Best DVD9 --> DVD5 transcoder

[aldaco12]

Hi. I was wondering which would be the best application to make a DVD9 --> DVD5 transcoding.
I have heard of Clond DVD, Clone DVD 2, DVD Shrink, DVD95Copy, DVD2One, DVD Rebuilder and many others and I was wondering: which would be the highest quality transcoder?
So far I'm usiing DVD Shrink a lot, but I'm wondering if I'm wasting too much DVD quality, even by choosing its 'highest quality' settings ("Deep scan" and so on).
Please note: my problem does not lie in DVD ripping or in the time expense (until about a night, that is about 10-12 hours, is for me a decent time, if needed to make a very high DVD9 (on my hard disk) --> DVD5 (on another folder of my HD)) conversion.
I'm not concerned about a few tenths dollars' expense, and about the usage difficulty (I'm a rather expert user and, luckily, there are lots of tutorials).
I own CCE, so even DVD Rebuilder could be an interesting application.
By my questions are:
1) which are the best transcoding application(s)?
2) which are the best settings, to obtain a high quality's DVD5?
3) how much time will I need, to convert from a DVD9 set to a DVD5 set, for an average 2h movie, using a decent (not older than 1 year from now) computer?
4) can all ripped DVD be transcoded by the application you suggest?
5) which are the drawbacks of the suggested application(s)?

Thanks in advance.

[lordsmurf]

DVD Rebuilder is not a transcoder. It's an interface that automates tools. You can use a good encoder like PROCODER, no transcoder needed.

For a transcoder, DVD Shrink using deep analysis and AEC (smooth or max smooth suggested) is the best.

[guns1inger]

The default install of DVD Rebuilder does include DVD Rejig, which is also a good transcoder. But I would agree with Lord Smurf that Shrink is the best transcoder around (especially for the price).

[redwudz]

Another option since you are more interested in quality than the price is just using DL DVDs. A little expensive at present, but you wouldn't have to transcode and your quality would be much better.

[MaxBlack]

I recommend using DVD Shrink if the disc doesn't need to be compressed to less than 75%, and DVD Rebuilder Pro with (free) Hank's Encoder when the disc needs to be compressed more than this. Positively outstanding results, and noticeable to even the casual viewer (when compressing more than 75-80%).

In fact I don't use Shrink much anymore, DVD-RB is the first tool I grab for.

Note re-encoding takes (a lot) more time than "transcoding" but the quality is much greater. What most DVD-RB users do is just queue-up conversions for running overnight. Tends to take 3-4hrs or longer (depending on yr CPU) per disc.

[volwrath]

Another option since you are more interested in quality than the price is just using DL DVDs. A little expensive at present, but you wouldn't have to transcode and your quality would be much better.

Isn't it possible for a DL to need a little compression from a commercial disk?

[lordsmurf]

I if the disc doesn't need to be compressed to less than 75%,

You cannot use raw % numbers, that is meaningless. Transcode quality depends on original bitrate.

Some items can compress fine at 50% and have no visible loss (one of the superbit release movies, for example, a DL disc that has no extras and is completely full with just a movie).

Some discs cannot be shrunk to even 90% without turning blocky and becoming entirely unwatchable (example: Married With Children season releases, a disc that is barely using a good enough bitrate, and the disc is packed completely full, maybe over full by typical standards).

[bergslag]

PLEASE LOOK AT MY POST.....HIGHER UP IN THIS FORUM.....DID A TEST ON NERO RECODE AND COMPARED THE QUALITY TO THE ORIGINAL

[classfour]

It's at your own discretion: I almost always use DVD Rebuilder and ProCoder for full disc backups - However: I recently backed up Capote using both DVD Rebuilder and DVD2One v2.04 as a test. On a 54 inch Mitsubishi both were equal: Really blew the wind outa my sails regarding transcoders. On other transcoding software that I'd used in the past doing a full disc backup of an 8GB DVD: I'd always found some blockiness or fuzziness, somewhere in the playback. I'm not certain if this is due to the lack of action throughout this particular movie, or if DVD2One has really improved their transcoding engine?????