Better Quality Backups?

[poolman]

I am currently using DVD Shrink to backup my DVD's. I am taking out languages I dont use and shrinking the percentage of the menus/extras/unrefferenced material so that the movie has the most room possible. I also use the Sharp (Default) configuration while encoding. Then I burn using DVD Decrypter.

First off is this a good way to backup DVD's or is there a much better way I just dont know about? Also should this give me decent quality while compressing DVD's to fit a DVD-R or is there a way to get much better quality?

Thanks for any help guys, I just wanted to find out if my method was sound and if there was anything better I could be doing or using. THANKS ALOT AGAIN FOR ALL THE HELP!!!!!

[bmiller]

Dvdrebuilder.

[ROF]

The best way to backup is to not shrink the movie at all. As shrinking implies, the movie compressed and bits and pieces are removed in order for it to be 'shrunk". My suggestion is to use dual layer discs. The movie must be important if you are taking the time to back it up. You might as well have a quality 1:1 backup rather than some compressed version of what the original was.

[lordsmurf]

- Buy more. Costs same as original. No time.

- 1:1 on DL media. Rip in Decrypter, use MDS, burn from MDS. Time to burn.

- Do not "shrink" but rather run a full decompress and re-encode. Use DVD Rebuilder with an encoder. I suggest Procoder 2. Remember to go to the AVISynth settings and changed content to Half D1, as it will keep bitrate allocation better this way, at least on anything longer than 2 hours of content on a single disc. Can take about 5-10 hours. Free software except for the encoder.

All that said, DVD Shrink with DEEP ANALYSIS and MAX SMOOTH will work fine most of the time. Reserve the more expensive and more time consuming methods for times when Shrink will fail.

[bmiller]

Dual alyer is THE way to go,but if you back-up and have to compress any more than 10% rebuilder with cce or procoder is the best.Most of the other commercial programs are sufficient at less than 10% compression.
I am presently doing about 75% dual layer and 25% single layer.It depends on your price point.
Dual layer discs are getting cheaper all the time.

[blinky88]

I have been using Shrink to backup my DVDs to DVD-R\+R for over 2 years and have not experienced a problem or loss of quality of any description. I use Shrink to Rip, Re-author, Edit and Shrink then DVD Decrypter to burn. I burn at 4x regardless of the speed of the material I am using.

For compressions < 80% I choose the Smooth rather than the default sharp as that performs a double pass to improve quality. Sometimes I take a backup disc to my Sons house to view as he has a 10 ft. projector screen and the viewing is still as good as the original.

I do not see any need at all to buy the more expensive DL blanks, when the single layer give perfect results.

Stick with the method you are using now.