The Best Way to Copy DVDs

Blank DVD disks

Copying DVDs has become an important aspect of managing a movie and home video collection. Backing up data is also a key part of computing. Copying DVDs adds a layer of security and gives peace of mind to many users. Authoring and copying software continues to become available at low cost and is often free and open-source. While hardware DVD copying systems exist, their cost is generally prohibitively expensive to the average user. Free downloadable software offers extensive options from customizing menus to editing DVD content. It is generally illegal to copy a commercial DVD if you do not own it or if you intend to share the copies. But it is legal -- and often advisable -- to copy your DVD movies to create backups in case of damage. Copyright holders make this difficult by encrypting the content of their DVDs and adding rights restrictions.

Things You'll Need

• DVD copying software
• DVD burning software

Instructions

1. Obtain a DVD copying program. Dozens of free and paid options exist. Search to find the right fit for your needs. Check to ensure your software is compatible with your operating system and computer. For example, Handbrake is an open-source free program that converts DVDs into many modern file types.

2. Install and run the copying software. Ensure that whatever DVD you plan to copy is not protected by encryption, or that the software you use is capable of circumventing that encryption. Only copy DVDs that you own or have created, and only copy copyrighted material for your own use.

3. Place the DVD that is to be copied into the optical disk drive of the computer. Select the DVD drive from within the copying program and click "Copy" or "Save." Refrain from using the computer during this process; otherwise, you could slow down the sometimes lengthy process of saving the original DVD file.

4. Remove the original DVD and place a blank DVD into the optical drive. Run the burning portion of the DVD copying software, or download and install DVD burning software.

5. Open the saved DVD file within the software and select "Burn" or "Write" to create the copied DVD. Ensure the destination is the drive containing the blank DVD. Open the drive to remove the copied DVD when the process has completed.

Tips & Warnings

• It is illegal to share copyrighted videos. In the United States, you have the legal right to back up copyrighted DVD movies to discs, but not to share those discs.

References

• Wired; Copy a DVD; December 2008
• Computerworld; Copying HD DVD and Blu-ray Disks May Become Legal; Jeremy Kirk; May 2007