Last updated: February 7, 2018.
Forums
BEFORE you post
- Read this FAQ.
- Double check that you are using the latest version of MakeMKV and the latest hashed keys.
I have a problem. Where should I post?
- If your problem is related to a disc, search in the appropriate forum - Blu-ray, UHD or DVD - for the name of the movie or TV show. If there's an existing thread, add to it. If you don't find an existing thread, make a new thread with the title of the movie or TV show as the subject of the thread. This increases the chance that someone who owns the same disc will see the thread and help you, and it helps others having the same issue to find related threads in the future.
- Otherwise, check out the other forums. Post in General if you have a general usage question. Only post in the OS-specific forums if your problem is confined or specific to a particular operating system.
- Include as many details, such as screenshots and/or MakeMKV's console/debug log, as possible.
- Don't use short and generic thread titles such as "help" or "subtitles". Always be specific in your thread title and in your message.
About MakeMKV
Why MKV?
Because MKV is a powerful extensible, open source media container. The MKV format supports subtitles, chapter breaks, all audio and video codecs with multiple tracks, and MVC 3D video. All data copied into an MKV file by MakeMKV is preserved exactly as it was on the disc. You can remux MKV files any way you choose (for example, taking an audio track from one Blu-ray and adding it to the video from another) using MKVToolNix, you can convert MKVs (if you wish to reduce filesize, for example) using programs such as Handbrake, and you can playback MKVs using many popular programs such as mpv.
What version of AACS does MakeMKV support?
- MakeMKV always supports the latest version of AACS. You can get the latest version of MakeMKV and see which version of AACS is supported on the download page: /download/
- (As of version 1.10.10, MakeMKV supports up to the very latest version of AACS, which is version 64.)
Does MakeMKV support UHD?
Yes! As of version 1.10.8 (with some very important updates in subsequent versions), MakeMKV supports UHD. If you have UHD questions, you should go to the UHD discs subforum. There are several stickied threads there to get you started, including a UHD FAQ thread.
The Beta Key System
Why is MakeMKV telling me it's too old, or that I need a new beta key?
MakeMKV is continually updated with important improvements. The expiring beta key system is a way to help remind you to stay updated to the latest version. Beta keys generally last for 1 or 2 months, with their expiry set at the end of a month and a new beta key becoming available at the beginning of the next month. If you need the latest beta key, get it here.
Why register MakeMKV if it's 100% functional while in "beta"?
If you want to eliminate the small hassle of the beta key system and have the peace of mind that you will always be able to use any version of MakeMKV, then you should contribute to the program's ongoing development by registering it. With MakeMKV now supporting all UHD discs being submitted, there's never been a better time to contribute to its development. Purchase your own registration key for MakeMKV here: /buy/
Getting Started
I'm new to MakeMKV - what should I do first?
Turn on Expert Mode in Preferences -> General. Expert Mode is really not complicated, and options and functionality being discussed in the forums will make more sense if you have Expert Mode turned on.
What is MakeMKV's Backup function?
MakeMKV can copy a Blu-ray or UHD (but not DVDs) to your hard drive - optionally decrypting the video at the same time - as a means of backing up the disc. This backup can later be opened off the hard drive for ripping by MakeMKV. It's not an ISO backup - you will see the folder structure and files of the disc on your hard drive. To use the Backup function, start MakeMKV but do not open the disc, and the Backup option will be available in the File menu and in the top row of icons (second from the left, yellow folder with a green arrow pointing into it).
Titles and Playlists
I don't need all these titles, is there a way to just see the main movie?
You can limit (or increase) the number of titles MakeMKV will show by setting a minimum length requirement in the preferences. View / Preferences / Video tab / "Minimum title length (seconds)". For example, if you set a high seconds value - such as 300 (5 minutes) - the list of titles could be much shorter without a lot of things you might not need (copyright title cards, studio logos, etc) but you will also risk missing some shorter items such as trailers or short featurettes, if you're interested in those things.
There's still a lot of titles that I don't want, how do I unselect them all at once?
Right click, Unselect All.
Why are there two identical playlists for a movie, except one has Japanese?
It's for localization of which audio options the user will be able to select when played on a regular player, depending on the user's region. Because of this, in MakeMKV you will see two main playlists and both will be identical in terms of length, chapters and segments. However, one will have English plus other languages such as French, Spanish, etc and the second one will have English plus Japanese. Assuming you want English and don't need/want any of the secondary language tracks, it shouldn't matter which one you choose.
Why are there two large playlists for a movie, but they're different sizes?
Know your movie before you're going to rip it! Chances are, you have a Blu-ray with two versions of the movie, such as an extended or unrated version or a version with an alternate ending. The trapsheet in the Blu-ray case will often list the runtimes of the two versions, which is one way to identify which title is which version. A site that compares different versions of movies is https://www.movie-censorship.com/.
Which playlist do I want for a Disney movie? I see 800, 801, 802...
- Disney localizes text that's in the actual movie animation (such as credits, signs, etc) by using branching. Playlist 00800 will always be the English version. The others will be for other languages, such as Spanish and French.
- Disney uses the same pattern when the disc includes a short film. They start with 00700 for English and then 701, 702, etc.
Which titles do I want for a TV show?
- Titles on a TV show are normally easy to spot once you get the hang of it.
- By knowing how many episodes there are per disc, look for that many titles that have a similar number of chapters and a similar file size.
- You can also click on each title to see its length.
Audio and Subtitles
Why does MakeMKV show audio tracks with a second "nested" track?
- Lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) tracks have a lossy DTS core as a fallback option for devices that do not support the high resolution audio.
- Lossless Dolby TrueHD tracks have a companion lossy audio track as a fallback, and Blu-ray players consider this combination of two tracks to be a single logical audio track.
- As such, MakeMKV presents these fallbacks as nested tracks. If you only want the highest quality lossless audio, you don't need to have the nested track selected as well. If you do have both the lossless track and its nested lossy counterpart selected, you will get two audio tracks in your MKV file, both of them taking up their full space.
How do I select which audio or subtitle tracks I want to rip?
To the left of each title is either an > arrow or a plus sign (in older versions of Windows). Click this, and the title will be expanded to show all audio and subtitle tracks available. You can use selection rules to define MakeMKV's default selections: http://makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?p=17399#p17399