Copying dvds please

[jyeh74]

Can I use Nero express to copy entire dvd movies to a dvd-r or do I have to use DVD Shrink?
The dvd-r is 4.7 gigs large.

How would I copy a svcd? on a cd-r or would I need something bigger like dvd-r? Nero or dvd shrink for burning svcd?

Thanks!

[Baldrick]

if it's a commercial dvd you must use a ripper like dvd shrink.

if it's a homeburned dvdr you can use nero express copy.

you can copy svcd on cdrs, use the nero express disc copy. don't copy the files manually or it wont be svcd compliant.

[jyeh74]

baldrick,

For commercial dvds, such as movies like King Kong and Memoirs of a Geisha, why must I use dvd shrink? Isnt a dvd-r the same size as a movie dvd?

[Bodyslide]

The media is different. Some good info here https://www.videohelp.com/dvd

[aedipuss]

commercial dvds are encrypted and can't just be file copied.

[jman98]

Most commercial DVDs are actually what are called "dual layer", which means that they have 2 physical layers on the disc and are between 4.5 and 8.4 (or so) GB in size. These DVDs must be shrunk to fit on a standard single layer burnable DVD. So to answer your question, a DVD-R is often smaller than a commercial DVD. If you have dual layer burnable DVD discs (DVD-R DL or DVD+R DL) you don't need to shrink the original DVD to burn it, but it must be ripped and unencrypted.

[Prot]

DVDShrink will decrypt, while Nero will not. You could rip with DVDDecrypter or DVDFabDecryter, then shrink with Nero Recode.