DVD Copying Basics

Getting set up to copy a DVD is not very difficult to do, especially if you just purchased a new computer. New computers will most likely come configured with the hardware that you will need: namely, a DVD Burner, adequate memory and hard drive space. If you have an older computer and it does not have a DVD Burner installed: install one. DVD Burners do it all: They play and burn CD's as well as DVDs. You can even purchase external DVD Burners that plug into either your USB port or firewire port. In an older computer, upgrade your RAM (at least 1GB recommended if this is possible in your computer configuration). Too, make sure you have plenty of hard drive space. If you don't, you can either install another internal hard drive or install and external USB device; they work well. During the ripping phase, DVD copying applications temporarily store DVD data to your hard drive.

Overview of the DVD Copying Software

Some people ask: "Why can't I just cut and paste files from the original DVD movie onto a blank DVD?" It doesn't work that way. That would be OK if your DVD was a data DVD. That is, a DVD that contained regular files such as word documents, photographs, etc that you copied onto the DVD. However, DVD movie DVDs are encrypted. You will need special DVD copying software that understands how to "break the code" on a DVD movie so that you can copy it to a blank DVD.

DVD copying software will perform three processes when copying a DVD:

1. Ripping - The DVD copying software will extract (decrypt) the data from the DVD and place a copy of that data in a temporary folder on your hard drive.
    

2. Transcoding - The DVD copying software will then take that decrypted DVD data and transform it into a format that can be encoded (written to or burned) onto blank DVD media.
    

3. Writing - The DVD copying software will burn (etch, burn, encode) the transcoded data onto a blank DVD-R/RW.

The result is a copy of the original DVD.


Select DVD Copying Software

Thus our comparison guide. Choose a DVD copy application that matches your preferences, needs, and budget. Each year the crossroads are being made to make DVD copying software better and faster.

Most of the reviewed and evaluated DVD copy software on this website is really that good. Your selection for the most part will depend on many factors; one of those factors being "how the application looks or feels to you." It is very much like selecting a car: Not all of us like BMWs or Fords; not all of us like the colors red or blue. Thus, you decision will also boil down to your personal preferences.

At the same time, you will want to look at what others say about a particular DVD software product. Our comprehensive reviews, evaluations, and summaries will assist you in making the best choice. Not to be under estimated is product support. There is nothing worse than spending your hard earned money on a product that doesn't work as advertised and you need answers.