Copying DVD's

DVD recorders and writable disks are getting very inexpensive, so you'll probably be trading shows on them soon if you're not already. In many ways, copying DVD's is much easier than copying VCD's or tapes; it's easy to make an exact copy and preserve the menus and everything else on the original DVD with no loss of picture quality. Plus, rewritable DVD's are designed to last 30-100 years, so the disks will be around much longer than the shows you have on other media.

What Format Should I Use?

There are two viable formats at the time of this writing: DVD-R and DVD+R. They are very similar. Both have the same capacity, and you can copy disks from one format to the other. Personally, I think DVD+R is a slightly better format, but DVD-R started earlier. I have no idea which format will ultimately win. I would recommend that you choose a DVD burner that can write to both formats. That way, you're covered no matter which format wins, and you can trade with people who want a particular format. Many DVD players cannot play one of the formats, and they're not all incompatible with the same format.

From the viewpoint of someone who just wants to have a playable DVD, it really doesn't matter which format you choose; you just want a format that can be recognized by your DVD player. Check the DVD Player Compatibility List to determine this.

Be careful when you trade to always specify which format you want and which format the other person wants. You don't want to get stuck with disks in the wrong format.

Can I Copy Commercial DVD's?

No, or at least, not easily. Commercial DVD's are copy protected. Even if you broke the copy protection (which is pretty easy), commercial DVD's have twice the capacity of DVD-R and DVD+R. Thus, you would have to drop many of the features of your source disk, or try to split the contents of the disk onto two disks. However, since you'll just be trading doramas on DVD-R and DVD+R with other fans, you don't care about this limitation, right?

Copying From a DVD to a DVD

Here are instructions for copying using Ahead Software's Nero 5.5 on a PC. Nero is not freeware, but it comes free with many CD & DVD recorders. It can also be purchased at software stores. It has a Mac version.

There are a number of other programs that can copy DVD's, too; I'm using Nero as an example only because it's the software that came with a CD recorder I bought a while back. If you don't have Nero, check the software that came with your DVD recorder as it's likely whatever DVD-burner software you have supports copying DVD's

To make an exact copy of your DVD, follow these instructions for Nero:

Insert the DVD you wish to copy in your DVD drive, and copy the entire contents to your hard drive. There should be a VIDEO_TS directory, probably an AUDIO_TS directory, and maybe some other miscellaneous directories (such as an Assembly directory).
Put an unused DVD+/-R in your DVD recorder.
Open Nero. In the Nero Wizard dialog box, choose Compile a new DVD, Other DVD formats, DVD-Video and then press Finish.
Edit the volume label name to an abbreviated title and DVD number by editing the top name in the left-hand-side tree from New to the name you want to use.
Go to the directory where you stored the DVD contents, and drag the contents to Nero's left-hand-side window.
Select Write CD in the File menu, then press Burn in the Burn CD. Also, check Verify written data in the Write CD dialog. Even if you use name-brand DVD's, you'll occasionally get a bad one and it's good to find this out when it's easy to make another copy.

That's it! Nero will do the rest.

A few tips:

Package (or store) the VCD's in a jewel box that fits all the DVD's. A multi-6 CD jewel case is perfect to store an entire dorama's worth of DVD's (assuming two episodes per DVD).
Label each DVD as you make them with the title and episode number. It's safe to write on the less shiny side with a magic marker. You can purchase magic-marker-like pens that are made specifically to write easily on DVD's. Regular fine-point permanent magic markers work, too. You can test if your magic markers are OK by writing a dot on the DVD, waiting a minute for it to dry, and then seeing if you can smudge or erase the dot by rubbing your finger over it.
Try to play every DVD after you've made your copies. Sometimes, they won't be written correctly, and it's best to find that out before you mail the DVD's.

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If you wish to join, change information, or quit the dorama trading club, you can do so on the Membership Changes page. Otherwise, you can send me mail at mic-h@mic-hworld.com.
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