


Although packages are available in the software repositories of some less popular (e.g., Slackware and PCLinuxOS) as well as popular (e.g., openSUSE and CentOS) distributions, if you are running Debian or Ubuntu, you have to compile the programs from the source. Installing MakeMKV can be a harrowing experience. You cannot convert the original codecs with MakeMKV. MakeMKV offers fewer target formats compared with HandBrake: It supports the free Matroska container format, but not MP4. Because the application can convert video DVDs, it also integrates a CSS module. The proprietary part of the software embeds the keys it uses to decipher commercial Blu-ray discs. The free license key is valid for 30 days and can be renewed by downloading a new key. However, the Linux version has been in beta for some time and is free of charge.

Īs a commercial product, MakeMKV requires a license key. The program has been under continuous development for years and can be downloaded as a beta version from the project page. MakeMKV is also designed for transcoding Blu-ray discs and comprises two components: one proprietary and the other open source.
