How to Use Dicsoft DVD to MKV Converter: A Step-by-Step GuideDicsoft DVD to MKV Converter is a tool designed to rip DVD discs and convert their contents into the MKV (Matroska) container, preserving video quality, multiple audio tracks, subtitles, and chapter markers. This step-by-step guide walks you through preparation, installation, ripping settings, advanced options, and troubleshooting so you can get consistent, high-quality MKV files from your DVD collection.
Before you begin
- Ensure you own the DVD or have legal right to rip it. Laws about copying DVDs vary by country.
- Have sufficient storage: a single DVD rip—depending on chosen settings—commonly requires 4–10 GB.
- A relatively modern PC with a DVD drive, enough RAM (4 GB+ recommended) and a few GB free on your system drive for temporary files.
- Make sure you have the latest version of Dicsoft DVD to MKV Converter installed.
1. Installation and initial setup
- Download Dicsoft DVD to MKV Converter from the official site or a trusted distributor.
- Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts. Typical options to watch for:
- Installation path
- Desktop shortcut creation
- File associations (optional)
- Launch the program. On first run, you may be asked to register or enter a license key if you purchased a full version; otherwise, use the trial mode limitations if applicable.
- In Preferences/Settings, check the default output folder, temporary file directory, and any update/check options. Set the output folder to a drive with enough free space.
2. Loading a DVD
- Insert the DVD into your optical drive. Wait for the disc to spin up.
- In Dicsoft, click “Load DVD”, “Open Disc” or a similarly labeled button. The program will scan the disc for titles, audio tracks, subtitles, and chapters.
- Allow the scan to complete. Large commercial DVDs with menus and extras may take longer.
Tips:
- If a DVD contains multiple movie versions (director’s cut, theatrical), identify the main movie title by duration (usually the longest title).
- For scratched discs, ripping may fail; try a different optical drive or a disc-cleaning method.
3. Choosing the main title and tracks
- After scanning, Dicsoft will list detected titles. Select the title that corresponds to the main feature (usually the longest duration).
- Select audio tracks you want to keep (e.g., English DD 5.1, commentary track, other languages). You can typically choose multiple audio tracks to include in the MKV container.
- Select subtitle tracks to include. MKV supports soft subtitles, so leaving them as selectable in the file is usually preferred.
- If you want chapter markers preserved, check the option to include chapters (often enabled by default).
Bold fact: Choose the longest title for the main movie.
4. Output settings: container, codecs, and profiles
- Container: The output will be MKV. MKV is flexible and supports multiple audio streams, subtitles, and chapters.
- Video codec: Dicsoft may offer options like H.264 (x264), H.265 (HEVC), or copy (lossless) if supported.
- H.264 is broadly compatible and efficient.
- H.265 yields smaller files at similar quality but requires modern players for playback.
- “Copy” (stream copy) avoids re-encoding but only works if the DVD’s video is already compatible with MKV; most DVDs use MPEG-2, so re-encoding is usually required.
- Audio codec: Common choices are AC3 passthrough, AAC, or DTS passthrough. To preserve original surround sound, choose passthrough (if you want the exact original) or select a high-bitrate AAC for compatibility.
- Subtitles: Choose soft (embedded) subtitles to keep them selectable. If you need burned-in subtitles, select the “hardcode” or “burn-in” option (useful for players that don’t support external/subtitled MKVs).
- Presets/Profiles: Use built-in profiles (e.g., “High Quality”, “Fast Encode”, “Devices”) as starting points. Customize bitrate, resolution, and encoder presets afterwards if needed.
5. Quality vs. file size: recommended settings
- For near-lossless quality: use H.264 with CRF 18–20 and encoder preset “slow” or “medium.”
- For smaller files with good quality: use H.265 with CRF 22–26, preset “medium” or “fast.”
- If you need extremely fast conversion and larger files are acceptable: H.264 with CRF 20–23 and preset “fast.”
- Audio: keep original AC3/DTS if you want exact sound; otherwise AAC 192–384 kbps is a good balance.
- Maintain original resolution (usually 720×480 for DVD NTSC or 720×576 for PAL) unless you want upscaling or downscaling.
Bold fact: Use CRF 18–20 (H.264) for near-lossless results; CRF 22–26 (H.265) for smaller files.
6. Advanced options
- Deinterlacing: Many DVDs contain interlaced video. Enable deinterlacing if you notice combing artifacts (especially on motion). Options include “YADIF” or “auto-detect.”
- Cropping: Remove black borders automatically (often detected by the software) or set manual crop values.
- Frame rate conversion: Usually leave at source FPS to avoid motion issues. Only change if you know the target device requires it.
- Audio downmix: If you need stereo output only, use downmix to convert surround tracks to stereo.
- Batch mode: If you have multiple DVDs or many titles, add them to a queue and let Dicsoft process them in sequence overnight.
- Hardware acceleration: If available (Intel Quick Sync, NVENC, AMD VCE), enable it for significantly faster encodes at some possible quality trade-offs.
7. Ripping and monitoring progress
- After all settings are chosen, click “Start,” “Convert,” or equivalent.
- The program will rip the DVD (read data), optionally decrypt or handle CSS, demux streams, and then re-encode into MKV according to your settings.
- Monitor progress bars and estimated time. Large DVDs with high-quality encoding will take longer—expect hours for slower CPUs and H.265 encodes.
- If an error occurs (read error, encoder crash), check the log or the error message. Common fixes:
- Clean the disc or retry in a different drive for read errors.
- Lower CPU load, close other apps if encoder fails.
- Try different encoder preset if crashes persist.
8. Verifying the output
- Open the produced MKV in a reliable player like VLC or MPV.
- Check:
- Video quality and correct aspect ratio.
- Presence and correctness of selected audio tracks.
- Subtitles appear and can be toggled (for soft subtitles).
- Chapter markers are present and correctly positioned.
- Play sections with complex motion or dark scenes to confirm there are no encoding artifacts.
9. Common issues and quick fixes
- Audio out of sync: Try remuxing with a different demuxer or add audio delay compensation if the software provides it. Sometimes re-encoding audio helps.
- Missing subtitles: Ensure the subtitle track was selected and not marked as DVD menu subtitle. If burned-in subtitles were needed, re-run with hardcoding enabled.
- Crashes or hangs: Update Dicsoft to latest version, update system codecs and GPU drivers, or switch to software encoding.
- Large file sizes: Increase CRF (reduce quality slightly) or switch to H.265 for better compression. Also remove unnecessary audio tracks or extras.
10. Tips for archiving and compatibility
- Create an MKV with multiple audio tracks and subtitles to preserve the full DVD experience in one file.
- Keep an original ISO or DVD folder structure if you want a perfect archive of menus and extras. MKV focuses on the main feature and related streams.
- For playback on older devices, consider creating an MP4 alternative (but MP4 doesn’t support multiple subtitle tracks as flexibly as MKV).
- Maintain a consistent naming scheme: Title (Year) [Resolution] .mkv — this helps media managers (Plex, Kodi) identify files correctly.
11. Legal and ethical notes
Ripping DVDs you own for personal backup or format-shifting is treated differently by law depending on your jurisdiction. Respect copyright and distribution laws. Do not distribute copyrighted material without permission.
12. Summary checklist (quick run-through)
- Insert DVD and load in Dicsoft.
- Select the main title (longest) and choose audio/subtitle tracks.
- Pick container MKV, codec (H.264/H.265), and profile (CRF & preset).
- Enable deinterlacing or cropping if needed.
- Start conversion and monitor progress.
- Verify output in a reliable player.
If you want, I can provide recommended exact encoder settings for a specific use case (high-quality archive, small mobile file, or streaming to a media server) — tell me which and I’ll give precise CRF, bitrate, preset, resolution, and audio settings.
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