How to Rip Blu-ray to MKV Free on Windows & Mac [4 Best Converters]

A while ago, I ran into a familiar problem: my laptop upgrade came with speed and style—but no Blu-ray drive. Rather than let my discs collect dust, I turned to converting them into MKV files. MKV keeps the original picture and HD audio intact, supports multiple subtitles and chapters, and works on TVs, tablets, and streaming boxes. In this guide, I'll walk you through the tools I tested and the exact steps to rip your Blu-ray collection into MKV files in lossless, 3D, or H.265 configurations.

Why Rip Blu-ray to MKV Files?

With bitrates often two to three times higher than most streaming services, Blu-rays include lossless formats like Dolby TrueHD. However, physical discs and players can be inconvenient, especially on devices without a drive. That's where MKV comes in.

• Keep all original streams: Video, multiple audio tracks, and chapters can be preserved in one file without re-encoding.
• Balance quality and convenience: Enjoy Blu-ray-level picture and sound while accessing your movies instantly from a NAS, or when you rip Blu-ray for Plex or Kodi.
• Play anywhere: MKV works across TVs, laptops, and streaming boxes without worrying about region codes or physical media.

These advantages make MKV a practical choice for archiving and playback. Next, let's look at reliable Blu-ray to MKV tools and how to use them.

Way 1: Rip Blu-ray to MKV With DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper

DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper

This Blu-ray Ripper allows you to rip any 2D or 3D Blu-ray / ISO file / Folder to video & audio formats playable on any device, media player, or home theatre. 

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DVDFab is a professional program that can rip any Blu-ray to MKV Passthrough files on Windows and Mac. Its exclusive Cloud Decryption Service helps you unlock major copy mechanisms and ensures a seamless Blu-ray conversion. Besides lossless MKV, DVDFab also lets you convert Blu-ray to MKV in different formats, including 3D MKV, H265 MKV, and 4K MKV.

DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper also offers a lifetime-free but simplified version - DVDFab HD Decrypter - that can rip most encrypted DVD and Blu-rays to MP4&MKV format only. Both versions are installed in one DVDFab package for your easy use.

Steps to Convert Blu-ray to MKV without Quality Loss

Step 1: Launch DVDFab 13 and load Blu-ray disc/ISO/folder

Open DVDFab software and go to the Ripper module to get started. Insert the Blu-ray disc you want to rip or use the Add button to load an ISO file or folder that's already stored on your computer.

Step 2: Choose a MKV profile and customize the video

Access the profile switcher ("Choose Other Profile") and make sure to select the Format tab. Then choose a MKV profile as you like. If you want to convert Blu-ray to MP4 or other format, feel free to use any of the other options and the filters to gain access to even more formats.

Before ripping Blu-ray to MKV, you may want to utilize the editing options. For example, you can choose which titles, chapters, audio tracks, and subtitles you want to rip directly from the main menu.

You can use the "Advanced Settings" menu to change things like video quality, frame rate, resolution, video or audio codec, and more. 

Meanwhile, opening the "Video Edit" menu will give you access to tools that allow you to trim and crop the video, add subtitles or watermarks, and change video proprieties like saturation, contrast, and brightness.

Step 3: Select the output and start ripping Blu-ray

Once you're done editing the video, you can use the bottom menu to pick the destination folder. To begin the Blu-ray to MKV conversion simply press the Start button and wait until the software finishes processing your file.

Way 2: Rip Blu-ray to MKV with AnyMP4 Blu-ray Ripper

AnyMP4 Blu-ray Ripper is a reliable and efficient Blu-ray to MKV converter that offers comprehensive features and functionalities. It can rip Blu-ray to MKV, and other 500+ digital format fast, and customizable, allowing users to enjoy their Blu-ray movies in the highest quality on various media players and devices.

It allows users to select the desired audio track and subtitle for conversion. Apart from ripping, it comes with editing features to customize your videos including rotation, trimming, cropping, adding watermark, and adjusting video effects. However, many users from Amazon said that AnyMP4 may fail to load some Blu-rays disc, especially copyright protected discs.

How to Rip 3D Blu-ray to MKV using AnyMP4 Blu-ray Ripper?

Step 1: Download and install AnyMP4 Blu-ray Ripper for Windows or macOS. Use the latest version so it can handle newer Blu-ray discs without errors.

Step 2: Open the program and switch to the Ripper tab. Click the "+" icon in the middle of the window to load your Blu-ray disc. If you already backed up the disc, you can also add a Blu-ray folder or ISO file instead of the physical disc.

Step 3: Once imported, AnyMP4 scans the disc and shows the available titles. Click "Full Title List" to see all content, then pick the main movie or other clips you want to keep.

Once done, click on the OK button to continue. To locate your preferred MKV format easily, click on the Video tab and use the Search box.

Step 4: Go to the "Save to" field and choose where you want to store the MKV file. Once everything is ready, click "Rip All" to initiate the conversion. If your system supports hardware decoding, enabling GPU acceleration can speed up the process significantly.

Way 3: Free Blu-ray to MKV Conversion with MakeMKV

MakeMKV is a renowned and free tool for converting Blu-ray and DVD discs into MKV files without re-encoding. It can decrypt AACS/BD+ protected discs and preserves the original video, audio, chapters, and metadata for a true 1:1 copy.

The software runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and is free to use while in beta (with a license key that requires periodic renewal). However, it supports only MKV output, lacks Blu-ray menu support and post-conversion editing features, and does not offer GPU acceleration. Due to its decryption capability, the legality of using MakeMKV may vary by country or region.

How to Convert Blu-ray to MKV free with MakeMKV?

Step 1: Download the version of MakeMKV that matches your operating system, install it, and open the program. Insert your Blu-ray disc into the Blu-ray drive.

If you are working with a protected commercial disc, MakeMKV will use its decryption keys. In some cases, you may need to update the key file or key database provided on the official site.

Step 2: Click the Blu-ray drive icon to import the disc. MakeMKV will analyze it and list all available titles. This process may take two minutes depending on the disc's encryption.

Step 3: In the list on the left, tick the titles you want to keep, along with the audio and subtitle tracks you need. At the bottom, set an output folder where the MKV files will be saved.

Step 4: Click the Make MKV button to start ripping the Blu-ray. A progress bar will show how far along the process is.

Way 4: Convert Non-protected Blu-ray to MKV with HandBrake

HandBrake is a free and multi-platform video/DVD transcoder used to rip non-protected Blu-ray discs to MKV. It also offers MP4 and WebM formats aside from MKV. HandBrake comes with a range of built-in presets and supports adjusting video quality, selecting audio tracks and subtitles, and applying filters such as deinterlacing or cropping.

However, it cannot decrypt Blu-ray discs by itself. Since HandBrake re-encodes the video instead of copying it 1:1, some quality loss is unavoidable. However, by using a higher bitrate and fine-tuning the encoding settings, you can keep the loss to a minimum.

How to Rip Blu-ray to MKV Free with HandBrake?

Step 1: Start HandBrake and insert a non-protected Blu-ray disc, or mount an already-decrypted Blu-ray folder/ISO. Click "Open Source" and select the disc or folder you want to convert. HandBrake will scan the contents and list available titles.

Step 2: From the Title dropdown, pick the main movie or the segment you want to convert. If needed, narrow it down further by selecting a specific chapter range. In the Audio and Subtitles tabs, choose the tracks you want to keep in the MKV file.

Step 3: Under Summary, select MKV as the container. Then pick a preset or adjust settings manually in the Video tab (codec, quality slider or bitrate, frame rate).

You can also use the Dimensions and Filters tabs to handle cropping, scaling, or deinterlacing.

Step 4: Click Browse to choose where the MKV file will be saved. When everything is set, press "Start Encode". HandBrake will begin converting the Blu-ray to MKV and show progress in the main window until the job is finished.

Comparison of the Top 4 Blu-ray to MKV Converters

In this section, we will be comparing the top four Blu-ray to MKV converters mentioned in the above parts. The comparison will revolve around key aspects like ease of use, conversion speed, output quality, and compatibility, and more. Just choose one according to your needs.

Top 2 Tested Tools to Rip Blu-ray to MKV

 

As a Blu-ray enthusiast with a personal collection of hundreds of discs, I've long been on the hunt for reliable software to digitize my Blu-ray library. In my search, I've focused on a few key factors: ripping speed, output quality (especially whether the video is compressed), and the ability to handle copy-protected discs.

After testing several tools, I selected two standout programs. Under the same testing conditions, I put both to the test—and here are the results.

DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper stands out with superior decryption support, faster performance, and hardware acceleration. It handles the latest Blu-ray Copy protections, making it suitable for a much wider range of discs. DVDFab also delivers a high average bit rate of 5649kbps, ensuring excellent output quality with more preserved details.

Most notably, DVDFab's conversion time was just 13 minutes and 26 seconds. In contrast, HandBrake took over 5 hours for the same task, with no support for protected discs or GPU acceleration.

FAQs

How to convert Blu-ray to MKV with VLC?

VLC can read some Blu-ray discs and save them as MKV files, but it is not a dedicated Blu-ray ripper. It only works with unprotected discs or with extra decryption files added manually, so the setup is a bit technical.

• Step 1: Download and install the latest version of VLC.
• Step 2: Download the KEYDB.cfg key database and the AACS library file (libaacs.dll on Windows or libaacs.dylib on macOS). Place KEYDB.cfg in the appropriate AACS folder for your system and copy the file into VLC's installation directory.
• Step 3: Open VLC, insert your Blu-ray disc, then go to Media → Convert / Save.... Switch to the Disc tab, tick Blu-ray, and select your disc.
• Step 4: Choose the main title and chapter range you wish to rip. Then click Convert / Save and set MKV as the output profile. Finally, choose an output folder and click Start.

Is there a free Blu-ray to MKV converter for Linux?

Yes. MakeMKV is one of the most popular free options for Linux users. The Linux version has the same core features as its Windows and macOS counterparts: it can decrypt most AACS/BD+ protected discs, preserve HD audio tracks and subtitles, and remux directly to MKV without re-encoding. The ripping process is essentially the same as described earlier in this article.

Can I rip Blu-ray to MKV without losing quality?

Yes. Look for an MKV profile labeled passthrough, remux, or lossless in your Blu-ray ripping software. In that mode, the video and audio streams are copied instead of re-encoded, so the quality matches the original disc. The trade-off is file size: the MKV will be large, often close to the size of the Blu-ray, and some devices may need specific codec support to play it correctly.

Can Blu-ray players play MKV files?

Some Blu-ray players can open MKV files from a USB drive or over a home network, but MKV is not part of the standard Blu-ray disc format. Support varies by brand and model and depends on which codecs the player can handle. If your player does not read MKV files, you can use a software media player on a computer, a streaming box, or a media server to play or cast the MKV instead.

Conclusion

Converting BDMV to MKV is a practical way to back up Blu-ray movies while keeping multiple audio tracks, subtitles, and chapters in a single file. DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper can handle full BDMV folders and output different MKV profiles with flexible control over quality and size. For free options, MakeMKV is well suited to lossless BDMV to MKV backups, while HandBrake is helpful for creating smaller MKV encodes from already-decrypted sources.