Exact Video Copy?, most accurate dvd/ blu-ray ripper Options

[duartisimo]

Hello everybody,

I'm sorta new in the Audiophile world (just bought my first Grado headphones!!!) and on a very tight budget. I cannot afford a Marantz DVD player or a Mcintosh Vacuum tube amplifier or anything like that, but i do want to ensure myself that i have the best possible copy of my DVDs as i do with my CDs, so i can store them on my hard drive and play them whenever i want to and not worry if they are getting scratched.
Your tips on how to achieve great video rips will be very welcomed

Thanks for reading

[DVDdoug]

Commercial DVDs are encrypted. Here in the USA, it's illegal to crack the copy protection and we don't discuss how to do that here.

Unlike audio CDs, the files on a DVD are regular data files. If you have a non-encrypted or decrypted DVD, you can simply copy the AUDIO_TS (usually empty) and VIDEO_TS folders onto your hard drive, and if there are no errors reported, you have a bit-perfect copy that you can play with DVD-player software!

Or, programs like VOB2MPG (FREE!!!) or Corel Video Studio (currently $50 USD) can convert the series of VOB files to a single MPEG-2 file without re-encoding the MPEG audio/video data. (You will loose your menus.)

Most "DVD copying" programs (including the "illegal" programs that crack encryption) will make a bit-perfect copy. Some have an optional "shrink" feature to re-compress the video to fit on a single-layer DVD, and of course this is lossy. Many "DVD ripping" programs (i.e. Handbrake) will transcode the audio/video to a different format for use on a portable player, and of course this too is a lossy process.

...or a Mcintosh Vacuum tube amplifier or anything like that,

Don't be fooled by the "audiophile hype"! Solid state amplifiers can have low noise, low distortion, and flat frequency response. There's no need for expensive 1950s technology unless you like the "warm glow" (and associated energy inefficiency) of tubes, or a particular "tube sound". (I think McIntosh amps are very good, and shouldn't have any characteristic "tube sound"... They should sound exactly like a good solid state amp.

BTW - I owned a McIntosh mono tube amp long ago... It was OK, but it was mono and only 30 watts so I gave it away.


P.S.

(just bought my first Grado headphones!!!)

I also own Grados. Unlike amplifiers (which all sound alike once you get above a certain quality level), speakers & heaphones DO all sound different, and it IS worthwhile to get good speakers & headphones.

This post has been edited by DVDdoug: Jan 19 2011, 02:15

[duartisimo]

Thank you for all the tips, i'm sure they will be very helful.
I blame it all on Pearl Jam for releasing their live shows in FLAC!!! Some time ago i didnt know what lossless audio was and now i wont go back to stupid mp3!!!
The tube amp and reciever comments were more of a way of referencing very expensive equipment that i am not able to afford. the Grados that i bought (RS325is, thank you very much) were tested on a THX certified Marantz hi-fi component and Mcintosh SACD player and they sounded great, of course.
i am actually sort of looking for a computer with a good sound card. As im beginning to realize, i will probably have to build it from parts so i can have the good M-Audio or Sound Blaster sound cards. But that's another story

Anyway, thank you very much

This post has been edited by greynol: Jan 19 2011, 18:57

Reason for edit: Removed unnecessary quote of the previous post.

[duartisimo]

THANKS ALOT
All very useful info

Commercial DVDs are encrypted. Here in the USA, it's illegal to crack the copy protection and we don't discuss how to do that here.

Unlike audio CDs, the files on a DVD are regular data files. If you have a non-encrypted or decrypted DVD, you can simply copy the AUDIO_TS (usually empty) and VIDEO_TS folders onto your hard drive, and if there are no errors reported, you have a bit-perfect copy that you can play with DVD-player software!

Or, programs like VOB2MPG (FREE!!!) or Corel Video Studio (currently $50 USD) can convert the series of VOB files to a single MPEG-2 file without re-encoding the MPEG audio/video data. (You will loose your menus.)

Most "DVD copying" programs (including the "illegal" programs that crack encryption) will make a bit-perfect copy. Some have an optional "shrink" feature to re-compress the video to fit on a single-layer DVD, and of course this is lossy. Many "DVD ripping" programs (i.e. Handbrake) will transcode the audio/video to a different format for use on a portable player, and of course this too is a lossy process.

...or a Mcintosh Vacuum tube amplifier or anything like that,

Don't be fooled by the "audiophile hype"! Solid state amplifiers can have low noise, low distortion, and flat frequency response. There's no need for expensive 1950s technology unless you like the "warm glow" (and associated energy inefficiency) of tubes, or a particular "tube sound". (I think McIntosh amps are very good, and shouldn't have any characteristic "tube sound"... They should sound exactly like a good solid state amp.

BTW - I owned a McIntosh mono tube amp long ago... It was OK, but it was mono and only 30 watts so I gave it away.


P.S.

(just bought my first Grado headphones!!!)

I also own Grados. Unlike amplifiers (which all sound alike once you get above a certain quality level), speakers & heaphones DO all sound different, and it IS worthwhile to get good speakers & headphones.

[A_Man_Eating_Duc...]

Try ........, that will convert your dvds to MKV without any loss in quality.

you can use MPC-HC or VLC to play the MKV's.

EDIT: sorry didn't realise that posting a link to decrypting software is against the rules.

OP, PM me if you would like the link to the software.

This post has been edited by A_Man_Eating_Duck: Jan 25 2011, 06:51