How to Split Dual Layer DVDs

Need to split your DVD-9s?

Dual-layered DVDs, known as DVD-9s and DVD+RDLS, hold up to 8.5GBs of information, as opposed to normal DVDs (DVD-5), which hold 4.7GBs. Dual-layered DVDs generally contain higher quality videos, but can be split to fit on two DVD-5s without losing quality using a DVD copier program. There are several programs to choose from, including LeKuSoft DVD Copy, Ahead DVD Copy and ImToo DVD Splitter. All three programs come with free trial options.

Things You'll Need

• DVD copier software

Instructions

LeKuSoft DVD Copy

1. Open your Internet browser and visit LeKuSoft DVD Copy's main page (see Resources). Click the "Free Download" link to download and install the software. Agree to the terms of use and open the program.

2. Insert your disc into your computer. Click the "Profile" drop-down menu and select your dual-layered DVD. (It will appear automatically once your computer has recognized the disc.)

3. Click the "Target" drop-down box and choose a location on your computer where to save your split DVD files.

4. Click the second icon in the right-hand panel of the screen (the picture of a DVD splitting into two DVDs). Press the "Start" button to begin splitting your dual-layered DVD. It will automatically split the DVD into two standard DVD sizes.

Ahead DVD Copy

1. Navigate to Ahead DVD's main download page (see Resources). Scroll down until you reach the download link for "Ahead DVD Copy." Click the "Free Download" button.

   Run the application install file once download is complete. Agree to the terms of use and open Ahead DVD Copy.

2. Insert your DVD into your computer. Press the "Reload" button at the top-left of Ahead DVD Copy's main screen to enter an "Open" dialogue box. Double-click your DVD's icon, highlight its "Video_TS" folder and click "Open."

3. Press the "Split" button on the left-side panel.

4. Click the "Temporary Folder" button on the right side of the screen and choose a save location on your hard drive for your split DVD files.

5. Locate the "Shrinked Size Setting" bar on the right side of the screen. Drag the cursor to the middle of the bar. Click the "Copy" button to begin copying and splitting your dual-layer DVD.

ImToo DVD Splitter

1. Visit ShareWare Guide to download ImToo DVD Splitter (see Resources). Click the "Save File" button when prompted to download the software. Run the installation application ".exe" file, agree to the licensing terms and open the program.

2. Insert your DVD into your disc drive. Your DVD's title will appear automatically at the bottom of the screen, with its "Title" icons in the middle of the screen. Click the button to the left of "Title" to highlight your entire DVD.

3. Click the "Profile" drop-down box near the bottom of the page. Select the "Video_TS" option if you are going to burn each split file to a new disc (see Tips).

4. Locate the "Profile Settings" panel on the right side of the screen. Near the bottom of the panel, click the "Split" drop-down menu and select "Customized Split Size." Enter the size of the video you want to split (in this case, choose 4700MB, since this is a standard DVD size). Click "OK."

5. Select a location to save your files to by pressing the "Browse..." button next to the "Destination" field at the bottom of the screen. Click the red circular "Convert" button to begin splitting your DVDs.

Tips & Warnings

• If using ImToo, you may choose to split your dual-layered DVDs and convert them to dozens of different file formats by clicking the "Profile" box, depending on your needs. For playback on your PC, you may want to try an AVI output. For portable media devices, consult your user manual for the correct output format.

References

• LeKuSoft: DVD Copy Tutorial
• Ahead DVD: Copy Features

Resources

• LeKuSoft: LeKuSoft DVD Copy
• Ahead DVD Ripper: Ahead DVD Copy
• ShareWare Guide: ImToo DVD Splitter