How to Use HandBrake to Rip Protected DVDs on Mac/ Windows [2026]

HandBrake often emerges as a top recommendation for those who're looking for a free way to rip DVDs and don't mind a bit of technical "tinkering". As a cross-platform, open-source powerhouse, it offers a level of granular control over bitrates, codecs, and filters that most paid tools can't match. While the official statement says HandBrake does not crack or bypass the copy protection found on commercial discs, you can still use a free library called VLC libdvdcss to help HandBrake rip some protected DVD discs to MP4, MKV or WebM.

In this post, we will break down the steps of ripping DVDs with HandBrake on Mac and Windows, including the critical steps of installing libdvdcss to help HandBrake cope with copy-protected DVDs. Additionally, we will offer tips to resolve common HandBrake ripping errors.

How to Rip DVD with HandBrake on Mac and Windows

Step 1. Install Handbrake and libdvdcss

1. Download and install HandBrake on your PC.

As an open-source DVD ripper, HandBrake won't cost you a penny. The current version is 1.11.2 is available for Mac (macOS High Sierra 10.13 and later), Windows (10 and later) and Linux. Simply go to its official site - HandBrake.fr download center to get a copy fit for your computer and install it following wizard. The old HandBrake versions can be downloaded from here.

2. Download libdvdcss for HandBrake ripping copy-protected DVD.

Out of the box, HandBrake can only rip DVDs that isn't copy protected…but almost all store-bought DVDs you've purchased are copy protected. And that's why an alert box with "HandBrake does not support the removal of copy-protection from DVD discs" will show up if it is a commercial DVD. Luckily, it's easy to get Handbrake deal with some encrypted DVDs and rip them to your computer if you download and install the free DVD playback library called libdvdcss.

The process is a little different for Windows and Mac users, so we'll go through each one individually. Note that you don't have to do this every time you rip a DVD - once libdvdcss is installed, you can skip to Step 2 each time you rip a new disc.

How to download and install libdvdcss for HandBrake on Windows

① download the libdvdcss-2.dll file for HandBrake on Windows (compatible with Windows NT 4.0 SP4 or later, including versions like Windows 11, 10, and 7).

② Now, you need to find where HandBrake is installed on your computer. Open File Explorer and navigate to the HandBrake program folder. Typically, it's located here:

• ● For 64-bit HandBrake: C:\Program Files\HandBrake
• ● For 32-bit HandBrake: C:\Program Files (x86)\HandBrake

If prompted for administrator permission, just click Yes to proceed.

③ Once you have the libdvdcss-2.dll file, copy or cut it and paste it directly into the HandBrake program folder you just located.

④ If HandBrake was open while you were doing this, close it completely. Then, open HandBrake again. It should now automatically detect the libdvdcss-2.dll file and be able to read and rip your protected DVDs.

How to download and install libdvdcss for HandBrake on Mac

On Mac OS X Yosemite or older, you can download the libdvdcss package file and double click it to install. If you use Mac OS X El Capitan or later, you need to install libdvdcss via Homebrew. Follow these steps to install Homebrew and libdvdcss:

① Open Terminal: You can find it in the "Utilities" folder within the "Applications" folder, or you can use Spotlight search by pressing Command + Space and typing "Terminal".

② Install Homebrew: In the Terminal, paste the following command and press Enter: /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

This command will download and execute the Homebrew installation script. You may be asked to enter your password to proceed. In this case, just enter your password.

③ Wait for the Installation: The installation process will take a few minutes as Homebrew downloads and configures the necessary files.

After the installation finishes, you will receive instructions to to execute additional commands to ensure the brew command is recognized in your shell: eval $(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)

If you don't do this, you'll get a "command not found: brew" when trying to run Homebrew commands.

④ Verify the Installation: Once Homebrew is successfully installed and configured, run the following command in the Terminal: brew install libdvdcss. Moments later, the libdvdcss will be installed on El Capitan or later.

📢 Special Note for Newer Macs (Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3/M4)

If you have a newer Mac with Apple Silicon, Homebrew installs packages in a different location (/opt/homebrew/) compared to older Intel Macs (/usr/local/). HandBrake might still look in the older location. If HandBrake doesn't find libdvdcss after installing with Homebrew, you need to manually copy the file. Here's how:

• ● Open Terminal.
• ● Execute this command to copy the library file to the location HandBrake expects: sudo cp /opt/homebrew/lib/libdvdcss.2.dylib /usr/local/lib/
• ● You'll be asked for your administrator password. Type it in and press Enter.

⑤Restart HandBrake. It should now be able to use libdvdcss on your macOS computer.

Step 2. Open HandBrake and Load the DVD to HandBrake

With libdvdcss installed, HandBrake now can rip CSS copy-protected DVDs. The DVD ripping process on Windows and Mac is virtually the same. Here I will take the Windows process for example to show you how to decrypt and rip DVDs using Handbrake.

Insert the DVD into the DVD drive on your computer. Open Handbrake and choose your DVD drive from the sidebar that appears.

Handbrake will take a moment to scan the titles on your DVD. Wait until this process is finished. It should only take a moment. If libdvdcss wasn't installed incorrectly, you'll see an error saying that the disc can't be read here instead.

Step 3. Choose the DVD title and chapter you want to rip

HandBrake will select a title for you automatically, but you can click the Title drop-down menu to choose a different DVD title. All chapters of the selected title will be covered, but you can also specify it as needed.

Generally speaking, if it is a movie DVD, main movie part should be the one with the longest duration. But this rule doesn't apply to 99-title movie DVDs and HandBrake can't deal with such kind of disc. If it is a TV series DVD, simply select your favorite title/episode - each usually being 20 - 44 minutes. But in most cases we want to select all episodes to rip.

Well, how to select multiple titles in HandBrake?

After you select a title, choose a preset, and then you can click the drop-down arrow of Add to Queue. There're three options: Add Current, Add All and Add Selection.

• ● When you click Add Current, HandBrake will add currently selected title to the queue.
• ● When you click Add All, HandBrake will add all DVD titles to the queue simultaneously.
• ● When you choose Add Selection, HandBrake will pop up a window where you can specify which titles to add to queue.

So that's how to rip multiple titles off DVD or copy several/all episodes of TV show DVD.

Step 4. Select an output format to rip DVD with Handbrake

Handbrake allows users to rip DVD to MP4, MKV and WebM format. Besides that, it offers dozens of output presets, grouped under General (1080p, 720p, 576p, 480p), Web (Gmail, YouTube, Vimeo, Discord), Devices (Android, Apple, Chromecast, Playstation, Amazon Fire, Roku, Xbox), Matroska (H.264, H.265, VP8, VP9), and Production. You can choose any one at will, or add personalized preset by clicking Save New Preset.

When choosing a preset, don't choose 720p and 1080p presets for DVDs. The resolution for PAL DVD is 720 x 576 (576p), while the resolution for NTSC DVD is 720 x 480 (480p). Choosing a larger preset won't make the output look better but bigger.

One more thing, "Fast" and "Very Fast" presets will sacrifice some output quality, while "HQ" and "Super HQ" presets will slow the DVD ripping speed and increase output file size.

Besides container format and preset, HandBrake also allows you to select subtitle, specify audio track, tweak video parameters like codec and framerate, set quality, and do so much more. But if you know little about those features, just keep the default settings untouched.

Step 5. Specify the destination to save your DVD rip file

Navigate to Save As section and then click Browse to choose the location for storing the resulting file. HandBrake allows you to rip DVD to computer hard drive or external storage devices.

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Step 6. Start to rip DVD with Handbrake

If you have nothing to modify, simply click Start Encode button at the top menu bar to start ripping video/audio from DVD with HandBrake.

You'll see a progress bar along the bottom that will let you know how much time you have left in the rip. Higher quality rips will take longer, so you'll want to let your computer run for a while.

Fixes to HandBrake DVD Ripping Errors

There is no more DVD decryption feature built-in Handbrake since version 0.9.3. But you can still rip some protected discs to MP4, MKV, or WebM, if with VLC libdvdcss installed. However, Even with libdvdcss installed, various problems may occur when we use HandBrake to rip DVDs. Common issues like "No valid source or titles found", "HandBrake only rip part of DVD" "HandBrake distorted video when ripping DVD on Windows 10", etc. may come from time to time.

Why Handbrake won't rip your DVDs? In fact, here are several reasons to consider. The DVD may be damaged or dirty and there is a bad sector that result in Handbrake won't rip DVD errors. High CPU usage, unsupported subtitles, and wrong Handbrake settings may also cause Handbrake not ripping DVDs.

Here are some solutions you can try to fix HandBrake DVD ripping errors:

• ● Follow the steps above to download and install libdvdcss correctly on your computer. However, libdvdcss doesn't work for all DVD copy protections. If libdvdcss struggles, you can try a more powerful DVD decrypter.
• ● Inspect your DVD and check if your DVD is scratched or damaged. Try cleaning the disc with a soft, lint-free cloth.
• ● If you encounter the "No valid source or titles found" error on Mac, it might be due to insufficient permissions for the source DVD. In this case, you can right-click the source DVD, select "Get Info", and then add yourself under "sharing & permissions". This can make sure you have read access.
• ● HandBrake might skip titles shorter than a certain default duration. You can adjust this setting in HandBrake's preferences to include shorter titles like special features.

Ultimate Solution - Rip Copy-Protected DVDs with Best HandBrake Alternative

HandBrake combined with libdvdcss can be a good starting point for ripping some DVDs, but it often falls short when faced with advanced copy protection, tricky title structures, or when the libdvdcss installation itself becomes a hurdle. If you can't fix the problem throught the above guide or other forums, try HandBrake alternative DVD ripper - DumboFab DVD Ripper. You don't need to download libdvdcss or other additional tools to access copy-protected DVDs. It can handle almost all kindes of protected DVDs on its own and can auto check the right DVD main title to rip.

• ● Auto-removes all DVD DRM: Bypass CSS, Region Code, RCE, UOPs, Sony ARccOS...
• ● Convert DVDs to any formats you may need, including mp4, mov, hevc, mkv, wmv, avi, flv, etc.
• ● Make 1:1 DVD copy to Video_TS Folder or single VOB file, back up full title, main title, rip and convert as you need.
• ● Advanced features to select audio/subtitle tracks, add subtitles, cut, crop, etc.
• ● Finish DVD ripping at ultra-fast speed with support for Intel/NVIDIA hardware acceleration, multi-core CPU, and Hyper-threading tech.

The software has a clean interface with ready-made profiles. You don't have to fuss with complicated settings. Whether you want to copy DVD to hard drive, save them in MP4, MKV, MOV, etc. digital formats, or compress DVDs for your devices, DumboFab DVD Ripper can handle it in just a few clicks.

FAQs about Ripping DVD with HandBrake

1. Can HandBrake rip copy-protected DVDs?

No, HandBrake can't rip a protected DVD on its own. To handle common encryption, you need the help of libdvdcss.

2. How to rip a DVD with HandBrake on Mac?

Just follow the same steps as you use HandBrake to rip DVD on Windows: download and install HandBrake Mac version -> choose title -> choose output format -> select destination folder -> start encoding DVD on Mac.

3. Why does HandBrake still fail to rip some DVDs after installing libdvdcss?

Libdvdcss only handles the older CSS protection. Many modern commercial DVDs use more advanced and complex copy protection schemes (like ARccOS, RipGuard, Disney X-project/99-title) that libdvdcss cannot bypass.

4. How to rip a DVD with subtitles using HandBrake?

HandBrake has a Subtitles tab where you can select desired subtitle track, closed caption, and import external subtitle.

5. How long does it take to rip a DVD with HandBrake?

It could be tens of minutes to a few hours. The HandBrake DVD ripping time depends on the size of your DVD, the performance of your computer CPU and GPU, and your preferences and choice of settings in HandBrake.

Conclusion

HandBrake is the most versatile free option for ripping DVDs thanks to its fine control over encoding and compression. It gives me freedom to tune bitrates, frame rates, and filters. It's slower, but the output is reliable and customizable. By installing the libdvdcss library, you empower HandBrake to handle the majority of standard CSS-encrypted DVDs.

We hope this article can help you rip DVD using HandBrake successfully. If it fails, it's a good idea to try a specialized ripping tool like DumboFab DVD Ripper or MakeMKV. Free tools aren't always the best, commercial DVD rippers can provide more advanced features, better decryption and strong technical support, ensuring smooth and quick DVD ripping.