Today, DVDs have become an outdated medium for storing data and videos. If you still have a collection of DVDs, the best solution is to back up and save them to your computer. However, when you open the DVD, you will only find a few files with extensions that you are not familiar with. It is not as simple as copying digital files. Therefore, this tutorial intends to tell you how to copy DVDs to your computer properly.

Part 1: Copy the DVD to the Computer as ISO or DVD folder

The best way to save a DVD to a computer is by making an ISO image or DVD folder, which copies the entire DVD accurately. So that you can mount the DVD on your computer or burn it on a new DVD later. Tipard DVD Cloner is an easy way to copy a DVD to a computer as an ISO image or DVD folder.

Main Features of the Best DVD Copy Tool

◆ Save a DVD to your computer in ISO or DVD folder.

◆ Easy to use and not require technical skills.

◆ Write ISO or DVD folder to DVD.

◆ Offer multiple DVD copy modes.

How to Save a DVD to Your PC

Step 1Open a DVD

Download and install the best DVD copy tool on your PC. There is another version for Mac. Insert the DVD that you want to back up into your computer. Then pull down the Source option, and select your DVD drive.

Step 2Set options

Then pull down the Target option, and choose an output format, like ISO or DVD Folder. Next, set the Volume, Writing Speed, Copies, and Target Size according to your need. By default, the software copy the entire DVD. If you just wish to copy the main movie or select specific files, click the Main Movie or Customize button. You can also decide to Remove Menu, Skip Menu, Play Titles as a loop, and more under the Options section.

Step 3Copy the DVD to your computer

Once settings are done, click the Folder icon on the right side and select a specific directory to save the DVD copy. At last, click on the Start button at the bottom right corner to begin saving the DVD to your computer.

DVD Copy Software Tipard

Part 2: Save the DVD Video to the Computer

If you have a collection of homemade movies stored on discs, the best way to copy DVDs to your computer is by saving them in digital videos. Here we recommend AVAide DVD Ripper. To be honest, good DVD ripping software almost determines the quality of DVD videos during the process.

Key Features:

  • Copy a movie DVD to a computer with ease.
  • Enhance and optimize video quality up to 4K.
  • Rip audio tracks along with images from DVDs flawlessly.
  • Offer bonus features, like trimming DVD videos.

How to Copy a DVD Video to Your Computer

Step 1Load a DVD

Launch the best DVD ripping software once you install it on your PC. It is compatible with Mac too. Then put the DVD into the same machine. Turn to the software, click and expand the Load DVD menu, select Load DVD Disc, and select the disc. After loading, all titles will be listed. To rip specific titles, click the Full Title List button and select them.

Load DVD

Step 2Select an output format

Next, click the Rip All to menu at the top right corner. That will open the profile dialog. Head to the Video tab, select a proper format on the left side and choose a preset. To change the resolution, frame rate, or other parameters, click the Gear icon.

Tip: The software supports almost all popular video formats. You can choose an appropriate one based on your purpose.

Select Output Format

Step 3Copy the DVD to your PC

After settings, back to the main interface. Locate the bottom area, click the Folder icon, and select the destination folder. Finally, click on the Rip All button to initiate saving the DVD to your computer as digital videos.

Rip DVD

Note: After copying the DVD, you can edit the videos with the tools on the Toolbox window.

Part 3: How to Copy DVD to Mac for Free

Apple has introduced lots of useful functionalities into Mac including copying DVDs to your Mac computer. This feature is integrated into the Disk Utility. In another word, you can copy your DVD to Mac without extra applications. Bear in mind that this feature is only available to unencrypted DVDs.

Copy DVD Mac Utility

Step 1Insert the DVD into your internal or external DVD drive.

Step 2Run the Finder app, go to the Applications folder and then the Utilities folder, and open the Disk Utility app. Then you will see the DVD itself and your drive.

Step 3Select the DVD icon on the left pane. Then go to the File menu, choose New, and New Image from [DVD name]. Enter a name for the image file, and select DVD/CD Master under Image Format.

Step 4Hit the Save button to save the DVD to your Mac computer. Wait for the process to finish, and take out the DVD.

Part 4: How to Copy DVD to PC for Free

Is it possible to copy DVDs to a PC without paid software? The answer is VLC. It is well-known that VLC is not only a free media player but also comes with lots of bonus features. One bonus feature is copying DVDs to a PC for free.

Step 1Open the free DVD copy tool from your desktop, go to the Media menu, and choose Convert/Save.

Step 2Switch to the Disc tab on the Open Media dialog, and select DVD under the Disc Selection section.

VLC Disc

Step 3Put the desired DVD into your PC, and click the Browse button to select the disc. Press the Convert / Save button to move to the next window.

Step 4Pull down the Profile menu and choose a proper video format, such as MP4. Then click the Browse button and select a location folder to save the DVD videos.

Select MP4 VLC

Step 5Hit the Start button to confirm copying the DVD to your PC.

Part 5: FAQs about Copying DVDs to Computer

Why cannot I copy a DVD to my computer?

The possible reasons for cannot copy a DVD include: The DVD is damaged or corrupted; Your DVD is copyright protected.

Can you just copy and paste a DVD?

It depends on your DVD. If it is a data DVD, you can copy and paste the files to your computer directly. These digital files can be opened on any compatible device. For movie DVDs, you have to copy them in ISO or rip them.

Does Walmart copy DVDs?

Yes. Walmart will convert your DVDs and Blu-ray discs into digital copies. These copies are stored in your online libraries.

Conclusion

This guide has demonstrated how to copy DVDs to your computer without losing quality. On Mac, you can save an unencrypted DVD to an ISO image file or a DVD folder with Disk Utility. For beginners, we suggest you use AVAide DVD Ripper or Tipard DVD Cloner. If you have other questions about the topic, please write them down below.

By Bryan Simmonds on Apr 21, 2023

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