an ABSOLUTE, GUARANTEED 100% backup method using-it's NEVER failed for me!!

[fonzbear2000]

first off, you need the following, ALL FREE software;
1. DVD fab decrypter-download it here: http://docs.dvdfab.com/
2. DVD shrink-download it here: download it here: http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,23009-page,1-c,downloads/description.html
3. any basic DVD burning software

ok, once fab decrypter and shrink are installed, do the following:
1. insert the movie you want to back up into your dvd drive
2. start up fab decrypter
3. select the full disc option
4. select a location you want the dvd to be coppied to
5. click start
6. once that is done, close out fab decrypter and start up shrink
7. on shrink, click "open files" and navigate to the location where the back up is and click "ok"
8. when that is done, click "backup!" and select a location that is different from what you selected for fab decrypter and click "ok"-also, make sure the option to make both audio and video folders is selected
9. once that is done, insert a blank dvd into your dvd burner
10. start up your dvd burning software and select the option to burn a data disc
11. burn the audio and video folders that were created by shrink
12. that's it! once it's done, you'll have your movie!

again, this method has NEVER failed for me! in fact, the version i have of fab decrypter, is at least 6 to 9 months old and it still backs up the NEWEST movies!

also, i see people talking about making ISO's, BINS and CUES and buring them using image software-WHY? NONE of that is needed if the method i just described is used

[budz]

Why not post your ABSOLUTE GUIDE in the GUIDE SECTION!
That's why a GUIDE SECTION exists.

[fonzbear2000]

Why not post your ABSOLUTE GUIDE in the GUIDE SECTION!
That's why a GUIDE SECTION exists.

mods/admins, can you please move this to that section? thanks

[offline]

Moved, but please change the title to better reflect the subject - i.e. DVD copying.

Thanks.

[guns1inger]

10. start up your dvd burning software and select the option to burn a data disc

Most burning applications have a DVD Video option. This is what should be used instead of burning just a data disc.

[Richard_G]

Might have been useful 2 or 3 years ago, I would have thought anybody that wanted to do it was doing it already. ISO, BIN and CUE files have a different use and don't really enter into simply ripping off a DVD video disc.

Also, why recommend selecting the Full Disc option? You then end up with a more compressed movie and all the menus, trailers, copyright warnings, etc, that the movie company insist on putting on the disc to fill it up. Select Re-Author and drag the main movie over to the left hand window and that is what you'll get. Just the main movie, minimum, if any, compression and hence best quality, and none of the crap.

[freebird73717]

I personally use vobblanker to get rid of the stuff I don't want (commercials for other dvd's, directors comments, etc..) before I ever even start up dvdshrink. Then load that output (from vobblanker into dvdshrink). Also you can uncheck any audio (like foreign languages) you don't want to keep to better your compression.

[hech54]

DVDFab is not free.
DVDFabDecrypter is however free.
I wish people would stop typing them wrong...it really confuses new people.

[Richard_G]

I'm beginning to think I've stepped back in time. Wasn't all this discovered by everybody years ago. Or is this for the benefit of the noobs?

[fonzbear2000]

Also, why recommend selecting the Full Disc option?

because the free dvdfabdecrypter doesn't allow you to select other options-you have to pay and upgrade to platinum to do that

[Richard_G]

Also, why recommend selecting the Full Disc option?

because the free dvdfabdecrypter doesn't allow you to select other options-you have to pay and upgrade to platinum to do that

But once you've ripped the whole disc with DVDFabDecrypter, you load the files into DVDShrink. I was referring to using the Full Disc option in Shrink, why not choose Re-Author and only keep the Main Movie?

[fonzbear2000]

Also, why recommend selecting the Full Disc option?

because the free dvdfabdecrypter doesn't allow you to select other options-you have to pay and upgrade to platinum to do that

But once you've ripped the whole disc with DVDFabDecrypter, you load the files into DVDShrink. I was referring to using the Full Disc option in Shrink, why not choose Re-Author and only keep the Main Movie?

if you keep just the main movie, you lose all the extras like behind the scenes and interviews and goodies like that

[ntscuser]

Also, why recommend selecting the Full Disc option?

because the free dvdfabdecrypter doesn't allow you to select other options-you have to pay and upgrade to platinum to do that

But once you've ripped the whole disc with DVDFabDecrypter, you load the files into DVDShrink. I was referring to using the Full Disc option in Shrink, why not choose Re-Author and only keep the Main Movie?

if you keep just the main movie, you lose all the extras like behind the scenes and interviews and goodies like that

Yes, you also lose the option of watching the FBI warning, the forced trailers, the company logo and copyright notices in 17 different languages including Esperanto and Swahili

[fonzbear2000]

Also, why recommend selecting the Full Disc option?

because the free dvdfabdecrypter doesn't allow you to select other options-you have to pay and upgrade to platinum to do that

But once you've ripped the whole disc with DVDFabDecrypter, you load the files into DVDShrink. I was referring to using the Full Disc option in Shrink, why not choose Re-Author and only keep the Main Movie?

if you keep just the main movie, you lose all the extras like behind the scenes and interviews and goodies like that

Yes, you also lose the option of watching the FBI warning, the forced trailers, the company logo and copyright notices in 17 different languages including Esperanto and Swahili

it's not quite that bad! and besides, i don't mind putting up with all that extra stuff to get the other extra stuff!

[guns1inger]

My problem is that keeping all the extras and using Shrink produces a quality too low to be worth the effort. I would rather split the disc in two - movie only on one disc, extras and menu on the other, or use DVD Rebuilder for the encoding.

There is nothing inherently wrong with your guide, except that it is, as has been pointed out, what we were doing three years ago. There are smarter and better quality methods available to us now.

[budz]

My problem is that keeping all the extras and using Shrink produces a quality too low to be worth the effort. I would rather split the disc in two - movie only on one disc, extras and menu on the other, or use DVD Rebuilder for the encoding.

There is nothing inherently wrong with your guide, except that it is, as has been pointed out, what we were doing three years ago. There are smarter and better quality methods available to us now.

I and yes there are better methods available now like DVD REBUILDER PRO.
I hardly use DVD SHRINK since DVD REBUILDER produces better quality backups.

[gshelley61]

9 posts

NOOOOOB

This is all very old info.

[mats.hogberg]

OK, guys; We've all been ethusiastic noobs. Got my drift?

/Mats

[guns1inger]

I've never been enthusiastic about anything. It just takes too much energy.

[BobK]

Also, why recommend selecting the Full Disc option?

because the free dvdfabdecrypter doesn't allow you to select other options-you have to pay and upgrade to platinum to do that

I just checked- I can still select either the Full Disk or Main Movie option with DVDFab Decrypter.

[fonzbear2000]

My problem is that keeping all the extras and using Shrink produces a quality too low to be worth the effort.

the quality looks good enough to me

[fonzbear2000]

http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/mpg/dvdrb.htm
look at all the software you need to use dvd rebuilder-with my method, you only need 3 things! also, if you use dual layer discs, you can set shrink to no compression and get full quality

[mats.hogberg]

Well, not to argue, but if you don't have to compress with DVDShrink, the DVDShrink stage is not needed - just burn the output from DVDFab Decrypter, right?

/Mats

[Richard_G]

http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/mpg/dvdrb.htm
look at all the software you need to use dvd rebuilder-with my method, you only need 3 things! also, if you use dual layer discs, you can set shrink to no compression and get full quality

Yes that is very true. However, not wishing to try to put you down, as your method is perfectly OK for a simple backup. In fact, it can be even simpler with the majority of discs. Just use DVDShrink on it's own. For a simple backup I use Shrink and keep the main movie only, that is all I am interested in. I will only use DVDFabdecrypter if the disc has one of the later encryption methods that Shrink cannot deal with. It's simple, it's foolproof and it's a method that most people on this site have been using for years. If you look in the guides, there are 46 guides on backing up using DVDShrink, going back to mid 2003. So you are telling us nothing new.

But times have moved on. In 2003, large LCD and plasma screens were virtually unheard of. A bit of pixellation and a few mpeg artifacts weren't noticable so most were quite happy with the fact that Shrink degraded the quality as it couldn't be seen. In those days there were even people converting DVD movies to VCD and claiming the quality was good! Now, in late 2007, TV technology has moved on. HDMI and upscaling DVD players are becoming normal. Any artifacts are going to be far more noticeable and those that care are trying to minimise these effects. Remember, this site is inhabited by people that are into digital video and getting the best possible result from their efforts. People on here have gone beyond the stage of a simple backup that will just allow them to watch a movie, they want to improve on it, or, at the very least, not degrade it in the slightest. That can only be done with multiple tools, knowledge, experience and effort.

It's the same with anything in life. If you want to redecorate your house you can spend the minimum time, effort and money by simply slopping a bit of paint on it, or you can put in a lot more effort, time and materials and do it properly. It all depends on what you are gong to be happy with.

[lordsmurf]

Now, in late 2007, TV technology has moved on. ....... Any artifacts are going to be far more noticeable and those that care are trying to minimise these effects.

Well, that's not necessarily true either. TV tech really has moved on.

The newest Sony KDH-xxA3000 line of sets (50, 55, 60" 1080p), and Sony XBR4 LCD sets, have about a half dozen filters to improve motion (120Hz), upscale, and remove noise. With these filters engaged, my 352x480 S-VHS transfers done in 4-hour mode on the JVC DR-M10S look stunning, viewed from the suggested 6-12' range, and with 20/20-20/15 vision. Now, these have always looked great at 20-36", but even at 55-60", these still look great. But the 4-hour was a tad too compressed on VHS/S-VHS footage, due to source noise, so I never did that again. I only used 4-hour on off-air recordings, and 3-hour on VHS/S-VHS conversions. The difference in resolutions (720 and 352) was negligible. The pictures are sharp and noiseless.

DVDs that have been shrunk are equally as nice, even those which have been compressed down to the 55-60% range.

It also helps that I'm using a really good Toshiba DVD player, excellent decoding quality, not some cheapo machine from Walmart.

All this said, I'd personally suggest minimal shrinking, or outright just use a DVD+R DL disc and skip shrinking. But to say HDTV makes these methods obsolete just isn't true with the advances televisions are now making. The only reason I purchased an HDTV set was due to the filtering abilities now being included in them.

[fonzbear2000]

Well, not to argue, but if you don't have to compress with DVDShrink, the DVDShrink stage is not needed - just burn the output from DVDFab Decrypter, right?

/Mats

well then, that brings my method down to only 2 programs needed-i also wanted to add that there have been movies which the NEWEST version of anydvd which is NOT FREE would NOT decrypt-i got an error message saying so, but an OLDER version of fab decrypter, which is FREE worked!!!