DVD Squeeze Review DVD-Squeeze DVDSqueeze
Ok, so you've probably seen the ads : "Copy from your DVD drive, playback on any CD drive!" ( http://www.dvdsqueeze.com/ )
I spent the $40 so you don't have to.
Basically "DVD-Squeeze" appears to be a collection of Free programs you can find on the web, clumped together with a little Flash player that launches the applications.
Here's what you get as part of the "DVD-Squeeze" program:
SmartRipper -- copies DVD files to your computer as DVD files (.VOB & .IFO)
Flask Mpeg -- converts VOB files to AVI / DiVX files
Movie Size Calculator
EasyDivX program (which DVD-Squeeze calls the "7-Step DivX conversion)
--
converts VOB files to AVI / DiVX files
DVDx2.0 -- converts DVD files to MPEG or AVI files -- get it here
As you may notice, most of these applications do the same thing.
But if you want to make CDs you can play in your DVD player, you really just
want to make MPEG files.
You use MPEG files to make VideoCDs (VCDs) or SuperVideoCDs (SVCDs).
( Because of the loss in quality, using AVI files for VCDs isn't recommended.)
All of these programs you can get for free on the web pretty easily. (Try doom9.org
or afterdawn.com)
Looks like DVDx is the same thing used by 321Studios for their "DVD Copy
Plus 4.2" program. 321Studios also uses the SmartRipper application.
(compare this
help page from DVD-Squeeze with this
help page from 321Studios)
No matter which program you use, you still need Nero Burning ROM (or some other burning software) to burn the MPEG files to VCD or SVCD.
So what you're really paying for when you buy DVD-Squeeze is the fact that
they've searched the web for you and let you download all these programs at
once.
They also include the help files (usually just html pages) for the programs
as the "Instructions".
You have to decide for yourself if that's worth $40.
I was hoping for the money that they would walk you through the process from beginning to end, but they don't. You still have to figure out what you need to do by yourself (which, for newbies, is harder than it sounds: "okay, I've got a bunch of AVI files on my computer; now what? How do I make a VCD?").
This website (http://www.afterdawn.com/articles/) is MUCH more helpful than DVD-Squeeze is. Do a little homework, and save yourself the money.
Notes:
VCD = MPEG1
SVCD=MPEG2
Framerate for PAL (Europe): 25Hz
Framerate for NTSC (U.S.): 23.97 Hz or 29.976 Hz
EasyDivX goes through the following steps:
- Decrypting (from DVD to computer) -> to MPEG
- Encoding Video [uses mpeg2avi program: "mpeg2avi
px3 v.0.0.5d by PX3 (modded by OGO)"]
- Decoding and Decrypting Audio
- Multiplexing
mpeg2avi example (approx 4 hours to process):
Input: MPEG
MPEG resolution: 720x480
Aspect: 16:9
AVI Resolution: 576x320 (this is AVI resolution for High Quality 16:9)
Input file: "easydivx1.vob"
Coded Format: YUV420
Output: AVI
Framerate: 29
Pix Format: YV12
Ratio: 1.80:1
Aver. FPS: 18.29
output (pass2): pass2\movie_x.avi
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TMPGEnc is the low cost alternative to the higher quality Cinema Craft MPEG-2
Encoder (CCE).
Last updated Dec. 22, 2003