HI. I use DVD Decrypter for most of my DVD archiving tasks. I've come across a few DVDs that DVD Decrypter just couldn't do, so I installed a free trial of AnyDVD HD, which did the tasks fine, but unfortunately expired after 21 days. Before I go and buy a licence for it, I would like to know what others think about alternatives to DVD Decrypter. I was recommended DVD Fab, but haven't tried it before. Is there other great free applications DVD archiving applications? Thanks.

This is something I haven't gotten into yet but will really soon so this is usefull. A couple I know about are:

dvd::rip

k9copy

Those both look like the best of the free ones out there that I can tell.

You also have to pay for DVDFab, and since both (IIRC) are on an bi-annual recurring licence, it's a matter of choice which you use. AnyDVD is cheaper than DVDFab, and I couldn't attest to the update frequency of DVDFab, but AnyDVD is updated regularly, usually once or twice per month. For a little more, you can get AnyDVD HD, which copes with BluRays and HD-DVDs too.

 

Personally, I use AnyDVD combined with DVDShrink to rip just the main movie. I use AutoIt to automate the whole process (including copying to the unRAID box) each time a DVD is inserted.

While AnyDVD isn't free it is worth the price. I use it along with an add-in for Windows Media Center called "AutoRip and Compress". It only works with WMC on Windows 7 though, not Vista. Throw a DVD in the drive and it automatically retrieves the info/art from online. If you're happy with the name it found just press 'Start Rip' and it will do it's thing.

 

You can set profiles for other "helper" software, not just AnyDVD, if you choose to use something else like DVDfab. The output can be ISO, VOB's, or sent automatically to external programs for further processing, such as Handbrake.

 

 

Handbrake.

There's a "free" version of DVD Fab, that strictly does ripping. I haven't updated mine in about a year (I run it in a VMware image that only does ripping), but I think the current version is still free.

 

(I put free in quotes, because I think it nags you to buy the full version, but still offers complete ripping functionality).

Handbrake.

 

I used to love Handbrake, but it has stopped working for me since I upgraded to Windows 7.  Anyone else have this problem?

Is it known whether these applications below can decrypt and remove all regions for DVDs? I have some International DVDs which have different regions, preventing me to play them. DVDDecrypter has done the bulk of my collection bar these ones. If the apps below do not, Ill bite the bullet and buy AnyDVD HD.

 

 

This is something I haven't gotten into yet but will really soon so this is usefull. A couple I know about are:

dvd::rip

k9copy

Those both look like the best of the free ones out there that I can tell.

I bought AnyDVD HD back when it was a one-time purchase with lifetime upgrades.

(Now i gather you purchase a yearly subscription or something).

To date I haven't seen a DVD which AnyDVD wasn't able to handle perfectly.

 

Just have AnyDVD active in the background, and do the job with DVDShrink.

If you have these two programs, you'll never need anything else.

 

When I was using AnyDVD HD, it was a 21 day trail. I had the option for AnyDVD to decrypt the DVD in the background and use another app like DVDShrink or DVD Decrypter, they would fail, but when I used AnyDVD's DVD decryption application, it did the job fine. All signs are pointing to AnyDVD so it seems, well for my interntional region DVDs. Thanks for the suggestions, it is a shame it doesn't do life time updates, I guess they have to keep the cash flow coming in.

Check the settings and make sure that "Software Region Code" is ticked under the Feature Removal.

 

I rip mainly Region 2 discs, but I haven't had any problems with the Region 1 discs in my collection either.

 

Most of the time, Slysoft have a 20% discount running, which takes about $15 off the price of the software. Personally, I've never had any issues with the software and even though I've got the lifetime updates, I'd happily pay $60 every couple of years if I had to.

 

I used to love Handbrake, but it has stopped working for me since I upgraded to Windows 7.  Anyone else have this problem?

 

I run the command line version natively on unRAID.

Handbrake.

 

I used to love Handbrake, but it has stopped working for me since I upgraded to Windows 7.  Anyone else have this problem?

What's not working?  I'm using handbrake with Windows 7 x64.  No problems.

Does Handbrake decrypt all regions and makes the DVD copied structure region free? Thanks.

 

Handbrake.

 

I used to love Handbrake, but it has stopped working for me since I upgraded to Windows 7.  Anyone else have this problem?

HandBrake isn't a ripper. It's a video encoder. It doesn't do any decryption internally. On Mac OS X, it'll use VLC's DVD decryption routines to decrypt, but on Windows and Linux you need to use a third party ripper.

 

It's not a replacement for a DVD ripper, only a complement to convert ripped DVDs to (damn nice quality) h.264 files.

When I was using AnyDVD HD, it was a 21 day trail. I had the option for AnyDVD to decrypt the DVD in the background and use another app like DVDShrink or DVD Decrypter, they would fail, but when I used AnyDVD's DVD decryption application, it did the job fine. All signs are pointing to AnyDVD so it seems, well for my interntional region DVDs. Thanks for the suggestions, it is a shame it doesn't do life time updates, I guess they have to keep the cash flow coming in.

 

You can buy a lifetime license for Anydvd HD. I just checked & it's 109.00 Euros today. They offer 1 year & multiple year license's also.

Handbrake.

 

I used to love Handbrake, but it has stopped working for me since I upgraded to Windows 7.  Anyone else have this problem?

What's not working?  I'm using handbrake with Windows 7 x64.  No problems.

 

I gave up on it a few months ago, so maybe it has been fixed in the meantime.  However, I've been using Windows 7 Ultimate x64 since it came out, and for many months Handbrake simply did not work.  When opened, half the options were off the screen (with no option to scroll over to them).  Also, if I did manage to get an encode going, it would either crash partway through or the resulting files would be unusable.  I tried it on multiple machines, so I thought the problem was incompatibility with Win7.  I'm glad to hear you haven't had any of these problems.  Maybe I'll give it another try.  I really do miss Handbrake.

I tried a copy of AnyDVD HD on my Win 7 PC and it installed, but failed to launch after the install required a reboot, something about a service or file error. I might have to revert to using a XP machine for this. Weird, I would imagine SlySoft would make AnyDVD HD compatible with Win 7 by now. Might have to place it on Compatibility Mode for Win XP. Interesting.

 

Handbrake.

 

I used to love Handbrake, but it has stopped working for me since I upgraded to Windows 7.  Anyone else have this problem?

What's not working?  I'm using handbrake with Windows 7 x64.  No problems.

 

I gave up on it a few months ago, so maybe it has been fixed in the meantime.  However, I've been using Windows 7 Ultimate x64 since it came out, and for many months Handbrake simply did not work.  When opened, half the options were off the screen (with no option to scroll over to them).  Also, if I did manage to get an encode going, it would either crash partway through or the resulting files would be unusable.  I tried it on multiple machines, so I thought the problem was incompatibility with Win7.  I'm glad to hear you haven't had any of these problems.  Maybe I'll give it another try.  I really do miss Handbrake.

AnyDVD HD works perfectly on my Win7-64 install.

I'm running a x86 Windows 7 version, need to get more horse power to run 64bit Windows 7. Though SlySoft have support for Windows 98/2000/XP, they were mostly 32bit, possibily no 32bit version for Win 7 yet? I'll do some more research and see what I find. I don't really want to revert to using an XP machine just this. Thanks.

AnyDVD runs as a 32-bit application under Win7-x64, and as I said works perfectly. That makes me think that it's not AnyDVD that's at fault

I gave up on it a few months ago, so maybe it has been fixed in the meantime.  However, I've been using Windows 7 Ultimate x64 since it came out, and for many months Handbrake simply did not work.  When opened, half the options were off the screen (with no option to scroll over to them).  Also, if I did manage to get an encode going, it would either crash partway through or the resulting files would be unusable.  I tried it on multiple machines, so I thought the problem was incompatibility with Win7.  I'm glad to hear you haven't had any of these problems.  Maybe I'll give it another try.  I really do miss Handbrake.

Same here....I think I had to run it under compatibility mode or something.  But it works now, however only for dvds.  I was not able to get it to work for bd's.

But it works now, however only for dvds.  I was not able to get it to work for bd's.

For BD you need to use 'AnyDVD HD'.

 

But it works now, however only for dvds.  I was not able to get it to work for bd's.

For BD you need to use 'AnyDVD HD'.

 

I have AnyDvdHD, but handbrake never worked when using it with bd's, either from the disc itself or reading it after ripping it to the harddrive.  For BD's I just use eac3to now.

For BDs, I heard BD RB (I think that what it is called) is very good for Blu Rays.