The ABC's of DVD Copying
2006 Search AllInOne Software Reviews
DVD copying can be confusing to some people. There are a lot of unfamiliar terms to learn and some seemingly over-complicated techniques that seem accessable by only the die-hard computer expert. DVD copying really isn' all that complicated, so if you are one of those people that need a little extra help, ere are a couple of steps that you can follow on your way to making perfect DVD copies.
DVD Copying Basics
There are more steps to getting yourself set up to copy a DVD than buying a software product and a pack of disks. You must make sure that you have an appropriate burner for the job, the correct media and a software product suited to your needs. If you have never copied a DVD before, continue reading. The rest of this article will get you started down the right road.
Select DVD Copying Software
Research the features of the different software products to find one that matches your preferences and needs, and be sure to pay attention to the requirements of your computer. In addition to the Side-by-Side comparisons, each product we've evaluated contains a separate page with comments about product features and performance. Pay attention to comments about the help and support also. You'll want software with good instructions and support if you are new to DVD copying. If you are unfamiliar with the terms used in DVD copying, consult the Feature Definitions page
Choose Sour burner and disk
You'll need a DVD drive to read your original DVD, but you don't necessarily need a DVD burner as the destination device for your new copy; a CD burner works too. CDs hold less data, so in order to copy an entire movie to CD you must either sacrifice resolution or use up several CDs. Typically, the data from 7 CDs can fit onto a single DVD. Check the features of the software you choose to see if it supports CD, DVD or both.
The advantage of using your CD burner to produce DVD copies is cost. Also, many home DVD players now support playing video CDs. But most people prefer the simplicity and quality of single disk, high resolution copies that the DVD medium allows. Most consider these results worth the investment in a DVD burner, especially since the price of DVD burners has dropped significantly.
There are several different formats of recordable disks available. You'll typically see both DVD-R and DVD+R writable disks. Eventually, one DVD format will probably dominate the market, as has occurred with CDs. Be aware that if you buy a DVD+R burner you must use DVD+R disks; the requirement is the same with DVD-R burners and disks. Consumers make the common mistake of believing all DVD disks are supported by all burners. If you want to pay a little more, you can purchase a DVD writer that allows you to copy in both DVD+R or DVD-R formats.
Meeting minimum system requirements
In addition to considering your burner needs, be sure the processing power of your PC is sufficient . Manufacturers minimums are exactly that, minimums! Even if your system meets minimum requirements, DVD copying is a resource-intensive chore for your computer, so a more powerful machine will greatly enhance your copy performance.