[mitchell_pgh]

http://www.roxio.com/en/products/popcorn/index.jhtml

I think this opens up the door for some of the larger companies to consider making such an application. With MP4, why can't we have an application that backs up your movies to your computer in a highly compressed format?

I've been backing up my DVDs using handbrake for a while and am very happy with the video quality. The only downside is that VLC, QuickTime and mPlayer aren't cataloging applications in the same way iTunes is AND there is a technology gap between my computer and my TV. (sure there are some solutions, but with mixed results)

Question: Will Apple ever offer a solution for movies in the same way they offered it for music?

[Gankdawg]

What is the final size of a DVD after compression? Most DVDs are roughly 7GB out of the box. I use DVD Backup and then DVD2One to get them to around 4.3GB. I've never tried any of the other programs out there though. Can you get a movie down to 2GB with good results?

And no, I don't think Apple will introduce this solution.

[Peter]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
Question: Will Apple ever offer a solution for movies in the same way they offered it for music?

no.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by Gankdawg:
What is the final size of a DVD after compression? Most DVDs are roughly 7GB out of the box. I use DVD Backup and then DVD2One to get them to around 4.3GB. I've never tried any of the other programs out there though. Can you get a movie down to 2GB with good results?

And no, I don't think Apple will introduce this solution.

I'm able to get LARGE movies (Lord of the Rings for example) down to 2 GB and it looks about as good as a DVD that has been compressed by an application such as DVD2One. The down side is they are no longer playable on a standard DVD player.

I'm very curious as to why music is permitted to be encoded to MP3 for personal use but movies are not. Seems like a double standard. Next thing you know they won't let me print my own money!

[voodoo]

Isn't it because DVDs use a copy-protection thing and according to recent laws (DMCA) there is no legal way to circumvent copy-protection. Even if you are technically allowed to back up the contents of your DVD you can't because there is a copy-protection and it is illegal to break it?

Kinda like "sure, you own the contents of this glass ball but you can't open it or we throw you in jail".

[CD Hanks]

As soon as the costs of bandwidth aren't prohibitive, they will.

I (and many other people out there) can rip and compress a film that could fill a 4.7GB DVD into 700MB, give or take.

On a 3megabit line, it might take an hour or so to download a high quality film. Given Apple's well thought out DRM system, I'm sure they could think of a logical system to allow people to watch the movie as much as they want on the same system as the iTMS (where you pay once, and it's yours to keep.)

[AB^2=BCxAC]

Wouldn't it be great if we could all just download movies? And they were only 100MB, so you could back up dozens and dozens on a DVD and have a 2000+ movie library in just weeks?

Oh, and wouldn't it be great if we could play them back in HD quality, too, on our DVD players? And Apple would sell them from an iMovie online store without any DRM?

And we could all trade and trade and watch movies all day long, and then Sony would give us all 50" plasma flatscreen televisions for free, and Orville Redenbacher will leap out of his grave and make popcorn free, and the corn belt from Nebraska to Utah will throw a giant party to celebrate! And then for your birthday, 4 playmates and your first crush meet up with you at the presidential suite of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and you all have tantric sex for 3 days straight!

Not f*cking likely.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

* Does not copy encrypted or copy protected DVDs.

So what DVD's do they think I want to copying exactly?

[CD Hanks]

Originally posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker:
* Does not copy encrypted or copy protected DVDs.

So what DVD's do they think I want to copying exactly?

The product isn't meant for what people like you, me, and most everyone else where would expect. This is probably more for the small studio or home video nut.

For the rest of us, just go to Versiontracker and find some ripping/decryption/encoding software and you're in like flynn.

[Feathers]

Originally posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker:
* Does not copy encrypted or copy protected DVDs.

So what DVD's do they think I want to copying exactly?

I think it doesn't copy RCE disks, but only a small proportion of commercial DVD's are RCE'd anyway. Downloaded Popcorn (It's only $29 if you've registered your copy of Toast) last night but haven't tried it out yet.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Ok looks like you can use Mac the Ripped to decrypt a DVD and then Popcorn to make it fit and burn it:

"Versatile Copier Copy DVD-Video discs, disc image files, VIDEO_TS folders from hard disk. Compatible with non-encrypted* DVD-Video content, including content from popular ripping utilities‡."

[CD Hanks]

Originally posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker:
Ok looks like you can use Mac the Ripped to decrypt a DVD and then Popcorn to make it fit and burn it:

"Versatile Copier Copy DVD-Video discs, disc image files, VIDEO_TS folders from hard disk. Compatible with non-encrypted* DVD-Video content, including content from popular ripping utilities‡."

Well, heh, thing about that is, that if you're going to go "half-way illegal" with the ripping app, may as well just use a freebie re-encoding app and just say "piss off" to Roxio altogether.

[voodoo]

Ya just use any app that rips the VIDEO_TS folder off the DVD and use Popcorn. (what a stupid name)

[BRussell]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
http://www.roxio.com/en/products/popcorn/index.jhtml

1. There are already plenty of tools that do this.
2. With dual-layer burners getting more common, there will soon be no need for this software.
3. This really has nothing to do with online movie sales. This is to deal with the problem of commercial movies being 7+ GB and most current home DVD burners being limited to 4 or so Gb.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally posted by CD Hanks:
Well, heh, thing about that is, that if you're going to go "half-way illegal" with the ripping app, may as well just use a freebie re-encoding app and just say "piss off" to Roxio altogether.

Roxio makes it easy though. I use other apps but they are a pain in the butt to figure out and use. Fast DVD copy seems easy but the damn thing is $100 and tied to one computer.

With this you can choose what you want to remove from the dvd and compress things as needed. I think it is a good idea.

[CD Hanks]

Originally posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker:
Roxio makes it easy though. I use other apps but they are a pain in the butt to figure out and use. Fast DVD copy seems easy but the damn thing is $100 and tied to one computer.

With this you can choose what you want to remove from the dvd and compress things as needed. I think it is a good idea.

It's a good idea in theory and on paper, but in execution and sales, I think it will fail.

The people who are idiots and want to make illegal DVD backups can't use this program, and the ones who are smart enough to know what programs can do it for free won't touch this.

The only ones left out are the hobbyists and the amateur film makers.

[Simon X]

Originally posted by CD Hanks:
Well, heh, thing about that is, that if you're going to go "half-way illegal" with the ripping app, may as well just use a freebie re-encoding app and just say "piss off" to Roxio altogether.

Maybe the guilt trip is halved?

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Here is some feedback from people who have used it.

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/index.html#S18427

[CD Hanks]

Originally posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker:
Here is some feedback from people who have used it.

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/index.html#S18427

If they found a solid niche audience, and the product won't have crappy sales, well then more power to them.

[dav]

Originally posted by CD Hanks:
may as well just use a freebie re-encoding app and just say "piss off" to Roxio altogether.

recommend a good macosx freebie re-encoding app?

[Kenneth]

well.. if I really want that DVD, I go out any buy it. Otherwise, I went to those retail chains or local library (yes.. they have the latest release available for holding).

I notice that some DVDs are just a single-layer media or 4.7GB on each side. By that means, I use DVDBackup to save it to my local hard drive and watch it later or even burn a copy.

So far, I have a total of 440GB of disk space in my PowerMac. I may go out and buy the dual-layer burner in Christmas. I see those DL media price is coming down ($59 on 5-pack), still kind of expansive. Meanwhile, the cost of duplicating those full-size DVD at home may come close to what they are selling at BestBuy or other retail stores.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally posted by Kenneth:
I see those DL media price is coming down ($59 on 5-pack), still kind of expansive.

$59 for 5?!!! That is "expansive" as hell!

[mitchell_pgh]

I guess my rebuttal would be "well, why can't Apple make a program that catalogs your home DVDs in to high quality MP4 files". And play the same game Roxio is playing where it won't encrypt copy protected DVDs (so it forced us evil doers to take one more step).

Yah, I guess you are all right... steve wouldn't bother...

[Superchicken]

I think Apple needs to get all the studios on board for a product that would let you have fair use. Either that or Apple and others need to seriously pressure the US gov to rescind parts or all of the DMCA.

[Cadaver]

Originally posted by Superchicken:
I think Apple needs to get all the studios on board for a product that would let you have fair use. Either that or Apple and others need to seriously pressure the US gov to rescind parts or all of the DMCA.

Except Apple CEO Steve Jobs is of course CEO of Pixar Studios. I don't see him (them) wanting to allow DVDs to be legally and freely copyable any time soon.