I've purchased at least three copies of "Rage Against the Machine" over the last few years. No, it wasn't because I lost the first two. I'm really tough on my CDs. They get thrown in and out of my CD player and eventually become unplayable. The same thing can easily happen to DVDs, and that's why anyone who's tough on their media needs to make a backup for safe keeping. On tonight's 'Savers I'll walk you through the steps.

Step 1: Decrypt the DVD
Production companies encrypt DVDs, so you'll need to decrypt the video files before you can do anything else. Insert the DVD into your DVD drive and run an application called DVD Decrypter. It will decrypt (go figure) and store the disc's video object (VOB) files to your hard drive. You're going to need at least 10GB of free hard-drive space per DVD.



Step 2: Shrink the DVD
Store-bought DVD movies use dual-layered discs to store twice as much information as home-burned DVDs. You'll need to shrink the VOB files you just decrypted so they can fit on a single DVD-R or DVD+R disc. Using an application called DVD Shrink, select the features, scenes, and compression rate for your final DVD backup. Click the Backup button to begin the burn.



Step 3: Burn your DVD
Assuming you have a DVD-burning application installed, the burning process should begin when you click the Backup button from Step 2. If you still need burning software, I recommend Nero and Pinnacle Instant Copy.

If you need more Dark Deal-like DVD-burning advice, visit Doom9.net. Enjoy your new backup DVD!

Those of you looking for an all-in-one solution should look into DVD X Copy Platinum. It offers all of the features listed above and them some. But it will run you $150.

Questions or comments?
Send me email or visit my forums.