How to Rip Copy Protected DVD Discs to Watch Them Easily

Ripping and converting content from a DVD to a media format is a great way to make it playable across different devices and preserve it much longer. But how can you rip a copy-protected DVD? If you don’t know, copy-protected DVDs are encrypted with DRM, which prevents unauthorized copying. Well, if you are trying to rip a homemade DVD or just want to keep the content personally, thankfully, this post covers 6 easy methods to rip copy-protected DVDs!

Method 1: 4Easysoft DVD Ripper

The first method that this post would like to recommend is to use the professional 4Easysoft DVD Ripper. This tool can rip copy-protected DVDs effectively, allowing you to acquire and convert its content to more than 500+ digital formats and device presets. Regardless of the type of protection your disc has, this tool can easily get rid of it and lets you instantly extract its content quickly. What made this tool capable of extracting content quickly? Well, this tool is infused with GPU acceleration technology that enables it to speed up the ripping and conversion process! Other than that, this tool can also keep the original standard quality of the DVD's content.

Step 1Install and run the 4Easysoft DVD Ripper on your Windows and Mac computer. Then, insert the DVD with copy-protection that you wish to rip the content on an internal or external disc drive. Click the "Load DVD" menu, select "Load DVD Disc", and click the inserted disc.

Step 2Right after that, click "Full Title List" to load all of the titles and chapters of your disc. Then, click the corresponding checkbox of the content you wish to extract from the disc. Click "OK" to save your selection.

Step 3Next, click the "Rip All to:" dropdown button at the upper right corner. Then, click the "Video" tab and choose an output format from the list. You can also access the output formats under the "Audio and Device" tab and choose one to convert the content of your DVD that you wish to rip.

Step 4After picking your desired output format, click the "Custom Profile" button with the "Gear" symbol to adjust the encoder, frame rate, bitrate, etc., to keep the original standard quality of the selected DVD content.

Step 5Return to the tool's main interface and check the "Audio Track" and "Subtitle". Then, click the "Rip All" button to start the ripping procedure.

Method 2: MakeMKV

Another method recommendation this post would like to offer or suggest is to rip copy-protected DVDs using MakeMKV. MakeMKV is a free video converter tool that rips protected discs like DVDs and Blu-rays. However, it only allows you to convert DVD content to MKV format. But it rips contents with great speed and no quality loss! To rip copy-protected DVDs using MakeMKV, here are the steps you must follow:

Step 1Install and run the MakeMKV on your computer. Then, insert the DVD on your computer's internal or external disc drive. Then, insert the DVD on your computer's internal or external disc drive. Wait until the tool successfully recognizes and reads the content of your DVD.

Step 2From the tree structure displayed by MakeMKV, select the titles, audios, and subtitles you wish to rip. Then, click "MakeMKV" to begin the disc ripping and conversion procedure.

Method 3: Handbrake with libdvdcss

Aside from MakeMKV, Handbrake can also rip copy-protected DVDs. It is also a free tool and lets you convert DVD content to a digital format. The difference between Handbrake and MakeMKV is that Handbrake offers a variety of output formats. Unfortunately, Handbrake can't directly rip copy-protected DVDs. It needs the libdvdcss library to remove the DVD's protections. Here's how to use this one.

Step 1Install both Handbrake and libdvdcss on your computer. If you use Windows, copy the .dll file to the Handbrake installation folder in C:Program FilesHandbrake and rename it to libdvdcss.dll.

Otherwise, if you use Mac Yosemite or an older version, you just need to download and install the libdvdcss library.

In case you are using El Capitan or newer, you need to install "Homebrew", launch the "Terminal" by pressing the "Command + Space", type "Terminal", and hit "Enter". Then, enter "brew install libdvdcss" and hit "Done".

Step 2Run the Handbrake and insert the copy-protected DVD into a disc drive. Then, click your disc on Handbrake's "Source Selection" section and wait for the tool to scan your disc. Once done, click the "Title" dropdown and choose the content you wish to rip.

Step 3After that, choose an output format from the "Format" option list, select an output destination by clicking the "Browse" button, and pick the desired profile under the "Output Settings" or the "Presets". Then, click "Start Encode" to begin the ripping procedure.

Method 4: WinX DVD Ripper

If Handbrake doesn't work well on your end, you can try to rip copy-protected DVDs using WinX DVD Ripper. Compared to Handbrake and MakeMKV, WinX DVD Ripper offers a much more efficient disc ripping service. It can remove region-protected codes, UOPs, and CSS effectively. However, WinX DVD only offers limited editing features compared to the first recommendation. If you wish to try this one, here's a guide for you.

Step 1Install the WinX DVD Ripper on your computer and launch it afterward. Insert the disc on your disc drive and click the "Disc" tab at the top right corner.

Step 2Choose an output format from the list, select an output destination folder, and click "Run" to start the ripping and conversion procedure.

Method 5: DVD Shrink

You can also rip copy-protected DVDs using DVD Shrink. The same goes with WinX DVD Ripper; DVD Shrink can also remove some old protections. These protections include UOPSs, CSS, and region codes. The thing is, DVD Shrink compresses the ripped content from DVD, meaning it produces shrunk and lossy output. Here's how you use DVD Shrink to rip copy-protected DVDs.

Step 1After installing the DVD Shrink on your computer, run it and load the copy-protected disc on an internal or external disc drive. Then, click "Open Disc" and wait for DVD Shrink to recognize and analyze your disc.

Step 2Once the tool recognizes your disc, it will display its structure divided into three categories: Menus, Main Movie, and Extras. Then, select a target device and folder to store the output. After that, click "Backup".

Method 6: VLC Media Player

The last method recommendation that this post would like to offer is to rip copy-protected DVDs using VLC Media Player. Besides being a free and powerful multi-platform media player, VLC is also equipped with disc-ripping-related functionalities, allowing you to extract DVD content. However, the same goes for Handbrake; VLC can't directly rip copy-protected DVDs. It also needs libdvdcss to remove its encryptions. How to rip copy-protected DVDs using VLC? Refer to the steps below!

Step 1Run VLC on your computer. Then, load the DVD on your internal/external disc drive, click the "Media" tab on the VLC, and select the "Convert / Save" option. Next, click "Disc" and tick the "DVD" radio button. Ensure you have selected the DVD inserted on the "Device device".

Step 2Then, on the "Starting Position", select the "Title" or "Chapter" that you wish to extract from the DVD. After that, click the "Convert / Save" button.

Step 3On the "Settings" section, choose an output format by clicking the "Profile" dropdown menu based on your liking. Then, click the "Browse" button to choose an output file destination. After that, click "Start" to begin the ripping operation.

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