Wow, DVDShrink is pretty good!

[SyndicateFoo]

I first tried the first version of dvdshrink and was not impressed but now I am with the new version that just came out.

Forget instantcopy!

anyone else know of any software that works just as well or better?

[belvedere16]

DVD SHRINK IS the easiest one around..if ure just wanting to burn a movie with no menues then dvd2one is good..i use dvd shrink about 95% of time ive burned 500+ dvds almost all with shrink and they come out good as long as u stay above level 5 and tell u the truth ive done level 7 and i can hardly tell some plp say they can tell level 2 BS

[andkiich]

I can see some issues with the video if I go past level 4, but other than that it's pretty good for what I need it for.

[ROBERT BLACK]

I went to level 7 on a couple of video originated movies, and it still yielded acceptable(not very good) results. You can tell a difference with level 2,and some slight artifacting but you need to sit up really close.

[poopyhead]

i'm guessing you guys have HDTVs because normal TVs are more forgiving when it comes to quality. i've had to compress certain dvds to lvl 10 (50%) because i wanted to keep everything, while not splitting to 2 DVD-Rs. on my regular 32" TV, i saw no difference in the main movie. only artifacts came up in the extras, but i suspect they weren't encoded with a high bitrate to begin with.

quality is subjective, but watching a movie normally (i.e. NOT purposely looking for any artifacts) and sitting a normal distance away (i.e. NOT having your eyes glued to the TV)...even lvl 10 compression should be fine. of course, HDTV users prolly will be more picky, but i'm not one of them...so it doesn't apply in my case.

[jj1k]

I think DVD Shrink is GREAT
They should charge for it. I would easily pay $100.

I usually just due the movie with no menus. Most movies I dont need any compression. Some are level1 or 2. Takes about 23min on my P4!

James

[musher70]

Im not one for the extras, but i did the new fast and furious
disc, and i was way impressed, i went for about 60% for
extras and about 65% for movie, came out as good as
original, i could not really tell difference...gr8 software

[vance43211]

i like dvdshrink because when u put it together with dvd toolbox

u can put 2 different dvd to one dvd and keep everything seperate

and keep original chapters for both movies

i reauthor just the main movies from both disc uncompressed with dvd shrink

i then cut and paste the second disc vts_01_0 ifo and bup files(i leave the main video_ts ifo and bup file alone) and all of the vobs after i rename all of them to vts_02 (ifo bup and vobs) to the folder of the first disc

i then use dvd toolbox to fix all of the ifos

then if the combine movies are 6.5gig or less i shrink them with dvd shrink, if they are longer than 6.5 gig i shrink them with ic7

which by the way, ic7 kill all the competition with it come to shrinking a 12 gig movie file

i then have a 2 movie dvd (quality better than svcd)

u just have to push title two on the stand alone dvd player to see the 2nd movie

[txpharoah]

I'm not a total convert, but it has its benefits. I use DVD2one too.

[SatStorm]

I use this program a little bit anorthodox.

You see, I grabb some DVB streams, basicly music shows. Then, I author them with TMPGenc Author and I export vob etc.
Many times, the result happens to be more than 4.37GB, so or I have to re-encode some parts and re-author (slow) or to use those proggies.
I'm lazy, I prefer those proggies... And DVD Shrink is my best choice.

I can really see difference after level 3. There are lots of macroblocking. But since my source ain't a DVD movie, but a DVB channel, it's like comparing apples with ...mutant apples. Maybe with DVD Video movies, the results are better.

Using level 2 or even 3 is almost like the source. Some macroblocking if a scene is extreme (to much shake, to much colours). Those macroblocks ain't like the one we use to see with TMPGenc or other encoders, but somehow they follow an order (!).

Overall, is a good program, with a price you can't beat! (Free)

[mkelley]

DVDShrink is also one of the best (if not *the* best) methods of handling episodic disks, something I do a lot of.

Most other alternatives with choke when presented with episode disks, but using DVDShrink (particularly the new versions which allow you to preview what you're doing) you can easily split your episodes up over two (or more :>) disks, keeping the original quality intact (you just turn half of the episodes into still images and remove their sound -- all menu buttons still work and all extras still work). You don't even have to mess with any menu editing, although I admit I do use menuedit to remove all the button choices for episodes not on the disks I make.

If you want to keep the same quality of episodes I really don't know any other tool to use -- it's saved my bottom when it comes to backing up my $$$$ STNG series disks.

[SyndicateFoo]

I use instantcopy for my TNG episode discs. I have tried dvdshrink but instantcopy came out with a better result. The only thing is the wait time but it was worth it.

The new instantcopy update sure helps, the time it takes to reencode is down by about 30%-40% (still longer than dvdshrink though).

[mkelley]

Can you keep the original quality of the episodes (by splitting to multiple disks) with InstantCopy?

My guess is you can't -- if not, then I stand by my original assessment of DVDShrink.

[vance43211]

epidsode discs don't have that good of quality anyway

being they were already compressed

to fit all of them episodes on one dvd

i use ifoedit to split mine to 2 disc

dvd shrink 2.3 is is basically the one click version of smartripper and ifoedit

(it automatically does everything for u) plus ic7 if the movie is 6.5 gig or less, dvd2one if the movie is more than 6.5 gig

[SVCDummy]

I like DVDShrink *but* I am very careful about which movies to use it on.

If the DVD movie file is larger than about 6gb you will notice pretty bad macroblock and light artifacts (especially in drak scenes). A good example of this is the first 3 minutes of the Harry Potter 2 DVD.

The video quality of *shrunk* DVD video files is closer to VCD when dealing with these larger movies (and I use a crappy old 25inch TV for viewing).

For all other DVD transcoding purposes I use DVDShrink but on larger files I go with IC7.

[SVCDummy]

Oops!


... (especially in dark scenes)

My typing is not up to par this morning.

[mkelley]

Oh drak! (You can actually edit your posts if you want :>)

[Faustus]

Thought I'm normally very picky on quality I have been giving DVDshrink more and more uses and test lately. The last movie I did had to have level 5, it was horrid when testing on my 32" Sony and its NOT an HDTV. However everything up until now I've done on level 1 or 2 and its looked great. Basicly if it needs more then level 1 or 2 I still use the old DVD2SVCD to encode with CCE method and it always looks great.

[SyndicateFoo]

Can you keep the original quality of the episodes (by splitting to multiple disks) with InstantCopy?

My guess is you can't -- if not, then I stand by my original assessment of DVDShrink.

What's the point of wasting 2 dvd-r discs for 2 episodes/each if you can barely tell the difference with IC duplicate?

[mkelley]

Well -- just because *you* can't tell the difference don't assume that's true of everyone.

Because episodes are already of lesser quality than movies, any degradation shows up very plainly to me (then again, we have no television sets smaller than 36", and go all the way up to 72" -- perhaps on smaller screens it wouldn't be as noticable).

And besides I really don't see *any* point in backing up something that isn't 100% of the original -- that's like backing up only 90% of the words in your word document.

With disks running less than $1.50 a piece, what's the big deal about putting two episodes on each disk? It's not as if you sit down and watch more than one at a time anyway (I like a lot of these series, but one episode at a sitting is plenty for even the best of shows).

But to each his own -- that's the nice thing about having all these tools and different ways of doing things.

[SyndicateFoo]

NOW IM MAD

well you can put them on optodiscs which aren't too bad for $0.80/each and it would work out fine.


I don't know which is better though, Ritek or Optodisc, both have zero problems for the SyndicateFoo.

[belvedere16]

i know princos are the worst

[K2]

DVDshrink is quick so I try it first. If the quality is not good enough THEN I use a different program.


P.S. I have never had a problem with Princo

[Reaper88]

I have used DVDshrink all the way up to level 7 and i havent noticed and big differince in the movie.

[pablo180]

Am I the only person then that has problems with DVD Shrink? I have tried the original and the latest version but I still get the same problem. A stand alone DVD player doesn't seem to recognise the disk or if it does not all of the menu items can be selected, even though they were all included on the burnt DVD.

I have tried backing up many films with this but as it is so hit and miss (sometimes you can watch the film but not the extra's, which defeats the point or you get nothing at all) on my Cyberhome and on my Pacific I don't bother anymore. All the films done with DVD2ONE or IFOEDIT and CCE work fine, it is just ones done with DVDShrink.

Anyone else had this problem?

[tompika]

sometimes you can watch the film but not the extra's, which defeats the point or you get nothing at all

Just a guess (to correct DVD sectors)
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=584451&highlight=#584451

[pablo180]

Cheers tompika correcting the DVD sectors worked a treat! I tried it with Gangs of New York disk 2 (the one with all the special features on) and it played fine.

Not only that but the picture was really good considering I had compressed it quite a lot. I was surprised at how good a job it does. I have only really used DVDShrink in the past to do the bonus features disk I usually use DVD2ONE to do the main movie and then DVDShrink to do the bonus features disk on films like, Harry Potter, Die Another Day, Gangs of New York etc, mostly because the disks done with DVDShrink only worked on my PC and also because I thought the picture would be crap if used on a disk with the main movie on it! I will have to reconsider that now as I couldn't really tell that much of a difference between the original and the backed up one.

I will have to try it out more and see what results I get, very impressed so far though.

[tompika]

Great, Pablo.
Now I got some problem with DVDShrink but it seems to be working out with IFOEdit.
Don`t forget: Something new - use RW!
Still riding the old 1.06? I`ve got the 1.64

[mkelley]

1.64 of *what*? DVDShrink is at 2.3, and is *much* improved.

(And IFOEdit hasn't gone to a new version since DVDXCopy came out :>)

[tompika]

1.64 of *what*? DVDShrink is at 2.3, and is *much* improved.

(And IFOEdit hasn't gone to a new version since DVDXCopy came out :>)

Sorry for not being on topic.
Its the firmware.