Copy DVDs with an internal DVD writer

[WMCollins]

Is it possible to copy a DVDs using one of the new Panasonic or Pioneer internal DVD writers on the market? Or will can copy DVDs from a table top unit to the internal DVD writer? I guess the real question is can DVDs be copied like audio CDs?

I get these questions frequently from friends who are ready to go out and brought an internal DVD writer. I have been saying "probably not, due to copy protection".

Thanks.

[Baldrick]

No, both because of copy protection AND most dvd movies are on dual layer dvds(9GB) while it only exists single layer dvdrs/dvdrw/dvd+rws(4GB) so you also must either cut something out, use two dvdrs or reencode like making svcd,divx.
ifoedit is a good tool for all this
www.vcdhelp.com/dvdripping.htm#dvd

[SLK001]

The DVD-RW and DVD-R's that you buy for general use have a pre-embossed area (where the CSS key is kept) that make it physically impossible to create a bit by bit copy. This means that the area where the CSS key HAS to go is unrecordable in this media.

There is a possibility that an authoring DVD burner along with DVD-RW and DVD-R's for authoring could do this (but price the drives and the media - it's much cheaper just to buy the movies).

But then, if you simply RIP the movies to your HD, and STRIP OUT the CSS encryption, then you have and EXACT DIGITAL COPY (minus the encryption, of course) of the original movie that can EASILY be re-transfered back to DVD-R (since no CSS key has to be written/ transfered). This assumes that the movie is <4.7GByte in length. Any more than that and you have to use two disks.

I guess that the answer to your original question is "yes, but..."

[WMCollins]

Thanks! I did not think it would be possible. With the price of DVD burners dropping a lot of folks have asked that question.

[Cheeky Wee]

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