I submitted this to the guides section, and it hasn't been added yet. I don't know what happens after that, so I decided to also post it here. Hopefully it will reach the guides section one day...


The One and Only Mac Guide to Free DVD9-5 Backup (Leopard Users Only)


For eons, Mac users have tried to find a way to backup their DVD9 videos to a standard DVD5. What thousands have found is that yes, it can be done, but only at a cost. The method I have developed will allow you to backup DVDs on Mac OSX (Leopard only at this stage) with phenomenal ease.

Though it seems the world of DVD backup is anti-mac -- it can be done!

*

There are a bunch of programs that can shrink a DVD for you on Mac, Popcorn, DVD2OneX, DVDRemaster...

All cost money. For my money saving method you only need an internet connection.

You will need to download the following software:

DVDRemaster (package... I'll explain later)
found here: http://www.metakine.com/files/DVDRemaster%20v4.4.0.dmg

DVD Imager
http://lonestar.utsa.edu/llee/applescript/DVD_Imager.dmg

DVD Shrink:
here: http://www.afterdawn.com/software/download_splash.cfm/dvd_shrink

and Darwine
here: http://darwine.sourceforge.net/download.php


GUIDE OFFICIALLY BEGINS HERE:

Step One:

Download the DVDRemaster Package. I know what your thinking... "YOU SAID THIS WAS FREE!!" and it is. Just mount the damn disk image! :)

After you've stopped arguing and mounted it, you'll find see the DVDRemaster Trial and below it, an application called Fairmount, this is a Freeware app, and this is what we're after.

Copy this (bagel) to your Applications folder.



In the same manner copy DVD Imager, and Darwine applications from their disk images into the Applications folder.




*DVD SHRINK*

DVDShrink setup comes as a zip, so extract it and run it.


It should run automatically with Darwine in an X11 window.




Darwine will guide you through setup install a shortcut on your desktop (which I would then move to the apps folder, so as not to clutter the desktop. ;)

Now DVDShrink is installed and so are all other Mac apps in the Apps folder, we can begin ripping.



*DECRYPTION*
Now to copy...

Slam that DVD into the DVD Drive!


Man that feels good!

Close the annoying DVD Player that automatically pops up. Navigate to your applications folder and double click on the Fairmount bagel.


Fairmount will take a few seconds to fully kick in -



- after it has, it will be actively decrypting the DVD on-the-fly, as you rip it.



Next go to apps and open DVD Imager which you dragged there previously.




It would usually tell you some sob story about not being able to rip copy protected movies, you laugh at it because you now have Fairmount busy, removing that nasty copy protection on-the-fly :)



*RIP*

Open DVD Imager. --> Next you tick the checkbox that says "Prompt for new Destination".

Open a new Finder window. Find the disk image that contains the movie in the Finder, then drag the VIDEO_TS folder straight into DVD Imager. It will prompt you for a destination.


You choose ***DOCUMENTS*** as destination.

Becomes clear later. And type in the name of your movie for the image name.


While the movie rips, you do something else, because this takes time.



*COMPRESS*

Next step. Compress.

To compress the .img file you just created, open DVDShrink using the shortcut in your apps folder


,

then use it to compress the image.

I'm not going to go through the whole *how to use DVDShrink*, there are plenty of guides.

http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/..._dvd_shrink.cfm

But basically, 1st eject the actual disk, then open DVDShrink, goto File --> open disc image --> it will be under my documents or my documents/documents.

Let it analyse for a while.


Change the default quality settings if you desire (discussed in other guide).

Then you want to hit "Backup" and select the type as a .iso image.



Make sure you save it to an easy to access location (not the Default C:). Preferably save it to My Documents, which translates to the User Home folder under Mac OS X.



*

Wait five or so minutes. It'll be quick because we've already removed copyright, and its faster to access because its on the hard drive now.



*BURN*

Find the .iso file.




And right click.




Open it with disk utility


.

Put the blank disc in. Click on the corresponding image in the left hand pane, and then click the radioctive burn button. :P



Soon it will have burnt, and you will have, your own DVD9 compressed to a DVD5, and burnt on a Mac.

One last note...

Find the image we made from a DVD9, it'll be about 6GB, and delete it. You only really need the 5GB compressed version. You can delete that too if you want, after you've burnt it, to save space.

I JUST MADE THE IM-POSSIBLE POSSIBLE!!!

*

Just a quick note. You need X11 to run Darwine. This comes with the developer tools on the OSX install disk. But apparently it is installed by default on Leopard.



*FIN*

...

I hope you enjoyed my guide. :)

I'm just glad i could give something back to the community, that has taught me so much.


**EDIT** Pics Added! Enjoy!! =)

Happy Ripping,
Richard Ream

kool

well done!

Teleported to the guides section.

It seems to me that there's an unnecessary step in this guide, but maybe I'm wrong.

Do you REALLY need to convert the DVD-9 using Disk Imager first, then open the image in DVD Shrink and convert that image to a DVD-5 size?

Why can't you use open the DVD-9 in DVD Shrink and convert it to a DVD-5 on the fly, like you would on a PC?

Why the extra step? I don't see any benefit in first converting it to a .img file and then opening that in DVD Shrink.

Hello!
I am a new mac user and I have followed your instructions but still I can't open the dvdshrink.exe. I have leopard since I bought my mac two weeks ago. What should I do?
thanks in advance!

@thecorch

Quote:

---

It seems to me that there's an unnecessary step in this guide, but maybe I'm wrong.

Do you REALLY need to convert the DVD-9 using Disk Imager first, then open the image in DVD Shrink and convert that image to a DVD-5 size?

Why can't you use open the DVD-9 in DVD Shrink and convert it to a DVD-5 on the fly, like you would on a PC?

Why the extra step? I don't see any benefit in first converting it to a .img file and then opening that in DVD Shrink.

---

At first, I thought the same thing. But after trying it, i found that simply analysing a DVD9 directly through DVD Shrink in Darwine was predicted to take 38 minutes +. So, using DVD imager to move it to the HD first helped greatly, as DVD shrink only had to read from the harddrive and not from the disc.

@macnef

have you installed darwine properly? this is the only reason I can think of that it wouldnt be working.