I sometimes get asked what I use to make DVDs and transfer movies around various media formats so I have written up this table. All these products are free.
| FROM | TO | PRODUCT TO USE | WHERE DO I GET IT? | WHY DO I CARE? |
| DVD | File* | DVD Decrypter | Google it | Extracts a movie from a DVD and removes the copy protection. |
| DVD | DVD | DVDShrink | Google it | Shrinks movies stored on 8GB DVD format to be stored on 4GB blanks which are 10th the price |
| File | DVD | DeVeDe | Allow you to create a DVD from a movie file and play that DVD on any normal DVD player | |
| File | iPod or iPhone | Videora | |
* File = there are various formats e.g., AVI, MP4, ISO. Each file format has a different use so you might need to do some reading unless you’re familiar with this already.
Example: Watch Movie on iPod/iPhone
Let’s say you have a movie you legitimately purchased and you want to exercise your “fair use” rights and play it on your iPod. First you use DVD Decrypter to extract the contents, and then use Videora to take the extracted contents and create an MP4 [.m4p] file (the format used by Apple for movies). Videora will usually automatically add it to iTunes as well!
Example: Backup Movie for Safe Keeping
Some of the kids aren’t so good at looking after the DVD collection. Under fair use we are allowed to backup our valuable DVDs. But some are too big to store on a normal DVD and some are copy protected which prevents you backing them up. For this, use DVD Shrink to remove the copy protection and shrink the movie down to below 4GB. You can buy 4GB DVDs for less than 20c each.
Example: Download a TV Program and Put it on a DVD
You can download some TV shows but it’s pretty unsociable to watch it on your PC in the study. It’s better to put the show on a DVD and watch it on a normal DVD player or home entertainment system. First download the TV shows using a torrent P2P program and take the file and create your own DVD with DeVeDe. You can even create a menu and store multiple shows on the one DVD.
NOTE: When creating a DVD you need some DVD burning software which is usually built into the operating system, however, I use Nero which performs really well (but it is not free). Most PCs come with a bundled DVD writing software so check out all the “free stuff” you got with your PC.
