Need to backup your DVD movies? Maybe you are afraid of damaging your DVDs when bringing them on a trip for use on a portable DVD player, or for use in the rear entertainment system of your vehicle. Smaller children can be especially hard on discs. So it is no surprise that you just might want an application to copy the DVDs you own.

Copying commercial DVDs is a bit more involved as compared to “ripping” your audio CDs to iTunes. Many commercial DVD movies are replicated on a dual-layer DVDs that can hold up to 9GB. Standard single-layer DVD-R and DVD+R blanks are only 4.7GB. Newer Superdrives can now “burn” DVD-R DL (dual layer) so you can fit up to 8.5GB. Most commercial DVDs are also copy-protected. Here are a few solutions for OS X users.

Easy “One-Click” Solution
The ease of use is the main reason that FastDVDCopy is on this post. FastDVDCopy features a one-click copy interface and allows you to copy almost all DVD videos, and PlayStation 2 games removing CSS encryption and Macrovision protection to single or dual-layer DVD-R(W). If gives you options for removing video and audio tracks allowing for a dual-layer DVD to be compressed to a single-layer DVD-R(W).

FastDVDCopy allows for you to remove unwanted bonus material, subtitles, alternate languages, etc to reduce compression and time. Burning a copy of only the main movie is greatly desired sometimes. Especially if you do not have a dual-layer equipped Mac and are forced to compress the content, losing some quality to fit on a single-layer DVD.

FastDVDCopy

The downside is FastDVDCopy costs $99 and uses authentication, so it can be installed on “one” of your Mac OS X machines. It is not the fastest I have seen, it is a bit buggy, and can sometimes make a coaster. But it sure is easy to use. The application has improved quite a bit over the last year with the company offering free updates. FastDVDCopy can be used in “Trial Mode” to copy one DVD before purchase.

Cheaper But More Effort Method
Making copies of long playing DVD can also be done on standard DVD-R/DVD+R can be done using Popcorn ($49.95 or included in Toast 7. $79.95) or DVD2one ($39.99 Euro). These applications can compress the content to fit on single layer (4.7 GB) DVD blanks or if your Mac is so equipped copy to a dual-layer DVD-R. Both are quite good, but do require more steps than FastDVDCopy. The speed of the process is not too bad and they are a bit cheaper.

Roxio Popcorn

DVD2one

Both of these applications work well, but they can not rip a copy-protected commercial DVD. Due to mostly legal issues they do not include a DVD “ripper” that removes CSS encryption and Macrovision protection. Here are where the extra steps come in.

Both applications allow for you to remove unwanted bonus material, subtitles, alternate languages, etc burning a copy of only the main movie to reduce compression and time.

Free Rippers
Download MactheRipper (free, OS X only) and/or DVDBackUp (free, OS X only). You only need these if your DVD is copy-protected (most commercial DVDs are).

I suggest you download both, as I have had some DVDs that I could not extract the VOB files from a particular DVD in one application and it worked in the other. Also, since these “free” applications are constantly under attack by the industry giants worried about piracy as they both can “rip” copy-protected DVDs, there is no telling how long they will be around. Check VersionTracker or MacUpdate to find them.

MacTheRipper

DVDBackUp

Once you “rip” the DVD to VOB files you can play them back individually if you want using VLC media player free, or MPlayer also free. QuickTime does not play back VOB files.

After you “rip” your DVD you will end up with a VIDEO_TS folder full of VOB files. The next step is to use either Popcorn (or Toast 7) or DVD2one to compress/encode your DVD copy.

My Favorite Method
I use MacTheRipper to rip the DVD to my desktop and use Roxio Toast 7 to burn the new DVD copy. If the original DVD is over 4.7 GB, I use DVD-R DL (as my Macs have DL capability) and I get great results with the video not being compressed and looking as good as the original.

I often remove unwanted bonus material, subtitles, and alternate languages burning a copy of only the main movie.

If you want to convert the video to another format check out MPEG Streamclip and see Convert DVDs to QuickTime on this website.

DVD on Your iPod
If you interested in converting DVDs for use on the new iPod with video playback or the new iTunes. Try Handbrake. This freeware will convert DVDs to H.264 or MPEG4.

Handbrake can also rip your DVD to your Mac’s hard drive in a smaller file size than your DVD with great quality for play back on your Mac in MPEG-4 or H.264. This is perfect for putting your DVDs on a Mac running Front Row! See iPod Tip #10: DVD Video on Your iPod and Apple Front Row For Your Mac posts on this website.

Well is this legal?
The laws are bit murky at best due to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act when copying a DVD you already own. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act may make it a crime to circumvent anti-piracy measures built into most commercial software. Seems against Fair Use and it depends on who you ask. I am not here to discuss “fair use” as I am not an attorney. I will leave the legal discussions to people way more qualified than me. I am a techie not a legal-eagle!

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