I am just wondering what the best DVD shrinking program currently is, since I have been using DVD shrink for a long time now.

Is clone DVD any better? Thanks

Shrink can't handle the new structure protections. It has not been updated in 2 1/2 years. The CloneDVD/AnyDVD combination is the best for ripping to your HDD (in DL mode) originals that use this insidious form of protection.

Then you can still use shrink to compress the ISO that CloneDVD corrected and ripped to your HDD. Many say shrink still has the best visual playback quality when compared to a CloneDVD backup of the same compression level. I have read that there is a certain feature in shrink that must be checked "on". It is more time consuming buy delivers superior compressed quality. I'm sure a shrink fan will read this and provide the name of that feature ... or you already know of it.

Me(?) ... I don't compress. I split onto two disks or burn to DL media. Can't stand the loss of quality when played on quality equiptment.

Best regards,
Whisperer

I see, thanks for the info whisperer1

I'll continue to use Any DVD/Shrink in that case.

cd pirate,
You're welcome but I infer from your post that you may have missed the point of my post.

Shrink, even when used with AnyDVD cannot handle the complex structural protections used on many newer DVD releases. If you have not encountered this problem yet, you soon will.

CloneDVD can handle these structural protections. So rip the movie using CloneDVD (in DL mode). Set CloneDVD not to delete the rip from your HDD when CloneDVD is closed. This will produce a non compressed ISO file on your HDD. Now use Shrink to process and compress the CloneDVD ISO on your HDD.

There are other programs to overcome structural protections that Shrink can't but you asked in the CloneDVD area so I answered with a CloneDVD solution.

Summary: Shrink probably produces better quality compression. ClonedDVD is updated to overcome and restructure difficult protections on originals.

Best regards,
Whisperer

@ cd pirate -

Suggest instead of relying on someone else’s opinion suggest using the 21-day trial of CloneDVD and see for yourself if the CloneDVD software program meets your needs. The free 21-day trial is available for download at SlySoft (http://www.slysoft.com).

Below is the AnyDVD/CloneDVD User Tutorial that provides detail information on the use of the AnyDVD/CloneDVD software combination –

http://forum.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?threadid=72022

Best Regards,
bjkg

My $.02 . . .

While it is true that DVDShrink cannot deal with the unreadable sectors being shoved onto commercially pressed dvd's as a way to attempt to thwart ripping programs, CloneDVD2 has no abilities whatsoever to rip commercially pressed dvd's at all, so that is a bit of a moot point. I have never attempted to rip a title in DVDShrink with AnyDVD running in the background, so I cannot comment on whether that works or not. You can use DVDDeCryptor with AnyDVD in the background, as long as you set up DVDDeCryptor correctly.

DVDShrink generally requires a fully compliant dvd structure to work with the title, while CloneDVD2 is able to deal with the occasional problematic issues left behind when AnyDVD is used to handle the unreadable sectors. Slysoft has been pretty good about addressing those issues when they are identified and they have the time/resources. It seems to me that FixVTS is the solution to most of this nonsense garbage left behind by unreadable sectors.

Addressing the original question - I believe DVDShrink's transcoding engine, when using "deep analysis", results in superior video quality when compared to CloneDVD2. It becomes more evident as the compression level increases. If you are working with a title that needs only a small degree of transcoding (say 90% of the source files sizes?) I doubt that anyone would see a difference in the output of the 2 programs. DVDShrink has many reauthoring capabilities not available in CloneDVD2. The one feature that CloneDVD2 offers that DVDShrink cannot match is the ability to reauthor a title and retain menus. DVDShrink's "deep analysis" is surely much slower than CloneDVD2's transcoding engine. However, it runs pretty quickly on today's dual-core processor based computers, since it is able to take advantage of the power of dual core cpu's.

So - pick your re-authoring/transcoding tool according to your needs and priorities . . .

I see, I have had structural errors on some disc but Any DVD removed them and shrink worked. Maybe I have not encountered this newer version of them. Thanks for the heads up.

EDIT: You guys posted a few minutes just before me lol. Thanks for the extra information. I do have and use DVD decrypter. I guess I'll also dload clone DVD for some extra backup incase something has a nasty protection.

Rich,
I agree with everything you wrote except this:Is this what you meant to write? CloneDVD when used with AnyDVD does and excellent job of this. I must be misunderstanding you because in your last paragraph you go on to describe how CloneDVD does exactly this job.

Shrinks "deep analysis" is the name of the feature that I couldn't remember so thanks for naming it. Most who compress agree that with anywhere below 80% compression, deep analysis will provide higher quality when viewed on an upscale display.

Best regards,
Whisperer

I agree that most any program with AnyDVD running in the background can decrypt videos - it just isn't a feature of CloneDVD2. I made the comment in response to statements about DVDShrink not being able to handle purposely corrupt sectors inserted into commercially pressed and sold dvd's - CloneDVD2 can't decrypt dvd's at all - it is AnyDVD that provides the ability on-the-fly in the background - for most any program running in the foreground.

DvdShrink still works. You just gotta use tools like Ripit4me w/FixVTS and rip Movie and Menus only. Or rip the full dvd and use VobBlanker to blank out the extras. Then Shrink can back up the movie for you. Using this method I've yet to encounter a problem. I wonder if this post will get deleted considering what forum this is.