Top Three UHD 4K Blu-ray Ripper for PC/MAC/Linux-How to Rip 4K Blu-rays with Ease

When we are now able to download 8K videos from YouTube and convert 8K videos to MP4, AVI, etc, we still only get 4K UHD videos on Blu-ray. I believe we are able to get 8K videos on discs but they will be huge since it can be 80 GB for a two-hour long 4K Blu-ray and 45 GB for a 1080P Blu-ray. And, it seems more difficult to rip 4K UHD Blu-ray as there are few 4K Blu-ray Rippers that can do so.

4K Blu-ray is the latest standard for high-definition video that offers stunning picture quality and immersive sound. However, to enjoy your 4K Blu-ray movies on other devices or platforms, you may need to rip them to a compatible format first. Ripping 4K Blu-ray is not as easy as ripping regular Blu-ray or DVD, as it requires special hardware and software that can handle the encryption and compression of 4K content.

In my previous post, I recommended 4 best Blu-ray rippers to be the best to rip standard 1080P Blu-ray discs, however, when it comes to 4K UHD Blu-ray ripping, I noticed some of them do not work quite well.

In this post, I will show you the problems I met when I was trying the 4K Blu-ray Rippers I found on the Internet and I will recommend 3 top UHD 4K Blu-ray Ripper that truly works on PC and Mac, along with their pros and cons, and a bonus gift.

4K UHD Blu-ray Ripping Problems

There are a quite a few programs that say they are able to handle 4K UHD Blu-ray ripping, however, from what I can see, only three of them works. Here are the problems that I have with some of the so-called 4K Blu-ray Rippers.

The first program I tried is the BD-DVD Ripper from Videosolo. It looks like AnyMP4 and advertises itself to be the best 4K Blu-ray Ripper to rip & convert UHD 4K Blu-ray. However, it failed to load the Blu-ray discs immediately.

And, the very same thing happens to EaseFab Lossless Copy.

And, it even crashed and disappeared after I hit OK.

Pavtube ByteCopy gives me the same error message as EaseFab without crashing. It seems that the two are the same?

Why it is hard for 4K Blu-ray Ripping?

Ripping 4K Blu-ray discs can be challenging due to several factors:

Advanced Encryption: 4K Blu-ray discs typically use advanced encryption techniques such as AACS 2.0/2.1 (Advanced Access Content System) and BD+ (Blu-ray Disc Plus), designed to protect the content from unauthorized copying. The encryption algorithms are complex, making it difficult to bypass them and extract the content without the proper decryption keys.

Large File Sizes: 4K Blu-ray discs contain high-resolution video and audio content, resulting in large file sizes. A typical 4K Blu-ray movie can occupy 50-100 gigabytes of storage space. Handling such large files requires significant processing power, storage capacity, and efficient data transfer rates. It can be challenging for many systems to handle and store these large files effectively.

Complex Structure: Blu-ray discs have a complex structure with multiple layers, data streams, and interactive features. They contain not only the main movie but also additional content such as bonus features, menus, and subtitles. Ripping a 4K Blu-ray requires accurately identifying and extracting the desired content while maintaining its quality and integrity.

Hardware and Software Limitations: Ripping 4K Blu-ray discs demands powerful hardware and specialized software. The process requires a compatible Blu-ray drive capable of reading 4K discs, as well as sufficient processing power and memory to handle the decryption and extraction tasks. Additionally, the software used for ripping needs to support the specific encryption methods employed by 4K Blu-rays.

Selecting the Best 4K Blu-ray Ripper Software

A regular Blu-ray ripper software cannot handle 4K Blu-ray discs, as they have a different encryption and compression scheme. Therefore, you need a 4K Blu-ray ripper software that can decrypt and convert UHD BD discs to various formats.

Here are some features to look for in a 4K Blu-ray ripper software:

Compatibility: The 4K Blu-ray Ripper Software must be compatible with your Windows, macOS, or even Linux system and support the latest UHD BD discs and drives.

Quality: Preserving the original quality of the 4K Blu-ray movies, including the video resolution, frame rate, aspect ratio, color depth, audio channels, and subtitles is must. It’s the very reason why we want 4K Blu-rays, not DVDs.

Speed: The software should be able to rip 4K Blu-ray movies in a fast and efficient manner, preferably using hardware acceleration technology to boost the performance.

Customization: It’s better for the Blu-ray ripping software to be able to offer various output options and editing features, such as choosing the output format, adjusting the output parameters, cropping, trimming, adding watermarks, etc.

In this post, we will recommend three best 4K Blu-ray ripper software for you that can handle any UHD BD disc with ease and deliver high-quality output files in a short time. Pick the one that best meets your needs.

Top Three 4K Blu-ray Ripper for PC/Mac

Before ripping 4K Blu-ray movies, we need a 4K Blu-ray ripper software. A 4K Blu-ray ripper software is a program that can decrypt, convert, and compress 4K Blu-ray discs into digital files that you can play on any device.

There are many factors to consider when choosing a 4K Blu-ray ripper software, such as, supported formats, output quality, ripping speed, editing options, customer service, etc.

What I recommend is the 100% working 4K Blu-ray Ripper for myself. All of them are available for both PC and Mac. Each of them has its own advantages and I will explain one by one.

MakeMKV[FREE]

Price: Free for beta or $60 for Lifetime

MakeMKV is one of the most powerful tools for Blu-ray ripping. And it supports every kind of Blu-ray discs, no matter whether they are protected or not and whether they are 3D or 4K ones. Most importantly, the author promises that MakeMKV will remain free while it’s in beta. Actually, it’s been in beta for quite a long time. 

MakeMKV is available for 4K Blu-ray ripping on macOS, Windows, and Linux machines. MakeMKV comes as the last recommendation just because it only supports 4K Blu-ray ripping to MKV and the file size is huge. Most of the time, the MKV file would be 50 GB for 4K Blu-rays. And you will have to convert MKV to MP4 for iPhone, Plex, etc. 

MakeMKV 4K Blu-ray Ripping Mac

Besides, in order to use the 4K Blu-ray ripper for free, you’ll have to get a MakeMKV beta key about every two months. Or you can consider a LIFETIME key for $50. 

PROs

  • Supports DVD and Blu-ray discs and ISO files, including 4K Blu-ray discs with AACS 2.0 protection
  • Converts disc to MKV format with all video, audio, subtitle, chapter, and meta-information preserved
  • No additional software required for conversion or decryption
  • Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux

CONs

  • Only supports MKV format as output
  • Does not offer any output profiles, customization, or editing features
  • Does not provide GPU acceleration or batch conversion features
  • Customer support is limited to forum page

Leawo Blu-ray Ripper[Editor's Choice]

Price: $44.95 1 Year, $99.95 Lifetime

Leawo UHD 4K Blu-ray Ripper works just like its standard version.  From what I tested so far, Leawo 4K Blu-ray Ripper works just fine for every aspect of Blu-ray ripping that I can think of. It loads protected 4K Blu-ray discs just fine. And you’re free to select any profile in the list for ripping.  Also, 4K Blu-ray editing works as usual.

Leawo 4K Blu-ray Ripper: Loaded

PROs

  • User-friendly and intuitive interface
  • Support any protected 4K Blu-ray discs
  • Various formats, such as MP4, MKV, MOV, etc support
  • High-quality output and preserves the HDR10 or Dolby Vision quality
  • Support NVIDIA CUDA and Intel Quick Sync for acceleration

CONs

  • Large output file size

DVDFab UHD Ripper[Powerful]

Price: $74.99: 1-Year License, $99.99: Lifetime License

DVDFab UHD Ripper is one of the function modules in DVDFab and it is mainly for 4K Blu-ray discs, including the 3D ones. It is recommended as it supports AACS 2.1 now and it keeps HDR10 and HDR 12.

I am not sure why DVDFab limits the output videos from 4K Blu-ray to MKV, M2TS, and MP4. I guess it’s about the ripping speed and 4K Blu-ray ripping is really time-consuming. The good news is DVDFab UHD 4K Blu-ray Ripper supports GPU acceleration on both PC and Mac to boost your ripping speed.

DVDFab 4K Blu-ray Loaded

PROs

  • Supports all kinds of 4K Blu-ray discs and ISO files
  • AACS 2.0/2.1 and BD-J support
  • Converts 4K Blu-ray to MKV/M2TS/MP4 formats with HDR10/Dolby Vision support
  • Preserves the original quality of video and audio
  • Offers various output profiles for different devices and platforms
  • Allows customization of video parameters and editing of video effects
  • Hardware acceleration

CONs

  • Not quite stable to use with minor errors
  • Expensive compared to other software

Why I Prefer Leawo Blu-ray Ripper?

To be honest, I own ALL the three 4K Blu-ray Rippers! But I prefer and recommend Leawo Blu-ray Ripper for UHD 4K Blu-ray ripping because it is more stable and it works for most of my 4K Blu-ray ripping jobs.

When it does not work, I’d prefer to try DVDFab first. I know it’s very powerful in decrypting UHD Blu-ray copy protections, but it comes with minor bugs. If it still does not work, I will go for MakeMKV, but I will have to re-convert the MKV to MP4 for better compatibility with my TVs and phones. Re-converting takes time.

How to Rip 4K Blu-ray on PC and Mac

Leawo Blu-ray Ripper is what I think the best 4K Blu-ray ripper and the guide below is about how to rip 4K Blu-ray discs with it.

Getting Ready:

  • Choosing the Right 4K Blu-ray Drive: A regular Blu-ray drive cannot read 4K Blu-ray discs, as they have a different physical structure and data layer. Therefore, you need a 4K Blu-ray drive that can support the Ultra HD Blu-ray (UHD BD) format and has a high-speed data transfer rate.
  • Please follow the below button to free download a trial copy of Leawo UHD Ripper. Install and launch it. And, insert your 4K Blu-ray disc into your Blu-ray drive. 

Step 1. Load 4K Blu-ray

Leawo is user-friendly in loading Blu-ray and DVD discs.

Choose Blu-ray Ripper, UHD Ripper, or the Convert tab on the software’s main screen. Then select Add UHD/Blu-ray/DVD and select your Blu-ray from the “Add from CD-ROM” menu:

Load Incredibles 2

Check the Blu-ray title in Main Movie. You can preview it to see if it works.

Step 2. Profile for 4K Blu-ray Ripping

Now choose a ripping profile. Mp4 or last used is the default. Change the resolution, codec, bit rate, frame rate, etc. in Edit.

change profile

Step 3. Rip 4K Blu-ray

To continue ripping 4K UHD Blu-ray discs, click the green Convert button. Before selecting the Convert icon at the bottom, you can specify the output file’s destination. All you have to do now is wait for the process to be completed.

Rip 4K UHD Blu-ray to Dolby Vision MKV MP4

Dolby Vision is a high-dynamic-range (HDR) format developed by Dolby Labs. Dynamic metadata is used to enhance visuals and improve image quality, making it a more complicated and powerful technology than HDR10.

To better preserve Dolby Vision effects and Dolby Atmos audio, DVDFab has added functionality for transcoding Dolby Vision UHD Blu-ray discs to MKV files, and it has been able to rip 4K UHD Blu-ray to Dolby Vision MP4 before. With just 15 minutes of effort, DVDFab UHD Ripper can efficiently rip any Ultra HD Blu-ray to MKV, preserving HDR10/Dolby Vision with no loss of quality.

By upgrading to the latest version of DVDFab UHD Ripper, you will be able to watch Dolby Vision Ultra HD Blu-ray discs in your own home theater or on devices such as the Zidoo 1000pro, Chromecast Google TV, etc with lossless superb video and audio quality. You can pick up the Dolby Vision profiles here after your Blu-ray is loaded:

MP4, MKV, etc, which is the best 4K Blu-ray Ripping Output?

I do not have a recommendation for the best 4K Blu-ray ripping output format, as there is no definitively “best” format. It depends on your priorities and use case. However, here are some considerations when choosing an output format:

  • MP4 is a widely compatible format that works on most devices. It supports 4K resolution and high quality audio like Dolby Atmos. MP4 has good compression to keep file sizes manageable. However, it may not store full Blu-ray metadata or bonus features.
  • MKV is an open-source container format that can store complete Blu-ray data including all audio, video, subtitles, and metadata. It supports advanced features like HDR. File sizes are larger. MKV has more limited compatibility with some devices.
  • AVC/H.264 and HEVC/H.265 are video codecs that affect compression and quality. HEVC offers better compression but may have worse compatibility.
  • Lossless formats like M2TS can store an exact copy of the Blu-ray but at very large file sizes. This maintains maximum quality.
  • Consider which features are important – quality, file size, compatibility, metadata, etc. Also, factor in the playback device capabilities when choosing a format. Testing different outputs may help decide the best option.

Brainstorming: Get 4K Blu-ray Video via AI Video Upscaling

AI is now widely used in upscaling photos and images and the result is great. Did you ever think of upscaling your videos, even standard Blu-rays to 4K with enhanced video details for a better watching experience?

I did it. 

Upscale Standard Blu-ray to 4K by AI

I recommend DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper to be the best Blu-ray ripping solution for a variety of reasons. One reason is that it is capable of AI upscaling standard Blu-ray to 4K. 

There are no extra steps to upscale standard Blu-ray to 4K with DVDFab. After your Blu-ray is loaded, choose Enlarger AI as the output:

AI-Upscale Any Video to 4K

As far as I know, DVDFab is the only one that does a direct Blu-ray to 4K AI upscaling. But, don’t worry, if you want to upscale the already ripped videos or any other videos to 4K, there are other programs that can perform this task for you, though many of the top options are paid software.

Here are some examples:

  • Topaz Video AI is a leading professional-grade video enhancer that uses AI to upscale videos up to 8K resolution. It can sharpen details and reduce noise, creating very high-quality results. However, it is premium software with a cost of $299.
  • Pixop is an online AI video upscaler, which can upscale videos to 4K resolution at a more affordable price point as pay-as-you-go.
  • Waifu2x Extension GUI is a good free option that can upscale video to 4K using AI. The interface is dated but it works well for basic AI upscaling. Limited codec support and slow processing times are drawbacks.

Bonus Gift: 4K Blu-ray Player

I know how hard it is for Blu-ray playback. For standard Blu-ray disc playback, there are a couple of programs for us to go like VLC and Leawo Blu-ray Player, which are free to use.

But, when it comes to the 4K Blu-ray playback, we are in trouble. With PowerDVD, the Ultra version, you are able to play 4k UHD Blu-rays without any problem. The support of HDR10 gives you impressive playback of UHD Blu-ray quality. Besides, it also supports 3D playback. 

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Erik Thysell
Erik Thysell
1 year ago

Perhaps you should mention that 4k ultra blu ray has very limited cpu/gpu support with intel discontinued SGX on every cpu after gen 10 (any newer cpu will not work, and none of amd’s). At leat according to makers of PowerDVD.

Last edited 1 year ago by Erik Thysell
TJSage
TJSage
4 months ago

Will Apple M2 Pro chip work with ripping 4k?

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