Best SW

[yuhr]

I found four applications that seem to allow me to copy commercial video and audio disks to blank DVD-R and CD-R, all from SlySoft: AnyDVD, CloneDVD, CloneDVD2 and EasyDVDx.
I use Roxio5, my PC runs Pentium4.
What program(s) should I buy? I am going to make plain copies, I am not interested in any tricks, like adding or removing sound nor pics.

[lordsmurf]

There is no 'best'. There is only what is 'best' for you.

Define what you want to do, how complex you want things to be, how much you are willing to spend and how much effort you are willing to put into this and maybe someone can offer a few suggestions. But even so, there is no 'best'. If there was, all the others would be out of business!

[yuhr]

Thank you very much, lotdsmurf. You guys are probably are tired of newbies' questions...
Anyway, that's what I meant by "best" - best for me: I am not going to copy a disk a day, just occasional ones and I am not going to alter the original version in any way. I'll do plain copying and will be content with any SW, the cheaper, the better. I am willing to pay good price for a good thing, but my main requirements are reliability and simpicity, I hate complicated and needless things (how many features of M$ Excel -there are hundreds - do you use, unless you are an aviation engineer ? I was shown some very good features, but I use Excel so rarely that I forget how to play them when I need them next time! ). I don't care if a program takes a few hours to do one disk, I can vacuum my appartment in the meantime.
I don't know the field at all and can't make my choice based on manufacterer's description - according to them, each and every one is great and can do anything, except "insert a disk" (one wonders: if an XYZ.1.1 was so good, why they designed and sell XYZ1.2, etc.?). For instance, I don't want to buy a program only to learn later that it doesn't work without another one (usually priced much higher). Or I don't want to pay $$$ for thing I'll never use, like editing out some material.
In short, I need some quidance from veterans.

[lordsmurf]

To make perfect copies of CDs: CloneCD ($39)
Should be self-explanatory software.

To make copies of DVDs smaller than 4.38GB: DVD Decrypter ($FREE)
Guide: http://www.digitalfaq.com/dvdguides/dvdcopy/decrypter/decrypter.htm

To make copies of DVDs larger than 4.38GB: DVD Shrink ($FREE)
Guide: http://www.digitalfaq.com/dvdguides/dvdcopy/dvdshrink/dvdshrink.htm

You won't need anything else.

[yuhr]

Sorry to bother you lordsmurf, but: I am so inexperienced that I don't know what's the size of "standard" 120-150 mins movie? What if my wife asks me to copy a 3 hour movie (if such animals exist or can be put [today!] on a single DVD).
I guess that if I get ShrinkDVD, I "won't need anything else": if it can copy DVDs, it probably can copy CDs, and if it can copy a long one, it can copy a short one too (if one program can do the work, why should I install two ones? only because they are free? ).
I'll buy a program for $39.95 if it makes "perfect" copies, i. e. better ones than a free program makes or if a free one will bring with it adware or spyware (although I don't care if some total stranger will learn my tastes in movies and music). I guess if it's the case, I'll buy CloneDVD, not CloneCD so I can copy both DVDs and CDs.

[Mister Flonk-Flonk]

I guess that if I get ShrinkDVD, I "won't need anything else": if it can copy DVDs, it probably can copy CDs, and if it can copy a long one, it can copy a short one too (if one program can do the work, why should I install two ones? only because they are free? ).

Stop guessing.
Start listening.

I'll buy a program for $39.95 if it makes "perfect" copies, i. e. better ones than a free program makes or if a free one will bring with it adware or spyware (although I don't care if some total stranger will learn my tastes in movies and music). I guess if it's the case, I'll buy CloneDVD, not CloneCD so I can copy both DVDs and CDs.

Stop jumping to conclusions.

You asked for advice and you were given outstanding advice in return.

Heed it.

[lordsmurf]

No, no CloneDVD. Do precisely what I said, do not vary or stray from it. Freeware does not have spyware, at least not these.

When you look in DVD Decrypter, it will tell you if a disc is 4,700,000 bytes (4.38GB) or more/less. If more, use DVD Shrink to shrink it. If less, just use Decrypter. Length of movie means NOTHING on size.

[yuhr]

Thank you very much, lordsmurf. I'll follow your advice.