VLC: Rip DVD backup to hard drive
With the all-rounder VLC player, you have the easy option of ripping backup copies of your DVDs to your hard drive. In this practical tip, we will show you how this recording works and which legal restrictions you have to consider.
Ripping DVDs - a legal gray area
Unfortunately, it is not clear whether the recording of protected DVDs on the PC for private use is legal or not. The general approach is that this is legal if the copy protection is not cracked. This is obviously not the case when recording with VLC, since the film is recorded while it is playing. In any case, this recording is only allowed for private use - if you want to be absolutely sure, you should get precise information from a lawyer. You can record DVDs without copy protection and copyright claims without any problems.
DVD recording with VLC - how it works
Recording a DVD or a stream is child's play with VLC. Simply do the following:
- Open the settings of the VLC player: In Windows, go to "Tools" and select the item "Settings". Under MacOS you will find this point as usual in the menu bar under the name of the program, ie "VLC".
- You must specify a location for the file before you record it. You can set this in the settings under "Input / Codecs". Then close the settings again.
- If you now play a DVD, you only have to enter the key combination [Shift] + [R] to start the recording. VLC will now record your DVD in the previously defined directory. You can stop recording at any time with the same key combination. Under MacOS you start the recorder with the combination [CMD] + [Option] + [R].
- You will now find the finished mp4 file in your directory.
Already knew? In this practical tip, we will show you how you can watch streams from the Internet with VLC.