MakeMKV is not a one-stop shop for most casual users because it doesn’t compress. However, as a ripper , it is peerless. It is the most reliable, fastest, and most accurate way to get DVD content off the disc and onto your hard drive.

If you’re serious about backing up your DVD library without losing quality—or just want to watch your movies on a modern laptop without carrying discs—download the beta and start ripping. You won’t find a better free tool for the job.

If you have a shelf full of old DVDs and want to digitize your collection, you’ve likely encountered a minefield of expensive, slow, or ad-riddled software. MakeMKV cuts through that noise. In the world of DVD ripping, it occupies a unique sweet spot: it’s free (while in beta), surprisingly fast, and completely lossless. But is it the right tool for your needs? Here’s an in-depth look. The Core Philosophy: 1:1 Copies, No Transcoding Unlike popular tools like HandBrake or DVD Shrink, MakeMKV does not compress or re-encode your video. It simply remuxes the raw video, audio, and subtitle streams from the DVD into a single MKV (Matroska) container file.

Use MakeMKV to rip the DVD to a lossless MKV (takes 15 min). Use HandBrake to compress that MKV for your phone or tablet (takes 1 hour, but only once per disc). Keep the original MKV as your master archive.