Guide: How to Rip Videos from Hulu on PC and Mac Safely？

Hulu has a rich library of films, TV series, and exclusive content. While this platform allows us to download videos for offline viewing via the official mobile app, it comes with many limits. If you want to save Hulu videos for personal collection forever, without all these download limits on expiration, quality, and device, you might be wondering how to rip video from Hulu like me.

I tested 2 useful methods to rip from Hulu, including downloading the raw video files from Hulu into MP4 and recording the screen. This guide will compare their features with the official Hulu app and help you successfully rip movies from Hulu safely, with step-by-step instructions.

Ripping vs. Downloading vs. Recording: What's the Difference?

Before we start, let's answer the core question: "Why 'ripping' is the only solution for permanent offline saving?" Why do many audiences prefer ripping instead of recording Hulu videos?

Is It Safe & Legal to Rip Hulu Videos?

Is it safe to rip Hulu videos? Will my account get banned after using an extra tool? These problems keep popping up on Reddit and other communities all the time. Based on my own usage experience and online feedback, I'd like to stress several points about the legality and safety of ripping Hulu videos.

In most regions (including the US), the concept of "Fair Use" allows you to record or format-shift media you have legally paid for, strictly for personal, non-commercial use.

• ✅ Safe: Ripping a show to watch on a train ride or keeping a backup on your private NAS.
• ❌ Illegal: Sharing the file on Torrent sites, uploading it to YouTube, or selling it.

In short, we should always respect the content we download, and always follow fair-use and avoid sharing.

Rex

I am an editor, not a lawyer. Laws vary by country, so always check your local regulations.

There are many tools that can help us rip Hulu videos. Honestly speaking, the account safety depends on the tool itself. So please be cautious when picking a third-party tool:

• ✅ Safe: Professional tools like KeepStreams or BBFly (jump to Section 3.1) use a built-in legitimate Chrome kernel. To Hulu, it simply looks like you are streaming the video normally in a browser. This "Stream-Emulation" technology keeps your account secure.
• ❌ Risky: Using shady browser extensions or command-line scripts found on GitHub often triggers Hulu's anti-bot detection, which can flag your account, especially when you rip hundreds of videos in a short time.

How to Rip Video from Hulu? 2 Methods

Generally, there are 2 ways to rip movies from Hulu: download the raw files or record the videos. Both of them are convenient and can deliver a compatible MP4 video file. But each method has its pros and cons:

Rex

When I was testing these tools, I realized that "free" often costs you more in time and frustration. I put together this comparison based on my tests with The Handmaid's Tale (Season 5, Episode 1, in 1080p)

If you only need to save a 3-minute clip, OBS is fine. But if you are building a library or want to watch a whole season offline on a flight without ads, a dedicated ripper is the best choice.

Method 1: Rip Hulu Videos in Original Quality to MP4/MKV

If you're looking for a fast solution that can rip from Hulu in the highest quality, a professional downloader is definitely a good helper to build a private collection. KeepStreams for Hulu is the method I use personally. It uses a built-in browser to parse the MPD manifest file directly from Hulu's server.

It means KeepStreams can directly download Hulu videos in 1080p and even 4K, and save them in MP4/MKV video files. What's more, it has additional functions that can improve our download experience, such as ad-removal, auto-download, batch download, and subtitle saving.

KeepStreams for Hulu

Rip movies and videos from Hulu in 1080p/4K, and save the original files into compatible MP4/MKV format for offline viewing.

• Support both Windows PC and Mac
• Get the original video files in 1080p or 4K
• Support to save EAC3 5.1 and AAC 2.0 audio
• Convert the downloads into MP4/MKV format
• Schedule and save the newly added episode automatically
• Extract subtitles into SRT files or remux them into videos
• Download audio and subs in different languages
• Process a lot of episodes at the same time
• Free trial to download 3 videos in 30 days

 Free Trial  Free Trial

Learn More

KeepStreams is a legitimate and authorized tool that can be used without concerns. Before using KeepStreams to rip from Hulu, we need to prepare these 3 items:

• A valid Hulu subscription (Ad-supported or No-Ads both work).
• A stable internet connection (The download speed depends on the internet).
• Sufficient hard drive space (~2GB per hour for 1080p content).

Follow these steps to learn how to rip video from Hulu with KeepStreams' built-in browser:

This step is necessary because KeepStreams won't do illegal DRM removal or bypass. It needs to verify your accessibility to the videos you want to download in advance.

Play the video you want to download and wait for the analysis (will be done in seconds).

A download setting window will pop up after the analysis. You can choose video codec, resolution, audio codec, language, subtitle, episodes, auto-downoad, and other options here.

When the videos are downloaded, you can go to the Downloads Tab to check the downloading progress and all the downloaded episodes.

You can download Hulu videos to MP4 on Mac and rip Hulu episodes in 4K with the same steps. A more detailed video tutorial:

Method 2: Rip Hulu Videos with Free Tools

Another way to save money and rip movies from Hulu is to use OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software). However, you need to configure it perfectly to avoid the black screen, and you must be willing to let the video play in real-time (1 hour movie = 1 hour recording).

Before using OBS or a traditional recorder, we need to set the browser up to prevent a black screen. Follow these steps to disable Hardware Acceleration:

1. Go to your browser Settings > System.
2. Toggle OFF "Use graphics acceleration when available."
3. Restart the browser.

• ⚠️ Quality loss and video buffering are inevitable after turning off the button.

Now, follow these steps to use OBS to rip video from Hulu:

In OBS, add a new source and select "Window Capture" (not Display Capture). Select your browser window playing Hulu.

Hit "Start Recording" and play the movie. You cannot use your computer for anything else while recoridng, or system sounds/notifications might get recorded too.

Click on "Stop Recording," and the video will be saved in the local folder on your computer (usually C: Video)

Troubleshooting: Common Hulu Ripping Errors

Even with the best tools, things can go wrong sometimes. Here are the fixes for 3 common Hulu ripping errors I see on the VideoHelp forums.

Problem 1: "Video is Black but Audio Works"

• Cause: HDCP protection.
• Fix (KeepStreams): Ensure you are using the latest version (v2.0 or higher) as keys update weekly.
• Fix (OBS): Double-check that Hardware Acceleration is OFF in your browser. If it still fails, try Firefox instead of Chrome.

Problem 2: "Audio Out of Sync After 10 Minutes"

• Cause: This happens often with screen recording (OBS) due to frame rate mismatches.
• Fix: There is no easy fix for a recorded file. You have to re-record it using a specialized ripper (Method 1) that downloads the file instead of recording it.

Problem 3: "Analysis Failed" or "DRM Error 102"

• Cause: Hulu changed its encryption tech (usually happens on Tuesday updates).
• Fix: Wait 24 hours. The KeepStreams support team usually patches the CDM (Content Decryption Module) within a day.

Final Verdict

This guide introduces 2 verified methods to rip movies from Hulu. And the choice depends on your requirement. For personal, non-commercial use, choose a downloader to rip Hulu seasons for flights, or OBS to capture short clips. 

Choose KeepStreams One (Method 1) if you are an archivist, a commuter, or a binge-watcher who wants the highest quality MP4 files without the headache of DRM or expiration dates. It turns a 10-hour recording job into a 20-minute background task.

Choose OBS Studio (Method 2) if you have zero budget, lots of patience, and just want to save a short clip or two. Be prepared to fiddle with browser settings to fix black screens.