[Namuna]

For folks unfamiliar, DVDShrink is an application for Backing up DVD movies onto standard 4.7GB DVDs (via compression).


But along with that, it is also a worthy tool for fitting +4.7GB of ReplayTV content onto a standard 4.7GB DVD as well.


Excellent program, highly recommended and with the new version 3.1.4 it uses a new engine for even FASTER backups...Best of all? It's FREE!

DVDShrink Download



- I did a forum search and found nothing that specifically spoke of this product, being the great tool that it is I thought it deserved it's own thread.

 

[chain777]

I've been using this software since ver. 2.3 and it just keeps getting better. The integration with Nero is excellent; just drop a blank DVD into the drive and let the program do it's magic.


I have no idea why anyone would pay for something different when 'shrink does such a good job. The only thing I can think of that it lacks is a way to cut out parts of the video and retain the title menus. I wouldn't be surprised to see this added in future releases...at least I'm hopeful.


Since getting a DVD burner and this software, I've completely given up on Divx/Xvid. Why decrease the quality and take hours to encode when this method is easier to use and the end results are far superior.

 

[adone36]

There will be no more versions per the author. Just bug fixes.


DVDShrink 4 is basically Nero Recode now. So I guess the author is now being paid for his stuff.

 

[Sturmie]

@adone36


yeah, he was recruited by Ahead to do their Recode program a few months ago. i think Ahead got sick of him updating his free release to be so similar to the one he coded for them--so they locked him down w/ ca$h. good move on his part...least he's gettin' paid now.


DVD Shrink/Recode is easily the best app out there for DVD9 to DVD5 copies...Pinnacle InstantCopy takes forever and has so many bugs that their technicians refuse to acknowledge.


sturmie

 

[tluxon]

Quote:

Originally posted by chain777 ...The only thing I can think of that it lacks is a way to cut out parts of the video and retain the title menus. ...

Doesn't it do that? I've edited a few DVDs to make them a little more "kid friendly" and I'm pretty sure the menus stayed intact.


BTW, version 3 beta 5 used to choke on authored titlesets made by TMPGEnc DVD Author 1.5 because of the CPRM encryption, but now 3.1 and later opens them just fine.


Tim

 

[Namuna]

I've also read how the Author will no longer be offering updates, just bug fixes...But then I read how in 3.1.4 they're using a TOTALLY NEW engine?!


I didn't know using a better/faster engine was considered a bug fix!


Love the program, great stuff.

 

[moyekj]

I second this as a great program (been using it for about 6 months now). In my mind:

DVArchive is to ReplayTV as DVDShrink is to DVD writing.

 

[bpratt]

Quote:

But along with that, it is also a worthy tool for fitting +4.7GB of ReplayTV content onto a standard 4.7GB DVD as well.

Namuna


I just recently purchased a DVD burner and updated my Roxio Easy CD Creator software to Roxio Easy CD and DVD Creator 6.0, so I'm new to burning shows from RepalyTV onto DVD. I downloaded a medium quality show with DVArchive. The show was only 1 hour 34 minutes in length and the .mpg file is about 2.4Gig in size.


When I burned the DVD, it completely filled all the space on the DVD and cut off the last 8 seconds of the show.


Is there a way to use DVDShrink to be able to get more than 1 1/2 hours of medium quality on a DVD. I downloaded DVDShrink and worked with it for a couple of hours, but can't see how to do that.


Is 1 1/2 hours of medium quality all I can expect to get on a DVD or do I need some additional software. (Or is Roxio a POS?)

 

[Shelby67]

Quote:

Originally posted by chain777 I've been using this software since ver. 2.3 and it just keeps getting better. The integration with Nero is excellent; just drop a blank DVD into the drive and let the program do it's magic. I have no idea why anyone would pay for something different when 'shrink does such a good job. The only thing I can think of that it lacks is a way to cut out parts of the video and retain the title menus. I wouldn't be surprised to see this added in future releases...at least I'm hopeful. Since getting a DVD burner and this software, I've completely given up on Divx/Xvid. Why decrease the quality and take hours to encode when this method is easier to use and the end results are far superior.

Anyone know of a link that is working tried several with no luck.

 

[Shelby67]

Sorry clicked on the wrong quote but anyone know of a link?

 

[qtv]

See if this works for you: DVD Shrink 3.1.4 from File Forum

 

[Slack]

Quote:

Originally posted by chain777 Since getting a DVD burner and this software, I've completely given up on Divx/Xvid. Why decrease the quality and take hours to encode when this method is easier to use and the end results are far superior.

How about keeping it ALL on magnetic storage, not optical?


DivX Xvid have their place.


Stating that re-compression "aka throwing away data by lowering the bit rate" on standard mpeg2 stuff is superior to mpeg4 is total BS. IMO


Replace "far superior" with "far more convenient", and you are right.


Byte for Byte Mpeg4 beats Mpeg2 no ifs ands or buts.

 

[replayed]

Quote:

Is there a way to use DVDShrink to be able to get more than 1 1/2 hours of medium quality on a DVD.

You don't neeed DVDShrink for that.


I routinely get over 2.5 hours of medium quality ReplayTV stuff on a single DVD with no shrinking. You don't say how you get from the DVArchive downloaded file to the DVD burn. You'd have to provide some details before we can guess why a 2.4GB ReplayTV file is filling up a 4.7GB DVD. Most likely your authoring package is reencoding the ReplayTV Mpeg unnecessarily. The most common path followed around here is DVArchive --> either RTVtools or Womble --> DMF2 --> Nero Burn. I do this all the time (with Womble).

 

[Shelby67]

Quote:

Originally posted by qtv See if this works for you: DVD Shrink 3.1.4 from File Forum

Thanks it worked, qtv.

 

[Shelby67]

Quote:

Originally posted by replayed You don't neeed DVDShrink for that. I routinely get over 2.5 hours of medium quality ReplayTV stuff on a single DVD with no shrinking. You don't say how you get from the DVArchive downloaded file to the DVD burn. You'd have to provide some details before we can guess why a 2.4GB ReplayTV file is filling up a 4.7GB DVD. Most likely your authoring package is reencoding the ReplayTV Mpeg unnecessarily. The most common path followed around here is DVArchive --> either RTVtools or Womble --> DMF2 --> Nero Burn. I do this all the time (with Womble).

I have the same problem. Path is DVachive to Ulead mf2. And yes it reencodes I'd rather put on 2 disc verses 109 dollars for wobble. Have not heard about rtvtools. Please enlighten on RTV tools.

 

[chain777]

Quote:

Originally posted by Slack How about keeping it ALL on magnetic storage, not optical? DivX Xvid have their place. Stating that re-compression "aka throwing away data by lowering the bit rate" on standard mpeg2 stuff is superior to mpeg4 is total BS. IMO Replace "far superior" with "far more convenient", and you are right. Byte for Byte Mpeg4 beats Mpeg2 no ifs ands or buts.

Slack, I'm not sure where you're coming from, but I think we're comparing apples to oranges. I'm talking about retaining as close to the original copy; bit for bit. This means not re-encoding the source to another format.


I *try* to copy the source with NO compression whenever possible (removing unnecessary audio and video tracks) and only resort to compression when it's necessary to fit on one disk. I always have the option of spanning multiple disks if I really want to retain a *perfect* copy.


Are you trying to say that MPEG-4 produces better quality than MPEG-2? If so, then let me know what the codec is.


Sure it has it's place, no doubt, and it's getting better all the time. But I still don't know of a codec that can produce the same quality as MPEG-2.


I think the 'cow has invaded my brain. reading this post back confirms this.


my grammer and punctiuation. is even going...


i think i may explode at ny moment.


...back to reality.


Anyway, I don't doubt that there will be, or are, better codecs out there that are capable of producing the same of better quality than can be had with MPEG-2 right now (more efficiently)...I'm just not aware of any.


Please enlighten me...I'm feeling spiritually bereft.


Reading this post back once again, I just have to add that your goal is to "keep it ALL on magnetic storage" i.e. Hard Drives. I'm talking about archival purposes. I don't feel comfortable leaving data on hard drives that can and will fail in time. And I don't have the time or resources to invest in a top line magnetic storage solution.


Blank DVD's are cheaper. I know they don't last forever, but I'm pretty sure I can detect if and when a problem occurs, and have time to save the majority of the data.


Now I have to go and "excersise" the 'cow. (no ifs ands or buts)

 

[chain777]

Quote:

Originally posted by tluxon Doesn't it do that? I've edited a few DVDs to make them a little more "kid friendly" and I'm pretty sure the menus stayed intact. Tim

There isn't any way of retaining working menus while removing parts of the video that I'm aware of; please let me know if I'm missing something. You can remove audio tracks and subtitles, but to remove video segments, you have to re-author which renders the title menus unusable.


If I'm wrong, let me know what the process is that you use to retain working title menus and removing portions of the video?

 

[Slack]

apples & oranges it is.


My byte for byte comment refers to the imaginary scenario in which you are given x bytes to render scene y. mpeg4 will make better use of those bytes and give you ore of scene y.


As far as removing video & retaining menus. It's easy enough to rip a dvd, then copy the FBI warning over all the 'extra' content, by copying & renaming the FBI vob to the replaced vob's name. Menus stay intact, but playing those extras results in FBI warning. And some progs will bark at you before you burn with such an arrangement.


I sometimes do this If 1) the disk is just slightly over 4.7 gig, and 2) I don't feel like doing the whole ifo editing or dvd shrink thing.

 

[tluxon]

Quote:

Originally posted by chain777 There isn't any way of retaining working menus while removing parts of the video that I'm aware of; please let me know if I'm missing something. You can remove audio tracks and subtitles, but to remove video segments, you have to re-author which renders the title menus unusable. If I'm wrong, let me know what the process is that you use to retain working title menus and removing portions of the video?

Oh, boy - are YOU in for a treat!
http://www.dvdshrink.info/re-author-advanced.php


The above guide is for v2.3, but in 3.1.x the "Start/Stop" frame feature is in a right click menu when focused on a track in the left pane. If you didn't already know about this feature, you're going to LOVE it!


Enjoy,


Tim


[edit]OOPS - when I re-read your post - like I should've done from the start - I see what you mean. You're absolutely right. You actually do need to re-author new menus when you've cut out video segments. Sorry about telling you what you already knew...

 

[antibody128]

I tried to use DVDshrink to compress DVD folders created by Sonic MyDVD using standard/medium recordings from my Replay. There seemed to be a Max compression that didn't allow me to fit the extra 1/2 hour or so. What's the max compression, is there a way to over ride this, is this limited by the ReplayTV files or the VOB's created by MyDVD, and would I want to override the max compression or will it result in horrible video degradation?


I love DVDshrink for backing up DVD's, but I haven't gone back to it yet for ReplayTV DVD's yet. Thanks for any info.


PS How long does a DVDR last for anyway? I was under the impression that it would last at least until DVD players are long gone. Am I wrong?