You may need to compress and convert your ripped movies with Handbrake. But huge files take up a lot of space, and MKV files don’t work with some devices (like Apple TV).

Compressing and Converting: Some people like to rip their movies as giant lossless files.

We suggest using MakeMKV, as it’s free and works great with 4K UHD Blu-rays.

Ripping Software: You need specialized software to rip movies from discs.

(You may need to convert your files to the MPEG format before burning them to a disc). But Windows and Linux users will need to stick with ImgBurn.

Burning Software: Mac users can burn DVDs or Blu-rays directly from the Finder.

We suggest using VLC, as it works with everything and has a great support community. Windows Media Player, for example, doesn’t work with Blu-ray discs.

Media Playback Software: Most media players are terrible at their job.The ASUS 16X is a great option, and it’s sold as an internal or external drive.

Even if you have a Blu-ray drive, you may need to upgrade to start playing and ripping discs of this ilk.

About 4K UHD: Some older Blu-ray drives refuse to work with 4K UHD discs.

The fastest speed you’ll see in a DVD drive is 24X, and the fastest speed you’ll see in a Blu-ray drive is 16X. These speeds are usually expressed in terms like 8X or 16X, where 16X is twice the speed of 8X.

Write Speed: A disc drive’s write speed determines how quickly it can burn files to a disc.

Drive Type: A Blu-ray drive can play DVDs, but a DVD drive can’t play Blu-ray discs.

But even if you already own a Blu-ray or DVD drive, you might need to buy a new one to play, burn, or rip discs.

A Disc Player: You’ll need a RW drive (rewritable drive) to play, burn, and rip discs.

Mac blu ray burner software free