New to this whole DVD copying stuff. I just had few questions?

[realplayz]

Hi,
I am new to this whole DVD copying stuff. I just had few questions.
I wanted to know:

1. What do I need to buy (as in like a dvd drive) to copy DVD to DVD?
2. What do I need to buy to make DVD's of videos I already have on my computer?
3. Is there some type of tuturial which can help me?
4. What kind of a DVD drive do I need and which cds?

Thanks a lot.

[redwudz]

1. You need a DVD burner. Look to the left for DVD Writers.

2. It depends on what format your videos are. For DVDs, Look to the upper left for 'WHAT IS' DVD. That will explain the DVD format and structure.

3. There are lots of guides. Again to the left. I would advise you to look first to the lower left for our F.A.Q.as they will answer a lot of your questions.

4. Again, you need a DVD Writer.

If you just want to backup the DVDs you own, DVD Shrink, RipIt4Me, DVD Fab Decrypter and ImgBurn would be three freeware programs to DL and use. There's a version of Shrink that automatically burns a DVD using ImgBurn: http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=63869

If you want to convert videos on your computer to DVD, try ConvertXToDVD or the older freeware DivxToDVD. That should give you a good start.

And realplayz, in the future please use a more descriptive subject title in your posts to allow others to search for similar topics. I will change yours this time. From our rules:

Try to choose a subject that describes your topic.
Please do not use topic subjects like Help me!!! or Problems.

Thanks, Moderator redwudz

[CrayonEater]

I'll make it easy on ya!

---Several cardinal rules you need to know here:

a. Always use good media. Obey the MIJ Rule - only use media that says Made in Japan on the label and check each time you buy. The sole exception to this rule is Verbatim, which also makes good media. For Double-Layer (DL) discs, Verbatim DVD+R DL is really your only good option.

b. There are basically three kinds of DVD: DVD-9 or Double-layer which hold about 8.5-9 gigabytes of info, and single-layer DVD-5, which hold 4.7 Gb.

c. There are basically three kinds of RECORDABLE disc you will encounter, DVD-R, DVD+R, and DVD+R Double Layer. (There are others including RW discs, but they have varying compatibility problems with lots of devices and, also for the sake of simplicity, I will exclude them from consideration for now.)

d. If you elect to use DVD+R media (single-layer, that is, 4.7 Gb discs), then you might need a hacked firmware for most DVD burners. In short, most drives don't bitset DVD+R. Bitsetting/booktyping is needed for compatibility in many cases, because it fools a DVD player into thinking it's dealing with a commercially-pressed disc, rather than a recorded one. Some DVD players are fine with DVD+Rs that are not bitset, but I'd say it's the second leading cause of playback problems behind the use of cheap media. It's particularly a problem with portable and car DVD players. You can usually avoid all this with DVD-R media, but some believe the quality of DVD+R media to be inherently superior. This is not a factor with DVD+R DL as all modern drives bitset DLs, so don't worry about that.

e. If you are backing up DVDs you own, if the source DVD is a DVD-5 (holds 4.7 Gb or less of info), then you can make an exact copy on a regular, single-layer, cheap DVD-5. If you are backing up a DVD-9 (most movies made since 2002), then you can make an exact clone by backing it up onto a DVD+R DL. As of this writing, blank, MIJ DVD-5s are about 25-35 cents each, whereas blank Verbatim DLs are around $1.50 each if you shop around and buy in quantity.
Things get more complicated when your source DVD is a DVD-9 but you don't want to spend the extra money for DL discs, so you have to back up onto a DVD-5. If you decide you do not want to spring for the more-expensive DL discs (e.g. your kids think DVDs are meant to be drawn on or used as frisbees) then you will either have to split the source DVD amongst two DVD-5s, cut out extras, or compress, or perhaps do a combination of these. Compression can make a DVD look like crap if you are a videophile even at 20% or so, so avoid this where possible. I personally don't copy my commercial DVDs, but if I did, I'd spring for the DL discs if I needed to, but that's just me.

f. If you want to back up your DVDs to protect against damage, the easiest route to go is to buy AnyDVD and CloneDVD2 from www.slysoft.com. People tell me to use a pre-paid credit card if you do - in case you are not aware many credit card companies sell lists of what you buy to direct marketers. Otherwise, free tools like Ripit4me and/or DVDFab Decrypter work just as well, though some would argue that they take a little more initial setup and are a tad less-easy to use. See the guides regarding those. You'll also want IMGBurn (free, of course) if you go the free-software route. I don't do backups myself, but there are lots of excellent guides here and at afterdawn.com->See http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/ and http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/407110


Now, onto your questions:

1. An NEC ND-3550A or Pioneer 111 drive. I think the former is available from Tigerdirect for $20 after rebate till the end of the month, if you do rebates.

2. If your videos are in DVD format, the best bet is Nero. Nero will likely come with your drive. When you install Nero, make sure to select a "Custom" installation and DO NOT install InCD! Start Nero Burning Rom (Nero has many components, but this is the main one). Select the DVD-Video compilation from the beginning screen/wizard, and simply drag the VIDEO_TS folders of the DVDs you have on disc into the red VIDEO_TS folder in Nero and click burn.

3. Look at the tutorials here and at Afterdawn.com Also try this one->http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/407110

4. You can play anything you make on your computer or a standalone DVD player. If you buy a DVD burner it'll probably come with something like PowerDVD. Alternatively, you can download the K-Lite Mega Codec pack and it'll install a nice player called Media Player Classic and all the software needed to play DVDs, as well as other types of videos.