Free DVD ripping software for Windows

DVD ripping is an “iffy” subject because it can be used for illegal purposes. In some cases it may be illegal even if stealing is not involved since encryption has to be broken. However, it should be perfectly fine to back up your legal DVD movie collection. I will not go further into the legality of this topic because things can get complicated.

There are a lot of free and commercial tools available for ripping your DVDs. Here, I will list a few of the free ones I have come across:

Handbrake – “HandBrake is an open-source, GPL-licensed, multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 converter, available for MacOS X, Linux and Windows. Any DVD source can be output to different formats for playback on Apple TV, PS3s, PSPs, iPods, etc.”

MediaCoder – “MediaCoder is a free universal batch media transcoder, which nicely integrates most popular audio/video codecs and tools into an all-in-one solution. With a flexible and extendable architecture, new codecs and tools are added in constantly as well as supports for new devices.”

DVD Shrink – “DVDShrink is software to backup DVD discs. You can use this software in conjunction with DVD burning software of your choice, to make a backup copy of any DVD video disc. DVDShrink will also burn your backup DVD.”

DVDFab HD Decrypter – “DVDFab HD Decrypter is a simple version of DVDFab Platinum. It copies entire DVD movie to hard disk, and removes all the protections (CSS, RC, RCE, APS, UOPs and Sony ARccOS) while copying. It also comes with full HD-DVD and Blu-Ray support (Removes AACS).”

DVD Decrypter – “A software application that can create backup disc images of the DVD-Video structure of DVDs. It can be used to image any DVD, but is especially useful for decrypting copy-protected movies. The program can also burn images to disc.”

DVD43 – “DVD43 is a free DVD decrypter that runs in the background and decrypts DVDs on the fly.”

VLC Media Player – Yes, this popular “plays-anything” media player can also rip DVDs! Find out how by visiting WikiHow.

RipIt4Me – “A freeware utility that helps you backup your copy protected DVDs. Recently released DVDs are now very often equipped with stronger copy protections – such as ARccOS and RipGuard DVD. Programs like DVD Shrink or DVD Decrypter cannot handle these types of discs. RipIt4Me is fully automated and the wizard will guide you through all the necessary steps involved.”

DVD Catalyst Free – “DVD Catalyst Free is a 1-click desktop application for converting movies and tv episodes into a format that can be played on your portable video player device. It is a free version of the award-winning DVD Catalyst applications, and while not as feature-packed as DVD Catalyst 3, DVD Catalyst Free does support the most popular video player devices.”

DVD Rip – “Rip and back up any DVD to your hard drive with DVD Rip, a freeware Windows application that automates the entire DVD-to-hard-drive backup process. All you need to do is insert your DVD, run DVD Rip, and let it take care of the rest.”