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backing up dvds
rchadd:
what do you use to create backups of your dvd's?
just discovered DVD Shrink - i think its pretty good. it is available for free download from http://www.dvdshrink.org/
if the original dvd content is too big to fit on your destination media it will compress the contents. it also has ability to reauther the dvd allowing you to remove the menus and extras if you want (to allow you to back up the main feature without having to compress). it also allows you to make the movie region free if you do not already have a region free dvd player.
DrewKaree:
Check out this thread - there's a couple of progs to check out
crashwg:
That thread pointed me to http://doom9.net where I found DVD Rebuilder and have been using it since. I decided to go with DVDRB because it's very high quality compared to some others and I'm not so concerned with the computer being tied up for 6 hours which is how long I have DVDRB set to take (there's different settings you can choose, some take longer than others...) It takes a bit of work to get it set up to work correctly, especially compared to DVDshrink and the like but I believe that the ends justify the means.
Go there, read the forums decide for yourself what suits your needs. Oh yea and sign up for the forums asap because they have like a 5 day waiting period to prevent noobs like us from asking questions that have already been asked.
stevejt:
I have 2 sons that are 8 and 10, so I have been backing up amny DVD's for a while. They are not allowed to use originals, especially ps2. Here are some programs that I have found to be at the top of the list.
Any DVD by slysoft. It makes the computer think that the DVD is NOT copyrighted, so software will not give you the "can't copy copyrighted software" message. But the BEST thing it does is removing the "user prohibited functions". It lets you fast foward, or next track or menu or what ever youant, even when the ORIGINAL WOULD NOT let you. Now you can skip coming attractions, skip the interpol warnings, whatever. I know SOME DVD players overide SOME of this anyway, but many do NOT. My PS2 for example has given me more "that function is not available" than my ex-wife. It also makes all DVD's region zero so they play in any region.
DVD Copy 2 by Inter Video. Best backup program I have found. EASY to use and having 2 computers with DVD burners, it has proven to be the FASTEST. It can compress to 50% AND copy in an hour. Can also convert DVD to vcd, svcd, and DIVX,(I have not tried any of these). Also has other options I have not even bothered to look at, (so I can't name them).
Clone DVD 2 by elby. Seems so be the easiest to use if you want to remove any tracks like coming attractions or other annoying useless tracks. Always error free.
Since I use Any DVD so I can skip anything I don't want to see, I don't bother removing any tracks. Afraid I will screw up something I might want by accident. Even at 50% compression, I have never noticed any difference in quality. But then again I don't have a HD TV.
I admit I might have a DVD or two "backed up" that I shouldn't. But I really do this so when I buy a $15-$20 movie, my kids can scratch a 40 cent blank that can be quickly replaced, instead of ruining the $20 movie.
Steve
Chris:
But the BEST thing it does is removing the "user prohibited functions".