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".

[ErikRuud]

I havenot tried the DVD copying function yet, but so far I am very pleased with the video editing and DVD authoring parts of Roxio's Easy Media Creator 7.

I do know that it has features to skip the extra materials and such.

[walls83]

What about DVD X COPY.  I have this but I have yet to install it.    I dont know why I havent used it but I just havent.

[missioncontrol]

What about DVD X COPY.

[JoyMonkey]

I use DVD X COPY and I'm happy with it.... I read somewhere that 321 studios (the makers of x copy) went under after they lost their legal battles so now you cannot get updates....

walls83 you may not be able to install X COPY now because during the installation you have to go online for authentication

DVD Shrink puts DVD X Copy to shame, it's free, it gives you way better picture quality, it has a load of options but is still simple to use.

I've never heard of DVD Rebuilder. I'm really happy with DVD Shrink- what will DVDRB do for me that the Shrink won't?

[missioncontrol]

DVD Shrink puts DVD X Copy to shame, it's free, it gives you way better picture quality, it has a load of options but is still simple to use.

Thanks JoyMonkey I'll give it a try.........

[daywane]

dvd shrink is great but you should have dvd decrypter to go with it.
I use dvd x copy express 3.1.0
I also use dvd shrink with dvd shrink
also you need nero burning rom 6.0 or clone dvd to burn a dvd with dvd shrink
( I have noticed people forget to mention that, DVD shrink will not burn to a disk.) ( DVD decrypter will place a 10 gig size movie on your hard drive, Then DVD shrink will read the movie folder and compress it to fit a 4 gig DVD blank, It places that folder on the desk top and then burn with NERO) then you need to remove the two movies off the hard drive, well .... I do  80 gigs gets small fast.

[Hoagie_one]

I use the AnyDVD \ DVD2One combo

i then burn teh vob's using Nero

[crashwg]

80 gigs gets small fast.

Tell me about it!  I've got 6 DVDs ready to burn on my HDs that I have to wait till christmas to burn.  Not to mention there will probably another 6 by then. 

I'M RUNNING OUT OF SPACE!!!

[stevejt]

Why do you guys like DVD shrink if it does not even burn?  All that HD space? One prog to copy, one prog to shrink, one to decrypt, one to burn?  How long does it take start to finish?  Aren't 4 steps a PITA??    Intervideo DVD COPY 2 does it all in ONE STEP, in as little as 40 minutes start to finish, on a 1.1ghz, burning at 2x.  The most time ever neeeded was for a complete 9G DVD and it took a few minutes over an hour.  And it's all in one step.  Clone DVD2 by elby does the exact same thing but takes about 10-20% longer.  I beleive all 3 programs, ("Any DVD" running in background to remove copyright and user prohibited functions) are available as trials online.  In dvd copy2, you JUST have to press "start".  I have backed up ALOT.  The conversion and compression is FLAWLESS for both programs.  If anyone  is new to backing up, either of these is the simplest, and fastest way to go.

Steve

[Harry Potter]

DVDshrink does it one hit if you have Nero installed.

By the way, isn't copying DVDs illegal??   

[JoyMonkey]

dvd shrink is great but you should have dvd decrypter to go with it...

I've backed up a LOT of DVDs using DVD Shrink (probably over 100) and I've only had to use DVD Decrypter maybe twice. I originally tried DVD Shrink because DVD-X-Copy (full and express) took one look at Pirates of the Carribean and gave up.

Also, DVD-Shrink has had the option to burn the DVD right after encoding since version 3.0

[stevejt]

By the way, isn't copying DVDs illegal??         

Like I said in my first post here, I have kids.  They scratch DVD's once in a while.  I back up movies they like.  That way when they DO scratch them, I am only out 40 cents, not 15 to $20.  I even have a mod chip in my PS2.  So when they scratch a game, I am not out the $40-$50!!!   I just wish I could back up the boot disc, I am on my 3rd one....   I have no problem spending money on DVD's and games, I just refuse to WASTE money on replacing them.

Steve

ps-  and I have boards for all the 5000 roms in mame too...lol

[Hoagie_one]

have you seen thos Disk condoms they sell.  Coworker of mine says it works like a dream.  protects her DVD's from scratches.  she has a 6 year old that abuses the PS2

[stevejt]

It's D-Skin, not disk condom.  The google search for "disk comdom", err..  did not show any desired results...lol

They look interesting.  I might try them the next time I am at walmart.  If I do, I will keep you posted.

Here is the link if anybody is curious:

http://www.d-skin.com/intro.html

Steve

[Hoagie_one]

yeah, those

[Daniel270]

I hate to drag up an old thread, but I just bought my first DVD burner and I've got plans to back up a few  VHS tapes I've got that are gonna start showing their age soon.  I mainly need to know a couple things:

What software do I need to create a menu for the beginning of the video?

Would that same software allow me to create "chapters" within the video as well?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

[Hoagie_one]

i use TMPGEnc DVD Author to add chapter stops and to setup menu's.  its fairly simple, but it works.

you can find tons of tutorials at www.dvdrhelp.com

[Harry Potter]

Nice to see this topic is back.

Just a small thing I discovered recently. Has anyone here tried copying the special features discs in the LOTR Extended edition series with DVDDhrink? You CAN'T! They filled them up too much and no amount of compression will do it. I even tried unchecking all the audio streams and was still in the red.
It can be done thus: Get DVD2One (cracked or bought. Up to you) and Smart Ripper.
Rip the DVD to the hard disk making sure it de-crypts and region frees. Once done, run DVD2One on the directory and this compresses the living sh|t out of it. Woun't look too good but it works. And ofcourse burn hrough Nero. DVD2One will not work directly on encrypted discs  hence the Smart Ripper (Or DVD Decrypter).

Reason I post this (Besides having too much time on my hands) is I've recently come across heaps of DVDs which are filled to the brim and un-copiable with SHrink if you want to retain EVERYTHING on the disc. Conspiracy...... 

[Dexter]

I was using Dvdxcopy at first but its success rate was pretty hit and miss. I'm using dvdshrink now with nero to burn and have an almost 100% success rate. On a disk with a lot of content I compress the extras more to give the best quality possible for the main feature as I use a projector.

Great little program, and considering its free its a no brainer.

Dexter

[crashwg]

considering its free its a no brainer.

Everything is free if you know where to look for it.

[lucindrea]

Nice to see this topic is back.

Reason I post this (Besides having too much time on my hands) is I've recently come across heaps of DVDs which are filled to the brim and un-copiable with SHrink if you want to retain EVERYTHING on the disc. Conspiracy...... 

dvd mpegs ( mpeg is the dvd standard ) are 100% uncompressed .. studios do not use any compression on dvd's and they are made with 9mb/s bitrate ( the max for dvd , err ok the standard is like 9.7 or somthing ) .... on a full size 40ftX20ft theater screen this is fine , but at 25% compressed (75% of orginal size )  you wouldnt know the differance on the largest HDTV ( unless your useing a crappy re-compression program ) , unfortunaly this does require a 3rd program to re-encode the video , and hence dvd shrink just does not cut it ( dvd shrink doesnt re-compress , what it does is a bit differnt ) ...

so the bad news is you need to dump the dvd to HD and re-encode
the good news is that you can basicly squish down the main movie to a tiny fraction of it's orginal size ( dependant on how well your eyes are , how good your tv is , and how good your mpeg encoder is ).

oh i've choped off almost 500 megs from a movie just cutting the credits out , it's amazing how much bandwidth 10 mins of scrolling white print on a black background creates.

[Daniel270]

i use TMPGEnc DVD Author to add chapter stops and to setup menu's.

[SOAPboy]

Dvd Decryptor + DVD2ONE..

wont use anything else..

[Harry Potter]

Dvd Decryptor + DVD2ONE..

wont use anything else..

Now don't be so prejudiced 
I have to admit I gained recpect for DVD2one as it compresses pretty much anything but Shrink is still more flexible. So there! 

[versapak]

dvd mpegs ( mpeg is the dvd standard ) are 100% uncompressed .. studios do not use any compression on dvd's and they are made with 9mb/s bitrate ( the max for dvd , err ok the standard is like 9.7 or somthing ) .... on a full size 40ftX20ft theater screen this is fine , but at 25% compressed (75% of orginal size ) you wouldnt know the differance on the largest HDTV ( unless your useing a crappy re-compression program ) , unfortunaly this does require a 3rd program to re-encode the video , and hence dvd shrink just does not cut it ( dvd shrink doesnt re-compress , what it does is a bit differnt ) ...

so the bad news is you need to dump the dvd to HD and re-encode
the good news is that you can basicly squish down the main movie to a tiny fraction of it's orginal size ( dependant on how well your eyes are , how good your tv is , and how good your mpeg encoder is ).

oh i've choped off almost 500 megs from a movie just cutting the credits out , it's amazing how much bandwidth 10 mins of scrolling white print on a black background creates.

ummmm

Wrong!

DVD's are definitely compressed. MPEG-2 is actually the standard for DVD's, and it is compression.

http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/pages/cvp_info_mpeg2_dvd.htm


Last I used a DVD copying program, I used dvdshrink. It was alright, but it certainly had room for improvement. This was already mentioned back in DEC 04, but just to reiterate, it does NOT require a seperate decryptor, and if you have NERO installed, then it will burn from within dvdshrink.

[IG-88]

dvd mpegs ( mpeg is the dvd standard ) are 100% uncompressed .. studios do not use any compression on dvd's and they are made with 9mb/s bitrate ( the max for dvd , err ok the standard is like 9.7 or somthing ) .... on a full size 40ftX20ft theater screen this is fine , but at 25% compressed (75% of orginal size ) you wouldnt know the differance on the largest HDTV ( unless your useing a crappy re-compression program ) , unfortunaly this does require a 3rd program to re-encode the video , and hence dvd shrink just does not cut it ( dvd shrink doesnt re-compress , what it does is a bit differnt ) ...

so the bad news is you need to dump the dvd to HD and re-encode
the good news is that you can basicly squish down the main movie to a tiny fraction of it's orginal size ( dependant on how well your eyes are , how good your tv is , and how good your mpeg encoder is ).

oh i've choped off almost 500 megs from a movie just cutting the credits out , it's amazing how much bandwidth 10 mins of scrolling white print on a black background creates.

ummmm

Wrong!

DVD's are definitely compressed. MPEG-2 is actually the standard for DVD's, and it is compression.

http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/reframe.php?url=http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/pages/cvp_info_mpeg2_dvd.htm


Last I used a DVD copying program, I used dvdshrink. It was alright, but it certainly had room for improvement. This was already mentioned back in DEC 04, but just to reiterate, it does NOT require a seperate decryptor, and if you have NERO installed, then it will burn from within dvdshrink.

Agreed, I have been using that exact set-up and it works without a hitch. I haven't come across any that cannot be done. Including all menus and extras. I will admit tho that I haven't tried LOR...

[pointdablame]

DVDs are absolutely compressed.  There is no doubt about that.  You can re-encode and re-compress them, but a DVD you buy at Best Buy is NOT uncompressed.

[lucindrea]

dvd mpegs ( mpeg is the dvd standard ) are 100% uncompressed .. studios do not use any compression on dvd's and they are made with 9mb/s bitrate ( the max for dvd , err ok the standard is like 9.7 or somthing ) .... on a full size 40ftX20ft theater screen this is fine , but at 25% compressed (75% of orginal size ) you wouldnt know the differance on the largest HDTV ( unless your useing a crappy re-compression program ) , unfortunaly this does require a 3rd program to re-encode the video , and hence dvd shrink just does not cut it ( dvd shrink doesnt re-compress , what it does is a bit differnt ) ...

so the bad news is you need to dump the dvd to HD and re-encode
the good news is that you can basicly squish down the main movie to a tiny fraction of it's orginal size ( dependant on how well your eyes are , how good your tv is , and how good your mpeg encoder is ).

oh i've choped off almost 500 megs from a movie just cutting the credits out , it's amazing how much bandwidth 10 mins of scrolling white print on a black background creates.

ummmm

Wrong!

DVD's are definitely compressed. MPEG-2 is actually the standard for DVD's, and it is compression.

http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/reframe.php?url=http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/pages/cvp_info_mpeg2_dvd.htm


Last I used a DVD copying program, I used dvdshrink. It was alright, but it certainly had room for improvement. This was already mentioned back in DEC 04, but just to reiterate, it does NOT require a seperate decryptor, and if you have NERO installed, then it will burn from within dvdshrink.

i was not saying mepg-2 was not a compression format , i was saying that studios do not compress their movies when putting it on dvd , why do you think a 90min movie takes up 7+G? because they have the room on the dvd and their is no reasion for them to loose ANY quality of their movie by compressing it at all ( note: because of the way mpeg works their is no avoiding the i-b-b frame format so video is not raw , just about as close to raw as you can get and still be mpeg )

whenever you encode any video you chose the amount of compression you use , normly the more compressed , the worse the quality of the picture but the smaller the file size.
the simple fact is a dual layer (dvd-9) disk has much more room then the studios ever need , so they chose the best quality of their video when converting it from film into digital.
take any commercial dvd and look at the bitrate of the main movie , it will allways be over 9mb/s , fact is , most humans cannot see the differance between 9mb/s and 8mb/s ( ok , heavy action flicks on a very good screen and you may see an artifact every so often ) but for a home user that 1mb/s works out to a very large amount of space on the home burnt dvd.

also keep in mind that commercial dvd's are constant bitrate , in other words if their is not much going on in the scene , it's still going at the same speed as the rest of the movie , where vbr will change the bitrate depending on what is required to keep the same level of quality for any given scene.

[versapak]

I understood EXACTLY what you were saying.

You ARE wrong.

DVD videos are ALL compressed.

Uncompressed video at DVD resolutions would be MUCH greater than 9 gigs. You'd be talking over a hundred, as the link I gave in my first reply states.

[RayB]

I understood EXACTLY what you were saying.

You ARE wrong.

DVD videos are ALL compressed.

Uncompressed video at DVD resolutions would be MUCH greater than 9 gigs. You'd be talking over a hundred, as the link I gave in my first reply states.

He's not arguing with you. He's saying YES MPEG is compressed, BUT they are set to the highest quality.

Kinda like saving a JPEG at quality 12 (highest quality, largest file size). It's still a little compressed though. He's not arguing it's not.

[versapak]

RayB

Read his post next time.

i was saying that studios do not compress their movies when putting it on dvd , why do you think a 90min movie takes up 7+G? because they have the room on the dvd and their is no reasion for them to loose ANY quality of their movie by compressing it at all

That is not even a little bit right. It is flat out wrong, and it is not him just saying they use a little compression.


DVD video IS compressed, and I don't really care what bitrate you are talking about, or how high the quality. The compression is there, and there is most certainly a loss of quality.

Common sense says that they can use less compression, so as to use up available space. Want more in less, you compress more. DUH

That doesn't mean you go and tell people that, because they use less compression, they are using NONE.

[RayB]

Yeah i read his post, and particularly the sentence just before what you quoted there: "i was not saying mepg-2 was not a compression format "

He acknowledges that mpeg is a compression format. He's just not saying (or realizing?) that even at Maximum quality there is still SOME compression going on. Whether he understands that, I'm not sure.

[versapak]

That fact that he acknowledges that MPEG-2 is a compression format means nothing.

I am not even sure why this is in dispute with me.

He plain as day stated that Studio DVD's DO NOT USE COMPRESSION

He never said, I know they use MPEG-2, but they use minimal compression with it, so as to get the best piucture.

He flat out said, in exactly these words...

studios do not compress their movies when putting it on dvd

their is no reasion for them to loose ANY quality of their movie by compressing it at all ( note: because of the way mpeg works their is no avoiding the i-b-b frame format so video is not raw , just about as close to raw as you can get and still be mpeg )

The fact is that they DO USE COMPRESSION. About as raw as you can get with MPEG and still be MPEG, is still extremely compressed, and is extremely visible the bigger the picture is.

Look at a jpeg compressed at 5 on a 2" screen, and it will look as great as the same jpeg compressed at 12 on a 19" screen.

That doesn't mean the one compressed at 12 is not compressed. Compare that one to a raw image, and you will see MAJOR signs of compression.

What he said was wrong.

I never meant any big deal by my original post. It was just to stop misinformation from being spread.

If indeed he actually meant to say that they just use less compression, then it would have been a ridiculously OBVIOUS statement in the first place. Hence the word... DUH!

[SOAPboy]

Dvd Decryptor + DVD2ONE..

wont use anything else..

Now don't be so prejudiced

[versapak]

Read my last reply, and I certainly didn't mean to come off as as big of a "richard" as I think I did.


I wasn't trying to tell him what MPEG-2 was, or dispute anything about that. I was simply trying to state, that it is in fact what is used by studios to put all movies on DVD's.

I got into internet argue mode on another board, and it seems I just went on a negative post rampage everywhere.

Sorry about that, as it really isn't what this thread was supposed to be about in the first place.