Streaming services are all the rage. But there’s something delightful about having tangible media. I’ve got a bookshelf overflowing with Blu-rays, DVDs, VHS tapes, and even LaserDiscs. While I regularly play my physical media collection, I also enjoy having digital backups for playback in media centres such as Kodi, and adding to my Plex server so I can stream them anywhere. For media enthusiasts, a DVD or Blu-ray ripper is a must-have. And if you’re looking for a fantastic DVD and Blu-ray Ripper, DVDFab is one of the best options on the market.
Why You Should Use a DVD and Blu-ray Ripper
If you’ve got a substantial physical media library of Blu-rays and DVDs, a DVD and Blu-ray ripper is essential software. There are a few benefits to digitizing your movies and TV shows. For one, discs can get scratched or suffer from disc rot. With a DRM (digital rights management) free backup, you’ve got a surefire means of playing that no matter what. Unlike most digital copies of videos purchased from the likes of Amazon, iTunes, and other digital retailers, your copy is free to play across any device you like since it’s not locked down by DRM. Plus, you can use media server software such as Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin, as well as media centre apps like Kodi or Stremio to playback your files. As such, you can cobble together a sort of do-it-yourself Netflix of digitized movies and television shows using your DVDs and Blu-rays that’s accessible from anywhere. And of course, there’s the convenience of simply pressing play on a digital file rather than popping in a disc. With more PCs and desktops lacking optical drives, digital copies of videos are becoming essential.
It’s important to note that The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) forbids circumventing copy encryptions on commercial discs. Technically, this even applies to discs you personally own. However, it’s a bit of a gray area. While we here at Tech Up Your Life don’t condone piracy, we also don’t see much harm in creating DRM-free copies of your video library so long as you’ve legally purchased copies of the DVDs and Blu-rays.
Why rip your DVDs and Blu-rays:
- Physical discs can suffer disc rot or scratch
- Convenience of not popping in a DVD or Blu-ray
- Build a DRM-free library of movies and TV shows for use with the likes of Kodi, Plex, Emby, etc.
- Lack of optical drives on many modern PCs
DVDFab Review
Although DVDFab does prominently feature a DVD and Blu-ray ripper, DVDFab all-in-one features a slew of tools. The main functions are copy, ripper, converter, creator, and then various utilities such as DRM removal. But for each element of DVDFab, there are loads of different options.
Under copy, you can select from several different modes. Full disc copies the entire DVD or Blu-ray complete with any bonus features, audio tracks, and subtitle files. Main movie instead simply backs up the feature film or TV show episodes. You can perform actions such as cloning discs, splitting or merging files, and converting between DVDs, Blu-rays, and UHD Blu-rays.
Likewise, the Blu-ray and DVD ripper boasts ample options, You can choose from a variety of formats including AVI, FLB, M2TS, MKV, MP4, TS, VOB, and WMV. There’s the ability to rip to an audio file, extract subtitles, output videos for specific devices including Amazon Fire tablets, iPods and iPhones, game consoles, and more. Plus, a unique option is an AI (artificial intelligence) upscaler for creating high definition 1080p and even 4K rips from low-resolution sources such as DVDs.
I tested out the AI upscaling feature, and successfully created 1080p DVD rips. However, this does require specific hardware. Luckily, the GT 1030 GPU in my home theatre PC (HTPC) retro gaming emulation and e-sports rig worked just fine. The GTX 1060 in my main gaming desktop was more than up to the challenge as well. Granted, AI upscaling took quite a while. A single AI upscale was slated for over two days on my GT 1030, Xeon E3-1220 v2 PC.
The converter lets you convert between a slew of popular formats, and the creator option is great for authoring discs from digital video files. Then there are loads of different utilities. DVDFab is overall a superb bit of software. I found it extremely user-friendly in the full version. Along with the full-blown DVDFab version, DVDFab Mini installed on my system. As the name suggests, it’s a simplified iteration of DVDFab with fewer options, perfect for new users unfamiliar with DVD ripping. But for intermediate and power users, the complete DVDFab all-in-one is a great bit of software. Packed with features, it’s capable of one-click ripping, copying, and disc creation. And using the full slate of options, you can easily customize everything from video quality to audio tracks, subtitles, and more. Although there are free or freemium DVD rippers available, the comprehensiveness and slate of premium tools absolutely makes DVDFab well worth the money.
DVDFab all-in-one utilities:
- Copy
- Ripper
- Converter
- Creator
- DRM Removal
DVDFab
Pros
- Easy to use
- Tons of features
- DRM removal tools
- AI upscaling
- Competitive pricing
Cons
- DVDFab All-in-one is pricey but worth it
- Options may be overwhelming for beginners
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