Out of everything on the market which is the best software to use to back up dvds .What gives the best result thanks in advance
Hi andmerr, In my opinion, software is only part of the overall success you might have in dvd coping. It is a combination of several things working together. The drive, software, media, and your computer system. DVDShrink is usually the first choice for everyone because it is free. It needs a burning software to work with it like Nero. DVD Xcopy Express (about $50.) is good because it is a true 1 click software. It has its problems with other software on a system and is still being upgraded. I like the combination of Anydvd & Clonedvd working together. Very easy to use, decrypts and shrinks if necessary. Only drawback is cost (about $40. each.) If I was buying software that is the 2 I would buy. But Shrink is free and a good one to start with and learn with. All give good results if you don't over compress the files. Its sometimes trial and error to see what works best for you and your system. Read the guide sections on them and see what looks easy for you to use and understand. Jerry
thanks for the info.Have tried xcopy xpress but unfortunately it keeps giving me errors.Currently using any dvd and clone and even though i get good results i am finding that the older movies develop minor audio probs,like small squeeks.Doesnt happen with every movie.How does pinacles software rate and would it improve on the quality i am getting(fix the audio) thx andmerr
The best software in my opinion is CloneDVD working together with AnyDVD. Get this two and you'll have no problem. Also download DVD Shrink and DVD Decrypter, they are free and will come up handy. DVDXCopy is also a good piece of software, if you have problems you can get help at http://dvdxcopy.afterdawn.com
andmerr, I haven't tried any of the pinacle software so I don't know about it. I also haven't heard anything about your audio squeek problem before. Most problems on here seem to relate to video problems. Your choice of Clonedvd & Anydvd are good. I'm starting to use them more and more now. I hardly ever use Xcopy express now. Its either DVDshrink or Clonedvd. Good luck Jerry
As someone who's tried them all - literally - and found some of them very trying, may I make so bold as to recommend you... er..try them all. Sorry if this sounds negative but only by doing so will you find the one's which suit you and your system best. Personally I like dvd xcopy express for one to one burning of proper dvds; for copying a copy it's a different matter though and it makes sense to go with the learned suggestions above particularly with any software that is either free to download or gives you a trial before you buy. Best of luck. Ol Hectar
Very good suggestion hectar. Since most have a free trial you can test them on the same movie and see what gives you the best results. Like I said above, Its a combination of many things that decide how good a copy you get. Not just software. Jerry
Working on Jerry and Afonic's suggestion, I downloaded a trial of anydvd and clone in order to try my damaged copy of three movies on one disk (I'd never used these two "specificaslly in that order hitherto)- the one which I tried all sorts of software with but it failed to read it properly. Sure enough, after albeit four hours of mostly reading then burning these two software packages came up trumps and I now have a perfect playing copy. The original wouldn't play properly anymore. You can't have a better testament than that. Thanks guys, you've made my night. PS> I'm achieving almost perfect results in all my burning now since uninstalling that useless drag'n drop proggie that is shipped with laptops. This is probably more effective in preventing good results than Macrovision protection.
Glad you got it worked out hectar. Most of this is trial and error until you find a good combination. I'm presently trying a dvd copy using Nero's new recode with anydvd in background to see how it compares with dvdshrink. I like to try anything new so if a question comes up later, I at least know a little about it. We're all here to help. Jerry
