Can DVD's only be backed up by ripping?

[boathouse]

I'd like to backup some of my DVD titles and so have been studying this superb site!

I've successfully backed up DVD to SVCD using the DVD2SVCD tools, but the downside of course is that it takes a very long time.

To make a high quality backup, are there any faster alternatives to ripping and encoding to SVCD?

I understand that you can't just copy a DVD to your hard drive, and then play the movie, because of copy protection hidden on the DVD disk. However copy protection on standard cd's (such as safedisc found in games) can be copied if you have the correct software and a cd burner which can duplicate the hidden subcodes on the cd.

Is it (yet) possible to take the same approach with DVD's? Can you buy a DVD burner and software that will make a perfect copy of a DVD disk together with the hidden copy protection codes?

[WizyWyg]

99% of all dvd's made are bigger than 4.3 gB's. Makes direct copying useless

[pinoy2201]

As WizyWyg most DVDs are over the 4.5gb that is currently sold and it is impossible to makw 1:1 copies..if you want you may want to just rip the Movie part of the DVD and if you have a DVD Burner you can author the vobs to burn as a DVD but untill dual layered DVD-Rs are avable to the public these are the only ways to back up a DVD