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Listed in Summary: If you're looking to convert DVD to MP4 on Mac, you're in the right place. Whether it's home videos, old movies, or workout DVDs, here are 3 easy ways to get it done, using both free and paid software.
Although DVDs might seem a bit outdated now, they still hold countless memories—home videos, wedding DVDs, nostalgic movies, yoga sessions, and more. But what if you could enjoy them all more conveniently on your Mac?
In this guide, I’ll walk you through 3 simple methods for converting DVD to MP4 on Mac. Free software works great for home DVDs but has limited format support. Paid software, priced similarly to two cocktails, can handle DVDs that free software often struggles with.
I’ve narrowed it down to these 3 methods because they cover everything you need—whether you're dealing with personal DVDs or commercial, encrypted discs. Depending on the type of DVD you have, you'll find the best solution below.
Method 1. Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac with VideoProc
Supported OS: macOS 10.13 High Sierra and later (also works on Windows 7/8/10/11)
Price: Free for videos less than 5min/each, registered version starting from $39.95/year with Coupon 
"*****VIPSAVE"
VideoProc Converter AI is a powerful tool for converting DVDs to MP4 on Mac. With its user-friendly interface, you can easily digitize your DVDs into MP4 format with just a simple click. Regularly updated by its dedicated development team, VideoProc can bypass protections such as UOPs, ARccOS, Sony X Project, Disney ARccOS, and even newer advanced encryptions. This ensures successful DVD conversions for all types of discs—including home DVDs, movies, training course DVDs, as well as DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL, and DVD+R DL.
It supports converting DVDs to MP4 with popular encodings such as HEVC, H.264, and even the newer AV1 codec, allowing you to get the smallest file size without compromising quality. You can also convert DVDs to other formats like MOV, MKV, and 420+ additional formats. Plus, you can choose preset output profiles optimized for video-sharing platforms or devices.
One of the things I really appreciate about VideoProc Converter AI is its flexibility. You can select specific chapters, audio tracks, subtitle tracks, and make quick edits to the DVD content. For users who need a 1:1 backup, it also offers six backup modes, including the ability to copy DVDs to ISO folders and ISO image files.
📌 Check Some of It's Highlight Features:
- Preserve Original Quality: Keep the original resolution and frame rate of your DVDs, ensuring no visible quality loss.
- Supports All DVD Regions: Works with DVDs from PAL or NTSC regions without any adjustments needed.
- Auto-Detect Disc Type: Detects whether the DVD is UDF or non-UDF mastered, so conversion proceeds correctly.
- Bypass Copy Protections: Removes DVD protections like CSS, ARccOS, and UOPs automatically, no plug-ins required.
- User-Friendly: Auto detect main title; Choose from pre-configured profiles for devices and platforms.
- More Backup Options: Supports 1:1 DVD backups, incl. UDF-mastered, ISO9660, and slightly scratched DVDs.
- Extra Tools: Offers de-interlacing, editing, converting, and AI-upscaling options for your videos.
How to convert DVD to MP4 on Mac with VideoProc Converter AI
Step 1. Insert the DVD into the disc drive on your Mac, and go to the DVD module in VideoProc Converter AI.
- Click the Disc icon in VideoProc Converter AI to load the DVD on Mac.
- If your Mac dropped the DVD drive, you can connect an external DVD drive to the Mac.
Step 2. In the Target Format section, choose an MP4 output profile. For instance, MP4 H.264, MP4 HEVC, and MP4 AV1.
Tips:
If you're looking for a balance between quality and file size, MP4 H.264 is a solid choice. For better compression with minimal quality loss, MP4 HEVC is ideal. If you want the latest codec for even smaller file sizes without sacrificing quality, MP4 AV1 is the best option—though keep in mind that it may not be as widely compatible with older devices and software.
Step 3. Select an output folder and click Run to start converting DVD to MP4 on Mac.
You can also read the review on VideoProc Converter AI by Macworld.
Method 2. Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac Using VLC
Supported OS: Mac OS X 10.7.5 and later (also works on Windows XP and later, Linux)
Price: Free Open-source software
VLC media player is free and open-sourced software. Besides playing videos, streaming online resources, and transcoding, VLC also supports converting DVD to MP4 video on Mac.
After inserting the DVD to the drive, follow these steps to digitize the DVD to MP4 on your Mac:
Step 1. After installing VLC on your Mac, click File > Open Disc from the menu.
The shortcut key to Open Disc is command + D.
Step 2. Click the Disable DVD menus button, and make sure Stream output is checked. Now you shall be able to click the Settings button at the bottom right corner.
Step 3. In the pop-up window, click the Browse button to set the name and output directory to store the digitized DVD.
Step 4. In the Encapsulation Method section, click the drop-down menu and select MPEG-4 as the output format.
Step 5. Click the Open button, and VLC will start to digitize the DVD to MP4 to the designated path.
Besides ripping DVD to MP4 on Mac using VLC media player, you can also use it to copy audio from DVD disc.
Why VLC won't convert my DVDs?
There are times when the VLC method doesn't work for some tricky DVDs of yours. For instance, if the audio stream is encoded in WMA or PCM, VLC will not transcode them. It also has poor support for Vorbis and FLAC-encoded audio tracks.
For region-locked, copy-protected and non-UDF mastered videos, VLC may deliver you a corrupted mess that doesn't play.
How to Convert DVD to MP4 on Mac in Handbrake
Supported OS: macOS 10.10 Yosemite and later (also works on Windows 7 and later, Linux)
Price: Free Open-source software
Handbrake is a popular video transcoder recommended by Reddit users and forum frequenters. In fact, when it is conceived initially by Eric Petit in 2003, Handbrake was designed to convert DVDs into digital formats. It later evolved into an integrated tool with more features.
HandBrake uses FFmpeg, x264, x265 and other components from third-party libraries, so that people without any knowledge of command line tools can somehow navigate the Graphic UI provided by Handbrake.
However, Handbrake is less capable to deal with scratched DVDs, or DVDs with certain subtitles that Handbrake doesn't support. It cannot convert copy-protected DVDs unless you install the additional library libdvdcss. You can read how to fix the issues when Handbrake won't convert DVD.
Step 1. Insert your DVD into the DVD drive on your Mac. If your Mac doesn't come with a DVD drive, plug-in an external DVD drive.
Step 2. Install and Launch Handbrake on your Mac.
Go to Handbrake's official site to download the latest version for your Mac. The Mac Installer of Handbrake is a universal version, meaning both Apple Silicon Macs and older Intel-based Macs can use the software.
Step 3. Import DVD into Handbrake.
- On the home screen, click the Open Source option to browse the DVD drive.
- Handbrake will start to read and import DVD titles into the software.
Step 4. After the analysis is finished, you can click the dropdown menu of Title and Chapter to choose the desired content. By default, Handbrake will choose the main video (the longest title).
Step 5. Choose a preset to convert DVD to MP4 on Mac.
NTSC vs PAL:
Depending on which format you are intended for according to your region, there is either the 720 x 480 (NTSC) or the 720 x 576 (PAL) resolution.
NTSC is used in North America, some regions in South America, Taiwan, Japan, etc., while PAL is more commonly seen in Western Europe, China, Australia, etc.
Best presets to convert DVD to MP4 in Handbrake:
Under the Presets > General option, you can use one of the following settings:
- HQ 480p30 Surround – NTSC region, high quality (30fps, Constant quality 18 RF)
- HQ 756p25 Surround – PAL region, high quality (25fps, Constant quality 18 RF)
- Super HQ 480p30 Surround – NTSC region, super high quality (30fps, Constant quality 16 RF)
- Super HQ 756p25 Surround – PAL region, super high quality (25fps, Constant quality 16 RF)
The video quality is controlled by bitrate and measured by the RF value in Handbrake. The lower the number, the higher the quality, and the slower the converting speed.
Step 6. Set the output directory at the bottom of the interface. You can click Browse to designate a folder.
How to change M4V to MP4 in Handbrake?
"I was trying to convert DVD to MP4 in Handbrake, but the output format is M4V, not MP4. The preset is set to MP4, why?"
It's easy to force Handbrake to use MP4 container so that your converted DVD will have an .mp4 extension. Simply go to Preferences from Handbrake's menu, and Click Output Files > MP4 File Extension. Change the default Automatic option to Always use MP4.
Step 7. Click Start Queue (the green button) to start transcoding DVD to digital MP4 format on your Mac computer.
FAQs
Can I Use the QuickTime Player to convert DVD to MP4 on Mac?
No. QuickTime player doesn't support DVD to MP4 conversion, nor doesn't it designed to play DVDs. Although you can use QuickTime player to convert digital formats to another one, physical DVDs are not supported.
Can I Use iTunes to Convert DVD to MP4?
No, you can't. iTunes only supports importing songs from CDs into the library. It doesn't allow you to load DVDs and even digitize them. But it works the other way around: you can transfer digitized DVD movies into iTunes to playback and build up your personal media library.
Can I save DVDs into digital videos on my Mac with Disk Utility?
Yes. The default Disk Utility app on Mac can be used to save DVDs into a digital backup file.
Step 1. Open Disk Utility from the launch pad and click the DVD you just inserted.
Step 2. In the Image Format drop-down menu, select DVD/CD master.
Step 3. Disk Utility on Mac will start to save DVD to CDR image format (.cdr).
The image format will mirror everything that's on the DVD to the digital file, with titles and chapters retained. Therefore, it serves as the best backup file. You can also use VideoProc Converter AI mentioned in method 1 to convert the DVD .cdr file to MP4 on Mac.
Disclaimer: Please make sure you have the consent of the copyright owner when trying to convert DVD for fair use. It is recommended to check with your local legal regulations before using a DVD to MP4 converter on Mac.
