I have noticed there are alot of different software and guides on how to backup your dvds. I am a complete newbie and looking for suggestions on what software to use. I have a Pioneer DVR-108 and use Verbatium 8x +R discs and Nero ver. 6.3 And my DVD player is a JVC XVN55SL. What would be the best software to use?
This in a lot of ways can be personal preference, however I will share what I use and what I find works best and with best quality. DVDShrink - Its FREE and rips and encodes excellent! Nero 6.6 - Use this for burning ALL software CDR and DVD With these two you can't go wrong, makes life simple and works everytime for me! Although I am sure a lot of others will pipe in with some other suggestions as there are a lot out there.
atcskyfox, I agree with autOpsy, since you have Nero, get shrink and decrypter, both free and with those 3 apps you can do it all. BTW, you need to update your Nero 6.3 to 6.6, there are some good improvements there, including a new version of recode and a new NVE 3. It is called Nero Reloaded, but all Ultra 6 owners can upgrade for free :>)
Would it be worth getting DVD X Copy Platinum instead of using Dvd Shrink or Decrypter? -ie. better video quality etc.
NO NO NO! If anything you're video quality will suffer. Stick with DVD Shrink and you won't be disappointed!
atcskyfox I to, have the Pioneer DVR-108. I use DVD Shrink for most movies however; there are occasions that you must first rip the movie using DVD Decrypter. Instead of Nero, I am a firm believer in Roxio Easy Media Creator 7. I use the Disc Copy feature of the Roxio software and have had excellent results. About media, I recently happened across some PowerMatrix 8X DVD-R media that Roxio sees as 12X and will in fact burn on my DVR-108 at 12X however; most of the time, I just select 8X and haven't made a coaster yet. I don't know how the media will work with other burners, but I know it works just fine in the 108. I purchased the PowerMatrix 8X media from Allmediaoutlet in California. If you need it I have created a simple guide for using DVD Shrink on the following page: http://mysite.verizon.net/eric.groves/pg46.html Eric
atcskyfox, While I'm sure that eric545's methods work for him and that's really what counts in DVD backup, what satifies you. 99% of this forum will choose Nero over Roxio. Roxio also does NOT like to share and on many people's systems will cause conflict with other apps, especially Nero. Since you already own Nero I think it would be a mistake to get Roxio in your situation. I would also stay away from X Copy, it's out of business and there is no support. With shrink, decrypter, and nero you can do everything you need. Not to mention the Nero suite also has file conversion, menu authoring, CD and DVD cover design, DVD backup(Nero Recode which works almost exactly like shrink 3.2), all your audio needs, toolkit, 2 burning engines-express and rom,software DVD player, media player, and a host of other stuff. As far as media goes, this is an extremely important factor in DVD backup. It's not just a question of quality, it's a matter of the copy operating properly and ensuring good burns. You wouldn't believe the people whose problems have been solved simply switching to quality media. This forum favors Verbatim and Ritek. You can get Ritek G04 4x or G05 8x -R, or Ritek Ridata 4x +R for under .50 each with free shipping at Meritline(an excellent company with an excellent return policy). Make sure your media is BRANDED, that is, the name is stamped on the disc. Also, the slower the burn the less chance of error, I never burn over 4x, if it's a game, I burn at 1x. After that, basically you have everything you need in software to start backing up DVD's. Good luck however you decide to go :>)
