www.makemkv.com

Hi, I read about MakeMKV on Lifehacker. I was looking for a way to add english subtitles to some Japanese imports. I needed a way to rip my discs so that VLC could render the .srt subtitle file I was using. (VLC has a bug that breaks subtitles when playing direct from the drive). After ripping my disks to .mkv, VLC plays flawlessly with my english .srt subtitles.

Having used MakeMKV 3 times now (twice for DVD, and once for Blu Ray), I was wondering about the status of this Beta. I read that the beta has unlimited DVD rips, which is much appreciated. But when I ripped my blu ray, it started a 30 day timer. Is the timer just for testing purposes or will it actually prevent me from riping blu rays after 30 days? Is there a free Beta key I can get or do I have to buy one? It is generally believed, and has been discussed at great length on the web, that anyone who accepts cash for their product can no longer use the "beta" tag. So, have they actually released MakeMKV or is this an actual beta test?

I understand the need to support a project, so I need to know is there any guarantee that upgrading in the future will not require me to purchase a new beta key? I have read the horror stories about people who buy keys only to have the app locked on the next install (the virus ridden software from NCH does this.) So, will the beta key register all future versions of MakeMKV? Guaranteed?

Last but not least, if I buy a beta key, can I use it on more than one PC? This is important to me because my Blu Ray drive is on the other computer, not the one attached to my TV. (I normally play blu ray discs on my PS3). I just need to know if I ever swap my PC and get one with a blu ray drive on the TV that I'll be able to install my registered version of MakeMKV on it. I don't want to lose my registration just because I upgraded my PC.

Buy a key, it works "forever". Rely on the beta status (which is ongoing right now), and you have to put in a new key when the old one expires, unless you install the next version. About half the time, the new version comes out before the key on the older version expires, but sometimes there is a gap.

There is a message in the announcements section that always has the latest beta key in it, so you don't have to search for it.

Personally, I don't care if it ever comes out of "beta".

If you look at some other projects such as Handbrake (from handbrake.fr, highly recommended to have in your tool box, especially for what you're doing), their "release" versions are rather old, lack features, and really aren't supported that much better than the "beta" versions that come out every day or so ("Nightly Builds"), which track the actual development.

You'll also want to search for MKVToolnix.