How To Back-Up Dvd

[hkdillard]

I purchased an external hard drive for the sole purpose of saving our dvd movies. I want to save the movies onto the drive as "files" so that they can be played through a tv/laptop away from home. I purchased the software because I was told that I have to "rip" the files in order to save them. There are a few problems: 1.) I feel I have NO clue what I am doing. 2.) The software does not seem to want to let me do what I intended for it to do. Can someone help me before I lose my mind?

[bimicher]

I purchased an external hard drive for the sole purpose of saving our dvd movies. I want to save the movies onto the drive as "files" so that they can be played through a tv/laptop away from home. I purchased the software because I was told that I have to "rip" the files in order to save them. There are a few problems: 1.) I feel I have NO clue what I am doing. 2.) The software does not seem to want to let me do what I intended for it to do. Can someone help me before I lose my mind?

 

If by "our DVD" movies you mean commercial, copyrighted movies then this software cannot do it since it is illegal to break the copy protection.

[hkdillard]

The DVDs are legally purchased movies, i.e. Transformers.

 

Is there software available to do what I need?

[bimicher]

The DVDs are legally purchased movies, i.e. Transformers.

 

Is there software available to do what I need?

 

Not legally.

[Brendon]

In the USA there is a "fair use doctrine" which among other things is said to allow you to make backups for your own personal use.

 

When Court cases on this subject started to go against them, the recording industry groups lobbied and got the Digital Millennium Copyright Act [DMCA] passed into law. This law comes from a different angle, and makes it a crime to 'crack' the protection on DVDs. It also makes it illegal to possess software designed to crack that protection. So even if you are allowed to make a backup, the DMCA makes it a crime to crack the protection in order to make your backup.

 

For this reason Roxio software cannot break protection on DVDs, and people on the Roxio boards are not allowed to discuss ways which might encourage or help you to break that law.

 

Thanks very much for your understanding on this awkward matter. I need to lock this topic now, in case someone says something that we might be prosecuted for.

 

Best regards,

Brendon