions, welcome to read the article here: https://www.cisdem.com/resource/rip-a-dvd-with-vlc.html.

 

#4 DVDFab - Rip DVD to MP4 and Burn MP4 to DVD

Compatibility: OS X 10.10+/Window 7 or above

DVDFab is a powerful DVD processor dedicated on handling DVD, Blu-ray and UHD discs with full features. However, the system can may get stuck sometimes when activated the editing interface. It has a very intuitive interface, easily allowing you to go to the DVD copy, ripper or converter interface based on personal purpose.

For rip copy-protected DVD, DVDFab also support most of the encryptions, but the speed of DVDFab is not that fast and it is very expensive, you get the same functions of other DVD rippers but at twice its price. Another issue is that this app may cannot be launched on some old computer systems, like macOS 10.13.

How to Convert Videos/DVDs/Blu-rays to MP4 with DVDFab

1. Put the optical disc into your DVD drive.
2. Open DVDFab on your Mac and add the DVD files, drag and drop the DVD file to it. It can only show you the main title. If you want other titles, hit on "Choose Other Titles" button to choose your wanted titles.
   
3. Choose the output format as MP4 and output quality on the video thumbnail. if needed, click the other icons to edit the files through trimming, video effects, watermark, etc.
   
4. Finally, click “Start” to start the process of ripping DVD movies.
   

 

#5 WinX DVD Ripper Platinum - Convert Copy-Protected DVD to MP4 on Mac

Compatibility: OS X 10.6+/All version of Windows

WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is one of the most popular DVD ripping software on the market focusing on handling DVDs, it is well-known because it supports for most of the existing DVD encryption methods. If you have DVDs that is scratched or damaged, you can even try it with this software.

As for DVD ripping speed, it features an acceleration technology to convert DVD to MP4 at a very fast speed. And it offers some basic features to simple modify DVD videos, such as trim/crop/rotate, control the volume and add subtitles.

The features that upset us is that, the output quality of this software is what we say merely satisfactory. Most of the output quality are 480p, which is not recommend if you want to watch the MP4 on HD TV.

How to Convert DVD to MP4 with WinX DVD Ripper Platinum

1. Load your source DVD.
2. Open WinX DVD Ripper Platinum and click the DVD Disc like button to load the DVD movies. This app will automatically select the main title. You need to manually select others if you want.
   
3. Choose the output as MP4.
   
4. Set the destination of the output file and click “RUN” to start the DVD to MP4 conversion.
   

 

#6 Wondershare Uniconverter - Convert unencrypted DVD and Burn DVD

Compatibility: macOS 10.11 or later/ *Windows 7 and later

Wondershare Uniconverter is a full toolset for converting and burning DVDs, which can easily convert DVDs into MP4 or many other formats with rich customization features, such as add meta tags, trim file length, apply video effects/volume/speed, add watermark/subtitles etc. In addition, this tool also allows you to download online videos, compress media files, record screen, and more. Thanks for the simple and intuitive interface, people can master the App in a short time.

However, although Wondershare is a multipurpose tool with miscellaneous features, it doesn’t show ultimate performance in each field. And for ripping DVDs, it cannot deal with copy-protected DVDs.

How to Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac with Wondershare Uniconverter

1. Insert a DVD into the DVD drive.
2. launch Wondershare UniConverter and choose the “Converter” tab.
   
3. In the right panel choose the DVD you added. Or directly drag-n-drop the DVD icon.
   
4. In the popped-up “Load DVD Files” dialogue, choose the “Main movies only” or “All movies” to load the DVD content.
5. In the output format, make sure MP4 as the output format. If needed, make other settings according to your needs.
   
6. If you care about video quality, be-sure to turn on “High Speed Conversion”
7. Click “Start All” to start converting DVD to MP4.

 

#7 MacX DVD Ripper Pro

Compatibility: OS X 10.6 or later/Windows 7 or later

MacX DVD Ripper is another decent DVD to MP4 converter for Mac. Besides MP4, it also digitalizes DVD disc to MOV, MKV, HEVC, H.264, Huawei, Air Playit, TV, PS4, and so forth. The most attractive feature is that the software supports unique hyper-threading, hardware acceleration, and multi-core CPU technology, which can maximally enhance the ripping speed.

Steps to Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac Using MacX DVD Ripper:

1. Load up the DVD, regardless of homemade or copy-protected DVD.
   
2. Choose MP4 format from the drop-down window.
   Note: it can only load the main title at first. If you want to convert other titles, you can manually choose them after you selected the format.
3. Check the box - “Intel/AMD/Nvidia” at the lower right to enable hardware acceleration.
4. Click "Browse" and go through the folders on Mac, and select one to save your final output MP4 files.
5. Hit “RUN” to begin DVD ripping.
   

 

#8 Movavi - Fast DVD to MP4 Converter

Compatibility: OS X 10.15 or later/Windows 7 or later

Movavi Video Converter is also a solid choice for DVD to MP4 conversion on Mac. It is specially made for converting video files, but it also support ripping DVD movies, though it don’t support copy-protected DVDs. It has an easy-to-use interface and supports converting DVD to MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, WMV, 3GP, and 17 other formats. It also offers diverse editing features, and permits people to change the file name at will.

However, the speed is an issue, which loads the DVD videos slowly. Plus, the free version printed its watermark on the converted digital file.

1. Open Movavi Video Converter. Click Add Media >>Add DVD >>“the inserted DVD name”.
   
2. At the bottom of the main interface you can set MP4 as output format, or make other settings.
   
3. Click the Convert button to start the converting process.
   

 

How to Convert a DVD to MP4 Online

Is it possible to convert DVD to MP4 online? There are many online site which state that they can convert DVD to MP4 online for free. We test some of the options and found that with online site you can’t load a DVD disc and convert it directly, what they can is that you need go to the VIDEO_TS folder and select the main movie in that DVD.

Online sites also have limit on file size, Zamzar only support files up to 50 mb, which is very limited for a DVD movies. also, the video converting time is very long. takes 3 hours for a very small home DVD.

How to rip DVD to MP4 with Zamzar
1. Visit https://www.zamzar.com/

2. Go to VIDEO_TS folder and find the main movie of that DVD. and add it to Zamzar
3. Choose MP4 as output format in the Convert To drop down list.
4. Click Convert Now to start the process.
5. Check the email when you see the done box.
6. Download the output video file.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it legal to Convert DVD to MP4?

Generally, ripping DVD movies that have footages shot by yourself then it is perfectly legal.

If you want to ripping protected DVD to video formats like MP4, then it is illegal to circumvent DRM. But you do have to remove DRM from copy-protected DVDs to convert it. but it should not be a problem as long as you do it for personal use rather than selling copies. Title 17 of the U.S. State Code explicitly states that it is illegal to reproduce a copyrighted work.

2. Can iTunes Convert DVD to MP4?

The answer is no. iTunes doesn’t support DVD format, and only supports some popular video file formats like MP4, MOV.

3. Can iMovie Convert DVD to MP4?

No, DVD is not included in the iMovie supported video format list: MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MJPEG, MP4, MOV, M4V, DV, HDV, AVCHD, XAVC, iFrame, ProRes, AIC, and HEVC. If you add DVD video to iMovie you will receive message like “Incompatible Video Format”.

4. Can QuickTime Convert DVD to MP4?

Many people know that we can use QuickTime to convert between video format, so they are wonder whether QuickTime can convert DVD to MP4. As a matter of fact, Currently, QuickTime Player does not support DVD file not to mention convert it.

5. How long does it take to rip a DVD to MP4?

There are many factors that influence how long it takes to rip DVD to MP4, With Cisdem Video Converter for Mac, rip a standard 4.7 GB DVD it takes about 12 minutes.
1. The size of the DVD.
2. The output quality you choose like bitrate, resolution, etc.
3. Computer hardware level.

Speed Comparison: Ripping DVD to MP4 on macOS Ventura

Test environment:
Mac info: 21.5-inch iMac (macOS Ventura), 2.8 GHz Intel Core i5 Processor, Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 1536 MB Graphics, 16GB Memory.
DVD info: Name: Jurassic World; Duration: 2 hours 5 minutes; Right Movie Title: Title 10
Speed Result:
Cisdem Video Converter: 10.6 min
Movavi Video Converter: N/A (failed)
VLC: 2 hours 34 min
DVDFab: 45.7 min
Handbrake: 53 min
MacX DVD Ripper Pro: 8.6 min
Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate: 12.8 min
WinX DVD Ripper Platinum: 8.3 min

 

Summary

It's a good way to keep your movie collections by ripping them to a popular digital format like MP4. The above mentioned tools can help you convert DVD to MP4 on Mac. Handbrake, VLC and the online tool can only complete the most basic DVD converting tasks. The rest 6 professional DVD to MP4 converters have their own pros and cons. You can choose one based on your habits. But considering from user experience and ripping result, based on my testing, Cisdem Video Converter will be the better one that possesses more stable operating environment and powerful performances.