full-proof method

tha_m_factor · Aug 11, 2003

I use a very basic method...I use the file mode in dvd decryptor and rip the already selected VOB files and select the vdeo_ts.ifo,video_ts.bup, video_ts.vob etc.

After ripping is complete, i use dvd shrink and re-author the files. I direct the dvd shruken files into a folder with a "VIDEO_TS" and a "AUDIO_TS".

After that is complete, i use nero 5.5 and use dvd-rewritter (not image recorder) and burn the files to disk.......

Is this method error-free, or am i likely to come up with an error and either have to start again or waste a blank disc?

Thanks in advance

ChickenMan · Aug 11, 2003

Sounds good to me, you cant get much simpler than that if the quality of the output of DVD Shrink is acceptable to you.

hamcom · Aug 11, 2003

Hi ChickenMan ,in your opinion do you think there is a better method than using the very usefull, simple, DVD Shrink. I have found it to be just about all that is needed plus a ripper ...Smartripper or DVD Decryptor (when backing-up a DVD9 disk). Tried all the others ....IC7 , DVD2one, but I cant seem to see a noticeable degredation in quality ...... watched on TV anyway.TMPGEnc , CCE and DVD2avi are indispensible tools but need patience and skill to know how to use correctly and ... do they 'really' give better results than DVD Shrink just to convert a DVD9 disk ....

your opinion would be much appreciated. cheers

ChickenMan · Aug 12, 2003

hancom, welcome to the forum.

I have not tried the latest Shrink v3 Beta3 yet but like you I have tried all the all-in-ones from time to time. The only way to test them is to encode the same dvd with them all and compare. As all DVD's differ in movie length, with or without many extras, varing languages and bitrates used, it difficult to compare one encoded to another unless something is constant.

With regards to quality of final playback picture, the key word is playback. We all have different TV & DVD Player setups and different expectations. What some people cant see, absolutely frustrates others. The quality of the TV & player plays a substantial role in the fianl quality as thats what we all watch.

If a particular movie (just the movie + 1 audio track ) was say 4.8gig in size, encoding with Shrink or CCE (or just about anything else) would be very difficult to see a big differenc. But pick a 3 - 3 1/2hr movie like The 10 Commandments, or Ben Hur or Gone With the Wind ( a few old classics) then there is absolutely no compaison, CCE shines while Shrink shrivels. Personly I cant be bothered with, "This one is samll so I'll encode with .... while this one is large so I encode with ...." I just do them all with CCE, (which works EVERY time) knowing they are the best possible.

I ask you this, lets say you have purchased over the past few years a couple 100 DVD's. Some have been damaged by the kids etc and now that title is out of print and unavailable. Wouldnt you want to have backed them up at the best possible quality to preserve the movie as close as possible to the original? If you truely care for your original collection, I cannot really see any other course than to use CCE to do the encoding. You could cut the dvd9 and burnt to 2 DVDR's but that defeats the whole purpose of 1 movie on 1 DVD as far as I'm concerned.

Time to backup is not important, the final quality to me is all that really counts. Thats my personal opinion and I'm sure that differs with many (maybe even most) as we all have different requirements & expactations.

tha_m_factor · Aug 13, 2003

Encountered problem...

I ripped and shrunk shaft using the method i posted earlier, and the last 5 mins. don't work. It says "unable to read disk"...

Is that likely because i burnt it too fast (4 speed) or the method i used was worng or is not successful 100% of the time???

thanks in advance

hamcom · Aug 13, 2003

You dont say whether it was a stand alone player or PC software player that said "unable to read disk"...

What ever it was , you only have to check that the original ripped/shrunk copy (backup) on your hard-drive played correctly on your PC. If it does ........i assume it will ....then it is most likely, as is usually the case a poor burn due to crappy DVD media. Cheap media can sometimes just fail towards the end of the burn.
Yes it can sometimes help to burn at 2X , but why burn at 2X if you buy 4X media and own a 4X burner. Better to try another disk and see what happpens. If you keep scrapping disks then you need to change software , optimally setup your PC , buy 'better' media more suited to your burner and more importantly check for burner firmware updates.
DVD media quality still seems to be a bit hit and miss as many have said in these forums and others. What seems to be fine for some, dont seem to work for others .... you dont say whether you have used this media for long , but i'm sure your 'method' normally works just fine.
Another thing is not to let DVD Shrink get too close to the 4.4 GB burn limit. Experiment on just how far you can push it. Use DVD RW's to practice on.

tha_m_factor · Aug 14, 2003

I played the disc off my stand alone and it just wouldn't play, it just showed still frames. On my ps2 it just said unable to play disc. I used Princo discs which by the price i got em ($2) i would presume it was entirely the discs fault....

DVD · Aug 14, 2003

what the hell is CCE and where do i get it. also is it hard to use?

The-poacher · Aug 14, 2003

Cinema Craft Encoder

Look here Plenty of info
http://www.cdrbase.com/showthread.php?threadid=25572

DVD · Aug 15, 2003

nah stuff all that, i just rip them strip what i want out and if its still to big i cut of the credits with DVD shrink and compress, you would have to be nit picking to say the picture quality drops a heap, i really cant notice the picture quality drop , till i reach level 4 compression and beyond, which hardly ever happens anyway, i will never go over level 6 compression , then you can notice it

hamcom · Aug 15, 2003

Hello DVD ..... I dont think anyone here said 'the picture quality drops a heap' ..but I think as you backup more and more dvd's you will find that chickenman is right in saying that as you get longer and longer movies ......CCE is way better at re-encoding it that any of the programs such as DVD shrink , DVD2one , IC7 etc. However The new beta versions of shrink do help in that it has a 'deep analysis/scan' (bit like 2 pass i guess). I dont agree with cutting the credits off, although we may not read them most of the time .... they are part of the movie and think they should be part of it.
I do like the fact that DVD shrink can keep all the titles, menus, extras etc, but I only do this providing it gives good quality main movie (movies about 90 - 120 mins).
However some movies are very poorly encoded on the original disk ....noticeably so.......and this is where CCE appears to outshine. I have used DVDshrink on such movies just recently (movie only) and wasn't happy with results .....blocky with artifacts around faces and certain colours .... used CCE on same movie and was way better. Trade off is that it may take 4 hours or so with CCE compared to 30 mins with Shrink , but wots the rush anyway ?

The-poacher · Aug 15, 2003

Trade off is that it may take 4 hours or so with CCE compared to 30 mins with Shrink , but wots the rush anyway ?

Couldnt Agree More But with the shorter movies I use the quicker methods BUT if it quality U want especially with the longer DVD CCE is the Dogs Blx

DVD · Aug 16, 2003

hamcom said:
Hello DVD ..... I dont think anyone here said 'the picture quality drops a heap' ..but I think as you backup more and more dvd's you will find that chickenman is right in saying that as you get longer and longer movies ......CCE is way better at re-encoding it that any of the programs such as DVD shrink , DVD2one , IC7 etc. However The new beta versions of shrink do help in that it has a 'deep analysis/scan' (bit like 2 pass i guess). I dont agree with cutting the credits off, although we may not read them most of the time .... they are part of the movie and think they should be part of it.
I do like the fact that DVD shrink can keep all the titles, menus, extras etc, but I only do this providing it gives good quality main movie (movies about 90 - 120 mins).
However some movies are very poorly encoded on the original disk ....noticeably so.......and this is where CCE appears to outshine. I have used DVDshrink on such movies just recently (movie only) and wasn't happy with results .....blocky with artifacts around faces and certain colours .... used CCE on same movie and was way better. Trade off is that it may take 4 hours or so with CCE compared to 30 mins with Shrink , but wots the rush anyway ?

blocky around faces!!?? i have compressed at level 6 and never seen a blockyness(what a word) anywhere , r u sure its not your DVD!?
i have a good quality pionner DVD and a 92 cm philips pixel plus wide screen, and there is one thing about the pixel pluses is that it show HD or good SD or componant in signals better then any other TV but if the signal is crap(like normal tv with a bad reception or vcd or vhs or any poor signal(even level 8 compressed dvds)) it really looks crap on a pixel plus.. but then i look and my old yamaha dvd on my sony tv and i do notice roughness around the edges, like a game with no A.A
what about DVD x copy express, does that compress them good?
i cant really notice the differance between originals and dvd shrink or dvd copy x, unless its a huge movie!! like pearl harbour

hamcom · Aug 16, 2003

DVD ..
I am absolutely certain it aint my DVD , player or TV.
As I said 'However some movies are very poorly encoded on the original disk ....noticeably so.......and this is where CCE appears to outshine', I said some movies !! As you backup more DVD's you will notice the 'artifacts' believe me. Dont get me wrong , I'm not slagging off DVD Shrink at all . I think it's wonderful, but it would be even better if you could use an encoder of your choosing.
But the moment you do that, you end up making something thats 'Free quick and simple' to a tool thats more expensive 'slower' and complex.
There is a simple reason CCE takes longer to encode it's better .
Don't make sense wot you say about highly compressed dvd's or poor signal tv looks crap on ya Pixel plus .... cus you say it also look 'roughness around the edges' on sony tv ... so are they both as bad as each other ???
Here's a test for you then ........with your Pearl Harbour (must be the original DVD) and leave the credits in !!!

do a DVD Shrink re-encode on it and in a seperate test re-encode with CCE .....that should convince you that as good as DVD Shrink may be on 90% of all DVD's , some require extra work on em.
But hey , ...if you cant 'see' the difference, then it dont matter, it's your choice.

Btw ... the newer versions of DVD Shrink beta 4 etc dont have compression levels ... just Auto or 'ratio' ... ratio lets you squeeze more out of it than the fixed levels ...

DVD · Aug 16, 2003

i cant make sence of anything your writing, so that makes 2 of us confused!?!!
by the way i believe you when you say CCE is better, gonna have to learn how to do it!!! bugger more head aches
what about DVD X copy express!!!? is that any good and encoding??
by the way my Philips kicks my Sonys arse it dont like poor signal thought only high quality ones

hamcom · Aug 16, 2003

Well I didn't think I was confused ?
Anyway I cant comment on DVD X copy express cus I aint used it. Maybe someone else can give their views on its abilities. Reckon it will be much the same though as DVD shrink.