DVD Writer

knappster

Hey, i was directed to this forum by another user,

I just wondered if i could have some help. I am looking to make copies of DVDs that i own, but was wondering how cheaply i could do this on a computer or do i have to get extra software to bypass the copyright on the discs?

Also, advice on what DVD writer I should buy for this purpose would be greatly appreciated

I hope you can help

Cheers

Edinburghlass_2

Come on folks please help as I suggested to Knappster he post here for advice.

Incidentally I have an LG 8x and another website good for buying hardware is ebuyer.com

irnbru_2

For backup see videohelp.

As for the choice of drive ........ too many to many to mention.

For buying media try SVP or cd-rmedia.

Sarfaraz

Try DVD shrink - excellent freeware!

https://www.dvdshrink.org

Joe_Bloggs

Visit http://www.doom9.org/ for the latest news in the area of freeware backup solutions including, the latest technology and court rulings.
J_B.

Pete.g

If your looking for a writer I can highly recommend http://www.microdirect.co.uk/ProductInfo.aspx?ProductID=7228&GroupID=176

I bought one a while ago, cracking bit of kit.

Cheers,

Pete.

Toxteth_OGrady

IMHO two of the best mid-priced units on the market at the mo are the Plextor 716A and the TDK DVW-A160416 .

Both are new on the market 16x and dual layer and can be picked up for about £90.

See here for a report on both.

Reaper

As mentioned there are lots of DVD writers. I suggest you pay marginally more and buy one capable of writing Dual Layer DVDs. The blank discs are too expensive to be practical for now but are sure to quickly come down in price. It won't cost you much more than £50 for a basic OEM model. I use an NEC 3500 - a good value drive which burns discs quickly and reliably, although it is a tad slow at reading them.

Dual layer blank discs can store over 8Gb and cost around £5. This is the same capacity as a movie DVD.

Single layer discs hold over 4Gb so to copy a movie you might need to strip off some extras and/or compress it. The high quality, high speed discs I buy work out at about 30p each.

After buying your DVD writer you might want to install a hacked version of the firmware to remove built in limitations aimed at making copying discs harder. Start with this but don't install anything until you are certain you know what to do or you could permanently break the DVD writer!

Next there is software. DVD Shrink was mentioned earlier and that is the one to use to copy the disc to your hard drive. It can also help you strip off the extras and compress it if needed. To go on to burn it from your hard drive to the disc you need either Nero (which you have to pay for if it does not come with your writer) or DVD Decrypter which is free. DVD Shrink will integrate with both these products making it easy to do.

Good luck.