FAQ about BETA and PERMANENT keys.
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2019 12:12 am
MakeMKV is free while in beta
However, the beta key that is linked to above, DOES expire periodically, in part to make sure people remember to stay current with the beta, and in part to encourage you to buy your own permanent key, which won't expire.
Buying a key means you don't have to worry about times when the beta key has expired, and when the program's author updates the message linked to at the top.
UPDATE: If you have a disk in the drive when you install a new key (beta or permanent), most of the time, it will not "take". Make sure your DVD/BD/UHD drive is EMPTY when you enter the new key!
Frequent gripes posted on the forum:
It's been XX hours since the key expired! Why doesn't the author jump through hoops to fulfill my need to rip TODAY?!? I do not know the answer to this, other than to say it has been this way for all the years I've been using MakeMKV, and I bought my permanent key 11+ years ago, and there were gaps in the beta key back then, too.
If it's free, why do I need a key? Again, the program changes. Not as fast as it used to; it used to be that a new version came out before the previous version's key had chance to expire. If you don't have a current version, it's hard to offer support, because it may be that the problem you experienced was fixed a year ago. And, I'm sure the intention is that the beta will end someday... after which, the beta copies would be "old news".
How do I buy it? There's no link on the home page! There is a link in the program, Help->Purchase, which takes you to the MakeMKV purchase page.
I am using a Windows desktop and a Mac. Will I be able to use the same license key, on both computers? Per the author, yes.
Why can't I pay with PayPal? Talk to PayPal about that. Some time back, they decided to "virtue signal" to media companies that they don't support piracy, so they refuse to provide payment service to people they decide are supporting piracy. While you can still use PayPal to buy pirated stuff on eBay, you can't pay for tools that COULD be used for piracy, if anyone complains. And, if you're posting messages about using MakeMKV to rip rental disks to add them to your collection, you are proving their allegations.
UPDATE: Mike has changed payment processors. The new payment company (payproglobal.com) accepts PayPal, but I do not know anything more about them than what is on their website.
Why does it cost more in my country than in the United States? Mike has told the payment processor that the software is priced at US$50 60. The processor collects money based on your home country, and takes care of currency conversion, taxes, and fees required by your home country. These fees can be significant; VAT in some regions is ridiculous. The US doesn't have a nation-wide sales tax at this time, so comparing the US price to other countries is usually going to make you wonder.
UPDATE:Avangate PayProGlobal.com now charges local sales/use tax in the US, if the state your credit card is billed to taxes software purchases.
But I have to rip this disk NOW, and the beta key is expired! MakeMKV checks the key for expiration by comparing your system DATE when the program STARTS. It does NOT check it after that. What you do with that information is up to you.
UPDATE: It has been pointed out that changing the system date may not work for ripping Bluray (and above) disks, if you started doing such disks more than 30 days before the date you entered. You'll be able to rip DVDs, but disks that required a key within the last 30 days may need a different date entered.
Now, having typed everything above, current and future messages about beta key expirationwill MAY be DELETED. Everything you need to know is here in this message, so there is no need for anyone to get argumentative and start calling names in messages.
However, the beta key that is linked to above, DOES expire periodically, in part to make sure people remember to stay current with the beta, and in part to encourage you to buy your own permanent key, which won't expire.
Buying a key means you don't have to worry about times when the beta key has expired, and when the program's author updates the message linked to at the top.
UPDATE: If you have a disk in the drive when you install a new key (beta or permanent), most of the time, it will not "take". Make sure your DVD/BD/UHD drive is EMPTY when you enter the new key!
Frequent gripes posted on the forum:
It's been XX hours since the key expired! Why doesn't the author jump through hoops to fulfill my need to rip TODAY?!? I do not know the answer to this, other than to say it has been this way for all the years I've been using MakeMKV, and I bought my permanent key 11+ years ago, and there were gaps in the beta key back then, too.
If it's free, why do I need a key? Again, the program changes. Not as fast as it used to; it used to be that a new version came out before the previous version's key had chance to expire. If you don't have a current version, it's hard to offer support, because it may be that the problem you experienced was fixed a year ago. And, I'm sure the intention is that the beta will end someday... after which, the beta copies would be "old news".
How do I buy it? There's no link on the home page! There is a link in the program, Help->Purchase, which takes you to the MakeMKV purchase page.
I am using a Windows desktop and a Mac. Will I be able to use the same license key, on both computers? Per the author, yes.
Why can't I pay with PayPal? Talk to PayPal about that. Some time back, they decided to "virtue signal" to media companies that they don't support piracy, so they refuse to provide payment service to people they decide are supporting piracy. While you can still use PayPal to buy pirated stuff on eBay, you can't pay for tools that COULD be used for piracy, if anyone complains. And, if you're posting messages about using MakeMKV to rip rental disks to add them to your collection, you are proving their allegations.
UPDATE: Mike has changed payment processors. The new payment company (payproglobal.com) accepts PayPal, but I do not know anything more about them than what is on their website.
Why does it cost more in my country than in the United States? Mike has told the payment processor that the software is priced at US$
UPDATE:
But I have to rip this disk NOW, and the beta key is expired! MakeMKV checks the key for expiration by comparing your system DATE when the program STARTS. It does NOT check it after that. What you do with that information is up to you.
UPDATE: It has been pointed out that changing the system date may not work for ripping Bluray (and above) disks, if you started doing such disks more than 30 days before the date you entered. You'll be able to rip DVDs, but disks that required a key within the last 30 days may need a different date entered.
Now, having typed everything above, current and future messages about beta key expiration