DVD XCOPY, a commercial program for duplicating DVDs of many types, seems to be the way to go. But I am confused about the many versions offered. Anyone have experience with this groups of programs and can help differentiate between them?
I am also curious about copying 1:1 without the need for making an intermediate file on a hard drive. Assuming a single-layer, single-sided 4.7GB original, this is possible, right? Using a 4X burner, it should take 15 minutes to make a copy, and that is what the standalone duplicator machines are advertising.
Also, that site is offering an internal DVD burner for $99, but they don’t tell the brand name or model. Has anyone purchased this unit and worked with it? Is it a good buy?
I believe there is one major distinction between DVDXCOPY and DVDXCOPY Express. DVDXCOPY Express will copy any DVD to one recordable - but without the menus and extras. DVDXCOPY will copy a double layered disc to a multiple recordable DVD’s, including all menus and extras. Keep in mind that copies made with this program cannot be copies again with it.
I don’t know too much about various DVD recorders. Please reference www.dvdrhelp.com for ALL your DVD copying/converting/decrypting/VCD/SVCD/AVI/DIVX needs.
This site has an impressive database of DVD recorders, players, tools, and media - along with user comments.
Yeah, you can talk about that tigerdirect drive at that site too, as well as fatwallet.com which has the deal. There is even a note posted from the tigerdirect people themselves. BTW, that price is AFTER rebate.
Sure we can. I propose nothing illegal. I assist in running some local Public Access TV stations in very small markets. Much of our program content is derived from taping government meetings, and we are beginning to use standalone DVD-R burners instead of VHS VCRs for the originals. Thus, we need to make DVD-R copies for the library and other uses. We own the copyright; there cannot be a more legitimate use than this.
If there are programs with the same functionality as DVD XCOPY but cheaper, I would like to know about it, especially if anyone has actually used them. The time it takes to make a copy and the ease or lack of it are paramount – right now, if we copy a 2 hour tape, it takes 2 hours. I am hoping this can be speeded up for DVDs.
"Thus, we need to make DVD-R copies for the library and other uses. "
Dvdxcopy is used for decoding & to copy commercial dvds, not ones you made. For ones you made, just use your regular dvd copy function. If you run Dvdxcopy, you’ll noticed it first asks if you rented the dvd & if you say yes, the program closes. It also puts a huge ugly disclaimer at the front of the copy you make & you wouldn’t want that to show up when you’re showing it in a lecture
DVDXCopy puts a 10sec disclaimer screen at the beginning of the movie. If this is detected on an ‘original’, the program will not copy the copy. But, since by then, the content is compressed and de-copy protected, you can make a copy of these discs with any dvd copying program.
OK, it seems that the commercial DVD-XCOPY program won’t give me any benefits, since I’m not working with any copy protection.
But is it possible, given a fast enough CPU, with an internal DVD player and an internal 4X DVD writer, to copy a single DVD-R in 15 minutes without going thru a HD intermediate-image first? That’s what I really need. Anybody actually done this? And just how fast a CPU is needed?
That’s called On the Fly recording Musicat, it is not recommended of course, cause the two drives have to keep up with each other which is the tricky part… If you have Nero you can look it up in their manual.
How exactly is it legal to sell this program in the US? If it can decode commercial DVDs, doesn’t that violate the DMCA? I’ve seen a couple DVD copy programs like Pinnacle that specifically state they can’t copy encrypted DVDs, but DVD X Copy can.
Handy, the On The Fly copying, which is easy for CDs, is exactly what is needed here. Quick and single-step, it seems to me – push a button and let it fly. Surely SOME PC hardware/software combination can do this – maybe the CPU has to be super-fast, I dunno. That’s what I am trying to find out.
And ricksummon, that’s a good question. IANAL, but my guess is it is similar to the Sony VCR question of years ago, where the courts said just because a device CAN be used for illegal activity doesn’t mean it must be banned. At least I hope those of us that have a need for legal copies aren’t prevented from doing so because of other uses of the same software.
And maybe the market is so new we haven’t seen any serious legal challenges yet. Some reviewers have suggested that that might be coming (or maybe it’s a marketing ploy: “Buy our software now, before it’s make illegal!”)
Here’s another DVD copying package a friend showed me:
Nope, never heard about ezcombo, but like I said, why pay when you can get a program like it that does it for free? Alot of times people repackage these free programs into their own package, which you have to pay for. I bet that is just what ezcombo is from the look of the page. That’s not fair to the people who wrote the software.
Besides, Musikat, akrako1’s post has the URL for everything you need to do it for nothing. I suggest you try that place.
It is legal to sell the software. Theoretically, a person who buys a DVD can make a copy for themselves, in case the original gets damaged. The disclaimers on DVDXCopy verify this. It asks if this is rented or borrowed, and won’t copy (if you answer truthfully). I believe this issue was originally settled with the advent of Videotapes, when the movie companies were initially fighting that media. The Digital Millenium Copyright Act starts to contradict this ruling - giving more rights to the copyright holders. And since digital copying produces better quality copies than old, analog technologies, the companies are fighting mad. But for now, once you buy something, you are able to put it in different forms. Unfortunately, the new, copy-protected CD’s you can’t even play in your computer in the first place!
