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http://www.videoguys.com/vidcap.htm

Two external component capture solutions under $200. That's a bit more pricey than I would like, but plenty reasonable as part of a $400 DVR machine.

The product you want is called the firestore http://www.videoguys.com/FireStore.html Its a portable Hard drive product that is made just for your needs.

See: http://www.dvdrhelp.com/ http://www.videoguys.com (retailer but has great guides and forum) http://www.radified.com (guides to alot of stuff)

Macrovision has had copy protection that inserts noise and monkeys with your picture on DVDs and videotapes for many years now. I've used a product called the Sima SCC[0] that removed this annoying feature.

If all the protection does is add noise to music files, then I'd imagine it likely that there's a mathematical method to remove the noise, or barring that just using a filter like the ones that remove LP noise from copied vinyl records.

[0]- I don't work there, I'm just a satisfied customer

computer ~$800 (PIII, 1+GHz, 256 MB)

MPEG2 Capture ~$250

FireWire ~$100

80GB External Firewire HD ~$350

DVD-RW ~800
Total:$2300

So it's not really much cheaper for DIY, though you could probably save a hundred or two on the PC if you really tried.
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computer ~$800 (PIII, 1+GHz, 256 MB)

MPEG2 Capture ~$250

FireWire ~$100

80GB External Firewire HD ~$350

DVD-RW ~800
Total:$2300

So it's not really much cheaper for DIY, though you could probably save a hundred or two on the PC if you really tried.
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OK, a little information:

Pioneer is releasing a consumer-level DVD-R this month. You can get it for about $800 once it's out.

The fact is, DVD-RAM is not taking off because, simply, it requires a ~$500 drive and is not compatible with DVD, and the average person does not need 5GB of removable storage.

miniDVD is a great idea -- DVD-quality MPEG2 video on a CD-R, but few DVD players are compatible. So even if you make that awesome miniDVD, chances are good that whomever you send it to can't play it in their DVD player (although any computer fast enough to decode the MPEG2 can).

VCD is a cool format (basically a special format of disc with MPEG1 video), and probably 2/3 of DVD players support it, but they are a pain to author, take a long time to encode, and quality is poor (VHS-quality at best).

SVCD is nice quality (not as good as DVD, but definitely better than VHS), but has far less compatibility than VCD in consumer DVD players. Then there's XVCD and XSVCD, a couple of esoteric formats that hardly work on any DVD players.

The final analysis: DVD-R is going to be big, not because it is necessarily the "best", but because it crosses over from computers to consumer electronics, has a large installed base of compatible hardware, and is suitable for a wide variety of tasks, which it will perform very well (data storage, video, etc). Just wait until the DVD-R MP3 players are out...
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First, that doesn't address the issue of region coding. A byte-for-byte copy of a disk from another region is going to be just as unplayable in a standard, region-based player.

Second, I believe that burned DVDs have a lower capacity than commercially pressed DVDs. According to the first hit on "DVD burner" in google, it appears that the DVD-R specs are just for burning a single-side/single-layer, giving 4.7 gigs of storage. Certainly worth drooling over, but not enough for massive movie piracy.

DVD-R Burner. Pioneer makes a DVD-R drive (Model DVR-S201) which according to spec will write a DVD-R which is readable in a Consumer DVD player. It also will support "Cutting Master Format" which will (in theory) allow you to burn a DVD and send it off to be pressed into "real" DVD's. About $5k.

Mastering Software and Capture Hardware. There's a whole bunch of options. I was looking at the stuff from Pinnacle Systems. I was more specifically looking at the DV500 product. It runs about $1000, but includes not only a Video codec (ala capture card), but also all the software you need to get going with DVD production. There are also other options, but this seemed to be the best value.

The best store I located on the net which has all of the above, plus more is videoguys.com

Good Luck!

I can hardly wait for the MPAA to try to go after a legitimate site (sorry, I don't think 2600 counts) or company. For example, VA Linux Systems hosts DiBona.com, which posts a copy of the DeCSS code, yet oddly enough VA hasn't been a defendant yet. Who cares about VA taking over SGI? I'd rather see them sue the pants off the MPAA; maybe they'd give up Disney to settle ;-).

While they're at it, I'd like to see them sue Sima, who market this neat little gadget that defeats Macrovision I and II (save cash by getting it from these guys). It also cleans up the picture my DVD player puts out (tip: use the S-Video inputs whether or not you use S-Video for output; this stops you from using the bypass switch if you use the composite out, but that's a small sacrifice). Let's all watch the MPAA get laughed straight out of court when they go after people who have nothing to do with the WaReZ culture...

(I'd also like them to sue someone who's running for Congress and who's posted several links that apparently violate the DMCA. Bring it on, MPAA; I could use the free publicity...)