DigitalMac's Easy DVD Backup Tutorial

Here is a little tutorial I have written with information I have found from various forums and usergroups on how to copy DVDs using a Macintosh computer.

Using the described method below you will be able to copy ANY DVD. Depending on how large the movie is, you may have to split the movie onto two DVD discs. Some Hollywood videos use DVD-9 media which is capable of hold twice as much as a standard DVD-R.

This is a "Basic" tutorial. The only thing you will not be able to copy is the motion menus. The only method I know of for copying the menus is to use Virtual PC and various PC programs. Usually this is too complicated and not worth the time to do anyway.

Remember that it is illegal to rip any DVDs that you do not own. Have Fun!

Take Care,
DigitalMac

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Movies Under 4.3 GBytes

Tools Needed:
0SEx 0.011a1
Toast Titanium

Download 0SEx here:
http://www.macupdate.com/download.php/0SEx-0.0110a1.sit?id=9830

1. Insert the movie.
2. Open up 0SEx 0.0110a1.
3. Go to the FMT button and open it.
4. Choose DVD folder. This creates a Video_TS and Audio_TS folder. If the DVD jumps to over 4.3 GBytes when you select DVD Folder you will have to use the next method.
5. Click begin and choose where you would like to save the Video_TS and Audio_TS folder.
6. When done, open Toast Titanium and select "Other" and then select DVD.
7. Create a new folder on your desktop and name it "DVDVOLUME". Drag both the Video_TS and Audio_TS folder inside the DVDVOLUME folder.
8. Drag the DVDVOLUME folder into Toast and name your DVD.
9. Burn Baby Burn!

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Movies Over 4.3 GBytes

Tools Needed:
0SEx 0.011a1
DVD Studio Pro
Toast Titanium

Download 0SEx here:
http://www.macupdate.com/download.php/0SEx-0.0110a1.sit?id=9830

1. Insert the movie.
2. Open up 0SEx 0.0110a1.
3. Go to the FMT button and open it. Select Elem.Streams. This will create AC3 and MV2 files.
4. Now go to the Aud button and open. Uncheck all but the first choice.
5. Now go to the Sub button and open. Uncheck all.
6. If the DVD is less than 4.3 GBytes skip the next step.
7. Now go to the Ch button and open. Here you will see all the chapters. Starting from the bottom, uncheck chapters until you are left with 4.3 GBytes or less.
8. Click begin and choose a folder where you would like to save the AC3 and MV2 files.
9. Open DVD Studio Pro. Go to Files and choose import. Navigate to your AC3 and MV2 files and import them.
10. Once imported, click on the Add Track button. This will open up a small green window. Drag your AC3 and MV2 files onto the small green window.
11. Where is says "untitled" click there and name the movie.
12. Now double click outside the track (somewhere in the gray area). Go to the upper right hand corner of the screen and look for "Disc". To the right of NAME, click and name the movie.
13. Now go down to the "Startup Action" field. Click and choose the name of your video which you named earlier.
14. Now to Files and choose "Build Disc."
15. When done, create a new folder on your desktop and name it "DVDVOLUME". Drag both the Video_TS and Audio_TS folder inside the DVDVOLUME folder.
16. Drag the DVDVOLUME folder into Toast and name your DVD.
17. Burn Baby Burn!
18. If you did step number 7. go back to 0SEx and choose the remaining chapters for the last half of the movie and repeat process.

 

way cool, I don't think you need DVD SP but it's obviously a good tool but if you don't have it try sizzle

 

Just burned Bourne Identity on two dvd-r's. Using OSX 10.2.3, followed first half of instructions on over 4.3 from DigitalMac, then used sizzle to recombine the files (dragged the pairs of m2v and ac3 chapters into sizzle. Ran sizzle, then just dragged the movie disc image it created into a new DVD on toast(no name changing necessary) and burned. Very easy. The entire process took around 2 to 2.5 hours. Good post DigitalMac, most of that imformation was already out there, but you put it all together and made it easy to follow.

 

I am glad it helped you guys. Yes, Sizzle is the other alternative to using DVDSP. Considering DVDSP is $999 most people with probably use Sizzle.

 

Great post DigitlMac. Thanks for making it so simple. One question: in Toast, do you drop the DVDVOLUME folder on the other pane and select one of the formats like DVD, Mac Volume, etc.? I've been burned by Toast before (pardon the pun) for not specifying the format. Thanks.

 

I just go to other and then select DVD from the drop down menu. I then copy over just the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders. I didn't have to do anything else and it came out fine. However I would always test it anyways.

 

Thanks Snookie. That worked like a charm.

One more question... I was able to split + burn the first Disc with no problem following this system, but when I got to DVDStudio Pro to import the second set of m2V and AC3 files for the second disc, it did gave me an error on the AC3 file, saying it was an unknown filetype. I checked the file in A.Pack, and it said it wasn't valid as well. I tried Sizzle as an alternative, but it also kicked back an error. Anybody heard of OSEx ripping invalid AC3 files? Or have any insight as to why it might be invalid? Any way to fix a corrupt or invalid AC3 file? I tried changing some OPTS in OSEx, like adding Pack Headers and PES Headers and setting the Broken GOP Flag, but that just made both the m2v and the AC3 files unreadable. The only other thing I can think of is that I'm running OS 10.2.4. I hope that's not screwing things up. Any ideas anyone?

 

Thanks a Million for the concise info on ripping.

I have run into a problem with DVDSP. Once I extract my elementary streams with [osEx], DVDSP says that the m2v is a bad format and I can't import it, but the ac3 file imports just fine. Is this some further form of protection, or am I doing something wrong.

For the record, I also tried using DVD BackUp and then Extractor to get the ele streams, with the same result.

 

You might need the Apple Mpeg2 Playback component. You can get it here:

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/products/mpeg2playback/

I think you can also find it on Limewire. Other than that, you might need something to fix a bad m2v file, although I don't know if one exists. I was able to use mAC3dec to fix my bad AC3 file with no problem.

 

Thanks faydog.

It did help to get the mpeg2playback, but it only helped me in Quicktime. DVDSP still refues to import it. Any ideas?

 

Have you ever gotten DVDSP to recognize an m2v file? If so, then maybe it's just this disc. The fact that you tried ripping it with 3 different apps kind of rules out the idea that the problem lies with one of them. Is your copy of DVDSP pirated? Are you missing some extension or component (that's why I first thought of the Mpeg2 Playback Comp.)? Have you tried using Sizzle to see if it recognizes the file? If Sizzle reads it that would rule out there being a problem with osEx or Extractor. I don't know. That's pretty much all I can think of. Anyone else had this problem?

 

You may be right. I'm not working with a pirated copy, but it is a "not for resale, publicity version." Maybe they didn't include all of the codex and plug-ins. Anyway, after more experimenting I will get back to you on this.

Sizzle did recognize the m2v but I can't vouch the end result... I didn't make it that far.

 

Thank you for the guide.

My first disc was perfect. My second disc video was
correct but audio was not selectable within DVDSP.
The AC3 file was visible but not selectable (greyed out).

OSEX data processed:

First disc (4.37GB)
1st title
4.37GB worth of first chapters ie 1-25.
First EN audio
No subtitles
Elemental Streams

Second disc (remaining chapters 26-32)
Same settings.

Something was wrong with the capture of the audio - did not match the remaining chapters but was from the entire movie thus would not mix.

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From here I aborted and successfully burned a DVD-R with the whole movie using the Transcoder application but the quality of the video is noticeably worse, which reminds me of VCD and am not interested in.
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Any suggestion on how to fix the audio on disc 2 of the first method with OSEX / DVDSP or Sizzle would be helpful.

Thank you.

 

you could try extracting in osex by title but only selecting the first 25 chapters.
Then repeat the process with chapters 26 on..

then you should have no problems with audio sync.

good luck

 

skeet754,

I had the same exact problem. I used mAC3dec to fix the problematic AC3 file for the second disc, and then DVSP recognized it and burned it perfectly. And there was no audible corruption or anything else to indicate that there was something wrong with the audio data once the disc was burned. I think it was just a file-recognition problem, not that the file itself is corrupt. You can get mAC3dec here:

http://www.versiontracker.com/moreinfo.fcgi?id=14479&db=mac

Good luck.

 

is osex only compatible w/ osX?
is there any other kind of dvd extraction tools fo os9 besides dvd extractor.09 Because Im having trouble ripping dvd's with multiple language tracts.

 

is osex only compatible w/ osX?
is there any other kind of dvd extraction tools fo os9 besides dvd extractor.09 Because Im having trouble ripping dvd's with multiple language tracts.

 

Here is what has worked best for me. Takes two discs though. Thanks to another useful guide. You don't
have to make your own menus or chapters this way.
The results are excellent.

http://www.ripdifferent.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=108

(Until DVD-X-Copy is available (native) on Mac)

 

Use MPEG Append to correct your .mv2 file, and use the fix option in mAC3dec 1.1 to correct your .ac3 file if it does not work in DVDSP... this has corrected my problems in most every situation

 

Where can you get Toast Titanium ,and DVD Studio Pro, and are they free downloads?