I'm new to DVD burning as of Christmas this year and have had a hell of a time finding the right software for the job. To simply copy or 'make a backup' of a movie I found it's not all that simple. With ESS and other copy protection schemes out there, what's the best way to go?

First I tried 3-2-1 Studios DVDXCopy. This was great, although the new versions wouldn't work - I got the old ESS warning. So then I tried earlier versions - and yes, some of these work, although they eventually crash before I get to write to the DVD. Then I tried ESS emulators, which worked only every now and then.

Has anyone out there been through the testing of all these apps to see which one is best? I'd like to be able to take any film on DVD, and simply burn a backup of it. I have a liteon SOHW-1633S with the latest firmware. I've tried the following apps without much luck:

• DVDXCopy.Platinum.v3.2.1
• 321.Studios.DVDXCopy.Platinum.v4.0.3.8
  
• DVDXCopyXPRESS.v2.5
• Blindwrite.v5.2.6.139
  

any suggestions on the best way to go would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks.....

Have you try DVD Decrypter, which is also freeware?

(in reply to bi11i)

Well so this looks like another TMPG (sp?) like application? Am I looking at decoding and then re-encoding back to the recordable DVD? Isn't there something out there that just does a copy, bit for bit?

I had used a version of DVDXCOPY a year or two ago that allowed me to simply choose the chapters I wanted from a DVD and copy them to another without any hassles. Is there something like this still available? With DVD Decrypter, it looks like I'm just ripping data from a disc, leaving out the burn....?

(in reply to Iggy)

DVDXCopy is rather old software, why you don't use DVD Shrink?

(in reply to bi11i)

This looks interesting. So does DVD Shrink do some kind of lossless conversion? I'm really wanting to avoid the hours in CPU cycles in takes to re-encode a movie to burn. I'd like to either make a copy-to-copy straight up (using Double Layering) or simply choose one langauge and one audio format, etc....

I'll give this a try - what's your experience been with it?

(in reply to emperor)

There will be "0" hours of recoding with DVD Shrink!

(in reply to bi11i)

DVD Decrypter for rip and DVD Shrink for encoding.

(in reply to MP3Mogul)

I always use DVD Shrink to compress my D9 video to 4.7GB to feets the SL mdeia.
And use Nero to burn the ISO.
If there is some problem using DVD Shrink, for example, my D9 disc is scratch, then I will try using DVD Decrypter to do what I called "dump" work.

Just for your reference.

(in reply to Iggy)

hey thanks. both of those are great.

i was able (for the first time) to burn a copy of ANY dvd in my collection with DVD Shrink, plus I could opt not to compress. Way cool. So it appears to use Nero's engine to burn the DVD - fantastic. I burned a DVD in less than an hour without crash one and no coasters.

Thanks and thanks again.

Now any recommends for the best software to build a DVD from scratch? (assign chapters, drag AVI's in from DV, etc...)

(in reply to arith)

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(in reply to bi11i)