which guide??

[tg18083]

I've spent a lot of time here recently looking over guides, software recommendations, etc. There is so much stuff my head is spinning.

Question: I want to back-up my Sopranos DVDs, but don't have a dual layer burner, and don't want to loose quality. Which guide (for freeware softwares if possible), best describes how I would dis-assemble the video for burning episode-by-episode??

greatly appreciated!
t

[TaoTeWingChun]

You certainly are asking for all sorts of trouble, aren't ye??? LOL

The simple answer of course, is you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Invest the $50 or so in a DL burner and save yourself the headache of ripping each individual episode, along with the software, codecs and time/patience needed to do a good job.

Or, try using DVD Shrink on one of the discs and burn the resultant VIDEO_TS folder to a DVD5 (DVD+R or -R single layer 4.7GB disc) and see how it looks. You *may* not notice the decrease in video quality at all, believe it or not.

Or, you can wait to see if/when HD-DVD or BluRay burners and media become available . . .

Much quicker to try the DVD Shrink route, IMHO.

Check it out and let us know, ok?

Cheers!

[HARRYSPADGE]

I agree,

Try DVDshrink, I use it all the time and I'm very happy with the quality I get.

I would recommend using DVDdecrypter to rip the disc to your hard drive, then shrink it to fit a single layer DVD-/+R with DVDshrink.
Then create an ISO image with shrink and burn to disc with DVDdecrypter.

I'm sure you'll be very happy with the results.

Check here for guides using DVDshrink,

https://www.videohelp.com/guides.php?tools=155&madeby=&formatconversionselect=&howtosel...or+List+Guides

and here for guides using DVDdecrypter,

https://www.videohelp.com/guides.php?tools=53&madeby=&formatconversionselect=&howtosele...or+List+Guides

There are many other ways and means of doing what you want, but if you are new to this I would stick to the DVDdecrypter/DVdshrink route until you are a little more advanced/happy with the process.

Take a good look at all the guides and get yourself some DVD/RW discs to do some testing with until you have it sussed.

Good luck and if you need any more help let us know.

[HARRYSPADGE]

Take a look at this guide, it may be a good starting place for you.

http://www.digitalfaq.com/dvdguides/dvdcopy/dvdshrink/dvdshrink.htm

There are also some more here for DVDshrink,

http://club.cdfreaks.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=72

And this site is all about DVDshrink,

http://www.dvdshrink.info/guides.php

Now go have lots of fun

[tg18083]

TTWC / Harry

Thanks, sometimes one just needs a reality check . . . I've been learning the two softwares you recommended, and will likely just pursue the route you both cited.

regards,
tom in WV

[Bjs]

Just a question here , but dont these dvds have multiple titles , like 3 shows on one dvd ???

If its like those stargate dvds , you need to use dvdxcopy to copy the dvd to hard drive first .

Then use dvdshrink in reauthor mode .

The stargate dvds have not 4 titles , but 8 titles , dont ask me how or why , but they are impossible to backup any otherway .

If the stargate dvd has 5 titles , you can bet there are 10 titles .

I choose the four titles I want , and reauthor , then play test them , the first time I did this , I found titles 1-2 ok , 3-4 not , 5 not , 6 ok , 7 not , 8 ok .

Appears some where messed up in the audio side of things to prevent making perfect copies ....

The dvd commands used were also crap , and the person authoring these should have been shot at birth , 30% of the commands are redundant and of no value ... a waste .

I will have a guide on these soon , well as soon as the stupid dvds turn up , still waiting , must be using snails to deliver the mail again ....