This article explains how to copy a video or data DVD using a Mac. If the DVD content is not protected by a copy protection mechanism, it can be copied using the Disk Utility app built into the Mac operating system. of regular DVDs with which movies and video games are distributed) you will need to install third-party software that can remove the protection before you can make the copy. Depending on the contents of the DVD, copying it may violate copyright or copyright laws. To make sure you are not violating any laws, never copy DVDs for any purpose other than just personal non-profit use.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Copy a Normal DVD
Step 1. Insert the DVD to be copied into the optical drive of the Mac
If your computer does not have a DVD player, you will need to purchase an external USB one.
The procedure described in this method should work for most video and data DVDs. If you are looking to copy a protected DVD, such as a TV series or movie purchased from an electronics store or online, please refer to this article method
Step 2. Launch the Disk Utility app
To find the program in question quickly and easily, click on the magnifying glass icon located in the upper right corner of the screen and type in the keywords disk utility. This app icon features a stylized hard drive and stethoscope.
Step 3. Click on the DVD drive name visible in the left pane of the Disk Utility app
It is listed within the "External" section.
Step 4. Click on the File menu and select the item New image.
Step 5. Click on the Disk Image from [device name] option
A new DVD settings window will appear.
Step 6. Name the image file that will be created by the copy process
A digital file will be created containing the exact copy of the DVD content which will have the name you enter in the "Save as" field.
Step 7. Select the DVD / CD master option from the "Format" drop-down menu
Step 8. Choose the Desktop folder as the file destination directory using the "Located in" drop-down menu
In this way the Disk Utility program will save the resulting file from copying the DVD directly to the Mac desktop, so that you can easily find it again. If you wish, you can still select a different destination folder according to your need.
Step 9. Click the Save button
It is located in the lower right part of the pop-up window that appeared. The Disk Utility app will copy the DVD and create the corresponding image file in CDR format, with the name you gave it. When the DVD copy procedure is complete you will see a confirmation message appear on the screen.
When the DVD copy is complete, you will be able to eject the disc from your Mac's optical drive
Step 10. Insert a blank DVD into your Mac's optical drive
When the operating system detects the blank disk, you will see an icon appear directly on the Mac desktop.
Step 11. Double-click the image file in CDR format
If you have saved the CDR file in question directly to your desktop, you simply need to double-click the corresponding icon. This will "mount" the DVD image you copied, so you can access it as if it were a disk drive. This way the drive icon corresponding to the image file will be displayed on the desktop after the "mount" is complete.
Step 12. Select the DVD image with the right mouse button and choose the Burn option from the context menu that will appear
Make sure you right-click the disk drive icon that appeared on your desktop after you "mount" the DVD image file. In this case Not you have to select the CDR file icon. A new dialog box will appear with the settings for burning the data to the blank DVD.
Step 13. Select the options you prefer and click the Burn button
The default settings should be correct, but you can change them as you like according to your needs (for example you can change the DVD name or the data writing speed). A progress bar will keep you updated in real time on the status of the burning process. When the DVD is ready for use you will see a confirmation message appear on the screen.
Method 2 of 2: Copy a Protected DVD Video
Step 1. Install the HandBrake program
It is an open source application that allows you to copy DVDs using a Mac. HandBrake is able to copy any unprotected DVD, but it also allows you to copy protected DVDs after installing additional tools. You can download the HandBrake installation file from the website
Once the HandBrake installation file has finished downloading, double-click the corresponding icon (whose name ends with the extension ". DMG"), then double-click the icon HandBrake which will appear to perform the installation.
Step 2. Download the Burn program for macOS systems
This is a free app that allows you to burn a video DVD that can be played on a Mac. Since the Mac operating system does not include such an app, using Burn is a great way to solve the problem. To download the Burn installation file, follow these instructions:
- Visit the website
- Click on the link Download Burn to save the program file in ZIP format in the "Download" folder. The Burn app can be run without any installation, so read on for now.
Step 3. Install the Homebrew program
It is a package manager for Mac that allows you to download and install software quickly and easily, including the data libraries needed to copy protected DVDs. Follow these instructions to install Homebrew:
- Launch the "Terminal" app. Click the Spotlight feature icon visible in the upper right corner of the screen, type the terminal keyword, then click the app icon Terminal which will appear in the list of results.
- Type the following command into the "Terminal" ruby -e "$ (curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)" window.
- Press the Enter key to run the entered program.
- Follow the instructions that will appear on the screen to complete the installation. At the end of this phase do not close the "Terminal" window.
Step 4. Type the command brew install libdvdcss inside the "Terminal" window and press the Enter key
This will install all the data libraries needed to copy protected DVDs on your Mac. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Step 5. Insert the DVD to be copied into the optical drive of the Mac
If your computer does not have a DVD player you will need to purchase an external USB one.
Step 6. Launch HandBrake and select the DVD drive
The HandBrake program icon is contained in the "Applications" folder. Information about the DVD to be copied will be displayed.
Step 7. Select a title from the "Title" drop-down menu
It is located in the upper left corner of the window. If there is only one option in the menu, that's perfect. Otherwise it means that the DVD also contains additional content that you will need to copy separately from the main ones. Select the longest track to copy the main content of the DVD. If you wish, you can copy the additional content at a later time by repeating the procedure and selecting a different title.
Step 8. Select one of the predefined configurations using the right pane of the window
The profile you need to choose depends on the quality of the content on the DVD. For example, if you want to preserve the surround effect of the audio sector, be sure to select a configuration that carries the keyword Surround in the name.
- If you are copying a DVD marketed in the United States of America, select one of the presets with a 480p video resolution. If you need to rip a DVD marketed in Europe, choose a preset that has a video resolution of 576p. Configurations that offer higher video resolution will simply generate a large file with no increase in final video quality.
- If on the right side of the HandBrake window there is no box listing the configuration profiles with which to extract data from the DVD (for example "Very Fast 1080p30"), click on the icon Toggle Presets located in the upper right corner of the window.
Step 9. Click the Browse button to choose the folder in which to save the final file
It is placed in the "Destination" section. After choosing the destination folder (for example the directory Desktop), click on the button You choose to select it.
Step 10. Click the Start button
The HandBrake program will proceed to copy the contents of the DVD and save it as an MP4 file in the indicated folder. This stage takes a variable time to complete depending on the size of the DVD and the speed of the optical drive. HandBrake will notify you as soon as the copying process is complete.
When the DVD copy is finished you will be able to eject the disc from your Mac's optical drive
Step 11. Insert a blank DVD into your Mac's optical drive
When the operating system detects the blank disk you will see an icon appear directly on the Mac desktop.
Step 12. Launch the Burn app
This is the program you downloaded earlier and will use to burn a copy of the original DVD. Follow these instructions to start the program:
- Double-click the ZIP file Burn present in the "Download" folder.
- Double-click the folder Burn present inside the ZIP file.
- Double-click the icon Burn yellow and black.
Step 13. Click on the Video tab
It is located at the top of the program window.
Step 14. Drag all the files you extracted from the original DVD into the Burn program window
For example, if the MP4 file resulting from the DVD copying process is stored on the Mac desktop, drag it into the main Burn app window to add it to the list of data to burn on the new DVD. If you copied a DVD that contained multiple content, at this point you will need to drag all the corresponding files into the Burn window.
If you are asked to convert the selected file, click on the button Convert to start the conversion procedure and follow the instructions that will appear on the screen.
Step 15. Name the new DVD
You will need to type it into the blank text field visible at the top of the window.
Step 16. Click on the Burn button
It is located in the lower right corner of the program window.
Step 17. Select the burn process configuration settings and click the Burn button
Normally the default settings should be correct, but still check that the DVD player in which the blank disc is selected is selected. When you click on the button Burn the selected files will be burned to the DVD. The time required for the burn process to complete varies depending on the data size and speed of the DVD player. A progress bar will keep you updated in real time on the status of the burning process. When the DVD is ready for use you will see a confirmation message appear on the screen.
Advice
DVDs created by users or used for sharing non-commercial content are almost always unprotected, unlike DVDs found in electronics stores, produced for professional purposes, for example those for the distribution of movies and video games which are always protected
Warnings
- Remember that copying a DVD for any purpose other than just personal use may be illegal in the area where you live.
- Modern DVDs are equipped with features that prevent them from being copied, so in such cases it is impossible to extract the data they contain.
