How to Convert DVD to MP4 with Windows Media Player on Windows

How to Use Windows Media Player to Convert a DVD to MP4 on Windows 11/10/8(.1)/7/Vista/XP?

According to Microsoft, "You can use Windows Media Player to copy videos from a DVD or CD to your computer as well as burn videos to a blank CD/DVD." Therefore, many users are wondering if they can use the built-in Windows Media Player to rip a DVD to the computer in MP4 or other formats. Is that possible and how to convert DVD to MP4 on Windows 11/10/8/7 computers using Windows Media Player? Keep on reading, you will find answers in this article.

Q: Can Windows Media Player Convert DVD to MP4 on Windows 10/11?

No, it can't. Windows Media Player can only convert a CD to WMA, WMP3 and lossless audios (WMV, ALAC, FLAC). There is no option to rip DVDs to your computer using Windows Media Player versions 12/11/10/9. Moreover, Windows Media Player is incapable of playing movie DVDs; it is only capable of playing audio CDs, data CDs, and data DVDs that contain music or video files. Therefore, if you are seeking to convert DVDs to MP4 using Windows Media Player on Windows 11/10/7, you will not be able to do so. You need a DVD ripper alternative to Windows Media Player to convert DVDs to MP4 on Windows 10/11.

3 Steps Convert DVD to MP4 using Windows Media Player Alternative

Free download the Windows Media Player alternative DVD to MP4 converter on Windows 11/10/7, then follow this guide to convert DVD to MP4 on Windows 10/11.

Step 1. Import DVD Disc

Insert DVD disc into DVD drive and then launch this DVD to MP4 ripper. Click DVD Disc and a pop-up appear asking you to select the Source DVD disc. Choose the source DVD disc and click OK to load DVD. It will start to detect any copy protection and analyze the movie title.

Step 2. Choose to Rip DVD to MP4

A couple of seconds later, all titles will be listed and main title is auto checked. An output format window will open automatically. All categories are listed on the left sidebar, covering General Profiles, DVD Backup, Device Profile, Web Video Profile, PC/Mac General Video, to Music and TS Video.

To convert DVD to MP4 on Windows 11/10, choose General Profiles or PC General Video, then select MP4 video (h264+aac) or MP4 Video (MPEG4+AAC) as the output. If you need to rip the DVD on your computer to Windows Media Player, you can also select another Windows Media Player supported format, such aS WMV, AVI, MOV, 3GP, M2TS, MPG, etc.

Optional. Adjust DVD to MP4 Ripping Settings

If necessary, you can click Edit button to crop/cut DVD video, enable/disable subtitle tracks, add external subtitles, check multiple titles and Merge titles option to join DVD files, and hit the gear icon to modify parameter values.

Step 3. Start Converting DVD to MP4 on Windows 11/10

Click Browse in the Destination Folder section and select where you'd like to save the converted MP4 video on your computer. Then click RUN button to start converting DVD to MP4 with this Windows Media Player Alternative. Several minutes later, you can play the DVD movies on Windows Media Player without problems.

Tips: if you want to rip a newly-released DVD disc to MP4 on Windows 10/11, tick Safe Mode option for ripping more successfully without interruption during the conversion process.

Note: the software developer only advocates ripping DVDs for personal use and suggests referring to the DVD copyright laws in your countries before doing so.

[Video] How to convert DVD to MP4 on Windows 11/10/7 with the Windows Media Player Alternative

FAQ on Ripping DVDs to MP4 using Windows Media Player

1. Can I rip a DVD with Windows Media Player?

No. As Microsoft claims on its official site that "When you copy music, pictures, and videos from your PC to a blank CD or DVD, it's called 'burning.' When you copy music, pictures, and videos from a CD or DVD to your PC, it's called 'ripping.' You can use Windows Media Player to do both.", many users believe that Windows Media Player is able to rip DVD to a computer. The fact is, it can only rip CDs, you can't use Windows Media Player to rip a DVD to MP4 or other formats.

2. What is the best rip settings for Windows Media Player?

As Windows Media Player only supports ripping CDs, so we will recommend you the best CD ripping settings in Windows Media Player. In fact, the settings are also very limited. In Windows Media Player, click Rip settings > Audio Quality > then choose 320 Kbps for the best sound quality if you rip a CD to MP3.

3. Does Windows 11/10 have built-in app to convert DVD to MP4?

No. Windows 11 and Windows 10 do not have a built-in app for converting DVDs to MP4. However, you can use third-party software to achieve this. There are several DVD ripping software options available that can help you convert your DVDs to MP4 or other digital formats.

4. How do I rip a DVD on Windows 11/10/7?

To convert a DVD to MP4 on Windows 11/10/7, there are many free and paid DVD rippers that work far more better than Windows Media Player. In addition to WinX DVD Ripper Platinum, here we also introduce two popular ways:

You can use Handbrake to rip DVDs to MP4 on Windows 11/10. It's free, fast, and powerful. Here are the steps:

1. Download and install Handbrake on your computer. Insert the DVD into your DVD drive.
2. Open Handbrake and click the "Open Source" button. If it's a protected DVD, you will need libdvdcss to help.
3. Once the DVD is loaded, you need to choose a ripping preset. Then to convert DVDs to MP4 on Windows 10, choose MP4 from the "Output Settings" section. You can also adjust the video and audio codecs, and other settings under the Video tab.
4. Select a destination folder where you want to save the ripped MP4 file. Click the "Start" button to begin the ripping process.

If you use VLC as an alternative to Windows Media Player on your computer, you can also use it to convert DVDs to MP4 on Windows 11/10. It's free and works on Windows, Mac, and other platforms. But it can't rip protected DVDs. See detailed guide on how to rip DVDs to MP4 using VLC.

1. Open VLC and insert your source DVD. Then click on the "Media" menu. Select "Convert/Save" from the dropdown menu.
2. Click on the "Disc" tab and select "DVD" as the disc type. Choose the inserted DVD.
3. Select the "Convert/Save" button. In the "Convert" dialog box, choose "Video - H.264 + MP3 (MP4)" as the profile.
4. Click on the "Browse" button to choose the destination folder for the ripped MP4 file.
5. Enter a name for the output file and click on the "Save" button.
6. Click on the "Start" button to begin the DVD ripping process.

5. How do I import a DVD into Windows Media Player?

In Windows 10 and Windows 11, you can use Windows Media Player to rip or play DVDs. However, Windows Media Player is able to play audio CDs, data CDs, and data DVDs on Windows 7 and earlier. To import a DVD into Windows Media Player, insert the DVD into the optical drive, it will then play it automatically. If not, open Windows Media Player, open the Player Library and choose the DVD drive. 

Related External Source:
Windows Media Player - Get Windows Media Player for your version of Windows or learn how to play Windows Media files on your Mac…