UHD Backup Software Review: Choose the Best Tool for 4K Blu-ray Backup
Summary: 4K UHD Blu-rays deliver stunning detail and sound, which makes backing up your valuable collection more important than ever. This guide reviews four UHD backup tools—DVDFab UHD Copy, DVDFab UHD Ripper, MakeMKV, and HandBrake—highlighting their features, pros, and cons to help you safeguard and enjoy your movies with confidence.
Table of Contents
UHD discs can scratch, drives can fail, and some films go out of print. Backing up UHD discs protects what you purchased and lets you watch without handling the original. This review tests 4K UHD backup tools, including UHD copy software and rippers, on a consistent setup. I check reliability, video and audio quality, speed, and stability with controlled settings.
Evaluation Criteria for UHD Backup Software
This review compares two main options for UHD backup:
💿➡️💿UHD Copy creates a disc-level clone to another blank disc or to an image or folder on a drive. You keep the original menu and structure (ISO image or BDMV folder), so a compatible player can treat it as the source disc.
💿➡️📱UHD Ripping converts the UHD disc into video files such as MKV or MP4, which you can browse in apps like Plex or your TV and mobile phone. You lose disc menus but gain flexible playback and tagging.
In addition, when choosing UHD backup software options, I followed the checklist below for evaluation:
- Picture kept intact: Backups should preserve the advertised HDR format. HDR10 is the baseline for UHD Blu-ray. Dolby Vision is optional.
- Speed and reliability on large jobs: Software must handle 100 GB discs without crashing, with consistent throughput.
- User feedback and adoption: I review user reports on output quality, failure rate, rework frequency, playback compatibility, and whether the tool shows updates and support.
UHD Copy Software: 1:1 Archival Backup
UHD copy software aims to keep disc structure and menus so the result plays like the original on devices that support ISOs or BDMV folders. I often use DVDFab because it supports full-disc clones and compressed outputs while preserving HDR formats when conditions allow.
DVDFab UHD Copy
As UHD backup software that keeps disc structure, DVDFab UHD Copy produces 1:1 clones as discs, ISO images, or BDMV folders. You can copy the full disc with menus and extras or just the main movie. There is an option to shrink BD100 titles to BD50 or BD25 when storage is limited. HDR10 is preserved in all modes, and advanced HDR formats are kept in lossless 1:1 jobs. Lossless audio such as DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD, DTS:X, and Dolby Atmos is also retained. Hardware acceleration, cloud-based disc support, and a clear workflow make it useful for large libraries.
Users note that copy modes are easy to follow, video and audio match the original, and performance holds up on long titles. Many also value batch queueing for box sets, stable handling of UHD100, and smooth playback of ISO or folder outputs. If you want to learn more about the software's features and users' feedbacks, please check out official DVDFab UHD Copy Review.
- Creates true 1:1 UHD clones to disc/ISO/BDMV for long-term UHD backup
- Full Disc, Main Movie and Clone-Burn modes for accurate copies or lean movie-only backups
- BD100 to BD50/BD25 compression options that keep 2160p when storage is tight
- HDR10 kept on all copies and Dolby Vision / HDR10+ kept on lossless 1:1 jobs
- Preserves lossless audio tracks DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X
- Removes Cinavia on supported 4K UHD audio tracks
- Cloud decryption for AACS 2.0/2.1 and BD-J protections
- GPU acceleration and a batch queue built for box sets and large libraries
- Not available on Linux
- Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are only retained in lossless copies, not in compressed versions
UHD Ripper Software: Back up UHD Blu-rays as Digital Files
Copying discs keeps the full structure but also requires large amounts of storage. If you'd rather save space and store your movies in a more flexible format, UHD ripping software is the better choice. Below are three of the most reliable tools I've tested for converting 4K Blu-rays into digital files.
DVDFab UHD Ripper
DVDFab UHD Ripper is the best UHD backup software that converts Ultra HD Blu-ray to MKV, MP4, or M2TS and preserves HDR10 and Dolby Vision for supported titles. It offers lossless "Passthrough" profiles as well as space-saving encodes, so you can choose between disc-level quality and smaller files for everyday viewing.
Users praise the output quality above all. Picture looks like the disc—fine detail and natural grain remain, colors are accurate, highlights are bright without clipping, and blacks stay deep without crushing. HDR tags are read correctly, so contrast and brightness land where they should. Motion is smooth with no hiccups, and lip-sync holds on long features. Audio is identical to the original: Atmos/DTS:X tracks bitstream cleanly, dialog is clear, and dynamics feel intact.
For a full overview of features, performance, and user impressions, see the official DVDFab UHD Ripper Review.
- Converts UHD Blu-ray to MKV, MP4, M2TS
- Lossless passthrough to video formats with original quality intact
- Compresses to MP4 with controlled quality loss
- Supports DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X
- HDR10 preserved and Dolby Vision supported on compatible titles and modes
- Cloud decryption for AACS 2.0/2.1 and BD-J protections
- Supports UHD disc, ISO, or BDMV folder as input
- Batch task queue and GPU acceleration for long titles and box sets
- Built-in video editor for quick trim, crop, and merge, etc.
- Extract audio tracks to AAC, OGG, DTS, WMA, and E-AC3
- Not available on Linux
MakeMKV
MakeMKV is another UHD backup tool dedicated to extracting UHD discs into MKV without re-encoding. It keeps video, audio, chapters, track names, and language tags intact. It supports AACS/BD+ revisions and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. UHD support is free during public beta with a posted key.
Although the official beta key unlocks all features, it is only valid for about a month. After it expires, a new key is released by the developer. Many users, especially on Reddit, report that the release of a new key is sometimes delayed. Without a valid beta key, you cannot back up Blu-ray discs and can only back up DVDs.
- Copies video and audio as-is, keeping chapters and language tags
- Remux UHD Blu-ray to MKV without re-encoding to preserve original video, audio, subtitles, etc.
- Cross-platform builds for Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Offers free beta version with a posted beta key
- Handle basic copy protection such as AACS
- Cannot bypass advanced protections
- MKV-only output; MP4 or other containers require a separate step
- No built-in compression or device presets; files stay disc-size large
- Beta key renewal required on a regular cadence
HandBrake
HandBrake is the UHD backup ripper I use when a 4K Blu-ray backup needs smaller, device-friendly files. It doesn't decrypt discs, so you start with a decrypted source. From there, HandBrake is able to convert UHD Blu-rays to MP4, MKV, and WebM formats, and lets you dial in bitrate and filters to balance quality and size. Compared with paid professional UHD backup software, it only covers basic ripping needs and falls short in preserving quality. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and the built-in presets are a safe starting point for devices and media servers.
- Free, open-source, multi-platform
- Device presets and batch queue for predictable, TV-friendly outputs
- Useful filters (deband, denoise, subtitle burn-in, chapter markers) for tricky scenes
- No disc decryption; requires a decrypted source from another tool
- Time-intensive on UHD at higher quality settings
- Dolby Vision support isn't universal; results depend on title, encoder path, and player
Comparison of Four UHD Backup Software
This section compares four tools head-to-head for UHD backup and 4K Blu-ray backup. I focus on what they produce, how they handle UHD Blu-rays, decryption scope, and platforms to pick each one.
| Software | Category | Inputs | Outputs | Decryption | Platforms |
| DVDFab UHD Copy | Copy (1:1 or compressed) | Disc / ISO / Folder | ISO / BDMV Folder / Disc | Cloud Decryption (AACS 2.0/2.1, BD-J) | Windows / macOS |
| DVDFab UHD Ripper | Ripper (lossless or compressed) | Disc / ISO / Folder | MKV / MP4 / M2TS; Passthrough or Encoded (HEVC/AV1) | Cloud Decryption (AACS 2.0/2.1, BD-J) | Windows / macOS |
| MakeMKV | Ripper (lossless) | Disc / ISO / Folder | MKV only (no re-encode) | Basic | Windows / macOS / Linux |
| HandBrake | Ripper (From Decrypted Source) | Non-protected discs/files/folders | MP4 / MKV / WebM | No | Windows / macOS / Linux |
Bonus: Tutorial on Using DVDFab to Back up 4K UHD Blu-ray
If you've decided DVDFab is the right fit for your UHD backups like me, getting started is straightforward. Below is a quick step-by-step walkthrough showing how to use DVDFab UHD Copy and how to rip 4K Blu-ray with UHD Ripper.
Use DVDFab UHD Copy to Back up UHD Blu-rays in 1:1 Quality
Step 1: Launch DVDFab and Load Your UHD Blu-ray
Open DVDFab and switch to the Copy module. Insert your disc into the drive, or drag and drop your files directly onto the main interface. Wait a moment for Cloud Decryption to complete and for the title list to appear.
Step 2: Select a Copy Mode
By default, Main Movie is chosen. You can click on it to switch to other modes:
Full Disc – copies all the content of disc/ISO/folder source with or without compression.
Main Movie – copies only the feature film for a slimmer result.
Clone/Burn – makes a sector-by-sector 1:1 duplicate.
Step 3: Adjust Quality and Size and Select Audio and Subtitles
For a lossless 1:1 copy that preserves Dolby Vision and HDR10+, keep the disc at its original size without compression.
If you want to save space, choose a smaller target size such as BD50 or BD25. These options retain HDR10, but advanced HDR formats are only preserved in full 1:1 copies.
Then decide which audio tracks and subtitle streams you want to include in your backup.
Step 4: Choose the Output Type and Start Copying
Decide whether to save your copy as an ISO file, a BDMV folder, or burn it directly to a blank disc. Once everything is set, click Start to begin the UHD Blu-ray copy process.
Use DVDFab UHD Ripper to Back up 4K Blu-rays to Digital Files
Step 1: Open DVDFab and Import Your 4K UHD Blu-ray
Install DVDFab and launch the program. Switch to the Ripper module. Insert your Ultra HD Blu-ray disc into the drive, and it will load automatically. If you're working with an ISO or folder, simply drag it into the main window or use the Add Source button.
Step 2: Pick an Output Profile and Adjust Settings
By default, the software selects MKV Passthrough for lossless ripping. If you want another format,
open the profile switcher, click Filter, and you'll see all the available output options.
On the main screen, you can further customize your project: choose specific titles, add or remove audio tracks and subtitles, or use the Video Edit and Trim tools to crop, cut, adjust resolution, and make other edits. The Advanced Settings panel also lets you fine-tune the aspect ratio and more.
Step 3: Choose Save Path and Click Start to Rip Your UHD Blu-ray
At the bottom of the main window, select your preferred save path in the Output field. Then simply click Start to begin ripping your UHD Blu-ray.
FAQs about 4K UHD Backup Software
It depends on where you live. Some countries allow personal backups; others restrict breaking copy protection even for discs you own. This article focuses on technical results, not legal advice. Check your local law before you copy or rip any disc.
Choose a 1:1 copy in DVDFab UHD Copy to create an ISO or BDMV folder with menus and full structure. For files, use Passthrough in DVDFab UHD Ripper to produce an MKV/M2TS that keeps the original video and premium audio. Avoid compression if you want disc-level quality.
Often, yes. With copy software, Dolby Vision/HDR10+ is typically preserved only on lossless 1:1 jobs. With rippers, Dolby Vision support varies by disc profile and player app. If DV matters to you, test one title before committing a batch.
A true 1:1 copy mirrors the disc (roughly the size of BD-66 or BD-100). Passthrough files are typically tens of GB. Encoded files vary by bitrate; many home setups use ~15–30 Mb/s for 4K to balance quality and space.
Final Thoughts
This review looked at 2 UHD backup workflows and compared 4 UHD copy and ripper tools for dependable 4K Blu-ray backup. If you still wonder which one you should choose for backup 4K Blu-ray, use this quick takeaway:
- If you don't care about the output container, choose MakeMKV. It gives you a lossless MKV (no re-encode).
- If you want a 1:1 clone with menus and full disc structure, choose DVDFab UHD Copy. This UHD backup software lets you clone to a new disc, ISO, or BDMV.
- If you want advanced features, such as pristine quality, fast ripping, flexible formats, and prefers strong value, choose DVDFab UHD Ripper. High-quality output typically requires paid software; DVDFab UHD Ripper is a cost-effective choice.
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