Does Mac the Ripper and Drive-In do the same thing?

[lipskidder]

Can I use either one the same way?

[Racer X]

similar, but there are huge differences. MTR removes Macrovision, region coding and copy protection schemes. Thus unlocking the disk for duplication.

MTR is going through a major re-write right now, and I am not sure when it will be out in the latest iteration. Geezerbutt is in the middle of a divorce and has lost custody of his kid, so his life is in real turmoil right now. There is JUST ONE GUY doing the coding for MTR.

The movie industry is constantly changing copy protection schemes to prevent people from backing up their DVDs as allowed by law. They WANT your kids to ruin the DVDs so they can sell them to you again.

[lipskidder]

Thanks! Poor guy. I noticed the MTR site is down. Does anyone have the latest version or know what version it is so I can hunt it down?

[Racer X]

well, version 3.0 beta 14.m is the current one.

I have it and use it. Some of the newest stuff from Disney, Lions Gate and Sony are a beotch to back up. I never take an original disk over to a friends home for movie nights. I usually take a DVD-RW. The software gets keyed to your specific machine, so people won't pirate the software.

[papercup]

RipIt is a new app that works well also.

MTR is falling behind, the developer has slowed updates and made it next to impossible to buy it/get support for it.

Never heard of Drive-In. Gonna take a look.

[Racer X]

Between RipIt and MTR, both will handle about 99% of the stuff out there.

[btfc]

Also check out FairMount: http://www.metakine.com/products/fairmount/

[guitarist]

The "my kid ruined the DVD!" (wink wink) excuse has done WONDERS for those of us who like "backing up" our (purchased, of course!) DVDs. If not for that excuse, our legal standing would be more hazardous than it already is.

In order to keep this excuse valid--since in real life, it only accounts for a tiny fraction of disc-copying needs, I took the liberty of starting a DVD-destroying ring at some local Jr. High Schools. I pay them a modest sum, and throw in some candy and magazines, and they dutifully mess up some of the DVDs in their parents movie library. If we can get a few more terror cells going in other big cities, with kids messing up their parents DVDs, it'll help our cause, and keep that gray area for copying safe, at least for a while longer. Do your part! Start a DVD-scratching ring in your own community! Good for the teen economy, too, it'll employ more of our nation's boys and girls, and help build leadership skills.

Re: your question. There's a third option you didn't mention. Unless you plan to take the content on the protected disc, copy it, and burn it to a blank disc, Handbrake has done a very good job of keeping up with protection schemes. It's not perfect, but it has arguably the best success rate of any free application. Handbrake is great.

Plus, it's one of the best designed interfaces, with lots of destination targets (choices of appliances on which to play the resulting transfered video, iPod, Apple TV, XBox, PS, etc.) to choose from.

[Racer X]

I routinely have to attempt to salvage damaged Wii and PS disks for friends kids. It happens more often than you may think.

[timg]

There's another reason to "back-up" the discs that you are missing ....


If you have little kids who like to borrow movies/videos from the local library, you would very quickly find out that 99.9% of the DVD's available at said library are unplayable on most DVD players. This is due, of course, to the fact that little kids are borrowing them.

I've had to rip library DVD's to the computer on many occasions just so the kid can watch it.