For a good while now, I have used the free version of DVDFab Decrypter 2.*.*.*, followed up with DVDShrink. I have had absolutely no issues whatsoever. Recently purchased Platinum.....missed Decrypter so I downloaded DVDFab Decrypter 3.*.*.*, and upgraded as the updates came out the past several days, latest being 3.0.2.0. It seems that after I ripped the DVD to my hard-drive and opened DVDShrink, I got an error indicating that there was missing information in a certain .vob file.

I know that Platinum does most of the same stuff as DVDShrink, but I just wanted to know if there was a compatibility issue now between DVDFab and DVDShrink.......Thanks

There do seem to be issues with DVDFab 3.x vs 2.x. If 2.x works for you and you don't need the features in 3.x, I'd stick with 2.x for a while till they get the bugs worked out.

I got the same problems. I found Nero Recode to work instead. However, now I'm having annoying hard-to-predict problems. Like this movie won't work on this player, and this other movie won't work on a different player. Could this be Recode's fault, or do I need to buy dvd fab? For example: Carlos Mencia No Strings Attached comes to a point during the previews where it freezes on a black screen. At this point I have to jack with it and I can make it work. I had no such luck using a ps2 to play the same disc.

You could try ripping the disk with RipIt4Me, the free front-end for DVD Decrypter that handles new protections.

Then try processing it with DVD Shrink to create a VIDEO_TS folder on disk and then using Nero 6.x to burn that VIDEO_TS folder to a quality DVD-R such as Verbatim.

I've never used ripit4me, though I have used anydvd and psl2 plugin in the past. I came to dvd fab because fengtao seems pretty quick at responding to new Sony protections. I'm pretty much ready to buy his work because they say, "Anything worth having costs money." Now I wouldn't accuse him of crippling his freeware in order to sell more keys, but if that would fix these intermittent problems I would go for it.

Well, I'll post some info on RipIt4Me in the hopes it will help. It has worked very well for me and I no longer use AnyDVD (at least for now). Good luck:

I like to rip existing DVD's to the hard drive for processing. It's faster, especially if you do a bit of multi-scenario testing such as mixing and matching different clips, tweaking settings, re-authoring, etc.

I used to use DVD Decrypter all by itself to rip these to disk. Unfortunately, due to legal pressure, development on that excellent FREE app was halted, but the final version - 3.5.4.0 - can be downloaded from a variety of places, including this site here:

http://www.riphelp.com/downloads/dvddec.html

So, in order to allow DVD Decrypter to handle the latest copy protections, there is a FREE front-end called RipIt4Me. When executed, it will walk you through the backup process, either via a multi-step Wizard or a 1-Click option. The RipIt4Me program can be downloaded here:

http://www.ripit4me.org/

RipIt4Me needs one more FREE app called FixVTS in order to complete its magic. It is located here:

http://www.videohelp.com/~FixVTS/

So, to backup a protected disk that you own:

- Download these 3 FREE applications to your hard drive
- Install DVD Decrypter on your system
- Copy the RIPIT4ME executable to your DVD Decrypter installation directory
- Copy the FIXVTS executable to your DVD Decrypter installation directory
- Create a single shortcut to the RIPIT4ME executable
- Place that shortcut where you wish to run it from (quicklaunch, desktop, etc.)
- Execute the RIPIT4ME shortcut and follow the prompts until the process is finished

Once your disk is ripped to the hard drive, you can process it with a ton of different apps. I still use DVD Shrink, which is an excellent FREE app that is especially good at Re-Authoring. While the app development was stopped (also due to legal pressure related to the copy protection code), it is still fully capable of processing your ripped, unprotected content like that created with the process above. The last version of DVD Shrink was 3.2.0.15 and can be downloaded from a wide variety of sites including this one:

http://www.mrbass.org/dvdshrink/

There are a few other FREE programs for helping to rip your disks to the hard drive for processing, including DVDFab Decrypter standard, which can be downloaded from here, among other sites:

http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/DVDFab_Decrypter/

The only key features lacking in the legendary apps DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink seem to be related to decrypting the latest copy protections, and these other FREE apps, RipIt4Me and DVDFab Decrypter, would appear to fill that gap nicely and are still in active development. All you need to do is take the time to download the apps you are interested in, investing a few minutes installing them, and you should be good to go.

Good luck and happy archiving.

Very nice reply indeed from BeardedKirklander,

But to make things simple, he has just pointed out the MAGIC solution that is FixVTS (99.9% success).
For everybody that is decrypting with DVDFab line of products, I must say that SOMETIMES (specific problem mentioned) is an issue with the output result files.

That FANTASTIC "magic" free tool will do the trick WITHOUT the help of DVD Decrypter and RipIt4Me. On the other hand, I should also add that RipIt4Me "combos" is perfect too but is NOT necessary. So, do NOT duplicate tasks.
It's so small in size and so powerfull as well, that you won't believe it.

I'll give some more details on the "whole" process, so here it comes;
DVDFab ?????? == RipIt4Me plus DVD Decrypter (roundely said and wise)
and BOTH (DVDFab or RipIt4Me "combos") MAY need the use of external FixVTS "cure" on some special rips.

So now talking from a DVD Shrink point of view, please always keep in mind that it has been first developed by the same guy that is involved in Nero Recode.

Here what I'm doing when facing some problematic VOB files.
First, if you wanna make sure that your final result is DVD compliant, then just try to open files in DVD Shrink ('cause of its very "picky" native behaviour). If you're getting NO error message, then you're all done, it works OK and you're ready to burn with any application you like.
If not, just run it through the "all pain reliever" FixVTS.
Click Open and browse to your VOB files.
Select ALL 3 options (2 of them are already ticked by default) and click on Full DVD, that's it, just wait and you're all done.
If unlikely the DVD VOB's still do not work, then and ONLY then, try the RipIt4Me solution (different decrypting algorithms structure protection sectors removal).

Some technical stuff about FixVTS (latest version 1.6);
Among other things, fix IFO's, remove blank and unreferenced cells, remap VOB ID's and correct PGC LBA pointers (most often it is that specific part that is causing most problems).
Please note that I'm using it from its early releases and I sware by it. Just remember that it's so small, so simple, so POWERFULL and that is also used by the criticaly acclaimed PGCEdit tool as a plugin. Do I still need to add something more?...

Just hope that it'll help you out, dear folks!...


PDCInterfaces

I've noticed that if I rip something with dvd fab, vob blanker doesn't do much if I run the vob's through it. You're saying FixVTS is better? I used to use FixVTS when neccessary after PSL Plugin, but more and more movies are giving psl a headache. It will go through one pass, create the psl file, then fail some more during the second pass.

Totally agree with you in regards with PSL2 plugin for PGCEdit. Pretty simple, it has not been updated for 2 or 3 months up till now I think, (latest update was v2.21). Is it have been "flushed" by the author himself, this I really don't know for sure.

The only "BIG 3" STILL ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT DECRYPTING tools that remain today are (as far as I know of course);
DVDFab family products line
Slysoft family products line (AnyDVD and such)
RipIt4Me "combos" tools (DVD Decrypter, FixVTS, DVD Shrink)

Then if you're getting stocked after using ANY or ALL of those 3, then you're swimming in troubled waters. NONE others will ever do much better.

About VOBBlanker (v2.1.1.0 May 2006), I think once again it's an other GREAT tool. Has been developed by the same guy who wrote PGCDemux (BEST demuxing tool) among some other of his box-set tools kit. Maybe should it need some kind of an update after all, I don't know. It was supposed to provide almost the same kind of "fixes" as FixVTS is doing, BUT MUCH MORE SLOWLY.

Please keep in mind that FixVTS has been created for this MAIN and ONLY task (originaly based on IFOEdit "muck strip" fame) in regards with VOBBlanker that is doing a lot more other things. The developers of FixVTS and VOBBlanker have already once worked together on MenuShrink (no longer updated...), because that function is now much better implemented in VOBBlanker. So it belongs to everybody having his own bread and butter. What'd ya think?...


PDCInterfaces