VLC DVD Ripper – How to Rip DVDs (Video Guide)?

Last updated on March 12th, 2024

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VLC Media Player is the most prominent as well as durable multi-layout, complimentary media player readily available. The free VLC player rapidly came to be incredibly popular thanks to its own flexible multi-format playback capacities and the software itself is not just a media player.

It was helped by being compatible as well as codec problems which provided competitor media gamers like QuickTime, Windows as well as Real Media Gamer ineffective to numerous prominent video and also music report styles.

The effortless, essential GUI, equipped with many functions, and a huge range of customization options has executed VLC Media Player’s position at the top among the free-of-charge media players. But how about the VLC DVD ripper?

VLC dvd ripper to rip dvds

VLC Media Player Vs. VLC DVD Ripper

Have you heard about the VLC DVD ripper? Not as there is no DVD ripper from VLC. In fact, you can use the popular VLC media player to rip DVDs!

Many people will know the VLC media player as it’s free and very convenient for playing various types of media files including the popular MP4, AVI, MOV, MP3, and more.

The promise of the VLC Media Player program is a strong one. It is a free DVD or Blu-ray player and a gamer software application that will participate in all media file kinds. Do you know that this software also can be used to rip DVD content including the audio to MP3?

Yes, the free VLC DVD Ripper software can be used to rip homemade DVDs but not for commercial or copy-protected DVDs. Also, the supported output file formats are limited and hence you may need the VLC alternative to rip those DVDs with region code and copy protection.

The Recommended VLC DVD Ripper Alternative:

Before we go to see how to download and use a VLC player for ripping DVDs, it’s good to check out the alternative of VLC since the program has some limitations.

One of the most reliable DVD software for Windows is WinX DVD Ripper Platinum (discount coupon already embedded) and our editor also does a full review about this ripping tool here.

For Mac users, you can check out this reliable software from Digiarty, MacX DVD Ripper Pro.

BONUS: FREE Download  WinX DVD Ripper Platinum to Rip Any DVDs You Like! 

 

VLC Media Player: Download and Installation

To Download VLC Player

Official website: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Operating System supported: Windows, Mac, Linux and Mobile (Android & iOS)

You can download the VLC Media Player offline installer here. From the page, you have several options to choose from:

  • 7zip package: The downloaded file required the 7 zip file compressor to extract the content.
  • Zip package: Another type of compressed file that you can use is either Winzip or WinRAR to extract the file.
  • Installer for the 64-bit version: This is for the 64-bit operating system. You can check your system by going to Start – (right-click) on Computer – Properties. See the System type.

 

To Install the VLC Media Player

Once downloaded, extract the file as needed and you need to install the program before using it. Here are the complete installation steps:

  1. Double-click on the installer with the .exe file extension.
  2. If a security warning screen appears, just click on the Run button to proceed. If another permission window pops up, click the Yes button.
  3. Select a preferred language, i.e. English, and click the OK button.
  4. The installation will begin. On the welcome screen, just click on the Next button to continue.
  5. In the License Agreement screen, click the Next button again to proceed.
  6. Choose the necessary components you want to install. You also can accept the default option as it will work great. Click the Next button to continue.
  7. Choose the location where you want to install the program. If you don’t want to change, just click on the Next button to proceed.
  8. After a few seconds, the installation will be complete. Click the Finish button to complete the entire installation process. The player will run for the first time.

 

The Steps to Rip DVDs Using VLC Media Player 

Still, wondering how to use VLC to rip DVDs? Here we will show you the full guide on the topic for free. Make sure you already downloaded and installed the VLC software successfully.

  1. Insert a DVD you want to rip into your computer DVD or optical drive. Open the VLC media player. From the Media menu, click on the Open Disc… option.

vlc dvd ripper open media window

  1. You will see a new Open Media window pop-up. Click on the Disc tab.
  • Under the Disc Selection section, choose the option ‘DVD’.
  • Check the “No disc menus” option. This is very important as the VLC media player occasionally craps out when it tries to convert any looping menu. You can use this option and avoid such unfavorable things from happening.
  • Disc device: make sure your computer DVD drive is selected. If not, click the Browse button to choose the correct drive.
  • Starting Position: If you know, you can set the Title and Chapter that indicate the position where you want to rip the DVD or a certain part of the movie. Otherwise, just leave it at 0 for both values.
  • Audio and Subtitles: Similarly, you can choose which audio track and subtitles you wish to rip.  [Just to be honest, you may need to do some trial and error to get the correct track, title, chapter, etc. to rip.] You can go to the VLC menu > Playback > Title and find the right title.
  • Click the Play button will let you preview the DVD part that you have selected to rip.
  1. Besides the Play button, there is a ‘down-arrow’ and choose the Convert option. A new Convert window is pop-up like below.

vlc to rip dvd convert window

  1. From the Convert window, some settings are needed:
  • Source: No setting is needed.
  • Destination file: Click the Browse button and choose the location where you want to save the ripped files. Give a file name and make sure you change the file extension to your intended output formats like .mp4, .mov, .ogg, etc. MP4 file is recommended.
  • Profile: You can choose the video codec for the output video. If needed (only), click the “Edit selected profile” button, and choose the needed option.
  1. When you are ready to rip the DVD, click the Start button. While the program is ripping the DVD, you will see the progress in the main window. It will take some time depending on the computer speed, file size, and format of the DVD.

vlc dvd ripping progress

  1. Once the ripping process is finished, you can see the file in the location that you choose. Just double-click on the file to run the converted file.

 

Video Guide: How to Rip a DVD with VLC?

For those who prefer a video guide on ripping a DVD with VLC, here you go:

YouTube video

 

The Limitations & Alternatives of the Free VLC Tool

While the VLC media player is one of the best movie players out there, this is NOT the best DVD ripper that you can rely on.

The VLC Limitations

The following are some of the drawbacks that you can easily find on VLC:

  1. The player/ripper cannot rip the copy-protected or most commercial DVDs. Check out the ways to rip encrypted discs.
  2. The supported output file formats are very limited and extra functions on video converting, editing, and compression are also limited.
  3. The ripping speed is slower compared to some other paid rippers.
  4. Sometimes you even can encounter crashes during the ripping process. Some other problems that you may encounter include: cannot rip full DVD, choppy playback, ripping DVD video but no audio, etc.
  5. The software is a little complicated to use especially for novice users as in various settings you need to do as explained above.

The Alternatives

Here are the top DVD rippers for Windows & Mac that were picked by our editors. Of course, it’s not free but with just several cups of coffee, you can handle all the DVDs without any problems. Read our honest review below:

 

How to Rip DVD Audio to MP3 Using VLC Media Player?

For those who just want to extract audio from the DVD, there are several programs that you can use including the VLC player.

But in this section, we will show you how to use the VLC to rip DVD audio to MP3. You can follow the step-by-step guide above but choose the output profile to Audio – MP3 as shown on the following screen. All the rest of the steps are the same.

rip dvd audio to mp3 using vlc

Of course, our editor also reviews some of the top-rated DVD audio extractors for your reference. If you want us to pick, we recommend the best DVD ripping software for your DVD audio and video ripping needs.

Please note that the VLC player not only can rip DVDs, but you also can use it to rip Blu-ray, VCD/SVCD, and audio CDs and save them to your computer or laptop. There are some other conversion functions that you can use provided by this free tool.

 

Frequently-Asked Questions

1. Is VLC a good DVD Ripper?

VLC media player can serve as a basic DVD ripper, allowing you to convert DVD content into digital files. However, VLC is unable to rip the commercial or copy-protected discs.
2. How do I rip a DVD without the menu with VLC?
During the setup process, when you reach the following screen, just tick on the “No disc menus” option and proceed to convert. You can have a DVD converted without the menu.
vlc dvd ripper open media window
3. Why is VLC not ripping my DVD properly?
There could be several reasons why VLC is not ripping your DVD, such as:
  • Update VLC: Make sure you’re using the latest version of VLC. If not, update it.
  • Check Disc Compatibility: Some DVDs may have copy protection or encryption that prevents them from being ripped by VLC.
  • VLC can’t rip a full DVD: The DVD that you insert is damaged or scratched, which may make it unable to rip a full DVD.
  • VLC rip a DVD without subtitles: A DVD ripped by VLC doesn’t have embedded subtitles.
4. What is the best free alternative to VLC? 
HandBrake is a free and versatile DVD ripper that offers a comprehensive set of features for converting DVD content into digital files. It’s a popular choice among users looking for a free alternative to commercial DVD ripping software. Even if you want to rip copy-protected discs, you can install libdvdcss for HandBrake.

Conclusion: VLC is Good for Ripping Non-commercial DVDs

Since a lot of people are trying to use the free VLC software as their DVD audio and video ripping tool, we recommend you use the software if the volume of DVDs you want to rip is not large and not commercial (copyright-protected) discs in it.

If you want to rip all those copy-protected DVDs, that require faster speed and better quality output you should get a paid DVD ripper and we recommend WinX DVD Ripper Platinum. Our editors also rated this as the best DVD ripping software and now they also have a special discount offer.

Author: Powell Wong

Powell Wong is a chief editor and writer at SmartPoint Inc., the company that manages this website. He graduated from university in computer science, has over 20-year experience in the field, and mainly writes about multimedia software for this site.