How to Copy Your DVDs With Mac OS X

Copying a Protected DVD Movie

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   Install HandBrake. HandBrake is an open-source application that allows you to copy DVDs to your Mac. HandBrake can rip any unprotected DVD by default, but you'll still need to install more tools before you can use it to copy protected/encrypted DVDs. You can download HandBrake from https://handbrake.fr/downloads.php.^[4]

   1. After downloaded the HandBrake installer, double-click the file (it ends with .DMG), then double-click the HandBrake icon to install it.
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   Download Burn for macOS. Burn is a free application that lets you burn playable movie DVDs on your Mac. Since your Mac doesn't come with such an app, using Burn is a great workaround. To download burn:^[5]

   1. Go to https://burn-osx.sourceforge.io/Pages/English/home.html.
   2. Click the Download Burn link to save the ZIP to your Downloads folder. You can just run the app later without installing it, so just move to the next step for now.
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   Install Homebrew. Homebrew is a package manager for your Mac that allows you to easily download and install software, including the libraries you'll need for ripping protected DVDs. Here's how to install Homebrew:^[6]

   1. Open the Terminal app. You can do this by clicking the Spotlight icon at the top-right corner, typing terminal, and then clicking Terminal in the search results.
   2. Type the following at the prompt: ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
   3. Press ⏎ Return to run the command.
   4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. Leave the Terminal window open when you're finished.
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   Type brew install libdvdcss into Terminal and press ⏎ Return. This installs the necessary library for ripping protected DVDs on your Mac. Follow any on-screen instructions that appear to confirm the installation.
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   Insert the DVD that you want to copy into your Mac's CD slot. If your Mac doesn't have a built-in DVD-ROM drive, you can use an external one.
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   Open HandBrake and select your DVD. Now that the app is installed, you'll find it in your Applications folder. Information about the DVD will appear.^[7]
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   Select a title from the "Title" drop-down menu. It's at the top-left corner of the window. If you only have one option here, great! If not, your DVD likely has some bonus features that'll need to be ripped separately. Select the option with the longest running time to begin by ripping the main presentation. If you want to rip the remaining files afterward, you can do so by selecting another title.
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   Select a preset from the right panel. The option you select depends on the quality of the DVD. If you want to use surround sound, be sure to select one of the options with Surround in the title.

   1. If you're ripping a DVD sold in the United States, choose one of the 480p presets. If the DVD is European, choose 576p. Larger presets will only make the file size bigger rather than improving overall quality.
   2. If you don't see a panel on the right side of HandBrake that displays a list of qualities (e.g., "Very Fast 1080p30"), click the Toggle Presets icon at the top-right corner of the app.
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   Click Browse to select a saving location. The button is in the "Destination" section. Once you select a folder (e.g., Desktop), click Choose to select it.
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    Click Start. HandBrake will now copy the DVD to the selected location as an MP4 file. This can take a while depending on the size of the DVD and the speed of your DVD-ROM drive. HandBrake will notify you once the process is complete.

    1. Remove the DVD from the drive once the rip is complete.
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    Insert a blank DVD. Once the DVD is detected, its icon will appear on your desktop.^[8]
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    Open Burn. This is the burning software you downloaded earlier. Follow these steps to open it:

    1. Double-click the BURN ZIP file in your Downloads folder.
    2. Double-click the Burn folder inside.
    3. Double-click the yellow-and-black Burn icon.
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    Click the Video tab. It's at the top of the Burn window.
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    Drag the ripped movie file(s) into the Burn window. For example, if your MP4 file is on your desktop, drag it to the main area of Burn to add it to the burning list. If you ripped multiple titles from one DVD, drag all necessary files to Burn now.

    1. If you are prompted to convert the file, click Convert to do so, and follow the on-screen instructions.
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    Enter a name for the DVD. This goes into the blank at the top of the window.
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    Click the Burn button. It's at the bottom-right corner of the Burn window.
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    Select your preferences and click Burn. The default options should be fine, but make sure the correct DVD-ROM drive is selected. Once you click Burn, the movie will begin to write to the DVD. This can take several minutes depending on the movie size and the speed of your DVD-ROM drive. A progress bar will keep you updated in real-time. Once the burn is complete, you'll see a confirmation message.