Can You Play DVDs on an iPad?

The iPad is an incredibly versatile device with its high-resolution screen and portability, which provides a fantastic viewing experience for all kinds of media. However, you cannot directly play DVDs on an iPad because iPads do not have built-in optical drives or DVD players.

To watch DVD content on your iPad, the standard solution is to rip the DVD to a digital video format compatible with iPadOS, such as MP4 (H.264 or HEVC), M4V, or MOV. Once converted, the file can be transferred to your iPad for smooth offline playback.

This method not only ensures the portability of your movie collection but also extends disc life by reducing physical handling. Thus, we have tested several well-performing DVD rippers to help you quickly convert DVDs to iPad-friendly formats, even for copy-protected discs.

How to Rip DVD to iPad

How to Rip DVDs to iPad with 3 Best & Free Converters

Based on performance evaluations and user reviews, we recommend three of the best DVD to iPad converters, including free and premium options, that are compatible with major operating systems and support features like DIY video and hardware acceleration.

Best DVD to iPad Converter - DVDFab DVD Ripper

DVDFab DVD Ripper

DVDFab DVD Ripper

This DVD Ripper Software allows you to rip and convert any DVD / ISO file / Folder to any video & audio format playable on an iPad, mobile device, media player, or home theatre.
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Available on: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 & macOS 10.10 - 14

Features:

  • Support the latest-released protected DVDs with RC, RCE, UOPs, etc.
  • Rip DVD to iPad format and other popular video or audio formats.
  • Rip DVD to multiple iPad devices directly, including iPad, iPad 4, iPad Air, iPad mini, etc.
  • Customize output via Advanced Settings and built-in Video Editor.
  • Super-fast DVD to iPad conversion supported by GPU HW acceleration.
  • Offer a lifetime-free version - DVDFab HD Decrypter - that can rip most encrypted DVDs to MP4 or MKV format only.

How to Rip and Copy DVD to iPad with DVDFab DVD Ripper?

Step 1: Launch DVDFab DVD to iPad Converter and load source DVD

Download DVDFab 13 and choose the Ripper module. Insert the DVD into the computer (external) optical drive and DVDFab will auto-recognize it. If your DVD source is an ISO file or folder, tap the '+Add' button or simply drag & drop it to the main UI.

How to use DVDFab DVD to ipad converter?

Step 2: Choose One iPad Profile and Customize the Output Video

After loading the source, you can customize the output video. Here, you are free to rip the entire or part of the DVD movie by clicking "Choose other titles". You can also select chapters, audio tracks, and subtitles, or even add external subtitles.

How to Copy DVD to iPad using DVDFab DVD Ripper?

Then click "Choose Other Profile" to go to the profile library. You can click "Device" or "Apple" to find your iPad device as the output profile directly. As you can see, DVDFab supports to rip DVDs to multiple iPad devices, including iPad, iPad 4, iPad Air, iPad mini, etc.

Rip and Transfer DVD to iPad

You can also click "Format" or "Video" to rip your DVD to MP4 or other output format supported by your iPad.

How to Copy DVD to iPad using DVDFab DVD Ripper?

Then go to "Advanced Settings" to set parameters for output video and audio. Just choose your wanted output quality as your needs.

Rip and Transfer DVD to iPad with DVDFab DVD Ripper

If you want to edit the output video, go to the built-in "Video Editor" pane. Here you can trim, crop, and merge clips, add watermarks or subtitles to the video, or adjust its brightness, contrast, and saturation.

How to Copy DVD to iPad using DVDFab DVD Ripper?

Step 3: Start DVD to iPad Conversion

Then choose the output directory. You can save the output video file on your computer HDD or Mobile Device. Once done, hit the Start button to rip and convert DVD to iPad with lightning-fast speed created by GPU hardware acceleration technologies and multi-core processors. The whole DVD to iPad conversion process will be displayed on the progress bar.

How to Rip and Transfer DVD to iPad using DVDFab DVD Ripper?

Free DVD to iPad Converter - HandBrake

Handbrake is a free and popular open-source video transcoder that is compatible with both Windows, Mac and Linux. It is able to rip DVDs to iPad along with Android, Amazon Fire, Roku, and PlayStation, among others. Also, the tool allows you to rip general Blu-ray or DVD to USB, MP4, MKV, and WebM video formats and some audio formats.

There are also some customized options such as selecting chapters and subtitles. However, HandBrake fails to process DVD or Blu-ray that contain copy protections.

How to transfer non-encrypted DVDs to an iPad using HandBrake?

Step1
Download, install, and launch Handbrake on your device. Insert your disc into the DVD drive and tap on Source in the upper left corner and load your DVD file.
Step2
Then you can directly select the target format as an MP4 File. In addition to this, they can go to Preset >> Devices. Here, they can select from Apple 1080p30 Surround, Apple 1080p60 Surround, and Apple 720p30 Surround as per their iPad model.
Step3
Tap Browser and enter the output path. Finally, tap Start to begin the ripping of your DVD to the iPad.
 
 
 
 

How to copy dvd to ipad with HandBrake

Flexible DVD to iPad Converter - WinX DVD Ripper

WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is a reliable and widely used DVD to iPad converter available for both Windows and macOS. Known for its speed and ease of use, it supports nearly all types of DVDs—including scratched discs, 99-title DVDs, and copy-protected DVDs—and converts them into iPad-compatible formats like MP4, MOV, and M4V with excellent quality.

Features:

  • Convert DVDs to formats like MP4, H.264, HEVC, and tailor-made profiles for iPad
  • Bypass most DVD copy protections like UOPs, Sony ARccOS, and CSS
  • Powered by GPU acceleration, enabling real-time conversion without compromising quality
  • Adjust bitrate and resolution in customized settings, and use the built-in video editor

How to Rip DVDs to iPad using WinX DVD Ripper

Step1
Install and launch WinX DVD Ripper Platinum on your device. Insert a DVD disc and tap the DVD Disc option on the main interface to load the DVD titles. You can also load a DVD folder by tapping Folder.
Step2
A window named Output Profile will appear. Navigate to the Device Profile > Apple Device > iPad Video, and pick a preset optimized for your iPad model
Step3
After that, click on the gear icon to fine-tune the video and audio parameters, or use the editing options to trim or add external subtitles
Step4
Set your destination folder via Browse, then hit Run to start ripping with hardware acceleration enabled.

How to copy dvd to ipad with WinX DVD Ripper

How to Transfer Converted DVDs to iPad?

After ripping DVDs to iPad-supported video formats, you need to transfer the converted video files to the iPad. Here are three simple solutions for your option:

Solution 1: Transfer via USB cable

If you prefer using wired solutions, you can always connect your iPad to the PC with the help of a USB cable. Next, you can transfer the converted video files to the iPad on HDD. This is the most direct way and quickest method used for transferring the files.

Solution 2: Using DVDFab File Transfer

Note that DVDFab File Transfer is a free and easy-to-use tool working with DVDFab Remote, DVD Ripper, Blu-ray Ripper, UHD Ripper, and Video Converter to transfer converted MP4 video files from computer HDD to smartphones and tablets automatically and wirelessly.

Step 1: Download and install DVDFab Transfer, and choose 'Utilities>File Transfer.

When you choose the output as Mobile in the Ripper and Converter modules, DVDFab File Transfer window will appear automatically after the DVD to iPad conversion task is completed. Once you want to transfer the videos already saved on your computer HDD, just click 'Utilities>File Transfer' to launch the program, and click the 'Add' button at the top right corner to load your desired videos.

Step 2: Connect your iPad with DVDFab via DVDFab Remote.

Click the Transfer button to start the transfer process. Once done, your video files will be saved on the Gallery, Photo, or Movies folder of your iPad.

Solution 3: Using iTunes

Another way of transferring your ripped DVD to an iPad is by syncing your content with the help of iTunes. Once you are done ripping your DVD to MP4 format, you can sync the files with the help of iTunes. Next, you can watch them on your iPad easily.

Transfer DVD to iPad using iTunes

iTunes is the default app by Apple for media management that permits the syncing of all kinds of media, including music, movies, and apps, to your iOS devices. You can copy the DVDs on a PC and then add them to iTunes. Below are the steps to transfer DVD to iPad with the help of iTunes:

Step 1: Open the iTunes app on your PC. Tap the File options and click Add File to Library. Browse for the DVD file that was copied to your computer and add it to iTunes.

Step 2: Navigate to the converted DVD and iPad video (say MOV, MP4) files saved on HDD. Then all the loaded video files will appear under the Movies>Home Videos on the iTunes app.

Step 3: Now connect your iPad to your computer via a USB cable. Then choose the add videos on iTunes and synchronize them with your iPad.

FAQs

Is it legal to rip a DVD to iPad?

The legality of ripping DVDs depends on the copyright laws in your country. In many regions, including the U.S., UK, and EU, circumventing DVD copy protection can technically violate copyright regulations.

That said, enforcement is generally lax when the conversion is done strictly for personal use, without sharing or selling the ripped content. To stay fully compliant, consider using DRM-free DVDs (such as home videos) or seek permission from the copyright holder.

Can I use QuickTime Player to convert DVDs to iPad

No. QuickTime Player on macOS can record the screen while playing DVDs, but it can't decrypt or rip copy-protected commercial DVDs.This method will result in lower quality and longer conversion time, and it's not suitable for converting an entire DVD collection.

If you want to get higher quality results with full subtitle/audio track support, please use a specialized DVD ripping tool such as DVDFab DVD Ripper.

What is the best video format for iPad playback?

The most compatible format is MP4 (H.264 video with AAC audio). This format offers:

  • High compression with good visual quality
  • Full compatibility with the iOS default player (TV app, Photos, Docs)
  • Efficient use of the battery on an iPad

Final Thoughts

Although iPad doesn't directly support DVD playback, the best DVD Ripper for Mac and Windows like DVDFab DVD Ripper can make the conversion process simple and efficient. This article helps you learn how to rip DVD to iPad-compatible video format with high speed and high quality. And after conversion, transferring videos to iPad is straightforward, whether via USB or iTunes.