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Duvie
06-10-2003, 09:47 PM
6/10/2003:

- The release of DVD shrink version 2.0 is out and has some new features over the previous 1.03 version. Improved in interface and adds a few things...may be slightly slower due to new compression engine but still overall fast....

There is also a revised DVDshrink 2.0 guide at www.doom.net

- A new program (beta version) Called DVDfab is out.....Looks like an all in one interface that offers DVD9 to (2) DVD5 with all menus in easy to follow menus and easy process to strip movie only with just the audio tracks you want.

There is an instuction guide available at http://www.dvdfab.com/index_e.html ....

I will be testing it and giving my feedback....


***initial review****

For doing a simple strip of the mian movie only and going to one disk (if it fits) or splitting to 2 dvd-rs it is by far the easiest one program solution I have found to date....You still need a good DVD decryptor program to get it on the HDD and your choice of burning software, but it will put it the format needed to drag it right into nero or play like a dvd right off the HDD.

Unfortunately the copy whole movie has some bugs and remeber this is still a beta. I cannot seem to get past creating menus...currently there are no guides for this type so I cannot see if I am doing something wrong...I don't thik so as there is only 1 button to hit!!!


6/11/2003:

Oldfart in the threads below has linked a nice Deal (or a STeal I might add) to get Pinnacle's Instant DVD copying solution for free after MIR....Tis is a full feature program with all the bells and whistle. I generally like to stay freeware/ shareware but since it is free I think I will get a copy for myself....

update--- Got around to testing the 2.1 beta version of dvdshrink which was supposedly to add a one step process to backing up entire DVD either with compression or no compression whiel keeping menus intact...conclusion 2.1 was littered with bugs...Could only do a simple backup of movie itself. any compression of any amount on easy portion of the film left me with a dvd that would play jerky in windvd while payed fine in WMP...This may have been a region issue. Full movie backup would hose up rather quickly...

However a simple retrack back to dvdshrink website and I saw they had 2.2 already out (obviously to fix these numerous bugs) and amazing I have cleared up on all problems above.

The functionality of this thing is amazing. this is truly the one stop program. You can reauthor a DVD to anyway you want it to get it to fit on 1 standard DVD-r...You can have different compression methods on all video in the DVD without having to stick to one.

I need to do more testing as it does offer a read off of DVD drive so I am looking to see if it has a built in decryptor or this is for content already backed up and thus lacks the macrovision...

I give this 3-1/2 stars (out a possible of 4)....


6/12/2003:

A little more reviw of the DVDshrink 2.2 verion and yes in fact it does backup DVD right off of DVD without ripping to Harddrive first...yes that is amazing!!! No DVD decyrptor necessary....

This is clearly my progam of choice as of now....

6/15/2003:

Dvdshrink version 2.3 is out...Have not tried it casue 2.2 works so flawlessly no 3 movies now all of differing size and constraints....

6/17/2003:

check out www.doom9.net as he is reviewing on of the new stand-alone players capable of reading Divx formatted movies....Very exciting for many of us who have quite a large collection of them. Unfortunately support for Divx 3 seems to be missing...:mad:

6/20/2003:

Digitimes is reporting Lite-on will soon be introducing an 8x dvd-r/rw player....very nice!!!!

6/21/2003:

A ne dvdfab version 0.15.0 is out and lets see if the bugs were fixed from the one I tested back on the 10th....Stay tuned....The program offers something the dvdshrink program does not and that is the ability to file split to 2 dvd-rs when needed or wanted...


UPdate: I tested it and the bug for copying entire movie and file splitting to 2 dvd-rs is still there....For doing just the movie it works the same for me as it did in the 0.13 version and in the previously named dvdtoolbox versions....

ThugsRook
06-19-2003, 07:19 PM
DVDshrink sounds really good!

ive really gotta get myself a better home player (that can play burned cds/dvds) so i can get out of DivX land :rolleyes:

(and it will take less time!) :wave:

oldfart
06-19-2003, 08:34 PM
I got my free after MIR Pinnacle Instant Copy. I'll let you know how it is once I give it a whirl. I never got into the DiVX thing at all, or DVD copying for that matter. Anything in particular you would like to see? I've never used a program like this, so I have nothing to compare it to. It says "faster than real time 1:1 copying".

Duvie
06-19-2003, 09:50 PM
It is actually a good speed test for your system...the biggest thing ofcourse is each programs varies quite a bit on the speed and efficiency of its compression engine...

Obviously if the movie fits on 1 dvd-r and doesn't require any compression to get it to fit then it is really fast...some recompiling if you removed some audio tracks that were worthless and quick remap of the vob files and ready to burn.....

I personally wont touch one dvd-r if it requires more then 20% compression...To me that is the line I don't cross where I feel the wonderful quality of the dvd starts to get lost. Ofcourse this varies as well as it all depends on how the bitrate was for the original anyways.....


I see the program as only good in testnig with some speed changes oldfart on your system or to test against another program.....too many variables to be a cross-platform test...

Mikki
07-02-2003, 11:31 AM
Originally posted by ThugsRook
DVDshrink sounds really good!

ive really gotta get myself a better home player (that can play burned cds/dvds) so i can get out of DivX land :rolleyes:

(and it will take less time!) :wave:
Same here (tho I never gotta into divx like you guys did)...I also have the added problem of having a collection consisting of region 1 and region 2 movies....:rolleyes:

DAPUNISHER
08-07-2003, 09:41 AM
Hey Mikki, region 1&2 movies aren't a problem because DVD shrink lets you set them to region free so after transcoding they will play in any player.

caboob
01-15-2004, 09:12 PM
It seems slower than v2.3.

I noticed that backups (no compression) take twice as long.

DAPUNISHER
01-17-2004, 10:31 AM
Originally posted by caboob
It seems slower than v2.3.

I noticed that backups (no compression) take twice as long. I'm using 3.0.0.5 beta and with a A64@2.2ghz 440DDR I backed up Gladiator in 19min 20sec so I know this version is not slow :) I backed up UnderWorld in 14min 23sec as well, it takes my 4x Ricoh that long to burn it :p