How easy is it to make backups of your personal DVDs?

[Nocturnal]

GF just gave me the good news that she's getting me a really early Christmas present, the new Plextor 8x DVD+RW, 4x DVD-RW dual DVDR drive.

Is it a tedious process or an easy one?

 

[Cooljt1]

about 3 clicks if you use dvd x copy express which makes a dvd fit on one disc and takes out all the special stuff and features. of course there are are always options like making a 2 disc dvd using full quality, menus, special features, etc.

 

[slackerinabox]

Do a search on good ol' google for these programs:
dvd decryptor (rips the dvds)
dvdshrink (allows you to fit larg dvds onto recordable ones)

With those programs and the guides at www.dvdrhelp.com you'll be set....

 

[Nocturnal]

Is the loss of quality noticable or only to the dvd quality freaks?

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: Cooljt1
about 3 clicks if you use dvd x copy express which makes a dvd fit on one disc and takes out all the special stuff and features. of course there are are always options like making a 2 disc dvd using full quality, menus, special features, etc.

dvd x copy xpress is also a good option.. but dvdshrink is free... the nice thing about dvd xcopy xpress is that it does the ripping and burning for you (you'd need to use nero or another burning app if you're using dvdshrink).. FYI you don't have to get rid of all the extras if you're using the newest version of dvd x copy xpress..

 

[AvesPKS]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
Is the loss of quality noticable or only to the dvd quality freaks?

It all depends. The most I've had to compress one so far was 50%, to make everything fit on one disc. Even that still looked pretty good, much better than a divx movie.

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
Is the loss of quality noticable or only to the dvd quality freaks?

The new dvdshrink has a mode called "deep analysis" - with that option the quality is superb... MAYBE you'll notice it if you have a huge HDTV or something, otherwise I can't really tell the difference between originals and copies

 

[777php]

DVDShrink is awesome. I wouldn't use anything else. It takes more time than other programs but if you want to fit a DVD9 onto a DVD5 there is no other way to go. I've used DVDXCopy and Pinnacle InstantCopy and neither came close in quaility. DVDShrink allows you to keep all the menus and extras while keeping the quality of the video to almost near original quality.
DVDShrink and Nero 6 is an awesome combo. If you have a decent PC and you 8X burner you should have a rip and burn in under 30mins.

 

[slackerinabox]

Another option that I like is anydvd and clonedvd.. If you have a dvd-rom drive as well as a writer you'll be able to make quick dvd-to-dvd/r copies (from dvd-rom to dvd-r).. It saves a few steps and doesn't leave an annoying watermark like DVDXCOPY xpress does... It's probably the easiest way to go.,.. (2 clicks and you're done)

 

[Cooljt1]

i'm going to have to try this dvd shrink especially since it's free

 

[LordJezo]

Until they make dual layered/sided dvds that can hold as much as commercial dvds you will never be able to make backups of personal dvds... just make compressed copies of only the movie portions.

 

[dman]

Originally posted by: LordJezo
Until they make dual layered/sided dvds that can hold as much as commercial dvds you will never be able to make backups of personal dvds... just make compressed copies of only the movie portions.

Agreed.

 

[dabuddha]

Originally posted by: LordJezo
Until they make dual layered/sided dvds that can hold as much as commercial dvds you will never be able to make backups of personal dvds... just make compressed copies of only the movie portions.

Not all dvds are over 4.7 gig

 

[AvesPKS]

Originally posted by: dabuddha

Originally posted by: LordJezo
Until they make dual layered/sided dvds that can hold as much as commercial dvds you will never be able to make backups of personal dvds... just make compressed copies of only the movie portions.

Not all dvds are over 4.7 gig

Exactly. Some of them are well below, and thus there is no loss from backing up.