DVD copy to MS Legality?

[shack072]

I was wondering, it is legal for me to copy a DVD to a MS if I own the movie? I have tried it and I can fit a almost 2 hour movie on to a 128 meg MS and still have a little room. So I am just wondering if it is ok or not.

[Unregistered]

teel me how you do that programs you use settings thanx in advance

[Badandy]

Shack, how did you do this. I have been trying forever to be able to do this.

[Narniahopper]

The MPAA would tell you no, it's not legal, but you don't have to worry about it as long as you don't share or trade the files. It won't become legal until they're actually stupid enough to take someone to court over it, at which point the judge will call them idiots and throw the case out. Or something like that.

[rldunn]

narniahopper is right. Using music as a precedence, you have the ability to make copies for your own use; it's only illegal when you give away or sell those copies. So you should be fine.

[amyhr]

Still, the question remains:
How did you do it?
Please?

ThanX!

[shack072]

It was easy, first shot it worked. I took this program called DVDx http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/downloads/dvdx.html and I converted the DVD to a mpeg, 352x240 at 23.976 Frames per sec. This makes a 2 hour dvd about a 1.3~1.4 gig mpeg. then I just use the built in clie converter thingy, and it maks a file about 112 meg  MQV file for the clie.  The only problem I have is that the resolution on the clice is not really the best in the world but it is good enough to watch while I am going to LA on the train :)

[shack072]

Now the question is, will the NX have enough battery power to watch a 2 hour movie on a MS? I guess I will test it really soon to see.

[jmg_NX21]

Get a BATTERY extender for when you are NOT within reach of an outlet...

[Tek Phreak]

The battery should last for the full movie, especially if you turn down your brightness pretty low. I don't think viewing videos is still a very feasible option for the NX. Not until the driver for msPro or CF is released. I can't stand watching low quality videos. An average - good quality video can be loaded on a 256mb flash card though. So i've pretty much given up on the video aspect until the CF driver gets released cause i can't afford msPro's. But if you can stand watching low quality movies then more power to yah, and enjoy the flick!

Enjoi.
-Tek

[contempt]

I would look at DVDXCopy as a legal precedent. They're still in court. Their application allows you to make a 'backup' of the copy you own in case of damage, etc. They're claiming you have the right to backup something. What you're doing technically is converting it into another format. Which in my opinion should be perfeclty legal. It's like sampling music, as long as you don't distribute or make money off of it.

[cbulock]

Technically, ripping a DVD is against the DMCA, but I think we can all agree that the law itself is illegal.

[nx70]

About laws:
here in Europe there is a law(since beginning of the year):
Nobody is allowed to distribute copy-protection- deactivating software. But you are allowed to use it!!!
This means you go to jail if you provide it for download. But if you already own it you can use it legally.
On the other hand:
You are allowed to make personal copies of your CDs. But you are not allowed to undergo the copy protection. Since this is no personal law, but the producers grant you this "little" favor.
...may anybody make its own opinion about that.

[Rick 098]

how do u use DVDX?

[contempt]

Real easily. Check out dvdxcopy.com for more info. Just pop in a DVD and it just goes at it. No fuss, no mess. Not that I admit I'm a user. I'm not denying it neither.

[rob_squared]

One copy for backup use is included under the rules of the "fair use" policy. The RIAA and MPAA are just being greedy little punks.

[MIDi222]

Hey, this is a post that I have saved from a while ago, I found it on this board...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following was posted the other week and I have to say I did not write it and I can not remember who did but it helped me out and if you wrote this and you read a big THANK YOU.

DVD – MPG - CLIE

Here is my totally newbie step-by step process using programs you can find on the web for free.
All these programs can be found at: 1. http://www.doom9.org

The finer points of tailoring the final product I will leave up to you to experiment with. I do not claim this gives you the very best picture, but it wasn t bad for me. I just started playing around with all this myself, and I am sure there are slicker ways to do things, but it will get you started.

Step 1: Rip DVD to hard-drive.

I use DVD Decrypter.
This will create files with file endings IFO and VOB. Put the DVD into the player and run decrypter. It will usually default to ripping the entire movie. If you only want to do part of a DVD, deselect files as needed. Click on the DVD to HD icon and let it run for a little while. It usually takes under 20 min.

Step 2: Convert files from step 1 to audio and video files.

I use DVD2AVI
This will create a WAV file and a D2V project video file.
Run program, click on File, open the folder with your step 1 VOB files. It will default to selecting all of them to convert usually. (*_1.VCB, * 2.VOB, etc.) Click OK and you will return to the main screen. Click File again and choose save project. Now wait a little while again as it does its work. It usually takes under 30mm.

Step 3: Convert WAV and D2V files from step 2 to MPEG-1.

I use TMPGEnC.
The project wizard will pop up first. I select NTSC Film setting, click next, and select the D2V file from step 2 as the video file and the WAV file as the audio file then click next. You may wish to use the MPEG tools option under Files and the merge and cut option to trim off the opening and ending credits, etc. to make a smaller movie file. (You can do this editing later with the converted file if you wish.) This is the step that can take 6-20 hours depending on your movie size and computing power.

Step 4: Convert the MPEG-1 to Clie viewable file

Use the Image Converter program that came on your Cue CD-ROM.
Run the program, add the movie file(s) you created with TMPGEnc. You can choose low, med. or high quality files. I find low or medium quality works for me. The better quality means more memory used on the stick though. Click on the send files to memory stick button when ready. It will look for your memory stick. If you want to create the new file on your hard-drive, just pick that drive instead. It will create a folder with the movie file in it which you can copy to your memory stick using MS Import later.
This step can take under an hour.

I hope this helps. The best settings and parameters to use I will leave to the video experts on this forum to suggest. I am still figuring it all out. There are good step-by-step guides to using the above-mentioned programs on the download site as well.

Cheers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope this helps.

[pruss]

Short answer: No.

Long answer:

If, like most U.S. DVDs, it's CSS encrypted, then to copy it, you have to decrypt it with DeCSS or DVDx or whatever. Unfortunately, in the US doing this is a violation of the DMCA which prohibits the circumvention of access controls, and CSS encryption of DVDs is an ACCESS control (it controls which players can access the DVD and which cannot).

However, though I am not a lawyer, I think the DMCA does not prohibit the circumvention of COPY controls for fair use. If that's right, then you can make a copy for your own use of a disk you own, as long as you do so without circumventing the CSS access controls. How to do that? Well, you need to play the DVD with an authorized DVD player, and then capture the video output of the DVD player to your PC (I do it with a Dazzle firewire device). Since the DVD player is authorized to access the DVD, if the subsequent copying qualifies as "fair use" (and the courts aren't that specific as to what does), you might be alright legally. You might have a Macrovision problem, but your video capture card might ignore that (and since Macrovision is a COPY control, and not an ACCESS control, circumvention of it is less problematic legally, as far as I know). Of course you lose quality when doing this, but I suspect that once you do DivX at the end, you won't have lost much.

[cbulock]

pruss, you really know what your doing!

[pruss]

As an educator, if I stick to the rules, my University will protect me in case of any legal actions. But if I break the rules, I'm on my own...

[rob_squared]

Remember, recording companies only see laws as guidelines not to be taken seriously.

[pruss]

Yes, I know. But if I follow the guidelines, the University's legal department will stand behind me if necessary. Besides, they've been very unwilling to sue people who use things in direct non-profit support of classroom instruction. I wonder if that may be because they're afraid that they'd lose in court in a way that would make it clear that even more is allowed for educational purposes than the guidelines allow, or if it is just because they don't want to seem/be nasty.

[amrcanpoet]

Well, most people think that you are allowed to, and that's correct. According to the fair-use act, you are allowed to make copies (digital or analog) of any media you own as long as it's not so that you can use both at once.

So, if you make a copy of your DVD to play while you're at work, obviously you're not also watching the DVD at home.

But, like someone else said, the MPAA has ignored this act that was passed way back in the 70's, and stated that it doesn't apply to digital.

[n2ifp]

Do what is necessary for yourself and keep quiet about it. If one doesn't say anything, who is to know you copied your DVD for your own use. Loose lips, sink ships, to coin an old phrase :).

[pruss]

Yes, fair use might well allow a backup. But the DMCA will specifically prohibit you from decrypting a CSS encrypted DVD. So, you can make a backup legally as long as you don't decrypt the DVD. If you had a production-type DVD burner, you could legally make a byte-by-byte copy. As far as I know, the only way to make a copy on a home DVD burner, however, requires a decryption of the CSS encryption on the DVD, and that is forbidden by the DMCA, it seems.

BUT, the Library of Congress is allowed to make exceptions and is seeking public comments on what they should exempt. So you can lobby them to exempt DVDs.

[Badandy]

I have a question.


To poeple who have done this kind of stuff---Why use all those other software programs from doom9.org when you could use that 1 program called DVDx. Is there any drawback. Once you use DVDx cant you just use the Clie image converter and it will work?

[Badandy]

Wow, I am almost to 200 posts. that was quick

[shack072]

Originally posted by Badandy
I have a question.


To poeple who have done this kind of stuff---Why use all those other software programs from doom9.org when you could use that 1 program called DVDx. Is there any drawback. Once you use DVDx cant you just use the Clie image converter and it will work?

 

Yeah, DVDx is easy to use, one step, and just the clie converter :)

[Ubik]

wow, dose everyone know that many people that would tell the authorities.just copy it and forget about the legality of it !!

[Inginious]

Hey Shack thanks for the info really helpful, however i would have
to disagree with you about the quality i think its really good.

[shack072]

Originally posted by Inginious
Hey Shack thanks for the info really helpful, however i would have
to disagree with you about the quality i think its really good.

 

dont't get me wrong, it is watchable, but I have a sony camera and I record a mpeg with it and when I watch that on my Clie I think that quality is MUCH better. I just need to play around a bit more to see if I can get that same quality (although I think it would be over 128megs that would fit on that stick.

Time for the 1GB MS Pro :-D