HandBrake No Valid Source Found: Learn the Causes and Best Fixes

HandBrake needs no introduction. With many popular free video converters and DVD-ripping software, HandBrake emerges as an open-source and versatile video transcoder for converting video files and disc content (DVDs and Blu-rays) into different video formats. While it is pretty easy to use, users sometimes encounter the error "HandBrake no valid source found. It generally indicates that the software cannot detect a compatible video file or source for processing. If you've run into this issue, read this blog to find out the cause and solution.

Solutions for HandBrake No Valid Source Found

There are many potential reasons underlying the error message "HandBrake no valid source found" or "no valid sources available for this video". File format incompatibility, missing codecs, or other issues that prevent proper source recognition could lead to invalid source. Roll down to read the following section and find effective solutions.

Solution 1: Install the Latest libdvdcss for Decryption

According to statistics, around 76% of users who see the "HandBrake no valid source found" error when ripping DVDs are dealing with copy-protected commercial discs. HandBrake itself does not remove any kind of DVD copy protection. It can only handle unencrypted or simply authored DVDs. If you want to decrypt protected discs, you need to use HandBrake libdvdcss. The installation method is different on each system. Below is a brief guide.

Step 1: Download the libdvdcss 1.5.0 to your computer. It's compatible with both Windows and macOS.

Step 2: Install libdvdcss. There are slight differences in the installation steps on different operating systems.

• On Windows, copy the downloaded file called libdvdcss-2.dll into HandBrake's installation folder.

• On Mac, run the downloaded libdvdcss-1.5.0.pkg installer so it is placed under /usr/local/lib. Alternatively, you can install it with Homebrew. In the Terminal window, type brew install libdvdcss, and press Enter.

Step 3: When installation is complete, restart HandBrake, import your source again, and check whether the issue is resolved.

Note: If you still get the "HandBrake no valid source found" error after installing libdvdcss, try the following solutions as well. If none of them work, you will require a more specialized ripping tool with an integrated DVD decryption engine, because your disc might be using more sophisticated copy protection like AACS, Sony, RC, or ARccOS.

Solution 2: Check Whether Your Source File Is Normal

Another possible reason is that the original video file is corrupted or not in a format that HandBrake supports. You can check the compatibility and integrity of the source video files in two ways:

1. Verify if HandBrake supports your video format

Check your video's format against HandBrake's list of supported formats. Generally speaking, it supports the most common video formats that people see, including MP4, MKV, MOV, MPEG, AVI, and DVD structures like VOB and VIDEO_TS. HandBrake might not recognize your format if it is outside of this range.

2. Verify if the video file is corrupt

To check whether your source files have been damaged, you can play them with VLC media player to have an easy test. 

• If you can scrub through the timeline and the file plays normally in VLC, your source is probably not corrupted.
• If VLC is unable to play it or if playback is severely broken, the source file might be damaged.
• If a DVD won't play or keeps erroring out in VLC, it may be physically damaged or heavily protected. In that case, your only option is to use a more forgiving ripping application made to work with damaged or copy-protected DVDs.

Solution 3: Adjust the Directory Where Your Source Files Are Stored

HandBrake's folder scanning does not handle recursive subdirectories very well. If you point HandBrake at a parent folder while the actual video files are buried several levels down, it is very likely to return "no valid source or titles found."

So when you want to batch-convert multiple files, pay attention to the following:

• Put all the videos you want to convert into one folder.
• Avoid using special characters in folder and file names; instead, keep the path as brief and uncluttered as possible.
• Choose the last folder in HandBrake that has the video files directly in it rather than the entire drive or a parent directory at a higher level.

Solution 4: Adjust HandBrake's Minimum Title Duration

HandBrake has a Minimum Title Duration setting. When you rip DVDs and Blu-ray discs, this tool automatically removes very brief titles, such as commercials, intros, and outros. Thus, the title you genuinely want to convert needs to be long enough to not be perceived as "noise." Otherwise, HandBrake may disregard it and provide the error message "No valid source or titles found." The simplest fix is to lower HandBrake's Minimum Title Duration. Here is the tutorial:

Step 1: Launch the HandBrake and go to Tools.
Step 2: Open Preferences and choose Advanced.
Step 3: Change the Minimum Title Duration from its default value to something less, like 1 second, and then save the changes.  Rescan your disc and check if more titles are available for selection.

Solution 5: Use a Different HandBrake Version

Some specific HandBrake versions may introduce compatibility regressions or changes in the scanning logic. The same DVD may scan fine in an older version, but after updating to a newer build you suddenly get "No valid source or titles found." Other users have experienced the opposite: very old versions fail, but the latest version works perfectly.

Thus, if you are currently on the latest release, you can try rolling back to an older version that used to work for you, and vice versa.

1. Update to the latest stable release if you're using an older version.

• Download the latest official version (1.10.2) from the HandBrake website instead of from third-party sources.
• Install it, then test again with the same disc or folder.

2. If you know a specific older version worked in the past, roll back.

• Uninstall your current HandBrake version.
• Go to HandBrake's Old Releases page and download that older version.
• Install it and run a full scan of the same disc or folder to see if the error disappears.

Solution 6 (for macOS): Grant Access Permissions

Applications on macOS are not permitted to access external disks or optical drives. HandBrake may "see" the disc in the interface but return "no valid source found" during scanning if it does not have read permission to the drive or folder. You must check that you have granted HandBrake the necessary permissions.

Step 1: In Finder, right-click the disc icon or video file and choose Get Info.
Step 2: Add your existing user account and grant it read and write access under Sharing & Permissions.
Step 3: To see if the issue has been fixed, restart HandBrake and load the source once more.

Easier Way to Fix HandBrake No Valid Source Found

The issues of HandBrake no valid source found can trouble you with efficient ripping. Even if you bypass the problem with the above-mentioned troubleshooting methods, you still cannot decrypt copy-protected disc content unless you install libdvdcss on the respective device. Moreover, the decryption capability of libdvdcss is limited; it cannot handle newer encryption schemes. So, HandBrake can be a good option for ripping homemade DVDs, but you must seek a reliable option for the speedy ripping of encrypted discs. Here's where DVDFab DVD Ripper can be your best bet. 

DVDFab DVD Ripper can help you effortlessly rip old and newly protected DVDs while offering benefits beyond disc conversion. This program emerges as the perfect solution when you seek a competitive, better, and trusted HandBrake alternative. DVDFab can quickly rip any DVD to over 1000 media formats at a blazing 50x faster speed. It effectively removes any kind of encryption modes from discs. Customization of advanced output parameters further helps seamless playback on different devices and players, including home theatre.

Step-by-Step Guide to Ripping Encrypted DVD Using DVDFab DVD Ripper

Step 1: Install and open DVDFab on your Windows 7 and higher computers or Mac OS 10.10 and above models. Opt for the Ripper module from the left pane. 

Step 2: Load the desired DVD into the optical drive. Alternatively, use the Add button to navigate the loaded disc content. Drag and drop them onto the primary interface to work with ISO files and folders. 

Step 3: Navigate to the Choose Other Profile option to pick your preferred video format in Format module. For example, you can choose AVI, MKV, MOV, MP4, WebM, WMV, etc.

If you are unsure which output format is best suited for your device, you can switch to the Device menu. DVDFab offers 260 presets here, allowing you to select the device on which you want to play the video, so you don't have to worry about configuring the settings yourself.

You can tailor your preferences for audio track(s) and languages. Preferably, you can extract subtitles from your loaded disc content to SRT format or add external subtitles.  

Other parameters like Advanced Settings and Video Edit also help tailor other video and audio settings.

Step 4: Choose your output file's storage location. Press Start to digitize your DVD collection instantly. 

Final Wrap Up

HandBrake is the ultimate solution for most users seeking free DVD-ripping and video conversion services. However, several causes can lead to the issue of HandBrake's no valid source found error. While we have mentioned the troubleshooting solutions, they may not work in all cases. Instead, you can use DVDFab DVD Ripper to rip your copy-protected DVDs, whether they are old or damaged, and convert them into a multitude of formats in lossless quality for professional results.