I have a massive library of disc images that I need to convert ISO to MP4 to save storage space on my NAS. However, I often struggle with slow batch conversion and inconsistent output quality, audio streams, or subtitles, as many collectors discussed in this Reddit thread on bulk DVD processing.

In this report, I test and evaluate the top 6 tools to convert ISO to MP4 based on decryption stability and hardware performance to find the most efficient workflows for 2026. I also provide detailed steps and recommended encoder settings to help you build a high-quality digital library that works on every device.

How to Convert ISO to MP4

Quick Guide: Best 3 ISO to MP4 Converters on Win/Mac in 2026

To identify which software offers the best efficiency for large ISO to MP4 conversion, I selected the top two Win/Mac tools, DVDFab DVD Ripper and HandBrake, and tested them with the same ISO source on my Windows 10 computer. My evaluation focuses on critical metrics including decryption stability, hardware-accelerated encoding, and output quality. Here are the report details:

 Key Takeaways
  • I recommend DVDFab DVD Ripper for collectors who need to convert many encrypted ISO to MP4 at once. My tests show that this software saves nearly 8 minutes of ripping time and 100 MB of storage space for every movie while it preserves the original video quality. Processing a batch of 50 ISO files with DVDFab saves over six hours of total waiting time compared to HandBrake.
  • I recommend HandBrake for a single convert ISO to MP4 task where speed is not a priority. This software can convert non-protected ISO to MP4 if you do not mind slower ripping speeds and a slight drop in output resolution. It serves as a reliable secondary tool for basic home use without specific encryption requirements.

📀Test Environment:

  • Operating System: Windows 10 X64
  • System Memory: 16GB
  • Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB
  • Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700 CPU

📑Test Process:

I selected a standard 4.3 GB DVD ISO file for this test. I configured each software to use the H.264 codec and the MP4 container to maintain compatibility with modern playback devices. Then, I recorded the total duration of the conversion and the final size of the output file to calculate efficiency.

💡Test Result:

Top ISO to MP4 Converters Tested
Tool Preset Setting Ripping Time Output Quality Output Size Supported Protection Trustpilot Ratings
DVDFab DVD Ripper 13.0.5.6 (Jan 27, 2026) Fast Speed 5m18s 720x404
AAC 5.1
890MB All. CSS,
RC, RCE,
99-Title,
UOPs, APs
NEW.
4.6/5
HandBrake 1.10.2 (Dec 2025) Fast 480p30 13m 720x362 AAC 2.0 984MB Basic CSS (Require libdvdcss) 4.0/5

Best Free ISO to MP4 Converter

The following sections provide my detailed review of each desktop and online ISO to MP4 converters. Check those tools to find the best option for your needs.

Convert ISO to MP4 with DVDFab DVD Ripper

DVDFab DVD Ripper a specialized ISO to MP4 converter on both Windows and Mac. This software handles advanced protection schemes like CSS, AACS, and RC to transform disc images into formats such as MP4, MKV, or AVI. You can load dozens of files into a task queue for efficient batch processing. By utilizing GPU hardware acceleration, DVDFab finishes tasks much faster than traditional software while maintaining high video and audio quality.

It includes a built-in video editor that allows you to trim clips, crop frames, or adjust visual settings during the conversion. This tool provides options to select specific titles, audio tracks, and subtitles to ensure the final file meets your specific needs. The software also preserves accurate metadata for better organization on home servers. The latest version 13.0.5.6 was update on January 30 2026, improving overall stability.

💻Supported OS: 

Pros:

  • Support newly released copy-protected DVDs for reliable ripping
  • Convert DVD/ISO images/folders to 1000+ video & audio formats
  • Rip ISO to MP4 or other formats with 260+ built-in device presets
  • Select titles, chapters, audio tracks, and extract subtitles to SRT
  • Enable GPU-accelerated batch conversion for faster processing
  • Include a built-in video editor for quick trimming and enhancements

Cons:

  • This software doesn't work on Linux systems
💡
DVDFab DVD Ripper offers a completely free but simplified version: DVDFab HD Decrypter. This is a free ISO to MP4 converter to convert DVD/Blu-ray ISO files to MP4 and MKV only. Both versions are installed in one package.

Text Tutorial on How to Convert ISO to MP4 with DVDFab DVD Ripper

Step 1: Launch DVDFab software and Load Your ISO File

Download DVDFab DVD Ripper. Launch the tool and choose the Ripper module first. Then click the 'Add File' button or drag and drop your ISO file into the program. 

💡Note: This program supports batch conversion, so you can rip video from multiple ISO files at a time.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with DVDFab DVD Ripper

Step 2: Select DVD ISO chapter, audio, and subtitle to convert

Customize your videos. You can select specific chapters, and customize the titles, audio, and subtitle. Besides, you can also click 'None' under 'Subtitle' to get rid of DVD subtitles, and click 'Add External Subtitle' to add subtitles to video.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with DVDFab DVD Ripper

Step 3: Choose MP4 as the output format

On the main interface, open Choose Other Profile → Format → Video, then pick one of the following:

  • MP4 (H.264) — best overall compatibility (phones, tablets, TVs, browsers).
  • MP4 (H.265/HEVC) — smaller files at similar quality (requires newer devices).

💡If you prefer presets, select MP4.Mobile for compatibility-oriented output or MP4.Theater for higher quality on big screens. Both can be fine-tuned in the next step.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with DVDFab DVD Ripper

Step 4: Customize video with Advanced Settings and Video Editor

Customize the output video and audio. For example, you can set up your video resolution, and change its frame rate, or bit rates via the 'Advanced Settings' button represented by the wrench icon.

📌Here is recommended settings by Use Case

Use Case Video Settings Audio/Subs
Mobile/uploads MP4 H.265, CRF 22, 720p (or keep source), Preset: Fast AAC Stereo 160–192 kbps;
Subs: burn forced
Balanced TV/laptop MP4 H.264, CRF 20, Res: keep source;
Preset: Fast 1080p30
AAC Stereo or AC3 Passthrough;
Subs: selectable
Big screen/higher quality MP4 H.265, CRF 18, Res: keep source;
Preset: Slower/HQ
AC3 Passthrough (5.1) or AAC 256–320 kbps;
Subs: selectable
Size-cap
(e.g., ≤2GB)
MP4 H.264, Target bitrate: DVD 1.5–2.5 Mbps / 1080p 4–6 Mbps; downscale if needed AAC Stereo 128–160 kbps;
Subs: burn one track

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with DVDFab DVD Ripper

Or, you can add text, images, and subtitles to your video if needed. And you can also trim or crop your video through the built-in DVD editor.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with DVDFab DVD Ripper

Step 5: Start the ISO to MP4 conversion

Pick up a location for your MP4 video on the bottom of the interface. When you are ready, click on the 'Start' button to start the ripping and conversion process.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with DVDFab DVD Ripper

Video Tutorial on How to Convert ISO to MP4 with DVDFab DVD Ripper

Convert ISO to MP4 Free with HandBrake

HandBrake is an open source tool to convert ISO to MP4 on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. This software specializes in video transcoding rather than decryption. You must load unencrypted files or install the Libdvdcss library to handle files protected by CSS. It relies on CPU resources and supports hardware encoders, but my tests show it runs twice as slowly as DVDFab on my Windows 10.

HandBrake also includes many device presets for hardware like Apple or Android. You can apply video filters like deinterlace or denoise to improve the visual clarity of older DVD footage. The queue system allows for batch processing of multiple files in one session. 

💻Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux

Pros
  • Convert DVD/Blu-ray ISO to MP4 for free
  • Convert multiple ISO files in batches
  • Convert videos with various codecs to be compatible with your devices
  • Presets are available for quick results
Cons
  • Limited editing features and output options
  • Trustpilot users reported that the program was unstable
  • HandBrake cannot remove some advanced DVD copying protection

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with HandBrake:

Step 1: Download and install HandBrake on your computer. Once opened, head to the 'File' section in the left-hand menu to import your ISO file - HandBrake will do a quick scan automatically.

💡Note: The software usually highlights the longest video title as the main content, so it's smart to double-check that it picked the right one. Also, remember to specify the conversion range(by chapters, timecode, or frames) to ensure only your desired segments are processed.

tips icon
If HandBrake only recognizes the first chapter in a multi-chapter ISO:
  • Check file paths: Accents or special characters in folder/file names may cause parsing errors.
  • Update HandBrake: Versions 1.6.0 and 1.6.1 have a confirmed bug that breaks multi-chapter detection. This is fixed in v1.6.2 and later nightly builds.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with HandBrake

Step 2: Select 'MP4' format from the 'Format' drop-down menu and adjust settings as you need. You can choose a 'Preset' like Fast 1080p30 for quicker conversions or HQ 1080p30 for higher quality. In the Video tab, pick H.264 for broad device compatibility or H.265 to shrink file sizes.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with HandBrake

Step 3:Click on the 'Browse' button to select where you want to save the converted file.

Step 4: Click on the 'Start' button to initiate the ISO to MP4 conversion process.

Convert ISO to MP4 with Makemkv + HandBrake

MakeMKV + HandBrake is a popular two step workflow for converting ISO to MP4 among data hoarders on Reddit. First, you use MakeMKV to produce a lossless 1:1 copy of the video and audio streams from the original ISO image file. Once you have the decrypted MKV file, you use HandBrake to shrink the file size and switch the container to MP4.

This method prevents common errors where HandBrake fails to read titles from protected ISO sources. Many users keep the large MKV file for archival purposes while using the smaller MP4 version for streaming on mobile devices. However, this MakeMKV + HandBrake workflow takes more time and storage space.

💻Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux

Pros
  • Extract MKV from ISO without quality loss
  • Tanscode MKV to MP4 for smaller size
  • Bypass some complex disc protection
  • Allow for precise video and audio adjustments
Cons
  • Require significant amounts of free storage space
  • Takes much longer than one step solutions
  • More complex for begainning users.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with MakeMKV + HandBrake:

Step 1: Extract the lossless video from ISO using MakeMKV

Open MakeMKV and load your source ISO file to begin the extraction. Select the main movie title from the list and choose the audio tracks or subtitles you want to keep. Pick a destination folder with at least 50GB of free space and click the Make MKV button to create a raw decrypted copy of the video.

Step 2: Compress the file to MP4 using HandBrake

Launch HandBrake and drag the new MKV file into the main window to convert ISO to MP4. Select the MP4 format in the Summary tab and set the Constant Quality to 20 under the Video tab for high clarity. Ensure the audio settings match your playback device and then click the Start button to finish the compression process.

Convert ISO to MP4 with VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is a free and cross-platform multimedia player developed by the VideoLAN project. It plays most multimedia files, DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. Besides media playback, VLC also includes useful tools such as basic video conversion, streaming, screen recording, and subtitle integration.

💻Work on: Windows 7, 8, 10, 11; macOS 10.7 and newer; Linux

Pros
  • No cost, no ads, no spyware
  • Work on Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Provide built-in support for most video/audio formats
  • Can directly read and convert DVD ISO files
Cons
  • No advanced control over encoding parameters
  • Must convert one file at a time manually
  • Cannot process most commercial DVD ISOs
  • Multiple conversion failures in our tests

How to Convert ISO to MP4 using VLC Media Player:

Step 1: Launch VLC. If you don't have it yet, download and install it from the official VideoLAN site. (The latest version is 3.0.23)

Step 2: Click on Media > Convert / Save from the top menu.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with VLC Media Player

In the Open Media window: Click on the Disc tab; Select "DVD", then click "Browse" and choose your .iso file. Alternatively, on the File tab, click Add, and select the .iso file directly.

Step 3: Once the ISO is loaded, click the Convert / Save button at the bottom.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with VLC Media Player

In the Convert window, choose MP4 (Video - H.264 + MP3 (MP4)) as the profile; You can click the wrench icon next to the profile to adjust codec, resolution, or bitrate if needed.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with VLC Media Player

Step 4: Click Browse to select where to save the output file, and give it a name with .mp4 extension; Click Start. VLC will begin the conversion and show a progress bar.

Convert ISO to MP4 with Apowersoft Free Online Video Converter

Apowersoft Free Online Video Converter is a browser-based tool that allows you to convert DVD ISO files to MP4 and other popular video and audio formats without installing complex software. It supports a broad range of mobile devices for seamless playback. Additionally, it offers basic video editing features such as trimming, resizing, and adding watermarks.

Website: https://www.apowersoft.com/free-online-video-converter

Pros
  • Completely free to use online without a subscription
  • Rip DVD to MP4 and other video and audio formats
  • Allowed to trim video, add watermark, or adjust video size
Cons
  • Require installing a launcher app for file processing
  • Conversion speed depends heavily on your internet connection
  • Does not support copy-protected DVDs or encrypted ISO files

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with Apowersoft Free Online Video Converter:

Step 1: Visit the official website of Apowersoft Free Online Video Converter, and click 'Select files to start' to download the 'Launcher' on your computer.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 online via Apowersoft

Step 2: Then, you can click on the 'Browse' button to locate your ISO files and click OK. Then they will appear on the new launcher. Click the 'Pen' icon to do the basic editing on the video. 

How to Convert ISO to MP4 online via Apowersoft

Step 3: Opt for the MP4 format as the output format which is followed by clicking on that 'Convert' button to begin the ISO to MP4 conversion process.

How to Convert ISO to MP4 online via Apowersoft

Convert ISO to MP4 with ISO to MP4 Converter Online

If you prefer not to install any software, there is also an online tool that can help you convert ISO files to MP4 or MP3 formats directly through your browser. It supports uploading from local files, Dropbox, Google Drive, or via URL.

Website: https://iso-to-mp4.file-converter-online.com/

Pros
  • No need to download the installation package
  • Supports conversion of various file types including video, audio, images, and documents
  • Allows batch conversion of multiple files simultaneously
Cons
  • Uploading and conversion speeds can be slow
  • Cannot process copy-protected ISO files
  • Limited output format options compared to desktop software
  • Free users are limited to uploading files up to 0.75 GB
  • Presence of pop-up ads may disrupt user experience

How to Convert ISO to MP4 with this Online Tool:

Step 1: Go to file-converter-online.com and choose your ISO file to upload either from local storage, Dropbox, Google Drive, or by entering a URL.

Convert ISO to MP4 wirh ISO to MP4 Online

NOTE: There is a limitation for your file size. For free users the file size is limited to 0.75 GB. Please consider signing up to upload files up to 20 GB.

Convert ISO to MP4 wirh ISO to MP4 Online

Step 2: Select "MP4" as the desired output format from the format options.

Step 3: Click the "Start Converting" button to transform your ISO file to MP4. Please be patient as large files may require extended processing times.

Step 4: Once the conversion finishes, download the resulting MP4 file to your device.

FAQs

Why You Need to Convert ISO to MP4?

  • ISO image files are in a large size

ISO image[WIKI] files are created by people as a digital backup of the DVD content on an external disk, hard drive, or others. So they contain the entire contents of a DVD which is why ISO files are normally a large size. Usually, a 90-minute ISO ranges from 5GB to 8GB. If you don't expect the ISO files to take too much space, converting ISO to MP4 is a good choice.

  • ISOs can not be played on various devices

Apart from this, ISO files are not as compatible with the MP4 format. They cannot be directly played on various mobile and other devices, such as smartphones, Xbox One, PS4, TV, etc., while the MP4 format can. Thus, converting ISO files to MP4 can lead to easy playback, sharing, and editing on various devices without any hassle.

How do I convert a Blu-ray ISO file to MP4?

To convert your Blu-ray ISO to MP4 format, you'll need a powerful Blu-ray ripping software like DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper. Here is the step-by-step process:

  • Step 1: Launch DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper and load your source Blu-ray ISO by dragging and dropping.
  • Step 2: Click 'Choose Other Profile' to select 'MP4' as the output formats and customize the ISO video via 'Advanced Settings' and 'Video Edit'.
  • Step 3: Select your output directory and Click the 'Start' button to convert Blu-ray to MP4.

Is ISO better than MP4?

The main advantage to an ISO is that it includes both your DVD or Blu-ray's video and its menu system. But if that doesn't matter to you and you just want to save your movie as a file you can watch or edit later, an MP4 is as good as any format.

Why won't iOS play MP4?

iPhone can only recognize the file with . mp4 extension compressed in H. 264, MPEG, or HEVC (iPhone 7/7 Plus or later). If your MP4 file is encoded with other codecs (like HEVC, AV1, Prores, etc.), it can not be opened or played with iPhone.

Conclusion

Efficient tools to convert ISO to MP4 ensure broad hardware compatibility and reduce storage requirements on local servers. Fast software solutions like DVDFab DVD Ripper speed up the process through hardware acceleration while providing strong decryption and high quality. Manual workflows like MakeMKV + HandBrake offer precise control for complex file structures but consume more time and disk space. Selecting a method based on your specific needs.