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No1Reviews.com >> DVD Copying Software >> How to Choose |
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How to Choose Your DVD Copying SoftwareWhen you are looking to buy DVD copying software there are certain aspects of the software you should look out for. Although many of the tools around are quite similar and most at least can make a basic copy of a DVD, their feature sets do vary slightly, likewise the quality, so it's helpful to have an idea of what you want the software to do before you go looking for it. This guide should give you an idea of the types of things we were looking at as we reviewed the different applications so that you are better informed to make your own mind up.
Copy Options Depending on the software you will get a number of different options for copying DVD discs. Some applications will only do straight disc to disc copies, while others can split movies between discs or back them up to your hard drive. The main thing to think about is whether or not you want to copy commercial DVDs and, if you do, whether or not you have a dual layer DVD burner in your computer. The reason for this is that most commercial DVDs now come on special discs which hold roughly twice the amount of data that a standard DVD can, so they can't fit directly onto a standard DVD-R disc. If you have a dual layer burner some software will allow you to do a direct copy, but most people still have standard DVD burners and so will want to fit a whole commercial DVD movie onto one backup disc. Different applications achieve this in different ways; some will remove the unused audio tracks and bonus features, others will compress the movie and the best ones will offer a combination of both. The more simple applications will do this all automatically for you, but others will give you settings and options which you can change to get the best quality backup from the process. A final point to note is that, although it is not yet very well supported by DVD copying software, some applications provide you with the option to copy Blu-ray discs. Even with the best software it can still be a bit hit or miss depending on the disc, but it's still a useful addition if you have a Blu-ray burner.
Region Code and Copy Protection Removal Pretty much all commercial DVD movies these days are region coded and have some form of copy protection. Both of these things exist to try and give the movie companies some control over how their DVDs are distributed, but needn't be a problem if you just want to make a backup copy for your own use. The majority of DVD copying software comes with an in-built decrypter which automatically removes region coding and copy protection as it is copying. However, as it's a slightly grey area of the law, some applications leave it out and so they cannot copy a commercial DVD on their own. It is usually possible to download a free third party tool which will work in conjunction with your copying software if it doesn't have a built in decrypter, but it's probably easier to go for one with it built in if you want to backup your movie collection. The quality of the decrypter can vary and sometimes it can be tripped up by the movie studios who burn their movies in a special way to force glitches into copied discs or reduce the overall quality. The best software incorporates techniques which can get around this and still leave you with a perfect quality copy.
Authoring Options Some DVD copying software will only copy the whole disc exactly as it is, others will let you copy just the main movie and the best will allow you to choose exactly which parts to go on the backup. The trouble with not being able to choose exactly what goes on the backup becomes apparent when you try to copy an episodic DVD, like a season of 24. Not all applications can handle this and your backup might end up with only one episode on it. Choosing exactly what you want takes a bit more time, but if you are copying DVDs like this it is worth looking for an application that lets you decide. As well as choosing what goes onto your backup, some software will allow you to create your own DVD menus for your backups – so for example you could create a compilation of your favourite Simpsons episodes with its own custom menu. It's not actually as hard as you may think to create the menus, so if you are planning on putting some home movies on disc you might want to think about making it look more professional by creating your own menus.
User Interface It probably goes without saying that you want an application with a user interface that you can work and understand. A lot of this is down to personal taste, but for beginner users especially it is important to choose something that is easy to use. Some applications provide so many different settings that it can be intimidating if you don't know what they mean, but others let you make a simple copy with one click. It might be best to choose an application which hides the complicated settings by default so that you can start off by making copies easily and then mess with the advanced settings when you understand them a bit better. These are just a few of the things you should look at when choosing DVD copying software. Many applications offer very similar features for very different prices so it pays to shop around. However, for new users it might be most sensible to go for one of the more expensive options that provide good technical support. Of course some tools out there are just a complete rip off designed to get you to part with your cash in return for a shoddily made, half working pile of computer code. For some of the best choices around and to make sure you don't get ripped off have a look at the products in our top ten list here.
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Top 10 DVD Copying Software
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