How to Download Blu-ray Discs to Your PC
Do you have a collection of Blu-ray discs that you want to store on your computer or stream to your devices? Do you want to enjoy the high-quality video and audio that Blu-ray offers without having to switch discs every time? If so, you might be interested in learning how to download Blu-ray discs to your PC.
In this article, we will explain what Blu-ray is, what you need to download Blu-ray discs, and how to do it using two free software tools: MakeMKV and Handbrake. By following these steps, you will be able to rip and compress your Blu-ray discs into digital files that you can play on your PC or any other device.
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What is Blu-ray?
Blu-ray is a digital optical disc format that was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide in 2006. It was designed to supersede the DVD format, which can only store up to 4.7 GB of data per disc. Blu-ray discs can store up to 25 GB of data per layer, and up to 128 GB of data per disc with BDXL technology. This means that Blu-ray discs can store several hours of high-definition video (HDTV 720p and 1080p) or ultra-high-definition video (UHD 4K) with enhanced audio quality.
Blu-ray vs DVD
Blu-ray discs have several advantages over DVDs, such as:
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Higher resolution: Blu-ray discs can display up to 3840 x 2160 pixels, while DVDs can only display up to 720 x 480 pixels.
Higher bit rate: Blu-ray discs can deliver up to 40 Mbps of data, while DVDs can only deliver up to 10 Mbps of data.
Higher color depth: Blu-ray discs can display up to 16.7 million colors, while DVDs can only display up to 16.8 thousand colors.
Higher frame rate: Blu-ray discs can display up to 60 frames per second, while DVDs can only display up to 30 frames per second.
Higher audio quality: Blu-ray discs can support up to 7.1 channels of uncompressed audio, while DVDs can only support up to 5.1 channels of compressed audio.
Larger capacity: Blu-ray discs can store up to six times more data than DVDs, allowing for longer running time, more bonus features, and more interactive content.
Benefits of Blu-ray
By downloading Blu-ray discs to your PC, you can enjoy the following benefits:
Better viewing experience: You can watch your favorite movies and shows in stunning quality on your PC monitor or TV screen.
Better sound experience: You can listen to your favorite soundtracks and dialogues in crystal-clear quality on your PC speakers or headphones.
Better storage efficiency: You can save space on your shelves by storing your Blu-ray discs on your hard drive or external drive.
Better convenience: You can access your Blu-ray collection anytime and anywhere without having to insert or change discs.
Better compatibility: You can play your downloaded Blu-ray files on any device. What You Need to Download Blu-ray Discs
To download Blu-ray discs to your PC, you will need the following:
A Blu-ray Drive
A Blu-ray drive is a device that can read and write Blu-ray discs. You will need one to insert your Blu-ray discs into your PC and rip them into digital files. You can either buy an internal Blu-ray drive that you can install inside your PC case, or an external Blu-ray drive that you can connect to your PC via USB. The average price of a Blu-ray drive is around $50 to $100, depending on the brand, model, and features.
A Blu-ray Ripping Software
A Blu-ray ripping software is a program that can extract the data from your Blu-ray discs and convert them into digital files that you can play on your PC or any other device. There are many Blu-ray ripping software available online, but not all of them are free, legal, or reliable. One of the best free and legal Blu-ray ripping software that we recommend is MakeMKV. MakeMKV is a simple and fast tool that can rip any Blu-ray disc into an MKV file, which is a universal format that can store multiple video and audio tracks, subtitles, and chapters. You can download MakeMKV from its official website:
A Blu-ray Compression Software (Optional)
A Blu-ray compression software is a program that can reduce the size of your ripped Blu-ray files without compromising the quality. This is optional, but recommended if you want to save more space on your hard drive or external drive, or if you want to stream your downloaded Blu-ray files to other devices with limited bandwidth or storage. One of the best free and legal Blu-ray compression software that we recommend is Handbrake. Handbrake is a powerful and versatile tool that can compress any video file into various formats, such as MP4, AVI, MKV, etc. You can also adjust the settings to optimize the quality and speed of the compression process. You can download Handbrake from its official website:
How to Download Blu-ray Discs with MakeMKV and Handbrake
Now that you have everything you need to download Blu-ray discs to your PC, let's get started with the steps. We will use MakeMKV to rip the Blu-ray discs into MKV files, and then use Handbrake to compress them into smaller files (optional). Here are the steps:
Step 1: Insert the Blu-ray Disc into Your Drive and Open MakeMKV
First, insert the Blu-ray disc that you want to download into your Blu-ray drive. Then, open MakeMKV on your PC. You will see a window like this:
Click on the big disc icon on the left side of the window to scan the disc. MakeMKV will detect the disc and show you its information on the right side of the window.
Step 2: Select the Title You Want to Download and Choose a Destination Folder
Next, you will see a list of titles on the disc. Each title represents a video segment on the disc, such as a movie, a bonus feature, a trailer, etc. You can expand each title to see its details, such as its length, size, video codec, audio tracks, subtitles, etc.
Select the title that you want to download by checking the box next to it. Usually, the main movie title is the longest one in terms of length and size. You can also select multiple titles if you want to download more than one video segment.
Then, choose a destination folder where you want to save the ripped MKV file by clicking on the folder icon next to Output folder at the bottom of the window.
Step 3: Start the Ripping Process and Wait for It to Finish
Finally, click on the big green arrow icon at the top right corner of the window to start the ripping process. MakeMKV will begin to copy the data from your Blu-ray disc and convert it into an MKV file in your destination folder.
The ripping process may take some time depending on the size of your disc and the speed of your drive. You can monitor the progress and status of the ripping process on the bottom left corner of the window.
When the ripping process is done, you will see a message saying "Operation successfully completed". You can then eject your disc from your drive Step 4: Open Handbrake and Import the Ripped MKV File (Optional)
If you want to compress your ripped MKV file into a smaller file, you can use Handbrake to do so. This step is optional, but recommended if you want to save more space or stream your downloaded Blu-ray files more easily.
First, open Handbrake on your PC. You will see a window like this:
Click on the File icon on the left side of the window to import the ripped MKV file that you want to compress. You can also drag and drop the file into the window.
Step 5: Choose a Preset and Adjust the Settings (Optional)
Next, you will see a list of presets on the right side of the window. These are predefined settings that can optimize your compression process for different devices, platforms, or quality levels. You can choose one of the presets that suits your needs, or create your own custom preset.
You can also adjust the settings manually by clicking on the tabs at the bottom of the window. These include settings for video, audio, subtitles, filters, chapters, etc. You can tweak these settings to achieve the best balance between quality and size for your compressed file.
Step 6: Start the Compression Process and Wait for It to Finish (Optional)
Finally, click on the green Start Encode button at the top of the window to start the compression process. Handbrake will begin to compress your ripped MKV file into a smaller file in your destination folder.
The compression process may take some time depending on the size of your file and the settings that you chose. You can monitor the progress and status of the compression process on the bottom of the window.
When the compression process is done, you will see a message saying "Queue Finished". You can then play your compressed file on your PC or any other device.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you how to download Blu-ray discs to your PC using MakeMKV and Handbrake. By following these steps, you can rip and compress your Blu-ray discs into digital files that you can store, play, or stream on any device. You can also enjoy the high-quality video and audio that Blu-ray offers without having to switch discs every time.
We hope that this article has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!
FAQs
Q: Is it legal to download Blu-ray discs?
A: The legality of downloading Blu-ray discs depends on your country's laws and regulations regarding digital rights management (DRM) and fair use. In general, it is legal to download Blu-ray discs for personal use only, as long as you own the original discs and do not distribute or sell the downloaded files. However, some Blu-ray discs may have copy protection mechanisms that prevent them from being ripped or played on unauthorized devices. In that case, you may need to use additional software or tools to bypass or remove the copy protection, which may be illegal in some countries. Therefore, we advise you to check your local laws before downloading Blu-ray discs.
Q: What are some alternatives to MakeMKV and Handbrake?
A: There are many other software tools that can rip and compress Blu-ray discs, such as DVDFab, AnyDVD HD, Leawo Blu-ray Ripper, etc. However, not all of them are free, legal, or reliable. Some of them may contain malware, spyware, or adware that can harm your PC or compromise your privacy. Some of them may also have limited features, poor quality, or slow speed. Therefore, we recommend you to do some research and comparison before choosing any alternative software tools.
Q: How long does it take to download a Blu-ray disc?
A: The time it takes to download a Blu-ray disc depends on several factors, such as:
The size of your disc: The larger your disc is, the longer it will take to rip and compress it.
The speed of your drive: The faster your drive is, the shorter it will take to read and write data from and to your disc.
The settings of your software: The higher the quality and resolution of your output file are, the longer it will take to compress it.
The performance of your PC: The more powerful your PC is, the faster it will process and encode the data.
On average, it may take from 30 minutes to several hours to download a Blu-ray disc, depending on these factors. You can speed up the process by choosing a lower quality or resolution for your output file, or by using a faster drive or PC.
Q: How much space does a downloaded Blu-ray file take?
A: The space that a downloaded Blu-ray file takes depends on the size of your original disc and the settings of your software. A typical Blu-ray disc can store up to 25 GB of data per layer, and up to 128 GB of data per disc with BDXL technology. However, not all of that data is used for the main movie title. Some of it is used for bonus features, trailers, menus, etc. Therefore, the size of your ripped MKV file may vary from 10 GB to 50 GB, depending on the disc and the title that you choose.
If you want to reduce the size of your downloaded Blu-ray file, you can use Handbrake to compress it into a smaller file. The size of your compressed file will depend on the format, quality, and resolution that you choose. For example, if you choose to compress your MKV file into an MP4 file with 1080p resolution and medium quality, you may end up with a file that is around 2 GB to 5 GB in size.
Q: How can I play my downloaded Blu-ray files?
A: You can play your downloaded Blu-ray files on any device that supports the format that you choose. For example, if you choose to rip your Blu-ray discs into MKV files, you can play them on any device that supports MKV playback, such as VLC Media Player, KMPlayer, PotPlayer, etc. If you choose to compress your MKV files into MP4 files, you can play them on any device that supports MP4 playback, such as Windows Media Player, QuickTime Player, iTunes, etc.
You can also stream your downloaded Blu-ray files to other devices via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, such as your smartphone, tablet, smart TV, game console, etc. However, you may need to use additional software or tools to enable the streaming function, such as Plex Media Server, AirPlay, Chromecast, etc. 44f88ac181