4 Ways to Rip Blu-ray to MKV with Lossless Quality [Fast & Free]

By Karen Nelson
07/08/2024

BD-DVD Ripper

MKV is an uncompressed format available to save video content in original quality without any loss. For many users who want to back up Blu-ray movies in high quality, MKV should be one of the best format options. But how exactly to rip Blu-ray to MKV?

In this article, we will introduce you to 4 easy and quick tools to get things done. Each of them can effortlessly rip all Blu-rays to MKV with lossless quality, even 3D Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray. Now, let's grab the best helper to save your favorite Blu-ray movies for an excellent playback experience!

Related Readings:

How to Rip Blu-ray to MP4 Without Losing Quality

4 Methods At A Glance: Pick A Suitable Method

Among these 4 Blu-ray to MKV rippers, you may be curious to know which one is the best. To help you find the most suitable method, let's take a quick glance at their strengths. Also, you can jump to a specific method by clicking on it.

Method 1 provides a lossless and quick Blu-ray decrypter, VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper, to rip multiple Blu-rays to MKV with only a few simple clicks.
Method 2 using MakeMKV, can rip 3D Blu-ray movies to MKVfor free without quality loss.
Method 3 is suitable for converting homemade Blu-rays to MKV for free using Handbrake.
Method 4 uses VLC to rip Blu-ray movies to MKV.

Method 1. Rip Blu-rays to MKV with VideoByte (Lossless and Quick)

For those who have a large Blu-ray collection, using a professional tool like VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper can be the best option. Not only does it deliver lossless quality outputs, but also it offers a 6X faster speed to rip Blu-rays to MKV without taking you a lot of time. For more flexible playback, this ripper also supports converting Blu-ray to 300+ digital formats like MP4 and MOV.

Moreover, with all types of Blu-ray discs covered, VideoByte is not limited to Blu-ray discs but also supports Blu-ray folders, Blu-ray ISO files, and 3D Blu-rays. Not to mention that it can easily remove copy protections and region codes from encrypted Blu-rays, enabling you to enjoy them on any player or device. All these highlights make it the best program to rip Blu-ray to MKV indeed.

For new users, you can enjoy a free trial provided by VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper to backup Blu-ray to MKV with limitations. Next, let's download and install this tool on your Windows or Mac computer to get started.

Rip Blu-ray to MKV Lossless At Fast Speed Using VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper

As one of the best Blu-ray rippers, VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper offers a really simple service to help you rip Blu-ray to MKV losslessly in a user-friendly and quick way. Now, you can read this tutorial and learn about how this ripper works exactly:

Besides, if this is your first time using this software, check and follow the detailed instructions to proceed with ripping carefully. For Mac users, you can also follow the same steps to rip Blu-ray on Mac.

Step 1. Load Blu-ray Disc

Insert the Blu-ray Disc into your computer. Then open VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper. Select "Load Blu-ray" from the top-left corner and choose to "Load Blu-ray Disc" in the software.

Step 2. Select Blu-ray Movies to Rip

When the Blu-ray media is loaded, you can click the "Full Movie List" and select the Blu-ray movies you want to rip to MKV. If you skip this step, the software will only rip the main movie for you by default.

Step 3. Select MKV Format to Convert

Choose an MKV format in the "Output Format" list. The fastest way is to input "MKV" in the "Search Profile" and in general, "Lossless MKV Format" will be a great choice for ripping Blu-ray.

While this program has made preset profiles for you, you can still customize many options such as resolution and bitrate to match your needs. Just click the "Settings" icon next to the "Profile".

Step 4. Start Ripping Blu-ray to MKV

Click the icon of "Rip All" to rip Blu-ray to DVD immediately. The software will only take a short to to complete the ripping for you with its acceleration technologies working. Just wait a moment and you can get the Blu-ray movies saved in MKV lossless files!

Method 2. Rip 3D Blu-ray to MKV for free with MakeMKV (Only for MKV)

Another quick and lossless way to rip Blu-ray to MKV is by using a free tool, MakeMKV to help. This software is specialized in backing up Blu-ray Discs in MKV format, and it will keep the output files in totally uncompressed condition for you. This makes it an ideal option for many to Rip 3D Blu-ray to MKV losslessly.

Additionally, MakeMKV provides a Beta version with a limited 30 days, letting you rip 4K Blu-ray to MKV for free. Once it expires, you can get a new Beta key from the MakeMKV forum to extend your trial or purchase it for $50.

However, as it won't compress any quality of the Blu-ray movies, the output MKV file sizes will be really large, potentially taking up a lot of space on your computer. Also, MakeMKV offers a slow ripping speed, making it time-consuming to rip bunches of Blu-rays to MKV. Additionally, it only works for BD+ and AACS protections, so if you want to quickly rip protected Blu-ray Discs with other protections, use VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper.

Pros:

Completely free to use
Offers very simple operations
Keeps uncompressed quality to output MKV files

Cons:

The conversion speed is very slow
The output file sizes are large
Only supports 2 types of Blu-ray protections
Requires a Beta key to initiate ripping in a limited period

How to Rip Blu-ray to MKV with MakeMKV

Here, you can see how to rip 3D Blu-ray to MKV in very simple operations with MakeMKV.

Step 1. When you have installed MakeMKV, insert your Blu-ray Disc and open the software to load it.

Step 2. After the 3D Blu-ray media is imported, you can check the movie list and select the titles as well as audios, subtitles you want to rip.

Step 3. Then, move to the right place and click the folder icon in "Output folder" to select an output path.

Step 4. Finally, simply by clicking the "Make MKV" button beside and MakeMKV will begin to rip 3D Blu-ray to MKV for you. Wait patiently because it will take a little long for the software to complete the process.

Method 3. Rip Blu-ray to MKV for free with HandBrake (No Encryption)

For a faster and more friendly free tool to rip Blu-ray to MKV, also consider HandBrake. But pay attention that this software only supports ripping homemade Blu-ray Discs without any protections. Compared with MakeMKV, HandBrake offers more formats than MKV. Also, it allows you to customize output parameters more flexibly.

Solutions to Rip Protected Blu-ray Movies:

If you are looking for a solution to rip protected Blu-ray movies, it is advisable to use alternatives that can remove copy protections. For example, VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper, which supports all protections and region codes.

Pros:

Customized parameter settings provided
Offers user-friendly operations
Freeware to convert Blu-ray to MKV for free
Supports different device systems

Cons:

Not supports ripping protected Blu-ray Discs
The conversion is not so fast

How to Rip Blu-ray to MKV Using HandBrake

Fortunately, ripping Blu-ray with Handbrake is simple, just a few clicks are required. Next, let's learn how to use HandBrake to rip Blu-ray to MKV on Windows/Mac without cost at all.

Step 1. Open the HandBrake after installing it. Then insert the Blu-ray Disc and select "Open Source" in the software to load Blu-ray movies.

Step 2. After importing the Blu-ray Discs, you can choose the titles and chapters you like to rip to MKV.

Step 3. Then also make sure to select MKV as the output format. Meanwhile, you can do some settings before starting the ripping process.

Step 4. Finally, tap "Start Encode" and HandBrake will begin to rip Blu-ray to MKV for you.

Method 4. Rip Blu-ray Movies to MKV with VLC (Free Yet Complex)

In addition to previously mentioned tools, VLC also comes as one of the best tools to rip Blu-ray to MKV for free. It allows you to directly play the output Blu-ray movie after ripping without any hassle. However, this tool might not support the latest protections, making it not powerful enough to convert some protected Blu-rays to MKV. For a more helpful solution, try VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper to remove Blu-ray movies with copy protections to MKV.

Pros:

Rips Blu-ray to MKVfor free
Offers a one-stop solution to enjoy Blu-ray movies after ripping
Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Cons:

The Blu-ray ripping speed is slow
The latest copy protections are not supported
Occasionally fails to rip Blu-ray
Requires extra files installed to support ripping protected Blu-rays

How to Convert Blu-ray to MKV for Free with VLC

Since VLC is not a dedicated Blu-ray ripper, it will need to install the keys database and AACS dynamic library to support both homemade and encrypted Blu-rays. This can potentially make the ripping process challenging to follow. Follow the simple tutorial below.

Step 1. Navigate to the VLC site to download and install the keys database file and AACS dynamic library by following the on-screen instructions. Ensure you've saved the files in the right location on your computer.

Step 2. Insert your Blu-ray disc to your hard drive.

Step 3. Launch VLC. Then, click "Media" > "Convert/Save..." to access "Open Media". Under the "Disc" section, check the "Blu-ray" option to load your Blu-ray to rip > hit "Convert/Save" to move on.

Step 4. Click on the gear icon to select "MKV" for the "Profile". Next, hit "Start" to rip Blu-ray to MKV.

If you find it difficult to follow with simple steps above, you can also head to this post to learn a detailed tutorial to rip Blu-ray with VLC.

FAQs About Ripping Blu-ray to MKV

What is Blu-ray Protection?

Normally, the Blu-ray Discs you can purchase from the market today are protected by different Blu-ray protections, which are some encrypting technologies used to lock up Blu-ray media from being played or copied illegally.

There are 3 main types of Blu-ray protection you can mostly see, including:

AACS Encryption
BD+ Protection
Cinavia Protection

Because of these Blu-ray protections, you can't directly rip Blu-ray to MKV at all. Instead, finding a tool working to bypass them can only help. So if you get a protected Blu-ray Disc and want to rip it to MKV, you need the software supporting to process these types of Blu-ray protections, and VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper can be the best choice supporting all of them!

How to Check Whether a Blu-ray Disc Is protected or not?

Normally, the encryption method used by the Blu-ray Disc will be presented on the appearance of the disc. You can turn around to check the disc and see the protection method logo printed on it. If the Blu-ray Disc doesn't show an encryption logo at all, it means that it is completely protection-free.

Is It Illegal to Rip Blu-ray?

If you only rip Blu-ray for personal use, such as collecting for watching personally, or to back up the movies to avoid disc damage, it is completely legal. But when you use the ripped Blu-ray movies for any commercial purposes and lead to actual loss of the disc issuers, you will be accused of breaking the copyright laws.

What Is the Best Software to Convert Blu-ray to MKV?

In most cases, we will consider the ripper to be safe enough and can work to rip high-quality Blu-ray movies without quality loss at the quickest speed to save time and effort. So considering all these aspects, VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper is recommended as the best one to rip Blu-ray to MKV at present.

In Conclusion

When all these 4 methods contain both pros and cons to rip Blu-ray to MKV, you can select the best option based on your real needs. But to compare them, VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper can surely bring the most professional help, with high quality, fast speed, and also more customized options. You can freely install it and try it now!