how copy dvds?

[ninja_pimp]

is there a guide which explains hwo to copy a dvd to a blank dvd-r media? I've not seen any, all i see are how to rip and then burn. Is there not a way to make a mirror copy of the discs?
I have poioneer dvd-r and a ricoh dvd-rw.
some movies I rent come on dual layer dvds, like 9 gigs so i dont know how to copy those, i've not seen any dual layer blanks around here, all i can get is the 4.7 blank media.

[jggimi]

Most of the time you have to do some work. Dual-layer dvds are only possible in manufacture, not burning.

Take a look at Doom9's extensive guide set: http://www.doom9.org/mpg/dvdr-guides.htm

[Arky]

Not really sure what this site means by "Archive Copies", because I didn't investigate further, but just for the sake of giving you a (possible, but not definite!) lead...

h**p://www.cnet.com/software/0-3227898-1204-8452444.html?tag=st.dl.pdp.xpro-txt.ba_related

Personally, I can't see how this software (mentioned in the link above) can do anything but a standard RIP, perhaps to an image file - but then how can it be of any use if it's not De-CSS'd? And this decryption is, of course, illegal... I am assuming you do not wish to copy your friend's own authored DVDs - your question refers to backing up of commercial (Hollywood) disks, right?

For NON-protected (i.e. no CSS encryption) there is a commercial solution, but you and I would simply use SmartRipper or DVD-Decryptor for free. I wouldn't even mind betting that, in an amusing twist of irony, Heuris's engineers learnt a great deal from the coding of DVD-Decryptor and SmartRipper, when they set about creating the following product!!

h**p://www.heuris.com/MPEGProducts/Xtract.htm

Anyway, either way, one can't simply copy a DVD to a DVD-R unless the original content, minus extra languages etc., can be made to fit onto the less than 4gigs which DVD-R (approximately) offers consumers. If I was in the ripping game (which I'm not - I prefer to author from original DV footage), I'd use the excellent guides which our very own Doom9's site provides, even if that means re-encoding using ReMPEG, or CCESP :)


Arky ;o)

[ninja_pimp]

so if I understand correctly, I can use smart ripper to extract the files from the dvd disc onto my hdd and then simply author a blank media with the extracted files, provided the blank media has enough room. basically making a copy but via ripping and authoring...this sounds doable as I have plenty of expereience with ripping.