As most commercially-released DVDs are dual layer (DVD-9 with 8.5GB), we often use DVD Shrink to compress the DVD by re-encoding and/or discarding extra content such as foreign-language soundtracks so as to fit on a single layer DVD (DVD-5 with 4.7 GB), since dual layer DVDs are expensive and even unavailable in some places. However, there is such problem as the following description when using DVD Shrink to shrink the DVD:

Problem

“I have a DVD folder with 4 episodes in 7.4GB size and I need to backup it to DVD 5, but when I run it through DVD Shrink, it could only be reduced to 4.8GB. I used the automatic compression and set my target as dvd-5 but it was to no avail. Even if I chose custom, I could not slide the compression bar back any further on any of the main movies. It didn’t allow me.”

Solution

How to solve such problem? Well, a direct solution is to run the already shrunk file through DVD Shrink again to reduce it enough to fit on a DVD-5, but the video quality may suffer and we should try to avoid compressing that much.

A better solution is to use DVD Rebuilder (free version), selecting HC encoder option. This way can preserve better quality than shrinking twice or only once but reducing size that much.

Another solution is to use MenuShrink which turns motion screen menus to still menus with or without audios. It can save up to 200MB if the menu audios are removed too.

There is also a compromising solution, that is, splitting the DVD-9 to fit on two DVD-5 (two DVD-5 is cheaper than one DVD-9). For this way, please refer to the article on splitting DVD using freeware, or directly check the “split” option in TouchUp DVD Ripper Platinum that offers you a wide range of splitting options including customized splitting by size or time (please refer to the tutorial for details).

DVD spliting in TouchUp DVD Ripper Platinum

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I found someone was looking for help to solve the problem of ripping the DVD of Surrogates movie which was released this year. His problem was that when he tried to rip the main movie with the latest version of DVDFab HD Decrypter, it missed the last five minutes and went directly to the credits.

Again, such problem is due to DVD ripper failing to decrypt the DVD. The DVD ripping program may read the DVD and rip most of the movie but something of the main movie will be missed. In fact, this type of encryption is better than DVD rippers totally failing to read the DVD or DVD showing huge file size. After all, just the a little part of the movie is missed.

However, if you have such an encrypted DVD and have a quick temper or brook no delay to rip the whole DVD, you can try a capable DVD ripping tool that is updated constantly and timely to cope with the latest copy protection scheme.

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Have you ever ripped a commercial DVD and burn to a blank DVD to make a backup for yourself? If yes, what software did you use to do this work? I think most people use the free ripping tools like DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink and then burn with freeware like ImgBurn or other burning programs.

Recently, one of my friends turned to me for help, for he couldn’t play a burned DVD in the standalone DVD player. He ripped the usual VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS files to his hard drive with DVD Shrink and then burned the files to a blank DVD with ImgBurn in the option of “Write files/folders to disc”, but the burned DVD couldn’t play in his standalone DVD player, though the files could normally play in his PC. He was unable to figure out what was wrong.

Have you ever met such problem, when you are backing up you DVD?  Where was wrong in the whole operation in your opinion? Actually, where the shoe pitches is the ripping tool. Although the DVD files are created on your hard drive and you can play them in your PC, which seems you have ripped the DVD, it doesn’t mean the files have been ripped correctly and properly.

As we know, DVD ripping software like DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink haven’t been under development for years, while the DVD copy-protection technology are updated constantly. Thus the outdated DVD ripping software is unable to fully and correctly decrypt the newer commercial DVD. When you use the incorrectly ripped DVD files to burn, the burned DVD cannot play in your standalone DVD player. Therefore, you need to use a DVD ripping program competent to rip the latest copy-protected DVD so that you can burn playable DVDs swimmingly.

TouchUp DVD Ripper Platinum is such a tool to break the latest DVD copy protection with constant update. It can produce excellent output video and audio quality with super speed. To know its tons of features further, please check here.

Tip: Make sure the VIDEO_TS folder of the DVD you burned is in uppercase letters only; otherwise the standalone DVD players may not find the folder.

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