* DVDKUP *
DVDKUP is a GTK interface for Mencoder, the encoding command of the software MPlayer.
It allows to easily create a backup copy of your dvd in MPEG4 standard, fully compatible with your DivX player (even the "stand-alone" ones!), using the LAVC codec. This codec, written by MPlayer developers, gives a quality comparable with last DivX and Xvid codecs (higher, for the MPlayer staff!).
For the audio encoding, DVDKUP use the dear old mp3 or the original
AC3 stream of your dvd.
Actually DVDKUP doesn't support OGG Vorbis encoding.
DVDKUP uses a very simple interface to create one or more AVI files ready to be burned on your cd-r. If you choose to use more than one cd-r, DVDKUP automatically split the movie using the chapter informations, in order not to break a scene just in the middle.
1 HOW TO CREATE A BACKUP COPY
Pratically, the only thing you have to do is to insert the dvd in your drive (the path is /dev/dvd) and launch the program (you can choose the output file with the proper button).
DVDKUP will analize you dvd and choose the right settings to create a backup copy to be fit in only one cd-r. Before encoding, please control the OUTPUT informations, specially the video bitrate. If it is smaller than 700 kbps I suggest to use more than one cd or to decrease the audio bitrate, to obtain a better video quality.
Anyway, with the TRY button you can watch a 10 seconds preview taken in the middle of the movie. I strongly suggest to use this feature to choose the better settings of the enconding.
2 HOW TO USE THE MANUAL SETTINGS
2.1 VIDEO
DVDKUP sets the Video Bitrate in order to create an avi file that fits in a cd-r (you can choose the dimension), and chooses the right resolution to obtain the best quality.
DVDKUP automatically crops the black bands at the top and the bottom of the screen.
You can set DVDKUP to do a zoom that converts the "cinemascope" movies (2.25:1) to the 16:9 standard (1.78:1).
Using the DOUBLE PASS option, you can obtain a better video quality, but you have to wait a longer time to encode the movie.
2.2 AUDIO
DVDKUP chooses the audio track to be encoded, using your pc information. Anyway you can choose any other language that is present in the dvd. Actually DVDKUP doesn't support the double language.
You can set the audio bitrate. DVDKUP will decide, according to the bitrate chosen, the audio mode (mono, joint-stereo, stereo).
For a stereo encoding, my opinion is that 128 kbps is enough for a good sound. With a bitrate of 192 kbps and higher you obtain a pratically perfect encoding (obviously you lose the 5.1 channels of the dvd, obtaining, anyway, a great stereo).
Encoding old movies (usually before the 70s) is useless to spend space on the disk to create a stereo track, because the original sound is mono. For these movies it's better to choose a mono encoding (64 or 80 kbps).
With the ABR (average bitrate) option, you can obtain a better audio quality using the same space, but the AVI file create could be incompatible with certain DivX players.
If your player supports the audio AC3 you can use the original dvd AC3 stream. It uses a very high bitrate, but save the surround effect of 5.1 channels.
2.3 SUBTITLES
DVDKUP prints the subtitles chosen directly in the images (it doesn't create any sub or srt file).
The FORCED SUBTITLES usually translate the parts of a movie spoken in a foreign language; they are important for the understanding of the story. It's better to keep this option always toggled.
3 DISCLAIMERS
3.1 LEGAL DISCLAIMER
ATTENTION! I remind all the users that DVDKUP has been written to produce backup copies of DvDs that you have legally bought and paid. The author of the program has no responsibility for a possible illegal use of it.
3.2 STANDARD DISCLAIMER
Use only at your own risk! There may be errors and inaccuracies that could be damaging to your system or your eye. Proceed with caution, and although this is highly unlikely, the author doesn't take any responsibility for that!
3.3 LICENSE
This software is released under GNU GPL (General Public License). For further information: http://www.gnu.org
If you have any doubt, critic or suggestion, please mail me at: clbarc@yahoo.it
DVDKUP is by Claudio Barca <clbarc@yahoo.it> Released under GPL - 2004