When can I use only Handbrake for DVD conversion VS. MakeMKV + Handbrake?

[kat.hayes]

I am using the latest version of both MakeMKV and Handbrake on El Capitan. I want to take a bunch of DVDs and rip them and put them on my iPhone/iPad and possibly AppleTV. When do I need to use MakeMKV before going into Handbrake VS. just using Handbrake for the whole process?

Thanks.

[kpflugshaupt]

If you know that the DVD is not copy protected in any way (e.g. a home-recorded DVD), MakeMKV is not necessary.

I'm still using it for all discs, as I usually do a few at a time and can use both programs in parallel to save time (rip the next disc while the first one transcodes).

[mduell]

The best practice is to use MakeMKV or similar for all DVD/Blu-ray sources.

If you know that the DVD is not copy protected in any way (e.g. a home-recorded DVD), MakeMKV is not necessary.

The home-recorded DVDs are often so poorly authored that HB can't make sense of all of the content, and you're better off with software intended for ripping like MakeMKV.

[kat.hayes]

Is there some way to determine if a disc has copy protection without going through the whole conversion process?

Thanks.

[mduell]

Is it a commercial disk? It has copy protection.

Is it home recorded? It's probably poorly authored.

The best practice is to always use software intended for ripping disks when you're ripping disks.