Are you trying to save your favorite DVD movie and planning to transfer it to your Mac? Are you in need of a copy of an unprotected DVD? Mac OS X has a solution for how to copy a DVD on a Mac. Check out this guide on how to conveniently and quickly copy DVDs to your Mac!

Contents: Part 1. How to Copy DVD to Mac without Software?Part 2. How Burn A Copy of A DVD on Mac?Part 3. How to Copy Movies from Mac to iPhone or iPad?Conclusion

Part 1. How to Copy DVD to Mac without Software?

We don’t highly recommend copying a DVD content to other devices, however, if there are scenarios that require you to make copies then make sure you do it at your own discretion and as long as you own the DVD.

How to Copy a DVD on a Mac Easily

Method 1. How to Copy a DVD on a Mac in Disk Utility

Mac OS X supports copying a DVD as long as there are no digital copy protections.

  1. Insert a DVD you wish to copy onto your Mac. Most Macs automatically launch DVD Player; close the player once it launches. The DVD disc will be mounted on your Desktop.
  2. Launch Disk Utility and select DVD disc from the list. There should be two discs displayed, one is the disc itself and the other is the drive. Click New Image from the main window
  3. Go to Save As and choose your own name and destination. Your new DVD copy should have at least 4 GB in space to accommodate. Ensure the image format is set to DVD/CD Master with no encryption.
  4. You can now see the new disc image on the left side of the Disk Utility window. At this point, you may now eject the original DVD from your Mac and insert a writable DVD.
  5. Choose the new disc image and click Burn from the Disk Utility main window.
  6. Select the burn speed and if you would like to Verify Burned Data
  7. Wait until the process is completed. You may opt to save the new disc image and copy it at any time you wish to.

Method 2. Use Duplicate Option on Mac to Copy and Burn a Disc

Mac has a built-in feature to copy and burn a DVD or Blu-ray disc via "File":

  1. Choose the DVD file you wish to copy
  2. Open File in the Finder window and click Duplicate or Burn__ to disc

How To Copy A Dvd On A Mac

Part 2. How Burn A Copy of A DVD on Mac?

There is another option on how to copy a DVD on a Mac but this time, we will be using third party software. There are paid downloadable programs that can easily copy or rip DVDs to a Mac. However, there is also free software that we can take advantage of.

Handbrake is open source software that transcodes videos with built-in compressor and option to adjust the frame rate of the DVD rip features. It was basically developed to make ripping a film from a DVD to storage quicker.

Copying DVD vs. Ripping DVD

Both methods are used to get throughout content limitations on DVDs but each process uses different functions and is used for different purposes. Copying DVDs involves copying the contents and saving it to another storage, keeping the same file format, whereas ripping DVDs can be something more like copying the DVD content to another storage and change the file format.

Ripping DVDs modifies the data and makes it more convenient for you to download and play it on various devices such as the iPhone and iPad. Both processes may need third party software to execute.

Is it Illegal to Rip a Digital Protected DVD?

In the US and the UK, ripping DVDs is illegal according to Title I of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The legalities also differ on where you live but there are corresponding laws that allow copying for personal use.

The law might seem confusing but it seems that there is a very least chance you will get prosecuted, however, as a practice, you cannot just simply copy a DVD especially those with copyrights on a Mac. The decision is up to you.

Easy Steps to Rip or Copy a DVD on Mac via Handbrake

In case you are curious enough on how to copy a DVD on a Mac using Handbrake, follow these steps.

  1. First, you need to download and install Handbrake
  2. Insert a DVD and open the Handbrake in the background. The third-party software will be able to detect a DVD automatically. You can also manually do it by going to Source and finding the DVD on the popup screen
  3. Adjust the output settings, for example, MP4 (works on Mac and iOS devices) but if you wish to copy it for your iPhone or iPad and iPod particularly then open the Toggle presets and choose the desired device listed. It will also match the file size and quality.
  4. Allocate the size
  5. Click Start and wait for the process
  6. Once completed, you can now watch the film on your Mac and may now be able to transfer it to another iOS device.

How To Copy A Dvd On A Mac Dvd

Bonus Tip: Convert Your Ripped DVD to MP4 Format

iMyMac Video Converter can convert your video and audio files in high speed and without lossing quality to any format you want. It has many functions and features, such as converting, editing and playing files. It supports many kinds of formats and different devices. You can free try its function to convert your ripped DVD to MP4 format below!

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Part 3. How to Copy Movies from Mac to iPhone or iPad?

After learning how to copy a DVD on a Mac, ripping DVD contents allows you to move or transfer it to different devices as well as change the format to reduce file size and ensure compatibility settings.

To watch your favorite film on the go after ripping the dvds on your Mac, do the following steps:

  1. Open iTunes and then drag and drop the movie file
  2. Connect the iOS device you wish to use
  3. Tick Sync Movies box and make sure the film you wish to copy is checked too
  4. Click Sync

You have finally copied the ripped film or movie from a DVD to Mac down to your iPhone/iPad. Copying Blu-ray discs are also easy but might take a longer time as compared to DVDs.

Note: Again this step pertains only to the DVDs you own and you wish to copy otherwise you might face issues with the authority.

People Also Read:The Best Video Editing Software For Mac

Conclusion

There are many ways on how to copy a DVD on a Mac, and also how to rip movies and transfer it to your iPhone and iPads. However, you should carefully choose which approach works best for you and you think would be safe. Hope you have copied those homemade videos you saved from a DVD into your Mac or your favorite childhood movies!

If you want to convert your ripped DVD to MP4 format, then you can free try the Video Converter. It helps you convert all kinds of video or audio formats to other formats you like.