Unlocking DVD Copying Protection: Top 7 Tools for Windows and Mac

DVDs have been in use for a long time, and despite the rise of OTT platforms and streaming services, they are still as popular as before. However, with the introduction of different DVD copying protection methods, you may face trouble copying the DVD content for backup. Stay tuned as this guide offers the 7 best DVD copy protection tools for Windows and Mac for seamless entertainment.

Quick View of the Best DVD Copy Protection Removal Software

Before exploring the deeper aspects of all the DVD copy protection removal tools, glance at their basic features and support to choose one compatible with your OS and make a wise decision. 

How to Rip Copy-protected DVD on Windows & Mac: Detail Guide

Rip Copy-protected DVD with DVDFab DVD Ripper 

DVDFab DVD Ripper is a seamless, efficient, and feature-rich software that handles and removes DVD copying protection and rips DVDs to digital formats in just 5 minutes. It can recognize and handle all kinds of new and old encryptions for smooth digital conversions. 

Pros and Cons

• Supports ripping old and latest-released encrypted DVDs
• Rips DVDs in over 1000 digital formats and more than 260 device presets
• Enables conversion of bulk DVDs at 50x blazing speed with GPU acceleration 
• Supports lossless compression for a high-quality output in reduced file size 
• Built-in video editor to crop, trim, merge, add watermark and external subtitles, and do more processing to your video
• Upscale and enhance video from 490p to 1080p to improve the overall video quality 

• Does not offer support for Linux computers 
• Gives response in 48 hours 

How to Rip Copy Protected DVD Using DVDFab DVD Ripper 

Step 1: Launch the DVDFab software and open the Ripper module. Select the DVD to rip by tapping the Add button to navigate to the DVD drive. Your DVD will load into the Ripper tab. Drag them directly to the program’s interface for ISO files and folders. 

Step 2: DVDFab will automatically load and recognize the source to remove any copy protections from the DVD. Click the Info icon to see the DVD protections. 

Tailor your profile’s default settings to meet your requirements. Choose a preferred file format, get the audio track(s), or add subtitle(s) for a personalized output. 

Step 3: Use the Advanced Settings and Video Edit options to fine-tune the audio and video parameters. Select the Save To tab to enter a destination path for your file before you proceed to remove DVD copy protection.

Step 4: Select the Start button to quickly rip copy protected DVD. You will see the progress on the main interface. The software lets you exit, hibernate, or shut down your computer upon the process completion. If necessary, cancel the task at any time.   

Rip Copy-protected DVD with Passkey for DVD

Passkey for DVD is a powerful DVD copy protection removal Windows driver that can read and remove all kinds of DVD encryptions and region codes on the fly to make all DVDs accessible. It enables unrestricted access to any DVD movie in seconds without hassle. 

Pros and Cons

• Works seamlessly with various software to copy, clone, burn, etc.  Updates constantly with the latest decryption technologies to catch up with the newest DVD protections 
• Makes all DVDs accessible to watch and enjoy with a region-specific drive or player software 
• Offers flexible settings to provide an enhanced user experience 
• Unprotects encrypted DVD discs on Windows to remove DVD copy protection and region codes 

• Incompatible with Mac and Linux computers 
• Customer response time can be a bit long (48 hours)

How to Use the DVD Copy Protection Removal Software, Passkey for DVD, to Rip DVDs

Step 1: Tap twice to run Passkey 9 and select DVD from the primary interface. Navigate and tap the Start Passkey button. Passkey will launch and minimize automatically in the system tray. It will detect a DVD in your drive. 

Step 2: Load your source disc in the drive, and the program will automatically start the decryption task. A small window will appear in the system tray area, indicating progress. The decryption will be complete when the green bar reaches the end. 

The Passkey for DVD’s interface details the source disc and its status, as well as removed protections for enhanced transparency.

Step 3: Once decryption is complete, your DVD can play with any player. To rip it, right-click the Passkey icon minimized in the system tray and select Rip to Hard Disk or Rip to Image. In the pop-up window, select the output target.

Note: Checking the Keep Protection textbox while ripping creates a copy-protected ISO image of the DVD.

Rip Copy-protected DVD with HandBrake + LibDVDcss

HandBrake is an open-source transcoder that converts unprotected DVDs to formats like MP4 or MKV. Combined with libdvdcss, it can handle Content Scramble System (CSS) encryption on commercial DVDs and remove DVD copying protection. However, HandBrake rips can lose some quality compared to the original DVD.

Pros and Cons

• Decrypts protected DVDs on Windows and Mac computers
• Automatically loads the libdvdcss library upon installation 
• Creates 1:1 DVD copies as single MPEG-2 files or ISO images
• Rip protected DVDs to MP4, HEVC, MOV, AVI, MKV, and over 350 profiles for various devices and platforms
• 5x faster than Handbrake with GPU hardware acceleration

• Configuring HandBrake and LibDVDcss can be complex for beginners and require extra steps
• The process can strain older hardware, impacting system performance

How to Use HandBrake + LibDVDcss to Copy Copyright DVDs by Removing Protection 

Step 1: Install and run the newest version of HandBrake. Then, download libdvdcss-2.dll for Handbrake on Windows. Upload a DVD to your optical drive and open Handbrake. Click Open Source or File, select the DVD, and wait for Handbrake to read the disc. It will use libdvdcss.dll or libdvdcss.pkg to detect the correct title.

Step 2: Select your file's quality in the Preset drop-down menu. In the General section, choose between Very Fast, Fast, HQ, and Super HQ. For DVDs, select 480p or 576p based on PAL or NTSC. Avoid 720p or 1080p, as they increase file size without improving quality.

Step 3: Click the Video tab to choose a video encoder (e.g., H.264, H.265) and adjust settings like picture size, bitrate, audio channel, and encoding quality.

Step 4: Tap the Browse button to select a save folder, then click Start. Handbrake and libdvdcss will decrypt your protected DVD.

Rip Copy-protected DVD with MakeMKV

MakeMKV is a decent DVD copy protection removal software that can eliminate common copy protections, including region codes, from most DVDs and convert them into MKV formats. The program can stream decrypted video directly and is compatible with various players and devices.

Pros and Cons

• Reads DVDs and AACS/BD+ protected Blu-rays 
• Retains chapter info, video/audio tracks, and HD audio
• Supports multiple tracks and chapters and is widely convertible

• Fails to bypass all kinds of DVDs
• Cannot select the output format other than MKV 

How to Use MakeMKV to Remove DVD Copy Protection

Step 1: Download and install MakeMKV, then insert the copy-protected DVD into your computer's DVD drive to begin ripping.

Step 2: MakeMKV will list the titles, audio tracks, and subtitles. You can select or deselect options as required.

Step 3: Select the folder icon next to the Output Folder to pick the save location. Ensure you have enough disk space for large MKV files.

Step 4: Press the Make MKV button. The software will bypass copy protection and rip selected titles to MKV format without re-encoding.

Rip Copy-protected DVDs with DVD Decrypter

DVD Decrypter is a popular DVD copy protection tool for handling encrypted DVDs. However, this product stopped updating in 2005 and may not be able to handle newer DVDs or encryption. Even the official website is shut down.

Pros and Cons

• Allows to decrypt DVD encryption and copy it to a VIDEO_TS folder on your HD
• Demultiplex DVD into separate audio, video, and subtitle streams
• Create DVD images and burn CDs/DVD images 

• Rips DVDs to VIDEO_TS; additional tools are needed for other formats
• Discontinued for years (last updated in 2005) and may not handle the latest copy protections

How to Copy Decrypted DVD with DVD Decrypter

Step 1: Download DVD Decrypter from sources like the mirror site, VideoHelp, and other available sites.

Step 2: Load the encrypted DVD to rip into your drive and launch DVD Decrypter. Ensure the DVD is selected in the Source section. DVD Decrypter will display information such as the DVD’s label, region, RCE protection, and copyright protection system type.

Step 3: To define the output path, hit the Folder icon in the Destination box.  

Step 4: Click the Decrypt button (DVD disc, arrow, and hard drive icon) to start ripping.

Remove Copy Protection from DVD with DVD Shrink

DVD Shrink is another powerful DVD copying protection tool that compresses DVD discs to fit on a single-layer writable DVD. It can bypass several DVD protections, including region code, CSS, and UOP.

Pros and Cons

• Removes common DVD copy protections 
• Creates a backup copy of any DVD video disc 
• Offers a built-in decryption algorithm to bypass any DVD encryption 

• Often encounters errors such as Invalid File Structure and CRC Error, leading to failed operations
• Hasn't been updated since July 2004, causing compatibility issues with newer DVDs and technologies

How to Rip and Copy Copy righted DVD with DVD Shrink 

Step 1: Download DVD Shrink from the official site on Windows computers. 

Step 2: Insert the DVD into your computer’s drive. Click Open Disc to select the source. DVD Shrink will analyze and display the DVD structure: Menus, Main Movie, and Extras.

Step 3: Move to Compression Settings and choose your preferred ratio. To fit copy-protected DVDs on a DVD5 disc, select Automatic. By default, all audio tracks and subtitles will be selected— Uncheck unnecessary tracks to reduce the output file size.

Step 4: Tap Backup at the top center. Choose the backup target and folder, then click OK to remove copy protection.

Remove Copy Protection from DVD with ImgBurn

ImgBurn is a free, powerful, flexible, and lightweight DVD copy protection tool that primarily helps burn CDs, DVDs, HD DVDs, and Blu-ray in a wide range of image formats. It can't remove CSS or other protections but occasionally bypasses old DVDs.

Pros and Cons

• Supports the latest drives to burn DVD video discs 
• Provides several modes for different tasks such as Read, Build, Write, Verify, and Discovery 
• Burns Audio CDs from various supported file types like APE, AAC, M4A, FLAC, MP3/MP4, OGG, etc.

• Not compatible with Mac or Linux computers 
• Does not always work to remove CSS encryption 

How to Copy Copywritten DVD with ImgBurn

Step 1: Visit the ImgBurn homepage for mirror sites and download the installer. Then, install and launch the freeware.

Step 2: Select Create image file from disc to access the conversion panel.

Step 3: Click the down-triangle button to locate the DVD you want to remove copy protection from, then select it.

Step 4: Click the yellow explore button to select an output folder. Next, tap the blue arrow to unlock and copy protected DVD.

Extended Tips: Common DVD Copy Protections

DVDs often feature various protections, such as CSS, region codes, and RCE, to prevent unauthorized copying and playback. These measures safeguard content against piracy and illegal distribution. Here’s a list of common DVD protections. 

FAQs About Ripping Copy-protected DVD

Q.1. What is a copy-protected DVD?

Copy-protected DVDs use digital rights management (DRM), such as Content Scramble System (CSS), Analog Protection System (APS), and region codes, to prevent duplication or unauthorized copying. These protections ensure that content plays only on authorized devices.

Q.2. Is it legal to rip a copy-protected DVD?  

Copying copyright DVDs is legal, provided you only use the above-mentioned reliable tools for personal viewing and enjoyment. You may face legal consequences if you use it commercially or sell/share the copyrighted content without the owner’s permission. 

Q.3. Can VLC rip copy protected DVDs?

VLC Media Player and libdvdcss can play and sometimes rip copyright-protected DVDs, including those with CSS and region codes. This combination enables VLC to handle various copy protection schemes for commercial DVDs.

Q.4. What is the best software for removing the copy protection from DVDs? 

DVDFab DVD Ripper stands out as robust and competitive software for removing copy protection from DVDs. It removes old and new copy protection without hassle and edits and upscales the video quality for enhanced playback and enjoyment.

Final Wrap

That was everything about DVD copying protection, including popular encryption methods and reliable tools to help you remove them. While we have discussed each software's main functions and cons, you must download and try DVDFab DVD Ripper, as its functionality goes beyond removing DVD encryption. It further helps you with high-quality compression and lossless conversion for seamless playback on any device.