The complete guide to ripping 4K UHD Blu-ray
Everything from disc to media server: the drive and firmware you need, the exact MakeMKV steps, where 3D and new releases trip people up, and how to store it all. If you bought a pre-flashed drive from us, you can skip straight to "Rip your first disc".
What you need
- A LibreDrive-capable drive, flashed. UHD discs can only be read once a drive's firmware is patched for LibreDrive. Our drives arrive flashed and verified; if you're flashing your own, see the compatibility guide.
- MakeMKV. Free while in beta for the program's lifetime — enter the current beta key, or buy a lifetime licence to support the developer.
- Storage. A full UHD rip is 50–90GB. A roomy HDD/SSD, or a NAS, is the place to keep a library.
Rip your first disc
- Install & open MakeMKV, and enter the current beta key under
Help → Registerif prompted. - Plug in the drive over USB and insert your 4K UHD disc. Give it 30–60 seconds to spin up and read.
- Click the disc icon to open the disc. MakeMKV scans the titles — the main feature is the largest one.
- Tick the titles you want, and expand a title to choose audio and subtitle tracks (keep the lossless Atmos/DTS:X track for full quality).
- Pick an output folder with enough space, then click Make MKV. A UHD title takes roughly 20–60 minutes depending on disc and drive speed.
- Play it back in VLC or your media server to confirm the rip is perfect.
3D discs rip as 2D unless you enable the MVC track — see the 3D guide. A brand-new release that won't decrypt isn't a fault — see "the volume key is unknown".
After ripping
The MKV is a lossless copy. If you want smaller files for phones or tablets, run the MKV through HandBrake — but keep the originals for your main library. Name files Film Name (Year).mkv so media servers match them correctly, and store them on a drive or NAS. Our Plex, Jellyfin, Kodi & NAS guide covers building the library properly.