Copy DVDs with Superdrive

[djubelirer]

Is it possible to copy DVDs with a superdrive? Ultimately, I would like to copy some of my DVDs so that I could have them at two seperate residencies so that I wouldn't need to bring them with me.

Can you make an exact copy of a Video DVD under OS X, or with Toast, and if so how?

Also, does it work after you burn it? Does the DVD Player recognize the disc?

So, no copyright infringement here....just fair use

Thanks

[HyperLiteG4]

theoretically all the DVD player looks for is the VIDEO_TS folder on the DVD to play it. Now, I don't know if you can just copy that over to your HD and burn it or what. I don't have a DVD writer at home, only at work. I do know that when you create a DVD using DVD Studio Pro then it creates a VIDEO_TS volder and then burns that onto the DVD. Also when you choose to burn a DVD with Toast 5 it asks for the VIDEO_TS folder. I guess all you can do is try it. You might waste one blank DVD finding out...oh well it's only $10 a disc.

good luck

[kenny]

Copying the VIDEO_TS folder won't work. The .VOB files contained in it are encrypted using CSS keys that, IIRC, are stored on the DVD disc as subcodes that Toast et al. cannot replicate. The resulting disc would be rejected by most (all?) players since they cannot decrypt the content.

Now, it might be possible to use something like DeCSS to decrypt the VOBS, then burn those to a DVD, which should work. I don't think the MPAA would appreciate you doing this, but...

[kenny]

LOL!!

I guess I should expect the cease-and-desist letters any day now...

[strobe]

The encryption doesn't matter. You can make a copy of the DVD by just copying the files. The encryption doesn't deter copying, it only makes it harder to make a DVD player.

You can make DVD disk images with DVDExtractor and mount them with Disk Copy in 10.1 and play those if you want. Blank DVDs aren't cheap and DVD disk images are 4-4.5 Gigs in size.

[pastora99]

I just posted somewhere else that I make DVD copies using mactheripper (free) to decrypt, then DVD remaster ($50) to shrink to normal disc size. I have 2 cheap DVD players - one plays the discs fine, one doesn't. ???.

[Veljo]

Discs that don't have protection can be copied straight using Toast's Copy feature. If you're trying to squish a dual-layer DVD onto a single-layer disc, you'd be best first dragging the VIDEO_TS folder to your computer and using DVD2OneX to shrink it. Then copy then new VIDEO_TS folder into a DVD-ROM (UDF) document in Toast, and hit burn (making sure to have the same name as the original disc).

If the disc is copy protected, you'll first need to run the disc through an application like MacTheRipper. Afterwards you can use DVD2OneX to shrink it if necessary, then use Toast to burn it as per the method described above.

[fryke]

Or just do it in _one_ step instead of 3 or 5 and use FastDVDCopy instead. But this thread is oooooooooooooooold.