hi, i have some newbie quest from my mom...

[makdady304]

i was hoping someone could fill me in on how to rip a DL DVD size DVD to a single layer DVD. is it easy or should i just buy DL discs. we would prefer single layer though for cost efficiency. thanks.

[redwudz]

Probably the most popular and dependable system is RipIt4Me>DVD Shrink> ImgBurn. All freeware and they work well together.

There is also a version of DVD Shrink that can burn with ImgBurn automatically from here: http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=63869

Shrink by itself can backup most DVDs, but the newer ones may require RipIt4Me also. Either way, it's fairly easy.

Backup to DL is even easier, but the burner and media, and the players may have more problems with compatibility. With DVD Decrypter, it's just ISO Read>ISO Write.

[makdady304]

sounds good...does it matter if the DVD is copy protected. if it does, what should i do then? yeah, thats a shame about DL...which recorders do you recommend?

[Seeker47]

i was hoping someone could fill me in on how to rip a DL DVD size DVD to a single layer DVD. is it easy or should i just buy DL discs. we would prefer single layer though for cost efficiency. thanks.

"Easy" is something that will vary considerably from person to person. RipIt4Me (incorporates a few other tools, including DVD Decrypter and FixVTS, though the "installer version" may put those on for you too -- I'm not sure; you may need to install DVD Shrink separately -- not sure about that either) does fairly well automate the process. There should be download links and probably a guide or two available in the Tools section here.

Shrink is the main and easiest way to do what you want. However, it is no longer developed, and not up to dealing with many contemporary DVDs, due to copy protection schemes, deliberate mastering errors, etc. So, RipIt4Me becomes an effective "front end" for finessing such issues. There are a couple other things you need to consider. Shrinking degrades the video quality, so most users would elect not to shrink beyond about 70% of original size. (More critical users might draw the line at about 85%.) Sometimes that will be enough to get the job done, sometimes not. When it is not sufficient -- given that the SL DVD offers only half as much storage -- there is a method using Shrink where you can manually divide the DL over two or more SL disks. I would not call that especially difficult, either. Again, there should be relevant step-by-step guides linked on this site.

The other concern is where you decide it is necessary to go DL-to-DL. In that case, you get into layer break issues that DVD Shrink is not too good at handling, and you will need to look to other software that -- while still free -- is not so entry-level for the novice.

There may be a couple other programs (DVD2One ? VSO Copy2DVD ?) that are not free, and which might or might not be easier. I haven't used them myself.

Hope this helps.

[redwudz]

Almost all commercial DVDs have been copy protected (Encrypted) for some time. The newest ones can be difficult to back up without a program like RipIt4Me. DVD Shrink also removes copy protection, but not the newest versions.

No particular DVD DL burners to recommend, though I have had good luck with Pioneer. The media is also important with Verbatim DL being the most dependable. DL recording can be more problematic than backing up to a single layer discs and mistakes are expensive.

[makdady304]

cool...thanks for all your help!! we will be getting a DVD burner real soon! ill keep this in favorites of course thanks again.