DVD Shrink/Rip Programs

[DeaconFrost]

1. The Lite version is free, and has worked perfectly fine for me.

2. There have been some very recent DVDs that have given me trouble in DVDfab alone, such as The Other Guys. If I run Passkey in the background, I see the correct stream and can continue on without issue. I only run Passkey when I encounter an issue in DVDfab.

 

[Ponmayilal]

OK,thats nice and thanks.

That brings to the fore the one disadvantage of using the Free DVDFab HD Decrypter. As per their recent policy, while any updates to deal with the most recent copy protection measures will be made available to licensed users almost immediately, it may be delayed by 30 to 60 days for the free version users.

It is good to know that by using the DVD Passkey lite where necessary, you have been able to overcome this difficulty.

 

[pparks1]

That brings to the fore the one disadvantage of using the Free DVDFab HD Decrypter. As per their recent policy, while any updates to deal with the most recent copy protection measures will be made available to licensed users almost immediately, it may be delayed by 30 to 60 days for the free version users.

How new is this policy?

Because I've used this software for years and have only encountered a couple of discs that it wouldn't work with (5 or less). 99.9% of the time an update to the newest version solves any problems. While they only usually list the stable release on the website, it seems you can always find betas that are updated quite regularly.

 

[Ponmayilal]

This new policy is of course more than a year old and a sticky in their forum. ( I should have rather said "current policy" ). States "Effective with DVDFab v6.1.2.5 ..... DVDFab HD Decrypter will continue to receive immediate bug fixes, and new protection removal will be updated generally within 30-60 days of initial release to registered users."

 

[SledgeDG]

I'm running DVD Shrink on Windows 7 64-bit and having no problems at all. I only use it to shrink the file. Typically use DVD Fab Decrypter to actually rip the file first.

I do EXACTLY the same in 32 Bit without any problems whatsoever.

 

[pparks1]

This new policy is of course more than a year old and a sticky in their forum. ( I should have rather said "current policy" ). States "Effective with DVDFab v6.1.2.5 ..... DVDFab HD Decrypter will continue to receive immediate bug fixes, and new protection removal will be updated generally within 30-60 days of initial release to registered users."

Gotcha, thanks for the info. I do think that the new protection removal features goes into the betas rather quickly and then out as full stable updates 30-60 days after release. I think that explains why any time I have ever come across a new copy protection, then downloading and installing the newest beta always resolves the issue.

For me, I just rip the movies to my HD, then write to a rewriteable DVD to time shift when I watch my Netflix movies. I watch 'em and record back over them. So, if I get 1 and I cannot back it up, I just watch it and then sent it back.

 

[ebolaz]

DVD Shrink works fine with Windows 7. That being said, I rarely use it. I have DVDfab and their new Passkey app, both free, that handle the ripping, and Handbrake to do the encoding.

Thanks, DF. How do you know it works? Have you ripped+burn DVDs with it? If so, is it possible to list your step-by-step installation and running (whether you specify DEF, compatibility settings, when you reboot, etc)? There seems to be a plethora of parameters but I was hoping there is a logical procedure to it all. I might not be using the same combinations.

Also, I read that Nero 10 is also a possible conern? I used to use 8 without any problem, but had to purchase 10. I dl'ed 8 so I don't have copy.

I haven't tried the other programs yet. I'm hoping I could figure the Shrink+Nero combo out since this is what worked for me previously (although in Vista).

Thanks for the help!

 

[DeaconFrost]

Thanks, DF. How do you know it works? Have you ripped+burn DVDs with it?

Yes, that's exactly how I know it works...I've been using it the entire year and a half that Windows 7 has been out. I install with all the defaults. I don't recall making any changes in the settings either. One of the two apps tries to install a vso burning engine, or something like that. I usually skip that option. I'm on my laptop now, so I am not in front of a system with DVD Shrink installed.

I am still using Nero 7, and it works fine with DVD Shrink. I'm thinking of ditching Nero completely. DVD Shrink will still work, it just adds a step of having to open my burning app of choice and burn the .vob files. No big deal at all.

 

[SledgeDG]

DVD Shrink will still work, it just adds a step of having to open my burning app of choice and burn the .vob files. No big deal at all.

Same here...I used DVDShrink on Vista and now here on W7 without any modifications,compatibility settings and the likes and without any trouble at all. I dropped NERO somewhere in v4.x or 5.x (already under XP)
The only thing I like to add to your statement: burning VOBs can be tricky for inexperienced users. That's why i usually suggest to have DVDShrink save into ISO so all relevant folders/files are created inside the ISO and the burn program picks up the correct parameters. I haven't produced a single coaster that way

-DG

 

[ebolaz]

DVD Shrink will still work, it just adds a step of having to open my burning app of choice and burn the .vob files. No big deal at all.

Same here...I used DVDShrink on Vista and now here on W7 without any modifications,compatibility settings and the likes and without any trouble at all. I dropped NERO somewhere in v4.x or 5.x (already under XP)
The only thing I like to add to your statement: burning VOBs can be tricky for inexperienced users. That's why i usually suggest to have DVDShrink save into ISO so all relevant folders/files are created inside the ISO and the burn program picks up the correct parameters. I haven't produced a single coaster that way

-DG

Thanks for the replies, Sledge, DFrost

Well, I'm stumped. When I got my new HP + Windows 7 64-bit, I dl'ed and installed DVD Shrink v.015 and tried to open + backup without changing any settings i.e., default settings (since I didn't know of any of them previously). DVD Shrink opens the DVD fine but fails to backup (I think it got as far as 8% then blacks out), that's when I searched the web for some help.

I then came across and tried modifications as DEP exception, compatibility settings, rebooting, but nothing helped. Again, I seem to get only as far as 8% of the backup process and it would black out (the preview window on DVD Shrink). I've tried uninstalling/reinstalling, trying different combinations of the modifications, but still no luck.

Anything else anyone could think of? I guess I can try another program to replace the "open+backup" function (I guess that's equivalent to "saving DVD as an iso file"?) DVD Shrink provides. Just in case I need to go that route, any suggestions?

Also, I just got Nero 10, so I am sort of stuck with it.

Thanks, folks!

 

[SledgeDG]

Well if DVD Shrink black out, freezes or s/th like that then the original DVD has a protection scheme that DVDShrink can't handle. For those cases I first copy the disk to my harddrive with DVDFab and in a second step I shrink the whole thing down to an ISO that matches DVD5.
(I know that DVDFab can create the ISO as well it's just faster to do it like this on my system)
Certainly you can keep using NERO...I personally just didn't see any advantage over the free program I use

-DG

 

[DeaconFrost]

Well if DVD Shrink black out, freezes or s/th like that then the original DVD has a protection scheme that DVDShrink can't handle.

Bingo. That's why I've started using DVDfab for everything as a first step, whether the movie is going to disc or a ripped file for my HTPC. DVDfab is updated often, where as DVD Shrink hasn't been in a long time. Once the protections are removed, DVD Shrink has no issues whatsoever.

 

[MilesAhead]

For just freeware, try this:

RipIt4Me 1.7.1.0 - VideoHelp.com Downloads

with the ancillary(DVD Decrypter and Shrink) tools I think it works for me on 95% of DVDs

Also as I mentioned earlier, you can try MakeMKV. A new version was just released. 1.6.4. The DVD support is supposed to be improved. MakeMKV is free as long as it is in beta stage(which it has been for many months now. I paid for it so I have fewer hassles when updating from what I read in its forum.)

 

[Jambe]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Ideal DVD Copy (www.idealdvdcopy.com ).

However, it only allows ten free uses and then it has to be purchased.

Easy to use and a great forum which tells what movies are cracked.

 

[SledgeDG]

Probably because people in general (and me in particular) rather spend money on better hardware/important things instead on software for jobs that can be executed just as well with freeware.

 

[DeaconFrost]

However, it only allows ten free uses and then it has to be purchased.

Why mention it when a free product does the job just as well? It's the same reason so many people use MSE. It's free and does the job just as well.

 

[ebolaz]

Well if DVD Shrink black out, freezes or s/th like that then the original DVD has a protection scheme that DVDShrink can't handle.

Bingo. That's why I've started using DVDfab for everything as a first step, whether the movie is going to disc or a ripped file for my HTPC. DVDfab is updated often, where as DVD Shrink hasn't been in a long time. Once the protections are removed, DVD Shrink has no issues whatsoever.

OK, I tried a different DVD. But now, while the backup is going as far as 25%, I got a message saying I don't have enough memory. But I have 1.8 Tb free in this HD.

What does DVDFab do exactly that Shrink doesn't?

 

[Kipper]

You can download DVD43, there is a version for both 32/64bit; it will run in the background so that DVDShrink will work just fine for you.

 

[DeaconFrost]

What does DVDFab do exactly that Shrink doesn't?

It does everything that DVD Shrink does....except it is updated often. DVD Shrink hasn't been updated in years.

You can download DVD43, there is a version for both 32/64bit; it will run in the background so that DVDShrink will work just fine for you.

DVDfab also has freeware for this called Passkey Lite. I install it, but don't let it run all the time. Then, when DVDfab has an issue deciphering chapters, I use Passkey Lite and then rerun DVDfab.

 

[ebolaz]

Hi, Deacon

If DVDFab does what Shrink does, should I just scrap Shrink for DVDFab? Sounds like some people use both?

Thanks for the help.