This post shares 3 best Mac DVD to MP4 converters including popular free options Handbrake, VLC, etc. You can download any of them to convert DVDs to MP4 on Mac with best balance in quality and size per the detailed steps here.
Say you have some movies on DVD, but you want to watch them on your iPad, iPhone, tablet or other portable devices. To do that, ripping these DVDs and turning them into MP4 movie files on your computer is the best idea. Having your movies in digital format after DVD to MP4 conversion not only facilitates them playing anywhere without disc drive, but also prevents them from physical damage.
So how to convert DVD to MP4 on Mac? If you're looking for ways to get the job done, you're definitely being in the right place. Here we have conducted a comprehensive review of the 3 best free DVD to MP4 converters for Mac, including the free programs HandBrake and VLC which are frequently asked in communities. Within this review, you will find a favorite Mac DVD ripping tool that allows you to convert DVDs to MP4 on macOS.
Top 3 DVD to MP4 Converters for Mac in 2024
There are many free and paid programs on the market that can convert DVD discs to MP4 on Mac. You can find a DVD to MP4 program on Google, communities or third-party software download sites. To save your time, we have selected top 3 Mac DVD to MP4 converters for your consideration.
Product Name |
Supported OS |
Copy-protected DVD support |
Ripping speed |
Output formats |
Output quality |
EaseFab DVD Ripper |
Mac OS X 10.6 and later |
Yes |
Superfast |
500+ |
Rip any type of copy-protected DVDs to MP4 with the best balance in quality, speed, and size. DVD backup modes keep original quality. |
Handbrake |
macOS 10.13 and later |
No |
Slow |
MP4, MKV, WebM |
Fair |
VLC |
Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later |
No |
Very slow |
MP4, WMV, MKV, etc. |
Fair |
How We Pick DVD to MP4 Converter for Mac
When users are looking for a Mac DVD to MP4 converter, they typically have several common needs or requirements in mind. Here are some of the most frequent user needs while searching for a Mac DVD to MP4 converter:
1. Protected DVD ripping ability: DVDs often come with copy protection mechanisms like CSS, DRM, or region codes. Users require a Mac DVD to MP4 converter that can bypass these protections and allow them to make backup copies or convert the DVD content without any limitations.
2. High quality output and fast DVD ripping speed: Users prefer a Mac DVD to MP4 converter that can deliver high-quality video and audio output. Additionally, fast ripping speed is desired to save time during the conversion process. To rip DVDs to MP4 fast, we can try a hardware-accelerated DVD ripper like EaseFab DVD Ripper for Mac.
3. Stability, reliability and user-friendly interface: Users want a DVD to MP4 converter that is stable and reliable, ensuring that the ripping process completes without errors or crashes. They expect consistent performance and compatibility with the latest Mac operating systems. Plus, ease of use is crucial for many users. They look for a Mac DVD to MP4 converter that has a simple and intuitive interface, making it easy to navigate and operate, even for those with limited technical knowledge.
4. Customization features: Advanced users often seek a Mac DVD to MP4 converter with additional customization options. These may include the ability to select specific chapters/footages, audio tracks, subtitles, or adjust video parameters like resolution, bitrate, frame rate, and more.
5. Customer support and updates: Users appreciate responsive customer support from the software developer, as well as regular software updates to address any issues, improve functionality, and ensure compatibility with the latest DVDs or Mac updates.
Way 1. Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac with EaseFab DVD Ripper [Best Choice]
EaseFab DVD Ripper for Mac earns the title of best Mac DVD to MP4 converter thanks to a number of key DVD ripping features. It has a powerful DVD copy protection removal kernel that makes it hassle-free to deal with any newly-released, unplayable, regional, and even 99-title DVDs. 2 unique DVD backup modes are here to back up your DVDs with 100% quality.
On the Output Profile panel, there are more than 500 optimized formats and device presets available, making it easy to convert DVDs to MP4 on Mac, convert DVDs to iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iTunes, iMovie, etc. And it also allows us to adjust resolution, bitrate, codec, etc. to reduce DVD file size from 8.5GB to a compact 700MB-1GB MP4 file, saving up to 80% of storage space while keeping excellent output quality. Checking the update log, we find that it makes timely updates to support the latest macOS, new devices, and recently released DVDs.
Thanks to its powerful DVD analysis engine and support for hardware acceleration (Intel QSV, NVIDIA NVENC/Cuda GPU), it can read and rip DVD to MP4 on Mac at lightning-fast speed. During testing, we achieved a remarkable speed of 369 fps, taking only around 9 minutes to rip a 2.5-hour DVD disc to H.264 encoded MP4 file. Moreover, it offers a user-friendly interface, making it easy for beginners to navigate.
If you're using a PC, please free download the Windows version here.
Pros:
+ Support for 99-title DVDs and other intractable DVDs, ISO image files.
+ Very fast rips and excellent output image quality.
+ Wide range of output formats & Adjustable movie quality.
+ Easy-to-use application and No annoying ads.
+ Contains an editor.
Cons:
- No Blu-ray support.
- No Linux backup client.
[Tutorial] How to Convert DVD to MP4 with Good Quality-Size Tradeoff on Mac
To begin with, you need to download and install this best macOS DVD ripperon your Macintosh computer. After that, you can open it and follow the steps below to rip DVDs to MP4 on macOS. Note that Windows version shares the same process.
Step 1. Load the source DVD movie
Insert a DVD into your DVD drive, and click the "Load DVD" button. The program will add the DVD to the program and list all the titles. Double-click one of the titles, and you can preview the movie in the Preview window on the right. See the picture below. You can also import ISO files, IFO files or DVD folder for conversion.
Step 2. Select MP4 as Output
Click Profile bar and select the format you want from the drop-down list. Move your mose cursor to Common Video category and select MP4 (codec: h264+aac) as the output format. If you need to convert a Blu-ray for iPhone, Android device, YouTube, web services, you can also find a profile from the corresponding device category.
Tip: You can also choose preferred subtitle or audio track from the Subtitle or Audio drop-down lists.
Handy-Tips of Converting DVD to MP4 with Good Balance Between Quality and Size:
1. To get the best possible output quality and smallest file size, convert DVD to HEVC MP4. It has 50% smaller size at the same quality.
2. The default setting works well. Of course, if you want to customize video and audio encoding settings, just click the Settings button to customize these settings.
Recommended DVD to MP4 Video Quality-Size Settings:
1. You're not suggested to adjust the frame rate and aspect ratio, if not necessary.
2. Use the codec H.264 or H.265 and lower the bitrate to a lower level. For example, adjusting the original "medium quality"to bitrates of around "1800-2000" is acceptable without noticeable pixellation.
3. Lower the resolution. Typical DVD videos are 720×480 (NTSC) and 720×540 (PAL). Adjust the resolution to 640×480 won't make any quality difference.
Please note: Adjusting these variables have some effect on the re-encoded video quality. Remember the file size and video quality is based more on bitrate than resolution which means bitrate higher results in big file size, and lower visible quality loss.
Step 3. Start converting DVD to MP4 on Mac
Check to make sure all the settings are OK and then click the "Convert" button to begin the DVD video to MP4 conversion on your Mac.
After the DVD is converted into MP4 (h.264/mpeg-4 avc/hevc) video, you can freely transfer the MP4 to iPhone, iPad, Android, game consoles, tablets, and upload the MP4 video to your cloud storage, Plex server for streaming with ease.
Way 2. Convert DVD to MP4 Free on Mac with Handbrake
Handbrake is a popular free DVD ripper among users running Windows, Mac, and Linux. With it, you can also convert DVD to MP4 or MKV on Mac. However, HandBrake can't handle copy-protected DVDs on its own. You need to install libdvdcss to help HandBrake recognize encrypted discs. There are advanced options available for precise encoding settings, effects, parameter adjustment, etc, which, though, are something of a learning curve.
After you finish the installation of HandBrake and libdvdcss, you can follow the steps to rip DVD to MP4 on Mac with HandBrake.
Pros:
+ Open-source and cross-platform.
+ Customizable settings are great, especially for experienced users.
Cons:
- Cannot mix multiple DVD titles in one content.
- It is futile for Disney and other newly-protected DVDs.
To get more details on how to install libdvdcss on Mac, you can refer to this article - How to use Handbrake to rip encrypted DVDs.
Steps on how to rip DVD to MP4 on Mac using Handbrake:
1. Insert a DVD you wish to copy into your Mac. If DVD Player starts up automatically, quit the application.
2. Launch HandBrake, located at Applications.HandBrake will display a dropdown sheet asking which Device should be opened. Select the DVD from the list in the sidebar and then select Open. HandBrake will spend a little time analyzing the DVD you selected. When it's done, it will display the DVD's name as the Source in its main window.
3. Choose the Title to copy. The Title dropdown will be filled in with the DVD's longest title; this is usually the main title for the DVD. HandBrake can only create a copy of a single title on a DVD. HandBrake can only rip a single title at a time. If you want to rip multiple titles off DVD or copy several/all episodes of TV show DVD, you have to process the same work multiple times or create a queue.
Other adjustable options including Angle, Chapters, Seconds and Frames. Seconds is an option used to define the start time and end time of to-be ripped title.
4. Configure MP4 as output. HandBrake DVD ripper empowers you to copy DVD to MP4 (M4V on Mac, same as MP4) or convert DVD to MKV on Mac. In addition, it offers dozens of output presets, grouped under General, Web, Devices, Matroska, and Legacy. You can choose any one at will, or add personalized preset by clicking Save New Preset.
If you know little about picture, filters, video, audio parameters, just keep the default settings untouched and instead focus on Presets only.
Kindly Note: If the file extension is M4V, you can change it to MP4. In fact, you can also keep M4V without no change since M4V is based on MP4 file format.
5. Choose a Destination. This is the file that will be created when the copy is made. You can use the suggested file name, or use Browse to select another location to store the destination file and create a new name.
6. If you have nothing to modify, simply click Start button at the top menu bar to start ripping DVD to MP4 with HandBrake. Then you will see a display bar and can estimate the time remaining to complete.
Way 3. Convert DVD to MP4 Free on Mac with VLC
Another simple and straightforward method to convert DVD to MP4 free is by using VLC media player. VLC is a free and open-source player that is portable and works on different platforms. In addition to playing your video files, the player also allows converting your DVD to MP4 as a free DVD converter for Mac. So if you are in search of a method that facilitates simple conversion without any need for downloading separate software, rip DVD with VLC is the right way.
Pros:
+ Work with a lot of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, etc.
+ Support an extensive range of codecs, such as HEVC, AV1, DivX, MPEG2, XviD, VP9, etc.
+ Expandable via plugins.
Cons:
- DVD encoding speed is relatively slow compared with other rippers.
- It is relatively hard to find the output formats.
- DVD/video editing features are limited.
[Tutorial] How to Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac using VLC
Insert the DVD into your Mac drive before proceeding with the below steps.
Step 1: Open VLC Media Player app on your Mac system. From the drop-down menu at the File tab, choose the Open Disc option.
Step 2: A window with your disc information will open. Click the box for Disable DVD menus. At the bottom left corner, check the box for Stream output.
Step 3: Hit the Settings button that will allow you to a new window. Here check the File option to get the ripped disc as a file on your Mac. Hit Browse to select the location where you want to save the converted disc. A pop-up window, choose file name and location at Save As and Where tabs, respectively. Click the Save button to confirm.
Step 4: Next, Open the drop-down menu at the Encapsulation Method and choose MPEG 4. Make the needed video and audio settings. Click OK to confirm all the settings.
Step 5: Finally, click Open to start to convert DVD to MP4 free with VLC Mac.
FAQs about DVD to MP4 Conversion on Mac
1. Is it legal to convert DVD to MP4 on Mac?
It's not legal to crack a DVD in the United States. But it's widely considered that it's OK to make an "archival" copy of any DVD content that you've legally purchased/acquired the rights to.
2. Is there any built-in apps on Mac to convert DVD to MP4?
No. Mac's Disk Utility can help you rip unprotected DVDs as image files. It cannot address other user needs.
As a result, there is no default DVD to MP4 converter program on Mac. Why?
For one thing, DVD copy protections of various kinds sit nearly on all DVDs of movies, TV series, and fitness currently. So it's quite a complicated process to kick them to one side and digitize DVD to MP4 or other formats on Mac.
For another and also the most decisive thing, decrypting commercial DVDs by circumventing copy protections for profitable usage is prohibited officially by DMCA. As a result, no OS developer would get itself into the DVD ripping stuff.
3. Can I rip DVD to MP4 online for free?
Technically, you cannot create MP4 from DVD directly. First of all, online DVD converters normally read DVD VOB files instead of DVDs. Secondly, you cannot upload a DVD video file since common DVD video file ranges from 4.7GB to 8.5GB in size while online free video converters generally accept media file less than 1GB or even smaller.
What's worse, it takes a long time to transfer DVD to MP4 since a network connection is heavily required. So we still recommend using desktop software such as EaseFab DVD Ripper or Handbrake to convert DVD files to MP4 on Mac.
4. What are the benefits for converting DVD to MP4 on Mac?
When it comes to ripping DVD to digital, there are many choices out there, such as MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, M4V, WMV, etc. Then why MP4 is the first choice? As we know, MP4 is a container format for storing audio and video, as well as for other data such as images and subtitles. It has some advantages.
1. MP4 is compatible with almost all devices, including computers and HD/4K TVs, phones, tablets, and game consoles from Apple, Samsung, Google, HTC, Microsoft, Sony, etc. It's accepted by programs, editors (e.g. iTunes, iDVD, iMovie) and web services (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo). After converting DVD file to MP4 on Mac or PC, you can watch MP4 copies on the train, airplane, bus, etc without taking along physical discs.
2. MP4 features a high compression rate and great output quality. Therefore, it delivers a smaller file size than other formats when setting as the same quality. Sometimes an MKV file at least doubles the size of an MP4.
3. Unlike fragile DVD discs,MP4 files are easy to store but difficult to be damaged during regular use. If corrupted, we have multiple ways to repair MP4 files.
Though MP4 format has so many good features, it doesn’t mean you have to and only can rip DVDs to MP4. Besides the MP4 format, MKV has also been put into the spotlight when it comes to converting DVDs to a digital format. So whether to "rip DVDs to MP4" or to "rip DVDs to MKV" or other formats, it completely depends on your need.
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