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!
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.
So what who cares
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!
$15 bucks that’s twice as much as I paid for at the theater. It should be only $3.00 at most, I already paid into the box office receipts!
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.
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
Hello Friends,
I have got some video files on my PC. I want to make DVD by buring these video files “for playing on my DVD player” not on PC but standalone DVD player.
Can someone provide me a free good software download link to make such DVD and the procedure please?
Thanks in advance…
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.
This is exactly my problem above….. I am new to this too can someonw please help as I would like to copy to my itunes for my son’s ipod
I copied someones comment above and added mine to the end but am not sure how to track the answer…. opps
Hi i was wondering is there an up date for dvd decriptor or is there any new software i can download some dvds i copy dont burn sony ones?
Regards
Richard
OK..I’m an idiot…all of the steps worked like a charm..now how do I get it to play? TIA
Fred~
C’mon guys, all this BS and it’s really quite simple. Download dvd shrink and imgburner. Both are free, just type em in google and it will take you to the download site. Record the dvd to an ISO file on your hard drive and then burn it to a dvd with imgburner. Like I said, simple. It will play on any dvd player and is an exact copy of the original. It amazes me how some people try to make things so complicated when it really is a very simple process. Also if you take the time to look at afew of the sites that google brings up you can find detailed instructions for the process. Have fun and you can do this, I promise.
didn’t you hear them say that they didn’t have a dvd burner?
For me, I back up all my movies onto my hard drive into VIDEO_TS folders and view the movies using Windows Media enter (not Windows Media Player). I’m not sure what other software can play VIDEO_TS folders. Does anyone know?
When I copy the Video_TS file sometimes it is over 60 gigs in size. On DVD Decripter I noticed there are about 10 repeats of the movie. How do you fix this?
Try VLC to play Video TS
Boobabbobba……. as others said, more than likely they’ve already bought the movie and the kids, quite frequently, have added their “special touch” to the disc. I travel constantly and have cracked several discs. And oh, BTW, I paid full price for EVERY SINGLE DISC in my collection. All I want is a travel copy of a few favorites, or better yet some way to copy a few of my PAID FOR movies onto my PAID FOR Zune so I can watch while I’m traveling.
(A lot of us military folks are “traveling” so we can protect the rights of folks like you to say glaringly anonymous rude and obnoxious statements to others who are asking innocent questions. God Bless You anyway.)
Bravo!
I use DVDSmith from [dvdsmith.com.] It’s a Freeware and works for my DVD movie collection. The pro. version of DVDSmith is Any DVD Cloner which can be downloaded from [any-dvd-cloner.com.]
pls,can you send to me or write on steps on how to play dvd films on my desktop.i use dell studio hybrid desktop.my e-mail is sef4love@yahoo.com
For thoses of you wondering how to watch these ts files without burning it to a DVD…
1. Open Windows Media player
2. Right click on the top bar
3. Select File
4. Select open
5. The file explorer will pop up. Go to the folder where you copied the ts files. Select all of them
6. Click on open
The DVD should start to play on Windows Media player
What about using a mac? These are all windows!!!!
thank u so much hopefully it help
I have some movies (horse show videos) that I recorded using my Canon HF100, converted to standard def and then recorded on a DVD (authored). I then deleted the files off my PC to save space. I just bought a media hub (network attached storage) and want to transfer these movies (including audio) to my media hub from the DVDs. How can I do this for free (need to transfer about 10 recordings – new recordings will be copied directly)? I have the question into Canon but no response yet.
I agree DVD shrink is nice but it is OLD and won’t work on any new movie.
I just tried this using Windows Vista and it won’t copy any of the actual movie files to my hard drive to even be able to use the Free DVD software. Help anyone?
Gents, to play on your HD, if for some reason Windows Media Player won;t work, get a frebie called VLC Mediaplayer. It plays absolutely everything and is open source. The link is here: [videolan.org]
Just a word as well. There is a search engine called google. You can find it here:
[google.com]
You would be completely floored and what you can learn and find out by simply typing something live “free movie player” and pressing the Google Search button.
Just to clarify becasue I simply KNOW someone will be all confused by it, the word ‘frebie’ above is actually supposed to be freebie and it means it’s free, no cost.
There may be free products out there but if you download the wrong one you’ll need a new PC.
I’ve been using Clone DVD from [CloneDVD.com] for backing up my DVD movie collection. Great products and great tutorials to help.
I don’t know how to burn CD and copy the DVD to the desktop? Please contact me by +85513743337.
Any one know a programme thatwill take off subtitles ?
no, but I know that you can’t spell/press your space bar for shit.