FREE(x+y+z)=backed up DVD

April 22, 2008 8:55 AM

Finish this Windows math question: FREE(x+y+z)=backed up DVD

OK so apparently I am one of the last 4 people in the world who is not backing up their dvds. I tried, and I thought I could do it thanks to Lifehacker but I am dumb.

What software do I need and what are the steps to backing up...oh yeah free would be best but maybe i'll shell out for an easy solution.

posted by doorsfan to computers & internet (11 comments total)

DVDShrink. Free. Easy beyond belief. Google it. No hmtl skills here. It only has like 2 buttons. Open disk, and backup.
posted by daveyt at 9:02 AM on April 22, 2008

Seconding DVDshrink.
posted by aGee at 9:05 AM on April 22, 2008

I tried dvdshrink but it mentioned needing nero to burn - is nero the only option?
posted by doorsfan at 9:07 AM on April 22, 2008

according to this , it doesnt need Nero. Its a good guide though, and its a lot easier than even this page shows.
posted by daveyt at 9:12 AM on April 22, 2008

dvdshrink produces .iso files that anything at all can burn, not just nero.
posted by Tomorrowful at 9:13 AM on April 22, 2008

Use imgburn. It's free and does the job well. Just select the DVD image created by DVDshrink and burn it.
posted by cyanide at 9:14 AM on April 22, 2008

DVDshrink is good, DVDfab is better (but not free). Rips a lot of copy protected discs that DVDshrink can't, and you don't need to install another burning utility.
posted by mphuie at 10:11 AM on April 22, 2008

The Nero requirement for DVDshrink is only for direct burn (from the DVDshrink interface). DVDshrink can also output a sinple .iso file that many (most?) DVD burning suites can use (you just need to look for an *image* to disk option). DVDshrink is really super and very easy (and free!). You can strip off extra stuff and compress your movie to fit onto a regular single layer disk.
posted by Craig at 10:18 AM on April 22, 2008

I use DVD Decrypter + DVD Shrink + Nero. Occasionally I have to resort to RipIt4Me (which acts as a front end for DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink). Any .iso burning software will work in place of Nero.
posted by Uncle Jimmy at 10:38 AM on April 22, 2008

Check out this list from Lifehacker.
posted by djgh at 11:30 AM on April 22, 2008

The best Windows CD/DVD burning software I've found so far, free or not, is InfraRecorder. A fast, clean, no-extra-garbage install and uninstall, and the software Just Works. It includes a useful optional wizardy sort of initial interface (InfraExpress) that does pretty much what the Nero Start Smart thing does, only quickly and with less of the distracting eye candy and none of the bullshit bundled software (Nero Scout ack pfui). It's free (GPL) and works fine for burning .iso files made by DVD Shrink.
posted by flabdablet at 7:48 PM on April 22, 2008