Rip DVDs to MP4 with VLC on PC/Mac: A Complete Tutorial

Need to rip a DVD to MP4? If you have VLC installed, you don't need to download any new software. VLC is more than a versatile player - it has a hidden feature that serves as a ripper, allowing you to digitize DVDs to some common formats. However, it can only be used as a temporary emergency tool because it has many limitations, such as unstable operation, limited output formats, and slow ripping speed. We will detail the method and common errors to export DVDs to MP4 with VLC and share the best alternative option for a professional conversion.

Part 1. Convert DVD to MP4 with VLC on Windows

Ripping DVDs with VLC is not a difficult task. Before that, please make sure your computer has an optical drive, or prepare an external DVD drive for your PC. VLC for Windows is suitable for all versions of Windows, from Windows XP SP3 to Windows 11.

Step 1. Open the player and insert the DVD into the computer. On the home screen, select Media > Convert / Save to import a DVD into the software.

Step 2. In the Open Media window, navigate to the Disc tab and browse to open the inserted DVD disc. Remember to select the No disc menus box to prevent possible errors. And you should mark the number of the title and the chapter. You can first play the DVD and record it. After selecting the audio and subtitle tracks, hit the down-arrow icon on the Play icon and select Convert/Save.

Step 3. In the Convert window, select MP4 in Profile as the output format. Also, you can choose an output folder in the Destination file. You can also click the wrench (Edit selected profile) icon to adjust your video parameters, like Codec, bit rate, frame rate, and subtitles.

Step 4. Press the Start button to make VLC convert DVD to MP4 for you.

Part 2. Convert DVD to MP4 with VLC on Mac

Ensure your system version supports VLC to extract DVDs to MP4. It only works on Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later with a 64-bit Intel processor or an Apple Silicon chip.

Step 1. Insert your DVD disc into the Mac, and open VLC to click File > Open Disc.

Step 2. In the new pop-up window, select both Disable DVD Menus and Stream Output.

Step 3. Choose Settings above the Open button, and you can click File to select an output folder to save the converted MP4 videos. And set MPEG-4 as the output format in the Encapsulation Method. In Transcoding options, select some output settings as you like.

Step 4. After clicking the OK button to save the settings, press Open to easily burn a DVD with VLC.

Part 3. Why VLC Fails to Convert DVD to MP4? How to Fix?

However, some unsatisfied users reported that VLC failed to convert DVD to MP4, with some problems occurring. Since it's not a professional DVD ripper, it may disappoint you sometimes because of the following reasons. And you can fix these errors by corresponding solutions.

• VLC won't load the DVD: Sometimes, you will be prompted that you don't have a DVD on your disk, while there is a DVD in it. That's because libdvdcss in VLC can't handle the encryption of your DVD. The most convenient way is to remove DVD protection with other software.
• Slow DVD conversion speed: VLC takes as long as the video length to process the whole ripping. It works by streaming videos from DVDs during the ripping process. Also, VLC only supports GPU decoding (H.264, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, WMV3, etc.), which means it will run faster when handling those codecs. You'd better choose a powerful ripper with hardware processing tech.
• Wrong subtitle or sound in converted video: VLC doesn't provide other editing functions to adjust the video before the conversion. You have to carefully check out the output settings, including selecting the right audio and subtitle tracks in the Preferences or Input/Codecs settings. If the audio is out of sync with the ripped video, click Tools > Effect and Filters > click Synchronization to enter a suitable value to speed up or slow down sound playback.
• Not compatible with all encrypted DVDs: You may get into a crash when using VLC media player to convert a DVD to MP4. Even though you have installed the keys database and the AACS dynamic library file in advance, they can only help you convert limited types of encrypted DVD discs. There are still many protections that it can't bypass, which leads to the conversion failure frustratingly. Try other DVD rippers to convert all kinds of copy-protected DVDs to MP4.
• Fall into a continuous loop: The converted video shows the selection menu of the movie repeatedly and is only a few seconds or minutes long. You can check if the Loop icon on the main VLC interface is turned off. And go to Media > Convert/Save > Disc > No disc menus to let VLC grab movie content directly.
• Choppy playback: It happens in the situation of a wrong frame rate. For example, the frame rate of DVD is 29.97fps, while the ripped MP4 video is 39.61fps. To fix it, you can click the settings button under Profile option > Video codec to set the same frame rate as the source.

Part 4. Ultimate Way: Convert DVD to MP4 in One Click [Protected DVDs]

There are such limitations and fails to convert DVD to MP4 with VLC, choosing VLC alternatives is necessary. Here, we recommend a powerful DVD to MP4 converter, VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper.

It allows you to decrypt all DVD encryptions, delivering higher compatibility than VLC to work with more DVD disc types and convert them to MP4 or other 300+ formats as you desire. In addition, it ensures better output resolutions like 4K/1080p to transfer DVD to MP4, with parameter customization settings available to adjust output flexibly, which cannot be achieved in VLC at all.

Another highlight should be DVD conversion efficiency. With multiple hardware accelerations, the DVD ripping speed of VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper can reach at least 6X faster. For an hour-long DVD disc, it performs in only minutes to complete ripping, while spending about 50 minutes with VLC!

As VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper is designed with an intuitive interface, it delivers straightforward and easy operations to convert DVD to MP4 smoothly on both Windows and Mac. Next, go through the brief guide and grasp how to use it exactly. You can also see the video tutorial at the top of the webpage.

Step 1. Insert your DVD disc into the computer and open the software. Click Load DVD > Load DVD Disc for importing the content.

Step 2. Click Full Movie List and select titles you want to convert to MP4.

Step 3. Select MP4 as the output format in the Rip All to menu. The converter will offer MP4 options with different qualities.

Step 4. Change the output folder in Save to. Then press the Rip All button to convert DVDs to MP4. Just wait for a moment for the conversion.

Comparison with VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper & VLC:

FAQs of DVD to MP4 with VLC

Conclusion

It's simple to convert DVDs to MP4 using VLC with a few clicks. However, for its limitations, it may bring you an unpleasant experience when processing the conversion. Instead, backing up with a professional DVD ripper, VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper is an ideal option. Compared with VLC, the software supports decrypting commercial discs at lightning speed with 1:1 original quality. Have a try!