Methods to Convert/Rip Blu-rays to MP4 Videos

Buying a new movie on Blu-ray only to find out that you can’t actually watch it on your computer can be a real bummer. A lot of the time when that happens it’s because your video player is either outdated or simply can’t support the format. So what do you do now? Well, you have two main options – either get a new player or convert the Blu-ray to MP4 so that it can run on your existing player. Today we’re going to talk about the second option and we’re going to introduce you to a couple of tools that can be used to both rip the contents of any Blu-ray disc and convert them to MP4, which is a format supported by virtually every media player out there.

Part 1: Rip and Convert Blu-ray to MP4 with DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper

The first tool we’re going to talk about and want to recommend is called DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper. This powerful software was designed specifically for Blu-ray discs and can rip not only 2D discs but 3D content as well. DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper can also output 4K videos and although we mentioned the software can rip Blu-ray to MP4, the tool can be used to convert physical discs to a great number of other digital formats, including MKV, AVI, WMV, M2TS, and many more. What’s more, the software comes equipped with powerful built-in editing and customization tools that can be used to adjust many aspects of the movies you want to rip. And, with the help of an additional tool called DVDFab Blu-ray Cinavia Removal , the software can even remove Cinavia watermarks from any Blu-ray disc.

1. Launch DVDFab 12 and go to the Ripper module in the upper menu to get started. Insert the Blu-ray disc you want to rip or use the “+” button to load a source that can already be found on your computer.

2. Go to the Profile Switcher in the upper left corner to pick the format for the output file. We want to rip the Blu-ray to MP4 in this particular scenario so we’re picking the Format -> Video -> MP4 option. Repeat these steps but choose a different option at the end if you want to convert to a different format.

3. As an optional step, you can open up the Video Edit menu to makes changes related to color proprieties, rotate the video, use the cropping or trimming tools, add watermarks or subtitles, and more. Likewise, you can open the Advanced Settings menu if you want to change the video resolution, frame rate, video quality, encoding method, tweak the audio settings, and more.

4. Once you’re happy with all the changes, use the bottom menu to pick a suitable location for the contents of the ripped disc. Finally, click the Start button and wait until the software finishes processing the file.

Part 2: Rip and Convert Blu-ray to MP4 Freely with Handbrake

If you’re looking for a tool that can rip Blu-ray to MP4 for free, Handbrake is one of the best options available right now. The tool has been around for a very long time and became popular mainly thanks to its ability to quickly and easily rip DVD discs. More recently, however, the software’s capabilities were improved and now Handbrake is also able to rip Blu-ray to MP4 and a handful of other formats. Handbrake by itself can’t be used to rip protected Blu-ray discs but works quite well with unprotected ones.

1. Although you can’t rip Blu-ray to MP4 from a protected disc with Handbrake alone, you can do it when using the software in conjunction with an additional tool like AnyDVD HD or VLC + MakeMKV. Install Handbrake along with any of the other tools you want to use and then click Open Source (or simply Source depending on the version) -> Video File to select the Blu-ray you want to rip and convert.

2. Handbrake will then starting scanning all the titles found on the Blu-ray disc but this process usually takes a while so be patient. Once that’s done, click the Browse button to select the output folder.

3. Choose the format by using the dropdown menu found just underneath the Output Settings option. Just like before, we want to do a Blu-ray to MP4 conversion so we’re going to pick the MP4 option but feel free to select MKV if that works better for you. While you’re at it, now would be a good time to make any other adjustments, such as adding filters or subtitles, using the cropping tool, changing video or audio proprieties etc.

4. Once everything looks good, hit the Start Encode button to begin the ripping and conversion process. This process may take a while depending on your hardware so, again, patience is key.

Part 3: DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper vs. Handbrake

Now that you know more about these two tools you’re probably thinking about which one to choose the next time you want to rip Blu-ray to MP4. Well, the main thing that a lot of people will immediately take into consideration is the price. Handbrake is entirely free while DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper is a professional tool and will, therefore, set you back a few bucks, though it is possible to try the software for free at first and pay for it later if you like it and want to gain access to all its features.

Another aspect that many people look for in a tool like this is its ease of use. There’s no denying that DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper undoubtedly has the better user interface, which is very easy to work with and can be personalized with a variety of different skins. But looks aren’t everything of course as we also need to take into account their capabilities.

As previously mentioned, Handbrake can’t really be used by itself to rip Blu-rays to MP4 from a protected disc so that’s immediately a disadvantage since pretty much any Blu-ray disc you buy will feature some form of DRM protection. DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper, on the other hand, can rip some protected discs right off the bat and also rip all the rest if you pair it with the Cinavia Removal Solution tool. In terms of optional features like video editing and customization tools, the two are fairly even but DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper does support more formats and can rip/convert higher resolution videos, which is a pretty big advantage.

All in all, the only real thing that would make Handbrake a more appealing choice over DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper is the fact that it’s completely free. When it comes to everything else, DVDFab’s software is clearly the more powerful and efficient choice, not to mention a lot faster, which is completely understandable because this is a professional tool at the end of the day.

Conclusion

There are a few other good tools out there that will allow you to rip Blu-ray to MP4 but we wanted to recommend these two because they’re arguably the best in their respective categories. Handbrake is very popular for a good reason as its simplicity and lack of any price tag does make it perfect for users who only want to rip one disc or use these types of tools very rarely. If you find yourself needing a reliable tool for the long haul, however, you’re definitely going to need to look into a professional alternative sooner or later and DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper is the best option available on the market right now.

If you also want to rip DVDs to MP4, I think you can have a look at how to convert DVD to MP4.