Mac the Ripper

What is Mac the Ripper?

Mac the Ripper is freeware that serves as DVD Ripping software for use in the Mac OSX. The software is used to extract DVD quality movies from commercially available DVDs that come with copyrights and region controls added to the DVD by their publishers. It extracts movies from DVDs and allows you to store them on your hard drive without the various protection factors applied to the commercial DVDs.

What does Mac the Ripper do?

All commercial movie DVDs come with CSS encryption, Macrovision protection and RCE region codes and UOPs (User Operation Prohibitions). The RCE region codes dictate which parts of the world the DVD can be played. If the region code is 0 then the DVD can be played in all parts of the world. 

Macrovision is used for copy protection. UOPs are prohibitions included in the DVDs that restrict certain options like Rewinding, Fast forwarding certain sections in the video that make the disclaimers, logos, FBI warnings and also some trailers that may be added for promotion unskippable. 

This DVD ripper for Mac gets rid of the CSS encryption and also the Macrovision protection. It sets the region code 0 and can also remove the UOPs thus allowing you to store an unprotected version of the commercial DVD movies on your hard disk. The freeware also rips DVDs protected by the new ARccOS.

Where can Mac the Ripper be used?

This DVD ripping software works well for use in the MacOSX. It is available only in the English language and requires the OS to be MacOSX version 10.2 or above.

How do I use MacTheRipper?

• Download and install the software
• Insert the DVD into the DVD drive
• Open the application
• After scanning the DVD, it will show the disc RCE as CLEAR.
• After it says CLEAR set the RCE region in the pop up menu to OFF.
• Once the RCE region is taken care of, select the type of extraction you want.
• Go to the Disc tab and click Go or press enter key.
  

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

It offers improved scanning as it can fix crash problems on selected DVDs. Also has fast pre-scan as codes are consolidated into fewer passes which reduces the number of seeks. The software has been found to rip movies even from damaged or badly mastered DVDs.

But despite these attractive features it seems to be loosing its popularity because of various problems faced by its users. Problems have been found with the extraction of movies that have newer formats and also movies from certain brands. It has been observed that Mac the Ripper doesn’t work well with DVDs that come with newer encryptions. When ripped with the software, many new DVDs are found to have a 'bad sectors' error. 

Though it is supposed to be freeware, you are expected to donate to the development of the software. Also, users who want to get the version 3.0 updates must submit proof of donation with a computer-based e-mail address which some users find very irritating. 

While some may consider it outdated, it can still be a useful tool. On the other hand, you may say that you get what you pay for. 

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