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DVD back-ups

C

caccamolle

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 18, 2005
359
0
hi,
I'd like to make copies of my dvd's, which utility is good for such task ? Is there an app within OS X ?


thx much.
 
Hiya,

Please note that copying DVD's is only legal if you own the original and are copying purely for backup!

Mac the Ripper is a good app to copy the Video_TS folder to your mac. Then use Toast Titanium 7 to burn the DVD from the Video_TS folder. This is how I backup all of my DVD's. Note that you will have to pay for Toast, although I think there are some similar freeware applications out there although I'm not sure where or which ones. Maybe someone else might know! Hope this helps,

shawsinio
 
If you're looking for freeware applications to back up DVDs, shaw's right. Mac The Ripper is the first application that you need. Current version is 2.6 and it's free. The guy(s) are working on version 3 and if you want the beta of that, you need to be a contributor (read $$$). In any case, version 2.6 works for most DVDs, although some of Sony's new stuff is tough to rip.

If you're looking at DVD's that are smaller than 4.4 GB, then you don't need Toast (incidentally, another app that you can use in lieu of Toast is DVD2OneX, aka DTOX. it's not free either). All you need is to download an application called DVD Imager.

You can take the Video_TS folder you got with MTR and drag it onto the DVD Imager window and it'll wrap it up in a nice disk image.

Then use Disk Utility (it's in your Application/Utilities folder) to burn the image onto a DVD.

If you have a Dual Layer SuperDrive, then you get rid of the 4.4 GB limit.

ft
 
thank you ftaok for the actual help provided. With that info I will give it a first try tonight, assuming I find a DVD to burn somewhere in the house!

I am convinced this is no place for shawsinio to make any such "comments", I think I have been quite clear about that. Nonetheless, while disagreeing, I do appreciate your point of view.

As to the copy/pirate thing, since this might interest some (it was news to me for sure, evidently) the reason why I want to back-up is actually to try and see whether my HD DVD player will upconvert SD-DVD's copies since it won't work with originals. Many have suggested I tried this back-up route. And by the way dudes, HD-DVDs are just fantastic !!!!
 
ripping away; I am using my new (refurbished) MBP and man does this thing get hot !

By the way the size is (selecting main feature only) 7.47gb, it will be interesting to deal with that. Not sure if I have a dual-layer burner yet. Well, on my iMac in Sytem Profiler it says DL somewhere, may be that indicated Dual Layer (it does not say that on the MPB) ?
 
caccamolle said:
ripping away; I am using my new (refurbished) MBP and man does this thing get hot !

By the way the size is (selecting main feature only) 7.47gb, it will be interesting to deal with that. Not sure if I have a dual-layer burner yet. Well, on my iMac in Sytem Profiler it says DL somewhere, may be that indicated Dual Layer (it does not say that on the MPB) ?
Click to expand...

dvdremaster can compress it into 4.5GB size, i think free version of it can still do the job, just little bit slower.
ffmpegx can do many jobs for free, but I remembered its 4GB function is not free, but not sure.

also, if you don't really care DVD quality, use ffmpegx to convert file to xvid/divx/h.264 will save you 50%~80% space.
 
thanks clevin.

But would my assumed DL burner (iMac CD) handle that size ? I actually care a lot about quality, that is basically the reason I am trying all of this out. There is a whole debate on whether or not SD-DVDs are truly better when upconverted, so I want to find out on my own.
 
caccamolle said:
thanks clevin.

But would my assumed DL burner (iMac CD) handle that size ? I actually care a lot about quality, that is basically the reason I am trying all of this out. There is a whole debate on whether or not SD-DVDs are truly better when upconverted, so I want to find out on my own.
Click to expand...

ok, if thats the case, let me describe how i did it, see if it will be helpful
1. mac the ripper rip dvd to harddisk, if the size if <4.5GB, then I use "DVD imager" to directly make the folder produced by mac the ripper into an *.iso image file, then I burn them onto DVD with "simplyburns"'s "burn a image" function.
2. if the size of the folder produced by mac the ripper is larger than 4.5G, then have to use DVD remaster to compress it. before converting to *.iso and burning it.

what is your "DL burner"? I never heard about that?
 
clevin said:
ok, if thats the case, let me describe how i did it, see if it will be helpful
1. mac the ripper rip dvd to harddisk, if the size if <4.5GB, then I use "DVD imager" to directly make the folder produced by mac the ripper into an *.iso image file, then I burn them onto DVD with "simplyburns"'s "burn a image" function.
2. if the size of the folder produced by mac the ripper is larger than 4.5G, then have to use DVD remaster to compress it. before converting to *.iso and burning it.

what is your "DL burner"? I never heard about that?
Click to expand...

On my iMac, when I go to System Profiler, under Disc Burning it will say various things including +R DL, which I am only assume means that it can read dual layer discs. I just don't know to be honest. But in any event, if it can only read, then it won't help me, I guess.
 
oh, thats probably duel layer burner,
anyway the best freeware i ever used to backup DVD is dvdshrink, which can directly read dvd in your drive and produce a <4.5G file, but its only for windows, I tried it under linux through crossover office, but it would always stall at certain percentage. maybe you can try it under OSX through crossover again, lol
 
oh well, this is getting complicated...may be not if indeed my burner can do the DL thing, otherwise I am beginning to suspect it ain't worth it. But thx for trying man !
 
caccamolle said:
On my iMac, when I go to System Profiler, under Disc Burning it will say various things including +R DL, which I am only assume means that it can read dual layer discs. I just don't know to be honest. But in any event, if it can only read, then it won't help me, I guess.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking that your iMac's SuperDrive is indeed a DL burner. Of course, you'll need DL media, which is quite a bit more expensive than the regular DVD-R's.

But you've said that quality matters for you, so you should buy some DL media if you don't already have any. Check out dealmac.com for some good bargains. They scour the internet and find the best prices for just about anything. DL media is always on sale somewhere.
 
the problem is, most >4.5Gb file produced by mac the ripper is because of weird security technique(by repeating its data, produce larger size), the real video file isn't bigger than 4.5GB.
 
thank you guys, much appreciated feedback.

I guess at this point I will give it a try with a DL dvd and see if that works and is not too painful.
 
it seems i cannot find a single program that can backup my purchased dvd's!

mac the ripper + 1 would be good enough even!

am i missing something?

r.
 
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