Tutorial Thursday
What would you do if you lost your entire movie collection? Wouldn’t it be nice to have some backups laying around in case someone scratched your precious Rudy video or your dog ate an entire season of the Simpsons?
A popular application called DVD Decrypter lets you copy an entire DVD onto your computer’s hard drive, and it bypasses any copy protection mechanisms that would make duplicating a store-bought DVD otherwise impossible. The only problem is that new copy protection algorithms are frequently being created, and this application hasn’t been updated since 2005.
For that reason you should use Free DVD (kudos to xpgeek in the forum for pointing this out). It can copy an entire movie to the hard disk while removing all traces of copy protection (CSS, RC, RCE, APS, UOPs and Sony ARccOS). This application is frequently updated, and best of all it’s not hard to use nor does it require any installation.
How you copy a DVD movie:
- Put the movie you want to copy in the DVD drive of your computer. Open up the contents of the DVD using a file explorer, such as Windows Explorer, and copy the VIDEO_TS folder to a location on your hard drive.
- Download and run Free DVD (the free version, not the Platinum). It’s only 44KB, and doesn’t require any installation.
- In Free DVD, select the VIDEO_TS folder you copied to your hard drive in the first step. You’ll receive a prompt notifying you of the restrictions that will be removed.
- You probably won’t need to adjust any of the settings, but go ahead and do so if it’s needed. Then press the Free DVD! button to remove all copy restrictions from the movie.
- Then if you want to put this video on a DVD you can use DVD Shrink. This program will also remove copy protections, but it is well over a year old and you’ll probably run into some DVD’s that it doesn’t work with. If you use Free DVD first then all of your issues should be solved. The great thing about DVD Shrink is that it will also cut down the size of the video so that it will fit on a normal DVD instead of needing a dual-layer disc.
Backing up your DVD’s has never been so easy! Now remember, these instructions are for educational purposes only, and I guess they should only be used on your own home-made movies that you apply copy protection to. 
Once again a big thanks goes out to xpgeek in the forum for pointing out this great app!
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Tags: CyberNotes, Freeware, Software, Applications, Movies, Settings, Videos
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This looks promising. I’ll try it out later. Thanks for the tip.
An easier way with less steps: Use AnyDVD – it decrypts the DVD after you put the disc in – on the fly.
Then use CloneDVD to shrink and burn (all at once).
You can use both programs for free as trial versions, and then buy them.
AnyDVD is very frequently updated and if you buy it, the purchase price includes lifetime free updates.
It might be a little easier, but I can deal with the few extra steps and saving myself $50.
You’re using Free DVD there. The other program also on the download page, DVDFab HD Decrypter, requires installation, (no idea if it actually also works on HD-DVD’s as its new name would imply), but will rip the DVD for you while removing the encryption, combining two steps and saving some time.
Note : as you say educational purposes only, but, I think it’d be wise, just to be safe, to clearly state that in the US it is a direct violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, DMCA, and against the law to strip, break, or bypass, any commercial copy protection.
Good point xpgeek!
I agree AnyDVD is outstanding, I have used it for years and well worth the price.
It is entirely transparent, updated more then any other app I have ever used (although I wish they would make the update a little more automatic), and has never caused any problems whatsoever in XP or Vista.
You install it, and as far as any application on your system is concerned, no DVD in any DVD drive is unencrypted, period. I have never had a failure.
Look at Ryan teaching the CyberNet community about how to pirate movies.
(I’m kidding!)
I usually use DVD Shrink to backup some of my older movies, and sometimes the newer ones. It works fine for me.
Thanks Ryan & XP
It should also be noted that ripping a DVD to a HD can get rid of skipping.
Yes, AnyDVD is fantastic. This freebie looks worth a try though.
Thanks for the tip ryan.
I find it funny that there are companies who build software for pirates and they expect to sell them.
Most pirates will find a way to get those great tools for free.
I’m pretty sure both of those programs could be found on the torrent networks.
Can you please tell me how I save or make a cd or dvd of video files I saved in a folder on my desktop? Thanks richardm
The easiest way is to use a program such as Nero to burn them.
Free DVD and AnyDVD look to be PC tools; how can I do this on a Mac?
sometime back i had used pinnacle software and dvdshrink to convert my old vhs collection into dvds. However, now they are not working – meaning, the dvds freeze while playing on a dvd player. Is there a solution to this problem?
your instructions are not clear enough for me. after installing both these programs, I need step by step info and help to guide me. care to provide?
When I copy the video_ts folder on to my HDD, 2 files will not copy … any way around this
What is everyone talking about?!?! Has anyone actually tried ripping a newly released DVD lately with any of these programs: AnyDVD, DVDFab, Xilisoft DVD ripper, (I won’t even mention DVD Decrypter, hasn’t been updated since ‘05)? I have been trying but does not work with new DVDs there must be some new Anti-piracy mechanisms on the new DVDs because none of them work! However on Older DVDs they work amazing!
Boobabbobba–because some people have six children who love to watch certain movies over and over and over and over again with their little finger prints on them, or getting dropped, or taking them out of the baby’s mouth, *some* people get tired of buying the same movie again and again. Let’s face it, DVD’s made the image better and the storage neater, but we’re back to the days of records–you scratch it and you’re screwed! For $15 may buy the movie, but for $20 (bulk DVD’s) I can ensure I will never have to buy that movie again.
after you copy the video TS file onto the computer and it takes the copyright info off of the video how do you get it to play. I have windows xp with windows media center, windows media player, and cineplayer. I just copied the file onto the desktop and now do not know how to access it.
Having gotten through steps 1 through 4 with no problem, now would someone please tell me how do I play the movie on my hard drive? I do not yet own a DVD burner so having returned to the location to hwich I copied VIDEO_TS, I don’t see any file which would open in Windows Media Player, etc. Is it still necessary to use DVD Shrink to burn it to the hard drive or what? Thank you.
Also what about AUDEO_TS? Does it not also need to be copied and burned in order to hear the movie?
Thanks for that
I was wondering.
Can these then be played on any dvd player like the origional?
try dvd43 for tougher copy protected movies
When I try to copy the Video_TS folder in Windows Vista I get a copy protection error and it won’t copy to my hard drive.
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DVD Smith Movie DVD Backup is also a good choice. It is free and rip protected DVD to your computer hard drive.
hiya i have never don e this before and wat u lot are talking about mean nothing to me lol
i need to copy a copy how do u do it every thim i put it into my laptop i just starts playing any help pleae
Why,Why,Why, Do I sometimes only get the directors cut on my copys.?..Using dvd clone and dvd anywhere….
When i try to copy the video_ts file to my HD i get an copyright protection error message saying that i can not copy it. I am running windows vista.
I have followed the steps to Copy an DVD. I have managed to do it but it only plays on my laptop. What do I need to do to make it play on my DVD player?
Lately I use Blu-Ray & DVD Decrypter and I must notice that the program has simple exploitation – everything works quickly, without any headache ))) easy base which helps in such processes like ripping or burning. I have some problems wiht the keys but it is nothing comparably working in this program!
U can try a free version here – [bluraydvddecrypter.com]
Hello what i would like to know and sorry if i sound dumb i am kinda new to thins whole thing. Once i do all these steps to get the DVD on my hardrive will i still be able to watch the movie on my computer without the disc and also can this also we done with external hardrives