DVD burning

[sameeralord]

Hi Guys,
I now have a DVD burner and an empty DVD disc. Exited as always I am because I got this new DVD burner. I want to burn all these latest movies and I know because they are new they got all this good protection. So which softwares and methods do you recommend so I can burn these movies.

[Darth Mandarb]

I'm assuming you want to copy movies that you already own?  As copying movies you don't own would be illegal (thus not allowed to be discussed on these forums)

Did you get a dual-layer DVD burner?

Most movies on DVD now-a-days won't fit on single layer DVDs (which is, I think, why it took so long for dual layer burners to hit the market).  Also, DL media is still rediculously expensive.  You might as well just buy the DVDs, in the end it'll probably cost you less.

There is a program called DVD Shrink (use Google to find it) which can strip out all the useless crap DVDs provide (menues, special features, sub-audio tracks, other languages, etc) and put just the movie (compressed just enough) to fit on a single layer DVD.  Some movies don't even need compressing if they're short enough (around 2 hours).  I've compressed up to 75% and could barely tell it was compressed.

This is, of course, only to be used on DVDs that you already own ... Pirating DVDs is stealing.

[Babar]

Didn't the DVD burner you got come with software?

Question, is it true that your DVD-ROM stops working if you run DVDs with different region codes a certain number of times?

[Haddas]

I dunno about that. I know my dvd station can only change it's region thrice before it sticks with one

[Barbarian]

I dunno about that. I know my dvd station can only change it's region thrice before it sticks with one

I was faced with a similar problem, as I am from North America region (Canada), and had a fairly large DVD movie collection (all which are legal), and then moving and residing in Asia now, of course there was the conflict of region zones with my DVD on my computer. But there are work-arounds for that. Some software will get around this problem nicely. One such software to get around the region-zones "countdown" is "DVD Region Free" which I got from the following site: http://www.dvdidle.com/products.htm (They do have a free download "trial" type of version there too I believe).

   Of course I didn't mind paying the money to have the full-version of the program if it meant I could enjoy watching, on the same computer, my North America bought DVD movies as well as now enjoying Asian bought DVD movies.  If you look around, I'm sure you can find other software that will do the same kind of thing (disable the "Region" countdown thingy).  For me I've had good success with the one I mentioned.

[LGM]

You can just set your region code to "0" or turn it off, I believe..

[Las Naranjas]

My DVD drive's manual said it could be changed 6 times before it stuck.

I changed it once and it stuck...but then I just got a program workaround anyway [and plus I watch DVDs on the DVD player which has no regions]. It beats me why they persist with regions.

[Bad Voo-doo man]

For burning DVD's, I like CloneDVD 2, and burn it at a slower speed

[Paper Carnival]

One thing I've never understood so far: Why are we not allowed to change regions whenever we want??

[monkey0506]

Movies are released at different times on DVD in different countries, thus the region codes.  Hollywood wouldn't want people to buy Star Wars Episode III from Russia and then be able to watch it at home*.

I don't have a DVD burner, so I'm not really too sure about it, but I use Alcohol 120%.  It's a good program, and I've never found any CDs it can't rip.  I believe it can rip DVDs too as long as you have a DVD-ROM at least.

*A friend of mine did this.  He bought the DVD online from Russia, and I got to watch SW Episode III on his laptop.  Well, I actually missed most of it because I was at summer camp, and I had to go take a shower and get back to my campsite or my leaders would have come looking for me.

[Bad Voo-doo man]

I don't have a DVD burner, so I'm not really too sure about it, but I use Alcohol 120%.Ã,  It's a good program, and I've never found any CDs it can't rip.Ã,  I believe it can rip DVDs too as long as you have a DVD-ROM at least.

I really like Alcohol 120%. It's good mounting software too