This is a great forum which I've come across many times in my online travels. I thought it time to join and ask some questions of the knowledgeable members out here.

My current "problem": making a quality backup copy of Pink Floyd's "Pulse" DVD.

I used the following:
Software - DVDFAB Platinum Express
Hardware - Liteon SHM165H6s, FW HS07 (the latest)
Media - Imation 4.7 GB
Compression - to 4.4 GB per DVD (it was one of the defaults in DVDfab)

I successfully made the backup of both DVDs in under 20 minutes each, but the quality is just not acceptable. Lots of artifact and very difficult to watch.

Question: Is this simply a natural byproduct of compression and there is really no way to get a high quality compressed backup? Or is the software not necessarily the best? Or is the media at least in part to blame? I could burn this to dual layer DVDs if I had to, although I'd prefer not to given the financial considerations.

Thanks for any insights you may have !

D

I have this DVD and it requires a lot of compression when doing the full DVD's (over 50%). Either, do concert only using DVD Shrink's reauthor mode and select AEC and Deep Analysis to maximise quality. Or, do what I did, do the whole DVD's and use a encoder with DVD Rebuilder. It will be much higher quality.

or you can try to split to two dvdr or use dual layer discs to avoid quality loss.

NWG and Jeffdvd - thanks for those replies. I've used DVDshrink a few times and will work with that more. The encoder with DVD Rebuilder is very intriguing also. I want to copy the whole DVD (not just concert) because of the other great content. I have an immediate need for a copy so perhaps I'll go with the DVD-9 disc but I would love to master the encoder/rebuilder method in the future. Thanks again!!

If you decide to go with the dvd-9, be sure to get quality media. Verbatim is the best dl media around right now.

It's the only reliable DL media out there.

Agreed - I'm pretty much Verbatim only at this point, although I've read that if you see some Fuji or Sony with "Made in Japan" on them, they're good. Taiyo Yuden perhaps? If I were to buy online it would be Verbatim/Taiyo Yuden I guess, but I stick mainly to the local Officemax/Staples/Office Depot.

Strange phenomena with my Liteon SHM165H6S and dual layer dvds. DVDFAB Express started for 1:1 dvd copy onto DL discs...Image created in Temp file OK...asks for blank media...DL inserted...Liteon drive reads it as a cd...and DVDFab keeps telling me I haven't inserted any blank media yet!

Ended up canceling the DVDFab process (Temp file still on HD), opened up Nero (6.6.1.4) and Nero immediately recognized the dual layer disc?!?! Did the whole "write video files to disc" thing in Nero and BAM - I've got my Pink Floyd copies. Very strange .

Alls well that ends well I guess.

try others. anydvd, clonedvd, aepvideo dvd copy. DVD cloner