# What do you burn (legally) onto DVDs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 3, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562 "2012-09-03T18:13:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/1 "2012-09-03T18:13:06Z")
We all know that copying store-bought DVD movies and music CDs is illegal and morally wrong. Same with downloading copyright material and burning it for our personal collections. Since most people are law-abiding and morally straight upright citizens, what are people burning onto all those blank CDs and DVDs that sell in 100 pack spindles which presumably sell in the millions? That seems like an awful lot of home movies and garage band recordings to me. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/2 "2012-09-03T18:15:55Z")
Making backups of anything on your computer you don’t want to lose should your hard drive die. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/3 "2012-09-03T18:18:10Z")
I’d say just going off the behaviour of me and my peers the majority is copyrighted material, no argument. BUT There are substantial non-copyright violating uses, everything from digital pics(4MB each at the least) to uncompressed home digital videos(BIG) to backing up files to backing up your current disk image on your PC etc etc. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/4 "2012-09-03T18:20:13Z")
Just home videos. The files are so large, there’s really no other was way to store them (except on external hard drives), and it’s handy to have a DVD to watch them on any TV, or to send copies to grandparents. In four years, I’ve shot about six two-to-three-hour DVDs. Using the videocamera any more often than that is a waste of time and results in boring, useless footage – most of life is better lived in the moment. ---
**Author:** ![HookerChemical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@HookerChemical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HookerChemical)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/5 "2012-09-03T18:20:51Z")
Seconded for computer files. I run models with outputs that take more space than a CD, so a DVD is the next best choice. USB drives are more expensive and contents can be altered more easily, so the DVD is generally the best choice. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/6 "2012-09-03T18:22:29Z")
Backing up data from your computer or external hard drives. Burning legally purchased music for playback in a car that only has a CD Player. Same thing goes for any sound system that doesn’t accept other forms of input. Personally, I have used quite a few at work. Government computers do not allow thumb drives. If you want to transfer a large file from one computer to another, the only way is through CDs or DVDs. So I am often burning something to a CD just to use in a different government computer and then I just trash the CD when I’m finished with it. If I want to play a large video file or Power Point that is stored on my personal computer, the only way to get it on my work computer is to burn it to CD first. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/7 "2012-09-03T18:22:51Z")
Linux OS installers and live discs. And Free Software, generally. Also, can’t you backup copyrighted movies you already own, legally? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/8 "2012-09-03T19:23:33Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Also, can’t you backup copyrighted movies you already own, legally? Yes and no. Copyright law allows you to backup movies you’ve paid for, but the DMCA outlaws breaking the encryption on commercial discs. And you can’t back them up without breaking the encryption. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/9 "2012-09-03T19:32:15Z")
But if I just burn an ISO image, I didn’t break any encryption, I just copied the bits. That’s enough to let you watch it in VLC or burn a new copy, if the original broke. Okay, most commercial DVDs are bigger than the standard 4.7Gb blanks, but in principle at least, I think it’s legal. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/10 "2012-09-03T20:04:12Z")
Data too big to fit on a CD, especially if I’m sending it somewhere and can’t expect the media back. Video content I have created myself Films or other broadcast content I have recorded and wish to keep to watch again (but haven’t space on my hard drive recorder for it) and (probably illegal, but not morally wrong, IMO) ripped/decrypted copies of things I have purchased on DVD, but want to watch without unskippable trailers and ads - and worst of all, unskippable sermons about how bad it would be if I stole something (that in fact, I just bought) ---
**Author:** ![Rubixcube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Rubixcube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubixcube)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/11 "2012-09-03T21:39:48Z")
I mostly use them for burning legal (i.e. public domain or purchased/freely available) films or shows. I’ve been doing this less and less over the years since it seems nearly every device made nowadays can play just about any file type; but I still do so occasionally when I want something more permanent. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/12 "2012-09-03T22:31:30Z")
I burn my digital photos on DVD. I make several copies and keep them in different places too, because DVDs can fail, get stolen or the whole place catch fire. I hear all the time people losing years and years of photos because a hard disk failed. I don’t want this to happen to me. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/13 "2012-09-03T23:48:21Z")
Also, home copying of copyrighted files can be legal. I’m converting all my old LPs to MP3s, and storing copies on DVD. As I understand it, this is perfectly legal: it’s a backup, archival copy to protect against personal loss. I’m not making it available to anyone else; it’s only to save wear-and-tear on my old vinyl. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/14 "2012-09-04T00:02:33Z")
Mah manifesto. I’m up to eight gabillion pages. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/15 "2012-09-04T04:23:03Z")
How about burning legally downloaded movies, with copyright protection intact? If you buy a movie on iTunes, you’re allowed to back it up, right? If your disk fails, they won’t let you redownload it. ---
**Author:** ![JLRogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@JLRogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JLRogers)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/16 "2012-09-04T05:59:09Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > I burn my digital photos on DVD. I make several copies and keep them in different places too, because DVDs can fail, get stolen or the whole place catch fire. > > I hear all the time people losing years and years of photos because a hard disk failed. I don’t want this to happen to me. This, mostly. Photos don’t take much room when you’re taking snapshots with a phone or cheap pocket camera, but with a dSLR the RAWs take up a ton of room. I’m a pack rat, so I back up RAWs even though I’m unlikely to revisit most of them. It has come in handy once or twice though. I’ve also got a few different boot discs, all legal. Plus home movies, legal garage/independent band recordings, redundant backups of data, and probably other stuff I can’t think of offhand. Honestly, there’s plenty of legitimate use for all those spindles. I guess if you’re buying them by the dozen it’s probably not on the level, but I run through about a hundred discs a year give or take for purely legal purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/17 "2012-09-04T06:03:08Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Yes and no. Copyright law allows you to backup movies you’ve paid for, but the DMCA outlaws breaking the encryption on commercial discs. And you can’t back them up without breaking the encryption. Only if I’m making a back-up off a movie on DVD. What if I’m making a DVD back-up copy of a movie I legally purchased on VHS? That’s legal isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/18 "2012-09-04T06:07:10Z")
I have a DVD recorder in the living room, which I use as a VCR. Including making permanent copies of the stuff that’s been recorded onto my DVR’s hard disk. > [@](#): > > We all know that copying store-bought DVD movies and music CDs is illegal and morally wrong. Just illegal. It’s not immoral to back up something you own, for most definitions of ownership. ---
**Author:** ![grama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@grama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grama)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/19 "2012-09-04T10:08:02Z")
Linix Live CDs/DVDs ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562/20 "2012-09-04T11:04:37Z")
Any Canadians in the thread? You guys pay a copyright surcharge on all blank DVDs, right? What does everybody else here think about the prospect of paying extra for blank media based on the assumption that many will be used to duplicate copyrighted media. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-burn-legally-onto-dvds/633562.md?page=2)