Need Help With Mac DVD Backup

[RappedNPlastic]

Hi, I recently purchased an iMac with a superdrive and have been trying to figure out how to make backup copies of DVDs. I downloaded MacTheRipper and have had no trouble ripping the movies to my harddiver. After that, however, I'm not sure what to do. I know I need to do something to the files after that before I can burn them so that they'll play on a DVD player and so that they're smaller, but I'm not sure if there is any free programs to allow me to do so. I downloaded a program called DVD2ZoneX, but it won't allow me to do more than 30 minutes without purchasing it. I think that after doing what I need to do with a program such as that that I'll be ready to burn (correct me if I'm wrong) but does anyone know a program besides DVD2ZoneX that is free? Thanks.

[Manny C]

You only have 2 options. The first is to use DVD2oneX (which is just the Mac the OS X version of the popular windows program), and the second option is DVDremaster.

Most people strongly prefer using DVD2oneX. Although as you will see from reading these forums, nothing is perfect. Both of these programs basically compress the video from larger capacity dual-layer commerecial DVDs. The software compresses the video and creates a smaller VIDEO_TS folder so that it will fit onto a blank recordable DVD (although the blank DVD is supposed to hold 4.7 gigs of data, it actually only holds 4.4 gigs when authoring a video DVD).

At this time, there is no free software for the Mac that will compress your ripped DVD files.

[pixeljammedia]

Actually FFMpegX also has a DVD>DVD4 option. It's for Movie only shrinking, but is a viable option for those looking for a swiss=army style app.

[thoughton]

I believe the ffmpegx downsizer is also faster than the other two, but requires you to input one huge vob.

[galactica]

ffmpegx is an option, but its not free either. just less expensive

dvd2onex is an excellent app in that its point and click dvd compression - you pay for the usability.

ffmpegx is not difficult either, once you get use to it

if you want a tutorial for easy dvd to dvdr [using dvd2one] check my website.

i suppose at some point ill write one for ffmpegx, but it may already be on major's website

[RappedNPlastic]

Thanks for the help. It is a shame that there isn't a free program, but paying for a program will still be well worth it in the end. I was told on one site that I can burn the final product to DVD just by dragging it and burning it in the finder and on another website that I will need Toast or something like it. Can anyone answer that? Thanks.

[pixeljammedia]

The Apple burner will work, but you should grab a DVD imager first. If you go the full disk copy DVD2OneX route, you will need DVD Imager: http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/19456 Then you can burn using Disk Copy's Burn Image function. If you have a VOB/MPeg Streams through FFMPEGX, you can use Sizzle to make your image and burn with Disk Copy again. You might also be able to use MissingMediaBurner. to burn to your Superdrive. If you do not like Disk Copy.

Toast is very useful so I say don't find a workaround when Toast can solve many headaches.

[galactica]

finder burn is a data burn by default. As such you wont be able to burn a dvd in udf format simply by dragging the folders to the mounted disk.

instead, as was mentioned, you just need to make a udf disk image and burn the image with disc copy.

its a small step but it will work

if you dont already have toast however, you should look into purchasing it. Its one of the "must haves" for a mac.