How can I rip a DVD and have the movie and special features in one file?

) March 21st, 2017

I’ve been archiving my favorite movies and TV shows from DVD/blu-ray.

I’ve done this before but when I want to play them it gets annoying to have to sift through stuff like this:

Granted, that example is much more tame because that particular movie didn’t have any special features. But with Special Edition DVDs and the like, there are dozens and dozens of different video files each with an unclear filename so I have to spend some time picking at them to figure out which video file sends me to the main menu. I cannot delete or move the other files from the directory – they all have to be present.

I’ve found other DVD rippers but they rip just the main movie file.

The least I can do is, after searching for the right file, I can rename it something like “PLAY ME” so I can immediately jump there. Still, I’m ripping many movies and shows so I’d rather not spend an annoying amount of time doing that.

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8 Answers

Get software that will save the disk’s contents as one ISO (disk image) file.

Then get some software that will work with such a file. (Google “dvd disk image file player software” for example, but may want to avoid Softonic as when I followed that link I got some security warnings). VLC is a popular player that seems to be able to handle DVD ISO files.

Zaku (30365

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Use FREEMAKE and rip away. You select what you want to keep.

elbanditoroso (33160

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Handbrake will let you do it.

ARE_you_kidding_me (20021

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If you wish to preserve the special features in original DVD movies, you must perform a lossless DVD copy, you can either backup DVD to ISO image file with InfraRecorder on Windows or Disk Utility or make a full disc copy of DVD with Pavtube ByteCopy.

Sunderlandgreen (18

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@Zaku
whoa what? I had NO IDEA VLC could use ISO files.

ScottyMcGeester (1897

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@ScottyMcGeester Yeah. I’m not sure it’s the best or easiest way to do it, but it does work at least for many ISO files. You can find instructions on what to do from various articles by Googling VLC ISO, e.g. VLC Media Player Tutorial #10 – How to Play ISO Files

Zaku (30365

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@Zaku

Took some trial and error but I figured it out. At first I tried mounting the ISO image to make it as if it were a CD drive and play it that way, but the video came out incoherent. Handbrake also didn’t make it into one big file – unless there’s some setting I have to play around with.

But I did it this way – I opened VLC, then said Open File and clicked on the ISO. It sent me straight to the main menu and I was able to view everything. So yay! Thanks!

ScottyMcGeester (1897

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Great! :-)

Zaku (30365

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