We know that VLC is an open-source media player that plays almost everything, including DVDs. But do you know it rips DVDs to different video formats like MP4, WebM, TS, MP3, etc.? And, are you wondering that can VLC Media Player rip DVDs, even the copy-protected ones? And, how do we rip DVD to MP4 with VLC?
In this post, I will explain how to rip DVDs with VLC on Windows PCs and Macs. Try troubleshooting if you have a problem with VLC ripping your DVDs. If you are looking for an alternative, this post can help!
[100% FREE]How to Rip DVD with VLC Media Player on PC and Mac
First of all, let’s download VLC to your PC, Mac or Linux. My guide to using VLC to rip DVD to MP4 is made on my Windows PC, but it applies to the Mac and Linux versions as they work the same.
Step 1. Load DVD to VLC
Go for Media-Convert/Save or Ctrl+R to open the loading window. Go to the Disc tap and select your DVD in the DVD drive.
Step 2. Convert Mode
Click the Convert and Save button to go to Convert mode for more options.
Step 3. Choose a profile
Now, we need to choose a profile for ripping. With VLC, we can rip DVD to MP4 WebM as well as some music audio files like MP3. I don’t find profiles for devices like iPhones, but we can create them ourselves. If you’re interested, you can click the custom button below.
Step 4. Set the output folder
Click the Browse button to set the target folder to store the output file. Be sure to give it a name too!
Step 5. Start Ripping
Click the Convert and Save button to start ripping DVDs using VLC.
How to Rip DVD with VLC with Subtitles
If you want to rip a DVD with VLC alone with the subtitle, you should set the default -1 to 0 or 1 for subtitles here in the Convert window.
However, it’s hard to tell which one is for English or the one you prefer. If you know how exactly they match with each other, please leave a comment and let me know.
How long does it take to rip a DVD with VLC?
VLC seems to play the DVD in the background and then record the whole movie. In this case, it takes as long as the DVD length to rip. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell from my tests, it takes longer for no reason. And it takes even longer to rip protected DVDs.
Rip DVD with VLC not working
I have transferred VHS tapes to a DVD. They work perfectly, but there are a few I need to edit. I have tried other programs to convert them to MP4, but audio/video synchronization is an issue on playback. I don’t know why it doesn’t synchronize, but it is very annoying. I’m wondering if VLC will convert from a DVD to MP4 format without causing the sync problem. Or if there’s a way to use the program to fix it if it occurs. It makes me crazy to hear the sound and later see the lips move. Some Youtube videos exist, but their methods are pretty complex.
The process is as follows:
Use a video camera to transfer a small old family cassette tape to a DVD using a DVD recorder. THE resultant DVD works just fine. No sync issues. I then tried to convert the DVD to an MP4 using VLC. Sync problems with that one. Sound about 2 seconds ahead of the video. Sometimes, VLC makes things worse, about halfway through the conversion, the sound completely quit.
Troubleshooting
Most of the time, I have problems ripping DVDs. And there are two main issues that I have. First is that the output MP4 video I rip with VLC has no audio. The second is that the DVD rip is out of sync. I can fix some of the problems. Listed, you will see the general fixes that I have tried with success. Just for your reference.
- Make VLC Up-to-date
Always make sure your VLC Media Player is up-to-date. It can be a bug of VLC and may get fixed in the latest version. You can even try the nightly builds. Reinstalling VLC sometimes helps too.
- Make sure your computer’s audio is fully working.
- Audio Copy Protection
You may get a notice that the DVD’s audio is copy-protected by Civinia. If this is the case, I don’t think VLC can handle it, and I will look for an alternative.
Other options there are other Youtube videos showing how to resync, but they involve more skill than I have. They are too complicated, and I really tired of doing so. However, if you are interested, you can check them out.
Rip DVD with VLC Alternatives
To be honest, VLC is NOT a qualified DVD ripper, and I have many problems with it. So, are you looking for an alternative product that can transfer from a DVD drive to an MP4 on the computer? Importantly, is there a way to fix the sync problem? Of course, it’s better not to have such problems. I just need to go straight from DVD to MP4 (or Wav or something else) to maintain the sync.
WinX DVD Ripper Platinum
WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is my favorite DVD ripper because it is really stable to use. Unlike VLC, I don’t have any problems like audio being out of sync or having no audio issues with WinX DVD like with VLC. The Safe Mode is a unique feature to make it more stable ripping.
Besides, if you want to rip DVD to MP4, I believe WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is the fastest. Following the YouTube video, you will see details along with three valuable tips to speed up your DVD ripping.
Leawo DVD Ripper
Leawo DVD Ripper is another moderate DVD ripping solution for both PC and Mac. It supports different kinds of protected DVDs without any problem. It does not have many options like other ripping solutions, but it is definitely worry-free and very suitable for those who are not tech-savvy. You just need to follow my steps, and getting your DVD backup as Mp4 onto the hard drive is easy.
Besides, you can even rip your 2D DVD to 3D Mp4 for fun with Leawo.
Wonderfox DVD Ripper Pro
Wonderfox DVD Ripper Pro is one the fastest DVD ripping solution to rip and backup your DVD to MPG in just 5 minutes! Check my guide to see how. And it is also super fast in DVD to MP4 conversion.
Smart Fit is the best function for users, I think. Because for beginners, we don’t have to worry much about those settings, as we don’t quite understand them. Smart Fit makes everything so easy with desired results. Mainly, I find it to be a good balance between the video quality and output file size.
Wonderfox is very easy to use, but the UI looks out-of-date, something decades ago:
AnyMP4 DVD Ripper
AnyMP4 offers a fantastic and easy-to-use solution for DVD ripping. It is very compact, with less than 100M in size. Compared with other DVD ripper software, it takes up less memory, and you can run it on your old computers as well. With AnyMP4 DVD Ripper, you can quickly extract DVD video and convert it to MP4, AVI, WMV, MKV, VOB, MP3, AAC, iPhone, iPad, etc. Meanwhile, you can edit your DVD before ripping it. You can merge different DVD titles and combine them into one.
And it’s impressive in creating 3D videos, meaning you can rip 2D DVDs to 3D MP4, 3D MKV, 3D AVI, and 3D MOV for your VR headsets. It is a must for your DVD ripping.
DVDFab DVD Ripper
DVDFab DVD Ripper is believed to be the most powerful DVD-ripping software I have ever seen. It decrypts every kind of DVD copy protection in the World, and it’s always the first to decrypt the new copy-protections from Disney, Paroumant, Sony, etc.
DVDFab is a bit more complicated, with many options than the other four rippers. It’s an ideal tool for advanced users.
One more thing, there is one impressive unique feature of DVDFab. With its DVDFab Enlarger AI engine, you can upscale your DVD to 1080P with improved HD quality.