I'm using DVD Xcopy Platinum to backup my dvds. I just made one and noticed it was at 60% compression. When i watch the backup i definitely notice a difference.
My question is this:
How to make higher quality with xcopy? Can i split it into two discs? Is there another program that is better for backing up dvd's?
Thanks for the help.
Try using DVD Shrink, it's really good. You can select the amount of compression for the menus, extras and the movie separately, thus minimizing the compression on the movie. With the re-authoring mode you can easily remove all menus and extras for optimal image quality for the movie. You can also use it to split the DVD onto two discs.
Here's some excellent guides how to use the software:
321 Studios makes DVD X Copy which takes your original DVD and splits it between 2 discs and applies NO compression at all.
Other programs are DVDFab which splits larger movies( > 4.36GB) to 2 discs and doesn't split them if they will fit on 1 disc, no compression, DVD Decrypter will copy smaller movies (< 4.36GB) without compression.
DVDShrink 3.1.3 that Ketale spoke about, does in fact compress your DVD ? however, if it isn?t too large a movie and you remove all the foreign languages, Director?s cuts, trailers, and all audio EXCEPT AC3 2 ch, which will still allow you to listen in stereo but not in Dolby 5.1 etc. you will be compressing far less (doing just the main movie) and the quality will probably be more acceptable to you.
wow guys, thanks so much for the help! When using dvd xcopy, will it give me an option to split to two discs? I havent tried again yet to burn a large movie, but i dont remember seeing an option to split it up..i only recall it setting compression to 60%..
jonesin39,
Yes, naturally if your original if larger than 4.38G and you want just one disc for your copy, you need compression or removing of some extras, audios, commentaries etc. regardless of what tool you use.
But, if you split the DVD onto two DVDRs, no compression is needed, even if you use DVD Shrink to do it with. Guide for that was in my previous post.
The version of DVDXCopy I have does not have a split to 2 dvds option, but I have only Xpress anyway. There was no mention about the splitting possiblity on the features list for DVDXcopy on their website (http://www.dvdxcopy.com/platinum.asp), so I really don't know if you can do the split with it.
Splitting can be done for sure at least with DVD Shrink, DVDFab and IFOEdit.
Nevertheless I've encountered only very few dvds that did not result in a reasonably high quality backup made with DVD Shrink, including all the menus and extras, just deleted commentary tracks and foreign audio tracks and compressed the menus and extras more than the movie itself.
