How to copy a DVD to a CD

Although DVDs and CDs look similar, their internal differences make conversions tricky.

DVD and CD formats differ greatly, but with many DVD players now supporting the Video CD format, and older computers lacking DVD drives altogether, it can sometimes be an advantage to convert a DVD to the smaller CD format. Although there is a loss in quality due to the smaller storage space available, the benefits can sometimes outweigh the detriments of such a conversion.

Things You'll Need

• DVD ripping software
• Video CD encoding software
• CD burning software
• DVD drive
• CD burner
• Blank CD-ROM

Instructions

1. Download ripping software such as DVD Shrink, DVD Decrypt or Free DVD. This software allows you to copy the contents of a DVD onto your computer. Place the DVD to be copied into you DVD drive and use the software to copy the DVD to your computer. Place a blank CD-ROM in your CD writer.

2. Download software to encode a Video CD, such as Nero or Roxio. The advantage of these programs is that they will also burn the Video CD to your blank CD, so no other software is required. If using other encoding software, you will also need to download CD-burning software.

3. Open the encoding software and convert the DVD files you ripped into Video CD format. This can take several hours if using a slower computer. Open your CD-burning software and create a new Video CD session. Select the converted Video CD files and click "Start" or "Burn" (the name of the button depends on the software being used) to burn the files to your CD-ROM. Check the disk by playing it in a compatible CD/DVD player or computer.

Tips & Warnings

• If the DVD to be copied is not copy protected, it is usually possible to skip the decryption and ripping stage entirely and simply drag-and-drop the files on the DVD to a folder on your computer. This can save a lot of time if your drive is fast but your processor is not, as the computer will not have to analyse each file.

• Transferring video data from a DVD to a CD is known as "format shifting" and is currently illegal in the UK; although prosecutions for private users are rare. To avoid the risk of prosecution, convert only DVDs that you created yourself or have permission to convert.

References

• Ars Technica: Make Format Shifting and Parody Legal
• Video Help: The Newbies Guide to Fitting a Movie on One CD Using TMPGEnc