Are you a movie fanatic with a DVD collection three stories tall that needs some backing up? Or are you the kind of person that can’t seem to keep a DVD for longer than a few days without scratching it? Then you may want to invest in DVD copy software. With the right program, you can copy a DVD of your precious home movies to a separate disk for easy backup.
Most DVD copy suites offer far more than the ability to rip and burn DVDs. You’ll want support for various video formats, including AVI, PAL and NTSC. Others let you record DVD bonus material, menus and more. Copying a season of your new favorite TV show obsession? You’ll want to make sure that the software you’ve purchased can break down the show into individual episodes rather than one large video.
With so many different options available, it can be tough to know exactly which DVD copying suite to choose. Fortunately, the folks over at our sister site, TopTenReviews, have reviewed a host of DVD copying. These are their top three recommendations:
One of TopTenReviews’ perennial favorites, DVD Cloner 2015 takes the category’s top spot, earning a TopTenReviews Gold Award for DVD copy software. DVD Cloner makes perfect 1:1 copies of your existing DVDs, offers an intuitive interface and lets you choose what portions of a DVD you want to copy, including deleted scenes and video commentary.
DVD Cloner 2015
Ranked No. 1
Features: DVD Cloner packs a slew of features, including built-in CSS decryption, the ability to copy movies from a DVD to your hard drive and the option to retain or omit bonus material such as deleted scenes and video commentary from your final copy. Better still, DVD Cloner can copy scratched or damaged DVDs, creating a flawless copy of the bruised and battered original.
The runner up in TopTenReviews’ Best DVD Copy software comparison, 123 Copy DVD Gold is an easy-to-use application with a wide array of available file conversion formats. That said, the software does require an upgrade to copy Blu-ray discs.
123 Copy DVD Gold
Ranked No. 2
Features: 123 Copy DVD Gold performs many of the same tasks as DVD Cloner 2013. The suite can create a perfect 1:1 clone of any DVD, as well as copy and restore scratched and damaged DVDs. Available media formats include DivX, AVi, WMV and MPEG. You can also transfer copied DVDs to your iPod touch or PSP. Want to create a DVD of the shows stored on your DVR? No Problem. And just like DVD Cloner 2013, 123 Copy DVD Gold includes its own CSS decryptor, so you can copy any commercial DVD you want.
True to its name, LG’s 1Click DVD Copy lets users copy DVDs in, well, one click. As a result, the software is a boon for newbies looking to back up a movie collection. The winner of TopTenReviews’ Bronze Award, 1Click lets you copy your DVDs directly from the disc to you iPod or iPhone. And with a copy time of just 20 minutes for a 90-minute DVD, this is one of the speediest programs around. That said, the software doesn’t include its own CSS decryptor, so you can’t copy commercial DVDs.
1Click DVD Copy
Ranked No. 3
Features: 1Click DVD Copy features one of the industry’s best compression engines, which means you can compress a big-screen Hollywood flick recorded on a dual-layer DVD to a standard DVD. Thanks to its easy-to-use interface, you don’t even have to know what the difference is between compression options. Just pop your the DVD into your optical drive, click copy and go.
Additional Considerations
CSS Decryption
A CSS (Content Scrambling System) decryptor is an algorithm that allows DVD copying software to decrypt a commercially-produced DVD. Some DVD copying programs come with this tool built in, while others require that you download one separately.
Mobile Device Support
A good DVD copying program will make it easy to convert your disc to a format that will play on mobile devices, whether you use a smartphone, iPod touch or PSP.
Ease of Use and Installation
The DVD copying process doesn’t need to be complicated. See if you can download a trial of the software to check out the interface and see how easy it is to use. If there’s a steep learning curve, look elsewhere.
Bottom Line
DVD copy software can make quick work of backing up your movie collection, and with our picks you’ll be able to make perfect 1:1 copies and enjoy a great mix of features, performance and ease of use.
The runner up in TopTenReviews’ Best DVD Copy software comparison, 123 Copy DVD Gold is an easy-to-use application with a wide array of available file conversion formats. That said, the software does require an upgrade to copy Blu-ray discs.
123 Copy DVD Gold
Ranked No. 2
Features: 123 Copy DVD Gold performs many of the same tasks as DVD Cloner 2013. The suite can create a perfect 1:1 clone of any DVD, as well as copy and restore scratched and damaged DVDs. Available media formats include DivX, AVi, WMV and MPEG. You can also transfer copied DVDs to your iPod touch or PSP. Want to create a DVD of the shows stored on your DVR? No Problem. And just like DVD Cloner 2013, 123 Copy DVD Gold includes its own CSS decryptor, so you can copy any commercial DVD you want.
