Many people are converting DVDs to digital formats to save disk space and preserve DVD collections. Ripping DVDs to formats like MP4, MOV, and MKV, has become more and more common for daily and portable playback. Some format options are better than others in terms of compatibility, MP4 is one of the most commonly use formats. Here in this tutorial, we will offer step-by-step guides on how to proceed and archive your DVD collections more effectively.
How to Effortless Convert DVD to MP4 on macOS [Tutorial]
Way 1. Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac using DVDFab DVD Ripper
DVDFab DVD Ripper for Mac is specifically designed to easily rip and convert DVD to MP4 format using MPEG4, H.265, or H.264 codecs, as well as other commonly used digital formats that are compatible with various portable devices like iPhones, iPads, Huawei, Samsung devices, tablets, and more. In addition to supporting popular video and device formats, it also allows you to extract subtitles in SRT format and Hi-Fi audio from both commercial DVDs and homemade DVD format discs/folders/ISOs. For H.264 and H.265 video encoding, with the help of VideoToolbox hardware acceleration, DVDFab DVD Ripper can significantly reduce conversion time while still delivering high-quality MP4 files.
You have 30 days to try all the features and functions of this software for free. Just grab it and start the trial.
How to Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac and Customize Video Effect with DVDFab DVD Ripper
DVDFab DVD Ripper provides Windows and macOS versions for use. On the DVDFab DVD Ripper official site, click the "I Need a Mac version" button first, then press the "Try for Free" button to download the .dmg file of DVDFab.
Step 1. Drag the DVDFab 13 dmg file to the Applications path to complete the installation. Then launch it.
Step 2. Insert the DVD into the optical drive. DVDFab DVD Ripper will automatically detect and load the disc as the source, and by default, it will display the main movie title which is normally the longest one.
If you want to add more titles or choose another one, click the "Choose other titles" button.
Step 3. Choose MP4 as a profile from the Profile selector. You can use the Filter to get the desired preset options quickly. You can also choose a device profile, such as an iPad, Apple TV, Xbox, etc.
Go to the Advanced Settings panel, you can adjust the video and audio codecs and choose how to control the subtitles.
Step 4. Trim & merge the title and edit the video per your preference.
In the "Editor" window, you can crop and rotate your video, adjust the video effects such as brightness and saturation, and personalize it by adding text and picture watermarks. You can also import additional external subtitles, among other features.
Step 5. Set the output destination and press the Start button to begin the conversion of DVD to MP4 on Mac.
Way 2. Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac Free using HandBrake
HandBrake is a freeware that can convert DVD to MP4, MKV, and WebM on Mac, Windows, and Linux. It has many built-in profiles, allowing for flexible adjustment of output quality. If you want a high-quality DVD to MP4 output, you can easily choose those super HQ options in the preset list. In addition, it provides a wide range of filter options that allow you to customize the video, such as cropping, denoising, etc.
How to Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac with HandBrake
Step 1. Download and run HandBrake on your Mac.
Step 2. Click the "Open Source" button to load the source DVD. Wait till HandBrake completes the analysis process.
Step 3. HandBrake will show the main title by default, which is normally the longest one. If you want to choose another title, click the "Title" and select the movie title from the drop-down list.
Step 4. Click "Preset" and choose the output quality you need. While you select the Fast option to convert DVD to MP4, the conversion process will be quick but the output quality is not good enough as compared to other options, so we suggest you use HD or Super HD.
Step 5. In the "Output Settings" section, besides choosing MP4 as the format, you can adjust the video codec, audio, subtitles, chapters, etc.
Step 6. Change the "Destination" path if needed.
Step 7. Click the green "Start" button on the upper area to rip the DVD to MP4 Mac.
Way 3. Rip DVD to MP4 on Mac using MakeMKV & HandBrake
MakeMKV can only convert DVD to MKV format with lossless quality and it will keep all video, audio tracks, and chapter information. We list it as a DVD-to-MP4 solution here, as MakeMKV is free to deal with copy-protected DVDs and HandBrake can convert videos to MP4 format, thus, we can use MakeMKV and HandBrake as a workaround solution for ripping an encrypted DVD to MP4 on Mac. Though the process contains two different programs, it is easy to perform. We will show you how to do it here.
Steps to Rip DVD to MP4 on Mac with MakeMKV & HandBrake
Step 1. Launch MakeMKV on your Mac.
Step 2. Insert the DVD into the optical drive. Click the big disc button to open the DVD with MakeMKV and wait till MakeMKV finishes loading.
Step 3. Click the "Make MKV" button to start converting the DVD to MKV format and wait till it completes the process.
Step 4. Run HandBrake, and convert the created MKV video into MP4 format.
- Use the "Open Source" button in HandBrake to add the MKV video as a source.
- Select MP4 as the output format and choose the output quality from the preset list.
- Adjust any other settings to your liking and then set the output destination path.
- Hit the "Start" button to convert the MKV to MP4.
Way 4. Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac using MacX DVD Ripper Free
MacX DVD Ripper Free is able to convert commercial and homemade DVDs to MP4 on Mac. Besides MP4, it also supports ripping to other file formats including M4V, MKV, MP3, ACC, and more, which is compatible with mobile devices like iPhone, iPad, Android, Plex, etc. Furthermore, this tool provides flexible options such as changing resolution, adjusting bitrate, video codec, audio codec, and more for editing videos. Some features are only available in the pro version, to get the full features, you still need to get a valid license.
How to Rip DVD to MP4 on a Mac with MacX DVD Ripper Free
Step 1. Download and launch MacX DVD Ripper Mac Free.
Step 2. Insert the DVD into your Mac's optical drive. Wait till it is analyzed and loaded by the tool.
Step 3. Choose "MP4 Video" as the output format under the "Mac General Video" section; there are many codec options like MPEG4, h264, etc, and you can change it accordingly.
Step 3. Select one or more DVD titles, and select the corresponding audio track and subtitles you want to convert.
You will get more advanced editing features if you click the "Edit" button, such as adding external subtitles and cropping video.
Step 4. Set the output destination path at the bottom. You can click the "Browse" button to change the output folder.
Step 5. Click the blue "RUN" button on the right to start the DVD to MP4 process.
Way 5. Convert Unencrypted DVD to MP4 Mac using VLC media player
VLC media player, a powerful media playback tool compatible with multiple platforms such as Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. It can also convert a home DVD to MP4, Webm, TS, OGG, ASF, MP3, etc. Additionally, you can customize the video by setting the starting position of the title and adjusting the audio and subtitles within VLC.
While VLC may not be the best option for handling copy-protected DVDs and may not offer the same level of output quality as other dedicated DVD to MP4 ripping tools, it can still be considered a viable choice for users seeking a simple and convenient solution for converting unprotected DVDs to MP4 and other file formats.
How to Convert DVD to MP4 on macOS with the Free VLC media player
Step 1. Download and run VLC on your Mac
Step 2. Insert the DVD into the optical drive connected to your Mac.
Step 3. Choose the source DVD in the VLC media player > "File" > "Convert / Stream".
Step 4. Customize the preference and choose the output path on your Mac; Select MP4 as the output format.
Step 5. When all is ready, you can now convert DVD to MP4 on Mac. Just wait for the process to finish.
Way 6. Convert Home-made DVD to MP4 on Mac using iSuper DVD Ripper
iSuper DVD Ripper is free for converting non-protected DVDs to MP4, AVI, MP3, and other digital formats. It also provides basic video editing features allowing you to cut and merge videos, add watermarks, customize contrast, etc. One thing is that it doesn't support converting an encrypted DVD to MP4 or other video format.
How to Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac with iSuper DVD Ripper
Step 1. Install the iSuper DVD Ripper from the Mac Store.
Step 2. Double-click on the app, click the "Load Disc" button on the left-top corner, and import the DVD.
Step 3. Select the DVD titles you want to convert to MP4 format, and then click "Browse" to select a destination for saving the output file.
Step 4. Click "Profile" at the bottom of the main interface and set the MP4 as a profile. Click the Settings button next to the profile field and then adjust any other settings you prefer.
Step 5. Click the "Edit" button to adjust video effects if necessary.
Step 6. Finally, hit the "Convert" button to rip the DVD to MP4 on Mac.
A Quick Glance of the 6 Ways to Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac
Here in this section, you can find some main features of the six Mac-compatible software regarding ripping a DVD to MP4 on Mac. They are free of malware and safe for use.
| Compatibility | Commercial DVD | Home-made DVD | Output Formats | Video Edit | Output quality | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DVDFab DVD Ripper | macOS 10.13 and later, Windows |
✔ |
✔ |
1,000+ output formats, such as MP4, MKV, AVI, M4V, MOV, FLAC, MP3, SRT, and more | ✔ | Lossless 1:1 copy; High-quality |
| HandBrake | macOS 10.13 and later, Windows, Linux |
- |
✔ |
MP4, WebM, and MKV | √ (Basic) | High-quality |
| MakeMKV | Mac OS X 10.7 or later, Windows, Linux |
✔ |
✔ |
MKV |
- |
Lossless 1:1 copy |
| MacX DVD Ripper Mac Free Edition | Mac OS X 10.6 and above |
✔ |
✔ |
M4V, MOV, M4V, etc. |
✔ |
High-quality |
|
VLC |
Mac OS X 10.7.5 and later, Windows, Linux | - | ✔ | MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, WMV, and more | √ (Basic) | Average |
| iSuper DVD Ripper | macOS 10.7 and later | - | ✔ | MP4, M4V, MOV, MKV, AVI, WMV, etc. | √ (Basic) | Average |
FAQ about Converting DVD to MP4 on Mac
Q1: How to use the free DVDFab DVD Ripper to convert DVD to MP4?
After the 30-day free trial of DVDFab DVD Ripper expires, you can still use a profile named MP4.free, this feature is available in the free version (DVDFab HD Decrypter) of DVDFab.
- Let DVDFab load the DVD as the source.
- You can then open the Profile selector and choose MP4.free under Video/General.
- Set the output destination.
- Press Start to convert the DVD to MP4 format.
Q2: How to fix the "no sound in QuickTime problem when playing the DVD to MP4 file"?
Some codecs may not be compatible with QuickTime. So if the audio codec you use for the conversion is not supported by QuickTime, no sound issues may occur. To fix it, you will need to change the audio codec to MP3 or AAC and convert the DVD to MP4 format again. You can also use an Apple device-compatible profile directly. Take DVDFab DVD Ripper as an example, you can choose Apple device options under the Device/Apple tab in the profile selector.
Q3: How to convert DVD to MP4 on a Mac fast and with high quality?
You may consider DVDFab DVD Ripper, HandBrake, or MacX DVD Ripper to rip DVD to MP4 at a fast speed. All of them can take advantage of hardware acceleration to quicken the conversion speed.
Q4: Is it allowed to convert DVD to MP4 on Mac?
Generally, it is allowed to convert DVD to MP4 for personal use as long as you own the original DVD and are not distributing or sharing the converted file. However, it is important to check the laws in your country or region as they may vary.
Final Words
With the right DVD ripping tool, you can easily convert your DVD to MP4 files and enjoy them on various portable devices without any hassle. Hopefully, after going through this tutorial, you've found a solution that fits your needs and preferences for ripping DVDs to MP4 on your Mac.