What programs do what???

I am new to the whole DVD thing and have been doing some extensive researching on the interenet for the past few days. I have downloaded a few programs and have tried burning. The first one I tried was "1Click DVD Copy". This program does everyting from start to finish. I fear this is not the best program to be using for a number of different reasons.... Through reading mostly on Afterdawn.com, I have come to know what programs are better than others. What I still don't understand is what exactly each program does! I have read that DVD Decrypter can only "rip". Then I read somewhere else that it can both "rip" and "burn". Can it burn but its just isn't the best burning tool? Can I just use DVD Shrink and Nero? Why use Decrypter at all? What I am trying to accomplish here is be able to make backups of my DVD collection. Time isn't a factor for burning but then again I don't want to wait 4 hours for a completion.

Can someone please explain each of the different softwares out there and what their purposes are? I think there are a lot of newbs out there like me that don't know the basics of the DVD burning process. Thank you in advance....

 

There are three main steps when backing up a DVD:
1. Copy the DVD to your HD (ripping)
2. Compressing/re-authoring a DVD9 (up to appr. 9Gb of data) to a DVD5 (appr. 5 Gb of data)
3. Burn

Some applications can do all 3 steps, some will just handle one or two.
Examples of ripping tools are: AnyDVD, DVD Decrypter, DVD43
A free and easy to use tool for step 2 is DVD Shrink (it will also rip, but haven't been updated for new copy protection systems since Q3 2004. It can also access the engine of some burning appl).
Step 3: Nero, DVD Encrypter, etc

Good luck.

 

99% of dvds can be shrunk and burnt with dvd shrink if some dvds cause problems like grudge closer for example u will have to use dvdd
in file mode then open up shrink compress then burn if u have nero
installed dvd shrink will use that burn engine for burning if not u
can create a file or iso image and burn with dvdd hope this helps
if still not clear do some searching it always helps good luck

 

Thanks guys for summing it all up for me! I usually don't post in forums but rather read what others have already posted. Even though I haven't posted much, I have gathered tons of info from questions that have been answered. There are many other newbs out there like I, and I am sure this thread is going to help them too. Thanks again.

 

and there are more programs to choose from ........ just hit the flap on the top [bold]Software[/bold] and check out what's there. Now if you are asking what I use..... my folder is full.... but my best are DVDDecrypter for ripping, DVDRemake for taking out unwanted structure like splash screens, warning, previews, and menu changes, then I use DVDRebuilder Pro vs. 1 for compression with quality! It works for me.
[bold]Rule of thumb[/bold]: If you can get it on your HD then you can burn it!
Use what works for you.....if you're happy with a one-click program then there ya go...... if you want quality look up what is available and check out the guides, here! This forum is top notch! Everything you need to know is available here! With just a few hours of reading you too can become a [bold]DVD BURNING FOOL![/bold]

 

I recently just used DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink. I followed Scuba Pete's guide. A quesiton that I have though is why not just use Shrink to rip and then Decrypter to burn. His guide shows to use DVDD, then Shrink, and then back to DVDD. Does decrypter have a better success rate on braking the code than Shrink does?

Also why burn with Decrypter rather than Nero?

As for QUALITY, is there THAT big of a difference between a "1 click" program and the "multi program" process?

 

well...... here is another guide page for you, too! Read it, it's great! http://home.comcast.net/~bbmayo/index.html this web page, by BBmayo (another member) is also from a guy, like scubbaPete, who really knows his stuff. Your just getting to know the programs that work! That's great! It's exciting! There are many ways to get to burning DVDs. Not all of the DVDs are easy to backup. So, it's best to know MANY ways to burn! I have about 4 different "one click programs" and about 7 different seperate programs that I use in combinations to get the best quality and results, of which, THE END RESULT is a great looking, functionally working, long lasting, quality DVD! That is what my goal is! We all start as Newbies, and evolve into educated, informed, DVD burning fools........ so in the beginning we just do what the guides tell us to do! WE LEARN. Yes, we have questions like you do:

first Shrink is better at doing what it does best: making a large DVD to fit into a single sided DVD5-it does what it's name means... it Shrinks it. Very good program!! It's used by many and if you get to understand it you will be that much better for it!DVDDecrypter is King! It does what it's name says, too- it decryts (break down into it's files), takes out the codes (encryption) and copies the files onto your hard drive(HD)! Although, it's not supported anymore (read some threads about it): http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/198060
this doesn't mean that it's not good! it's the best ripper out there and EVERYONE still uses it! It will rip any movie out there so far and it's not been updated for ages now! I use it almost every time!

I don't mean to sound like I'm lecturing, I just remember, not too long ago, that I was a newbie, too! I found out that if I just follow the guides that many people have put out and shared, I learned! Use what's good for you! If you've been burning for a while or just started to, the guides will make you that much better! here are some tips: [bold]If you can get the movie on your HD then you can burn it to disk! Use good media: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/198060 this page will tell you that Verbatim, Taiyo Yuden, Sony, TDK, Maxell are the best! and you can get them online: http://supermediastore.com/ or go to the stores and check them out! but that's where it all starts: GOOD MEDIA! Next is burn at slow speeds: 4X-8X, don't go faster than that! why? because the media (8x, or 16x) says you can go faster but is it better? NO! the idea is to get the best burn! The media will take speeds just so much... why push it, cause one time or another it won't take it and then you are left with a coaster! the next thing is KNOW YOUR PROGRAMS AND WHAT THEY CAN DO! And that's why there are many people here to help out![/bold] I hope that this helps you out a little! I found if I just followed the guides, and read the forums I eventually come to and understanding of what's what in the DVD world. What works for me, well..... right now I use DVDDecrypter, DVDRemake, DVDREbuilder and finally CopytoDVD and whahhhhhhhllllllllllaaaaaaaahhhhh a perfect backed up copy! Or I will used DVDCopy3 with AnyDVD (or DVD43) to make a copy! It's very versatile! So, you see.... it's up to you and what works for you and your computer! Different programs work with different users and computers and preferances! Your journey is just starting, young grasshopper! Good luck!

 

The thing that really gets me is that some original DVD movies are grainy to start. I just backed up Coach Carter and noticed that it looks a little patchy in dark areas of the movie. DAMNIT!!!!! I used DVDD and Shrink on it too. I was using "1 Click DVD Copy" and all my movies were looking good. Now I am wondering if "1 Click" works better than DVDD and Shrink. I doubt it would from all the info I have gathered from here. Looks like I am going to have to run it through again with 1Click and see the difference. UGHH I didn't know what I was getting myself into! Thanks again for all the info =]

 

hey DIG......some DVDs are not great quality! I'll have to watch Coach Carter again and see if that's the case with yours. But asside from

gezzzzzz now you're sounding like Oliver and STanley! [bold]Here's another mess you've gotten me into![/bold] Just to let you know......DVD backups are not all the same. If one programs doesn't do it for you there's always another! Try them and deside what works for you!http://home.comcast.net/~bbmayo/index.html check out BB's web page! it's got most of everything!

 

I have been using the same media (Fuji). Recently with 1Click I started getting errors and making coasters. I then started using DVDD and Shrink. The first few times I tried with that combination I got errors too. I had some extra DVD-RWs so I tried troubleshooting my problem with those instead of the DVD-Rs so I could re-use the disc if it failed again. The DVD-RWs gave me the same result by the way. I tried rebooting, different burn speeds, and a few other things. The thing that seemed to have solved my problem is uninstalling every other DVD software on my PC and rebooting. The next step I would have taken would be to update the firmware on my burner. That brings up the issue having too many DVD softwares on your PC at once. Were the various softwares conflicting with each other? Have you heard anything about this? Maybe this is a question I should be asking in a new thread under a different thread title...

 

....so others won't be mislead about the current discussion.

 

fuji disks aren't the greatest disks! try others!read my other responce up one! ok?

 

I have read from some that Fuji are great, while others haven't mentioned them on the do or don't list.....

 

I can only speak of the -R Fuji. If it's made in Japan it's generally Taiyo Yuden. If it's made in Taiwan it's probably Prodisc. I've had fair luck with Prodisc although everyone doesn't. I believe that most all made in Japan discs are pretty good. They're getting harder to find though since most are moving their production to Taiwan.

Dave

 

I used DVD Identifier and came p wit the following results:


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unique Disc Identifier : [DVD-R:FUJIFILM03]
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Disc & Book Type : [DVD-R] - [DVD-R]
Manufacturer Name : [Fuji Film]
Manufacturer ID : [FUJIFILM03]
Blank Disc Capacity : [2,298,496 Sectors = 4.71 GB (4.38 GiB)]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ DVD Identifier - http://DVD.Identifier.CDfreaks.com ]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


How can you tell its origin/quality from that info???

 

Here is the results from the DVD-RW discs that I have:


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unique Disc Identifier : [DVD-RW:RITEKW01]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disc & Book Type : [DVD-RW] - [DVD-RW]
Manufacturer Name : [Ritek Corp.]
Manufacturer ID : [RITEKW01]
Blank Disc Capacity : [2,298,496 Sectors = 4.71 GB (4.38 GiB)]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ DVD Identifier - http://DVD.Identifier.CDfreaks.com ]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The only way you tell the country of origin is to read it from the package. If the Fijifilm03 is from Japan then I made a mistake. I haven't had any experience with them. It is probably the Prodisc Fuji from Taiwan that the bad rep has came from.

Dave

 

Yeah, just read the packaging and they are both made in Tawain.

 

The bad fuji is from Taiwan. I learned that the hard way. I burned my first 70 movies with those and a couple of months later they were no longer functional. The japan fuji are great though no coasters at all. Just realized that this is way off topic.