@ cfp999,
There are two combinations I use that are simple to use and produce outstanding results when backing up my DVD's.
DVD Decrypter/DVD2one/CopyToDVD
AnyDVD/CloneDVD (Elby)
I believe the combination of AnyDVD/CloneDVD is a little simpler to use than the DVD Decrypter/DVD2one/CopyToDVD combination.
A couple of other notable products are DVD Info Pro, Goland Tech's Audio DVD Creator, and TMPGEnc DVD Author.
There are numerous DVD media floating around that are of dubious quality. To elevate problems only use quality media similar to Ritek or Taiyo Yuden.
Regards,
Coaster