Backingup DVD Problem

[brispuss]

In the process of making backups of some of my DVD's.

The procedure I'm currently using is, I use either AnyDVD or PassKey to do the de-protection. Then I use IsoPuzzle to read the discs and make ISO backups. The reason I use IsoPuzzle is that it will (attempt to) read any failing/faulty data on dicey DVD's, and continue re-trying indefinitely. So far, I've found that IsoPuzzle has worked quite well.

There is one DVD that is not being read properly by AnyDVD and neither by PassKey. On examining the disc there are very slight, minor scuff marks, and there is a slight variation in color/tone on the disc. This toning variation is suggestive of a failing disc(?)

Most of this DVD is still playable, but there are playback problems on a few parts of the disc.

So how do I de-protect this DVD and then read it using IsoPuzzle to make a backup copy?

Are there any special programs that will read/copy the DVD despite copy protections and failing disc/data? Maybe a "low level" program that runs under "DOS" or some other equivalent system instead of under Windows?

Or What?

Thanks.

[october262]

Try cleaning the disc with rubbing alcohol going from center
to edge with a lint free cloth.

[mike20021969]

I use either AnyDVD or PassKey to do the de-protection.

Which versions?

[brispuss]

Comments noted, thanks!

I haven't tried cleaning the DVD (yet). Apart from a very few minor scuff marks, there is nothing else obviously wrong with the surface of the disc (no finger prints, no smudges etc.).

As mentioned before, there is some variation in the tone/color of the tracks, possibly due to deterioration of the media.

The disc in question is part of a set of DVD's from the same TV series, so it will likely have the same copy protection as the other discs in the set. Other discs in the set have been successfully processed using AnyDVD (V7.6) (or PassKey (V8.2)) and IsoPuzzle so far.

The disc is dual layer (DVD-9). The first layer seems to read/copy OK, but the problem seems to be with reading/copying data from the second layer.

So it is believed the copying issue is due to the failing of the disc media.

Currently trying to run IsoPuzzle only (no de-protection programs were run) on the disc. So far IsoPuzzle has read or "recovered" up to ~ 86 % of the data.

[brispuss]

Stopped using IsoPuzzle by itself, as the DVD is copy protected so the copy would not work anyway.

Note that I've tried DVD-Decrypter, but it only allows a limited number of read error retries before ignoring the errors and continuing. Ideally, DVD-Decrypyter should have an option to allow indefinite/infinite read retries, but unfortunately this is not an option. Because the data not being read and ignored, is missing from the copy. This means parts of the DVD copy will not play (properly) due to missing data.

Is there a way of getting Passkey and/or AnyDVD (or any other recommended de-protection programs?) to work with faulty DVDs?

[jagabo]

Note that I've tried DVD-Decrypter, but it only allows a limited number of read error retries before ignoring the errors and continuing. Ideally, DVD-Decrypyter should have an option to allow indefinite/infinite read retries

If the DVD doesn't read in 50 retries (the max in DVD Decrypter) it's not likely it's going to read with infinite retries either. And don't forget, the drive firmware makes several retries too. So 50 software retries is usually hundreds of retries on the part of the drive.

You should just use DVD Decrypter with limited retries. That will probably get you 99.9 percent of what's on the disc. At least you'll have something. Then you can worry about retrieving the last few bits.

By the way, you don't seem to understand that the data on the DVD can't be decrypted until after it's been read off the disc. So there's no way you can decrypt the disc before using ISOPuzzle.

[hello_hello]

I posted some info here on how to get DVDShrink to rip individual titles from a disc without analysing the whole disc first (which prevents it from opening the disc if there's an unreadable section). https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/380830-Analyzing-stops-at-47?p=2462576&viewfull=1#post2462576

Have you tried a similar thing with DVD Decrypter rather than just tell it to rip the entire disc? Mind you ripping that way won't help if the unreadable section of the disc contains part of the movie or part of an episode you want, but sometimes you get lucky and it's a DVD Extra or a menu that can't be read properly. I can't remember, but does AnyDVD have a "movie only" ripping option? I can't seem to find a "movie only" or "movie and menus" option for Passkey, so I guess it doesn't.

If you rip with DVDShrink in re-author mode you lose the original menus, which in my opinion is usually a good thing, but RipIt4Me uses DVDDecrypter for ripping and it has a "movie only" and "movie and menus" mode. I'm not sure I've ever manually told DVD Decrypter to rip just the movie, so while I'm assuming you can, I don't know how to do it off the top of my head.

[orsetto]

On examining the disc there are very slight, minor scuff marks, and there is a slight variation in color/tone on the disc. This toning variation is suggestive of a failing disc(?) [...] Most of this DVD is still playable, but there are playback problems on a few parts of the disc.

The disc in question is part of a set of DVD's from the same TV series, [...] The disc is dual layer (DVD-9). The first layer seems to read/copy OK, but the problem seems to be with reading/copying data from the second layer.

This set of symptoms is sadly VERY common with TV series dvd sets: inevitably: at least one of the discs will be bad from the outset or inexplicably becomes partially unplayable later on despite no apparent severe defects or mishandling. The defects that plague TV series discs are a unique level of hell that seldom respond to common tricks like using ISO Puzzle or cleaning the disc with toothpaste. There are several possible workarounds:

One is to re-buy the set repeatedly, until you can assemble a complete set that plays perfectly, then sell off the defective sets. This gets tiresome and expensive, also there is absolutely ZERO guarantee the perfect set you assemble won't "rot" on the shelf within a matter of weeks or months (some sets are notorious for this, which is why making good backups is often a necessity, not a convenience).

Two, try several different dvd drives (or different PCs) until you find one capable of reading the entire disc for backup. Chances this will work run about 50/50: definitely worth trying, but don't get your hopes up too high. A laptop slim drive might work better than a full-sized desktop drive, or vice versa.

Three, follows on the above: try different unintuitive software combos. Sometimes the ImgBurn utility (used with a decryption app running in the background) can rip the VIDEO_TS folder (or make an ISO image) better than dedicated full-featured rippers like DVDshrink. Also try something like MakeMKV: if it works, the result will be MKV files instead of a dvd clone, but you can always re-author a custom dvd from these yourself.

Four, search to see if the problem episode(s) are available online in downloadable form. These can supplement or replace whatever is defective on the dvds. A few TV series I own were so bad straight from the factory, the only viable workaround was getting the download versions instead (multiple dvd sets bought and exchanged revealed the same defects in all pressings of the set).

I can't remember, but does AnyDVD have a "movie only" ripping option?

AnyDVD by itself does not have any ripping features or options: it is meant to serve as background decrypter for separate ripping or backup applications. The optional companion CloneDVD ripping utility does offer control over what disc elements to rip (movie or episodes only, with/without menu, with/without extras and filler junk), but AnyDVD supports other rippers like ImgBurn as well. AnyDVD does try to scan each disc and "patch" real or faux reading defects: this process sometimes takes a few minutes. This does not prevent opening and playing/ripping a defective dvd, but reading will fail at some point if the defect is severe enough.

[mike20021969]

AnyDVD by itself does not have any ripping features or options

Yes it does.

[brispuss]

Unfortunately the "failing/faulty" areas of the disc occur in one episode of the three episode TV series DVD. So either I rip the other two episodes off the disc and leave the faulty episode, or I try to get all three episodes copied, which means having to use IsoPuzzle to (attempt to) recover all data from the disc.

I prefer the latter option as I want to have the complete set of episodes.

The DVD is from an old TV series. According to recent web searches, the DVD's are no longer available new (or used for that matter) for purchase.

Haven't as yet found any places that rent these DVD's so I could maybe make another copy. Downloading a copy is not really an option either as I'm on a dial-up connection, even if I found a site that has this DVD to download.

Currently I'm using two different DVD writers to read the disc. I'm getting another DVD writer shortly also which is supposedly good at reading data on failing DVD's.

So at this stage, it seems I'm limited to using AnyDVD (when it is able to read and de-protect the disc) and IsoPuzzle. Passkey de-protection doesn't seem to work on this disc, probably due to the faulty area(s) on the disc.

[orsetto]

AnyDVD by itself does not have any ripping features or options

Yes it does.

Your screen cap is from the newest "Red Fox" version of AnyDVD, which isn't in wide use yet for various marketing reasons. My comments refer to the original SlySoft version, which seems limited to straight-across rips with no control over exactly what gets ripped (because they expected you to use CloneDVD for that).



The AnyDVD/CloneDVD ripper engine is OK if you are indeed going to fine-tune what you want to rip from the target dvd, but for straight-across rips I'd stick with ImgBurn which seems to be more accurate. The AnyDVD/CloneDVD engine makes subtle changes even to straight-across rips: often this is helpful, but sometimes it isn't. My choice of ripper engine depends on certain dvd issues.

What options are revealed by clicking on the ellipsis entry "Rip Video Disk To Hard Disk..." in the newer Red Fox AnyDVD interface you posted? Does it open an editing screen that allows de-selecting menus, foreign language audio, and extras? Can you choose between creating VIDEO_TS folder or ISO image? If so, looks like one could dispense with CloneDVD altogether after updating to the RedFox version...

[orsetto]

The DVD is from an old TV series. According to recent web searches, the DVD's are no longer available new (or used for that matter) for purchase.

If you tell us what TV series, which season, and which disc number, perhaps someone will already have dealt with this exact defect and be able to offer targeted advice.

ISO Puzzle accomplishes squat with most defective TV series discs: you can waste a lot of time with little to no satisfaction.

[mike20021969]

Your screen cap is from the newest "Red Fox" version

Apart from Redfox wording, it's identical to the SlySoft version.

Screen capture from 2013:

[orsetto]

Your screen cap is from the newest "Red Fox" version

Apart from Redfox wording, it's identical to the SlySoft version.

Screen capture from 2013:

My apologies: I couldn't for the life of me locate this specific sub-menu that you screen-capped.

In my ten years using AnyDVD almost weekly, somehow I've never right-clicked the tray icon to invoke that mini-menu: instead I've always just left-clicked for the complete control window. So you've taught me something new today!

Now able to answer my own question: the mini-menu "Rip Video To Hard Disk..." option simply brings up the same featureless straight-up rip screen I showed in my earlier post (which I had opened from directly within AnyDVD). It looks like the Red Fox version remains limited to ripping "complete disc as-is": getting rid of disc clutter still requires a secondary utility like DVDshrink or CloneDVD.