How to Downsize Your DVD Collection

Standard DVDs hold 4.7GB of data, but they can pile up rapidly.

The use of DVDs, or digital versatile discs, has exploded since their 1995 creation. The discs are now standard storage media for moves and large media collections. A standard DVD holds 4.7 gigabytes. While DVD manufacturers claim that the discs last between 20 and 250 years under perfect circumstances, it's seldom that circumstances are perfect. You can downsize and preserve your DVD collection at the same time by selling them, donating them or using free, open-source software to copy, or "rip" your DVDs to a separate hard drive.

Instructions

1. Sell some of your DVDs. You can get rid of them at a garage sale, through newspaper classified advertisements or online via an e-commerce site such as eBay or Craigslist. You might not make much money, but it's better than throwing them away.

2. Donate movies to a tax-free establishment, such as a school or library. Not only will this help you downsize your collection, you'll also get a tax break for the fair value of the donation.

3. Use a free ripping program, such as "DVD Rip," to copy your movies and other files to a computer hard drive. You can also copy DVDs to an external hard drive for more compact and portable storage.

References

• TechMount: DVD Lifespan
• Online Tech Tips: How to Rip a DVD to your Hard Drive
• Austin Public Library: Mayor's DVD Donation Drive for Children Still Going Strong

Resources

• CNet: Easy DVD Rip
• eBay: DVD Movies
• Microsoft Windows: Disc Burning FAQs