In this article, we’ll explore why splitting Blu-ray chapters is useful, how to do it with the free MKVToolNix software, and how to preserve chapter markers when creating your own Blu-ray using Yuhan Blu-ray Creator. Let’s dive in!

Part 1. Why Split Blu-ray Into Videos by Chapters?

There are several practical reasons why you might want to split a Blu-ray into videos by chapters:

1. TV Series and Episodic Content

Many Blu-ray discs are collections of TV series. A single Blu-ray might contain an entire season, and each episode is often marked as a separate chapter. Instead of manually scrubbing through a large video file every time, splitting the Blu-ray into individual episode files makes browsing and playback more efficient.

2. Concerts and Music Blu-rays

Music Blu-rays often treat each song as a separate chapter. For music enthusiasts who want to extract individual tracks from a live concert or compilation, chapter-based splitting is the most precise method.

3. Scene Organization

In movie Blu-rays, each chapter typically represents a scene or section of the film. If you're studying filmmaking or just want to save specific scenes, splitting by chapters can help isolate and analyze key parts without handling an entire video file.

4. Storage and Sharing

Smaller, chapter-based files are easier to store, share, or back up than a full-length Blu-ray rip. You can upload individual episodes or tracks to a media server or cloud storage with ease.

Part 2. How to Split Blu-ray into Videos by Chapters

Splitting Blu-ray files by chapter is easier than it sounds—especially with a free and powerful tool like MKVToolNix. This open-source software lets you manipulate MKV (Matroska) files, which are commonly used for Blu-ray rips. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use it.

Step 1: Rip the Blu-ray to MKV Format

Before you can split the Blu-ray, you need to decrypt it. You have two main options:

Option 1: Rip to MKV Using MakeMKV

• Download MakeMKV from https://www.makemkv.com/
• Insert your Blu-ray disc and let the software analyze it.
• Select the desired title (usually the longest for the main movie).
• Click “Make MKV” to save it as an MKV file on your hard drive.

Option 2: Backup as Blu-ray Folder Using Blu-ray Copy Software

You can also use Blu-ray backup software such as:

• DVDFab Blu-ray Copy
• MakeMKV (Backup feature)
• Leawo Blu-ray Copy

These tools can decrypt the disc and save it as a Blu-ray BDMV folder structure (with BDMV and CERTIFICATE folders). This method preserves all Blu-ray metadata, including chapter info.

Step 2: Download and Install MKVToolNix

Download MKVToolNix from https://mkvtoolnix.download/ and install it.

If you used the MKV rip:

• Open MKVToolNix GUI
• Click “Add source files” and select the MKV file

If you used the Blu-ray folder method:

• Go to BDMV/PLAYLIST/ and locate the .mpls file of the main title (you can identify the main movie by duration).
• Alternatively, load index.bdmv or MovieObject.bdmv directly in MKVToolNix.
• MKVToolNix will parse the playlist and show available video titles.

This gives you flexibility in choosing which title to extract—ideal for multi-title Blu-rays with episodes or extra features.

Step 3: Split the File by Chapters

Now comes the fun part: splitting the file using chapter markers.

• Switch to the "Output" panel.
• Find the "Splitting" tab, select "Before chapters" in the "Split mode" option, and enter "all" in the "Chapter numbers" option.

Step 4: Choose Output Folder and Start

• Click the “Output file” field to choose your save location.
• Then click the “Start multiplexing” button at the bottom.

MKVToolNix will process the file and output multiple MKV files—one for each chapter. You’ll now have perfectly split videos for each episode or song on the Blu-ray.

Part 3. How to Create a Blu-ray with Video Chapters Preserved

If you’re working on a video project and want to author a new Blu-ray with chapter support (like a TV series compilation, movie collection, or concert playlist), Yuhan Blu-ray Creator is the perfect tool.

Yuhan Blu-ray Creator enables you to burn almost any media file to a Blu-ray disc, folder, or ISO image. It supports a wide range of formats, including H.264, H.265, MKV, MP4, AVI, MOV, and advanced audio formats such as TrueHD (Dolby Atmos), DTS HD Master, and Blu-ray PCM.

One of its standout features is customization. Yuhan offers over 30 customizable menu templates, allowing you to personalize your project with video or image backgrounds, custom text, button styles, background music, and even fade-in/fade-out effects.

The software also supports automatic chapter import, pass-through and transcoding modes, multiple subtitles and audio tracks, and runs smoothly on both Windows and Mac systems.

Key Features

• Supports nearly all video formats including M2TS, TS, WMV, MKV, MP4, MOV, and more.
• Automatic Chapter Import.
• Supports high-quality audio: TrueHD, DTS HD Master, EAC3, Blu-ray PCM.
• Offers 30+ customizable Blu-ray menu templates.
• Allows custom background music, menu buttons, text, and highlight styles.
• Compatible with all Blu-ray frame rates.
• Available on both Windows and Mac.

How to Author a Chapter-Preserving Blu-ray

Before we start, we need to download and install Yuhan Blu-ray Creator. If your computer is Windows, you can click the button on the left below to download it. If your computer is Mac, please click the button on the right below to download it.

Step 1: Add Media Files

After launching the software, go to the "Blu-ray" tab at the top to begin creating your Blu-ray. Click the "Add Video" button to import your video files. For each imported video, you can select your preferred audio track and subtitle. Yuhan Blu-ray Creator supports multiple audio tracks, multiple subtitles, and even external subtitle files, giving you full control over the playback experience.

Step 2: Video Settings (Optional)

Click the "Edit" icon next to the loaded video to open the video settings window. Here, you can adjust the start and end times of the video and customize chapters as needed. If your video file already includes chapter information, Yuhan Blu-ray Creator will automatically import it to ensure smooth and seamless playback.

Step 3: Disk Menu Settings

Click the "Select Menu" button to open the "Menu Settings" dialog box. Yuhan Blu-ray Creator includes over 30 built-in disc menu templates. You can choose your preferred template from the panel on the right and customize it to your liking—for example, by setting a unique background image and music for each menu page, and rearranging the layout by dragging menu items to new positions. You can also double-click any menu item to edit its text or appearance.

Additionally, you can customize how menu buttons appear when selected or highlighted, with options such as drawing a box around the text, adding an underline, or changing the text color.

Step 4: Advanced Settings

Yuhan Blu-ray Creator offers advanced settings accessible through the software's settings window. Here, you can choose the processing mode for Blu-ray creation: transcoding or pass-through. The pass-through mode is ideal for M2TS or MKV files extracted from Blu-ray discs, offering faster processing with no quality loss. The transcoding mode, on the other hand, supports all video formats and provides greater compatibility, though it may take a bit longer to process.

Step 5: Output Settings

You can save your Blu-ray project as a BDMV folder, an ISO image, or burn it directly to a disc. Additionally, you can customize settings such as the disc label, default audio track, default subtitles, and more to suit your preferences.

Step 6: Start authoring

Click the "Start" button, and Yuhan Blu-ray Creator will begin the process. The time required may vary, typically taking one to two hours, depending on your computer's configuration. Once the process is complete, the disc will be ejected, and you’ll have a Blu-ray with an underlined highlighted menu ready for viewing.

Part 4. Conclusion

Splitting a Blu-ray into videos by chapters is a great way to organize content—whether it’s episodes of a show or songs from a concert. With free tools like MakeMKV and MKVToolNix, you can easily extract and split your content without losing quality. And if you’re authoring your own Blu-ray, Yuhan Blu-ray Creator offers a seamless way to preserve chapter markers and build professional-looking discs with menus.

Whether you’re a media enthusiast, collector, or content creator, understanding how to work with Blu-ray chapters will help you get more value from your discs and your video library.

If you want to learn more about Yuhan Blu-ray Creator, please click: https://yuhanmedia.com/bd-creator

If you want to download and try it for free, please click the button below to download it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I split Blu-ray without losing quality?

Yes. MakeMKV and MKVToolNix both offer lossless operations, meaning there’s no re-encoding or compression during extraction or chapter splitting.

Do I need to install codecs?

No. MakeMKV and MKVToolNix are standalone tools. Yuhan Blu-ray Creator includes built-in encoding support and does not require additional codec packs.

Are MKV files the best for chapter handling?

Absolutely. MKV supports multiple tracks and chapter markers better than MP4 or AVI. It’s also widely compatible with modern players and authoring tools.

Can I batch split multiple Blu-rays?

Yes, MKVToolNix supports batch processing via command-line. Combine with MakeMKV for a fully automated Blu-ray ripping and chapter splitting workflow.