Just a quick comment about DVD X Copy Express

[Thunder In Paradise]

Hey guys. I just have a quick comment about DVD X Copy to those who aren't sure if they should use it or whatnot. I just finished copying "Rambo Part 2", "Ringu", and "Desperado" with DVD X Copy Express, and you know what? They turned out totally fine! I was a little nervous because other people had said that you slightly loose video and audio quality, but I can't see any difference. I think it's because the movies themselves are not over the 120min. time limit, so there's no need for the program to compress anything. I wish I would've used this program before instead of wasting 2 discs on other movies, when I could've gotten them on one, without loosing any video/audio quality. It's "express" because it cuts litterally everything off, except the video and usually the main audio track. No menu's, no commentaries, nothing else. Just thought I'd post this.

[lchiu7]

I've use it a few times and have had no problem. Even worked out using ifoedit how to remove that Copyright message at the beginning

[Bob W]

I use it the most these days.

[poopyhead]

I just finished copying "Rambo Part 2", "Ringu", and "Desperado" with DVD X Copy Express, and you know what? They turned out totally fine!

guess what.....Desperado is a DVD5, last i recall...been awhile since i ripped it. with DVD5, you don't even need a transcoder....just rip and burn...with nothing in between...it's basically a 1:1 copy because the commerical DVD is same size as DVD-R. all you need to do is remove CSS and burn the files directly. so, since it's basically a 1:1 copy of the original commercial DVD, of course there will be absolutely no quality loss.

I think it's because the movies themselves are not over the 120min. time limit, so there's no need for the program to compress anything.

time length of movie has nothing to do with it...only filesize...the smaller filesize of the original commercial DVD, the less you will need to compress it to fit on one DVD-R.

[vric]

this software don't give me what I want.. I need multiple audio track (english & french) and if I choose to have a DTS track, I don'T want the software reencode the audio track.. anyway DVDShrink do a better job and it's free..

[dengar]

"I've use it a few times and have had no problem. Even worked out using ifoedit how to remove that Copyright message at the beginning"


Please explain!!!

[lchiu7]

I think there are guides on this site for how to do it.

See

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/127933.php

Basically you run DVDXCOPY with no blank media in the DVD writer. When it asks you to put in some media to burn, you don't do anything, go find the place where it has created the video_ts directory with the .ifo and .vob files and move it someplace else. Then cancel DVDXCOPY. If you have done this right, then it won't delete those files since they have been moved.

Then run ifoedit on the video_tsi.ifo file, fine the menu entry that has the 321 Studios message, delete that entry and burn the files to your DVD using Nero

Larry

[dcsos]

I think its funny that people shrunk down a title that was DVD-5 to begin with!

I still don't understand why anyone would go to this length of trouble.
I understand the amount of work behind conversions, muxing, demuxing, etc..
Its just that when its supposed to be a one click solution that you have to go thru
3 workarounds to trick the program!
Workarounds:
1. The program doesn't copy to the hard drive. You have to fool it with a
lack of blankmedia to "deposit files somewhere"
Then find them them in C: WINDOWS\TEMP
2. You have to let the program generate an unwanted menu and then remove it with IFO EDIT
3. You must burn with a seperate application because DVD X COPY EXPRESS doesn't recognize its own files on the hard drive anymore

WHY NOT USE DVD SHRINK..the true 1 click program

[ebenton]

I keep seeing comments in various forums from various people, who basically say the same thing: "It doesn't matter how long the movie is, it is the file size that determines whether or not a movie needs to be compressed..." or words to that effect.
It would seem that any DVD movie more than 120 minutes with normal DVD resolution and minimal special features would be virtually guaranteed to need compressing for backup.
I wonder if somebody who has backed up a whole bunch more movies than I have (about 20) could point out to me a DVD that is *over 120 minutes* that does *not* need to be compressed for backing up? Are there lots and lots of them, or only one or two?
It seems like it would be fairly safe to assume that if a movie is greater than 120 minutes, you will *PROBABLY* need to compress it for back up. While you are browsing the DVDs at your local Wal-Mart, I think the 120-minute criteria would be a good rule of thumb to use. Unless you happen to have your laptop with DVDShrink installed with you, and the store will let you unwrap the DVD and put it in your laptop so DVDShrink can analyze it...
Personally, I always at least analyze a movie with DVDshrink (at home) to see if it can be written without compression. Sometimes all you need to do is remove the French captions and/or voice track or something like that, in which case I use DVDShrink/Nero Express to back it up uncompressed. If the movie does need compression to fit on one disk, I prefer to use DVDXCopy Express. It's easier and the results are always satisfactory. Especially since I don't care too much about the special features, anyway. I only back up my movies so I can take them on airline flights with me and not worry about having them stolen or lost.
Who cares about the stupid "DVD Backup" disclaimer at the beginning? It's inconsequential.
Just my opinion. Notice the word "personally" in this post. I am not discounting or minimizing the opinions and methods of others.

[poopyhead]

DVD that is *over 120 minutes* that does *not* need to be compressed for backing up? Are there lots and lots of them, or only one or two?

well... the exorcist (NOT the special extended version) is a DVD5. i'm sure there are plenty of others.

also, if you just strip out the main movie and don't include any menus, audio tracks, subtitles, special features, then there will be plenty of 2+ hour movies that will fit on a DVD-R/+R....

Personally, I always at least analyze a movie with DVDshrink (at home) to see if it can be written without compression.

well, if you just wanna know if a DVD is DVD5 or DVD9, DVDdecryptor's iso mode tells you # of layers.

of course, you still need DVDshrink if you wanna strip out everything but the main movie....

--------

btw, if a commercial DVD is DVD5, there is NOT transcoder needed...the ONLY software you will ever need in this case is DVDdecryptor

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/141024.php#dvd5

[KungFuCow]

I believe Batman is close to 120 minutes and it does not need transcoding. Actually just checked and yea, it's 129 minutes.

[lchiu7]

I think its funny that people shrunk down a title that was DVD-5 to begin with!

I still don't understand why anyone would go to this length of trouble.
I understand the amount of work behind conversions, muxing, demuxing, etc..
Its just that when its supposed to be a one click solution that you have to go thru
3 workarounds to trick the program!
Workarounds:
1. The program doesn't copy to the hard drive. You have to fool it with a
lack of blankmedia to "deposit files somewhere"

Actually DVDXCOPY Express does write out the video_ts files before it burns. Well it does for me. The issue is, when you cancel the burn process, it deletes those files. I was suggesting that you move the directory elsewhere before cancelling the burn and then editing using ifoedit

Why do this for DVD5? Well perhaps not since other software can do an entire dupe. But for a DVD9 it's perfect and saves mucking around if all you want is the movie on one disk, no other tracks, special features etc.

Larry

[poopyhead]

Why do this for DVD5? Well perhaps not since other software can do an entire dupe.

uh..hrm...hum... https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/141024.php#dvd5

going from commercial DVD5 to DVD5 DVD-R/+R using ONLY DVDdecryptor (ripping and burning)...which is completely FREE, btw...unlike Copy Express

But for a DVD9 it's perfect and saves mucking around if all you want is the movie on one disk, no other tracks, special features etc.

again, this can be done by another FREEWARE....i.e. DVDshrink...which gives you 2 modes..

full backup mode for keeping everything..but still allowing you to remove audio tracks and subtitles

re-author mode for keeping just the main movie

all in a very nice, simple GUI

http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/mpg/dvdshrink2-main.htm

[Thunder In Paradise]

I agree with you Ebenton. The "disclaimer" really doesn't bother me that much. Besides, 99% of the time, you can just skip past it by clicking the "menu" button on your DVD player remote. I also agree with you that it's kinda silly that some people use like 10 programs just to make a movie when DVD X Copy does everything by itself. I can't comment on compression discussion, because, oddly, I haven't had a 120min. movie yet, although I might today since I'm doing The Abyss SE. It's nice though because most movies I've done so far (Ocean's 11, The Thing, Blade Runner) are all like 117 min., so they just barely fit on a DVD-R. Most of the time, I'll try to atleast keep the commentary track(s) on my copies because that's probably the best special feature that I like, but sometimes it just won't fit, so it has to be cut.

P.S. Has anyone used DVD Xpress to copy a movie that's longer then the 120min. limit? If so, what compression problems did you see? Thanks

[trialsofg]

I have used it for the entire third season of DS9, which means 4 episodes at 45 minutes each. This and I was able to keep the menu, too. So far, no issues related to length. I will try the Good, the Bad and the Ugly soon. If I remember correctly, this movie is over 2.5 hrs or so.

[lchiu7]

Why do this for DVD5? Well perhaps not since other software can do an entire dupe.

uh..hrm...hum... https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/141024.php#dvd5

going from commercial DVD5 to DVD5 DVD-R/+R using ONLY DVDdecryptor (ripping and burning)...which is completely FREE, btw...unlike Copy Express

But for a DVD9 it's perfect and saves mucking around if all you want is the movie on one disk, no other tracks, special features etc.

again, this can be done by another FREEWARE....i.e. DVDshrink...which gives you 2 modes..

full backup mode for keeping everything..but still allowing you to remove audio tracks and subtitles

re-author mode for keeping just the main movie

all in a very nice, simple GUI

http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/mpg/dvdshrink2-main.htm

Agreed - it's pretty easy to use. I bought DVDXCOPY before I knew about it but don't have any regrets. I had to use dvdshrink recently when I got a DVD that only had Chinese and Russian dialogue tracks(!) and English subtitles. DVDCOPY express is no use of course since it won't keep any subtitles. But a quick pass through dvdshrink and I got the title down to one disc with subtitles and the other non-essential stuff removed with minimal additional compression

Larry

[Soulman1]

I'm a big fan of DVDXCopy Express and have copied around 35 DVD movies and have been satified with the results. Last weekend I copied Brian DePalma's SCARFACE which runs at about 165 minutes. I noticed a loss of picture quality but I can live with it. Version 3x allows you to copy the entire disc (extras included) to one DVD.

[tvtuna]

I found that if you use DVD X Copy Xpress to squeeze a 2 hour 15 min movie onto a DVD-R, its hard to find a player that wont stutter and freeze in places. The fact that it was an action movie probably didn't help. Film was "Die Another Day".

It caused a lot of hiccups on my APEX 1100W, but played fine on my PC. I had been thinking of getting a new player with progressive scan anyway, so off I went to Walmart and picked up a Panasonic S35. This was much better, with only two stutters in the first 10 minutes during fast action. Back I went and swapped it for a Pioneer - perfection, played entire film flawlessly. The same media (Fujifilm) with shorter movies played fine on all the players.

The bottom line is besides media compatibility in choosing a player, the ability of a player to handle heavy decompression on the fly is another criteria if you are shopping.