How to Rip Blu-rays? | The MakeMKV First Step

Guides / By

“`html

Ripping a Blu-ray means using a Blu-ray drive and MakeMKV to turn the main movie into a single MKV file.

Learning how to rip Blu-rays starts with the drive, not the software. A DVD-only drive can’t read Blu-ray discs at all, so that is the first thing to get right. Once a Blu-ray-capable drive is installed, MakeMKV does the heavy lifting: it reads the disc and copies the main movie into an MKV file without re-encoding it.

Most desktop and portable USB Blu-ray drives handle standard 1080p discs without special setup. If you’re shopping for one, our tested roundup of the best Blu-ray drive for ripping keeps you from buying the wrong thing. The 4K UHD case is the one where firmware starts to matter.

What You Need Before You Start

A Blu-ray-capable optical drive, MakeMKV, and enough empty storage are the only real requirements. MakeMKV runs on Windows and Mac, including current Intel and ARM Macs. HandBrake is the optional second tool when you want compression or a different delivery format.

How-To Geek’s guide to backing up a movie collection calls MakeMKV the tool to use, and PCMag’s walkthrough follows the same MakeMKV-first order. For most people, that workflow is also the reliable one.

Storage is the easiest thing to underestimate. A single feature-length movie in MKV can consume tens of gigabytes, so point MakeMKV at a drive with room to spare before you start. If you already have a computer with a Blu-ray drive, no extra hardware is needed. If not, an external USB Blu-ray drive is the easiest route and works fine with a laptop.

Ripping Blu-rays, Step By Step: MakeMKV First

MakeMKV copies the disc’s video into an MKV container instead of re-encoding it, so the image quality stays identical to the disc. On Windows and Mac the steps are the same.

  1. Install and open MakeMKV, then insert the Blu-ray into the drive.
  2. Click the large Blu-ray drive icon in the toolbar to scan the disc.
  3. In the title list, pick the main movie. The longest title is usually the feature, but not always, so check the running time before selecting. For films with multiple cuts, match the cut you want by minutes, not file order.
  4. Clear the checkboxes for extras, menu loops, and anything you do not

    Please use a real email you check. If it's fake or mistyped, your message won't reach us and we can't reply — wrong addresses are rejected automatically.