DVD Copying Software

Buyer's guide - what to look for in DVD Copying software

DVD copy software's primary function is to back up your DVDs (and possibly Blu-Ray discs). They do this by copying the movie files from the disc and either burning them on a second disc, or creating a file on your hard drive that can be played back using a media player. The type of file can often be specified to ensure that it is of the correct size and type to be played back on the device of your choosing - be that your laptop, iPhone or iPad. The process is also known as ripping, cloning or duplicating DVDs.

Good DVD copy software will give you a wide choice in output quality and file formats. All software titles should aim to give you 1:1 quality when simply creating a duplicate of the original, but preserve as much quality as possible when compressing the files too. Since the number of formats can be confusing, the best software will give you a single button to click for the most popular tasks, such as conversion for iPod playback. As a minimum, look for conversion from:

• DVD to DVD
• DVD to AVI
• DVD to MPEG
• DVD to PSP
• DVD to WMV
• DVD to 3GP

Advanced features to look out for are the ability to copy and burn to Blu-Ray, editing tools and advanced copy options (for example, the ability to export single (or sequences of) frames as JPEG, GIF or PNG images.

Editing tools allow you to select specific video segments for copying, they allow you to merge video from various sources, crop video size, add video effects, adjust subtitle, and add watermark. They are basic versions of full movie editing software and not necessary if you simply wish to copy your DVDs in their entirety.