DVD Copy and Ripper installed and registered OK.

The installation of Converter aborted with insufficient disk space on a disk with 145 GB free (!). Before aborting, it tried to install many dozens of codecs as startup items. Installing Converter is therefore not recommended, as this can conflict with the codecs already installed on the computer.

Harrym  –  13 years ago  –  ¿Te ha parecido útil este comentario? si | no (+148)

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I do not recommend this software. There are just too many errors with it. Second, I decided to check the so called "Awards" that is says it received and have found NONE to be true! Not one had any rating at all and some were from 2004 (7 years ago), and many of these sites do not exist anymore. I can't trust software from a company that has to falsify awards.

Maurice Racine  –  13 years ago  –  ¿Te ha parecido útil este comentario? si | no (+90)

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Today's GOTD from APlus is a package of 3 apps: DVD Copy isn't bad, & unless you have something better, e.g. DVDFab [an earlier GOTD] or AnyDVD, I think it's worth your while to grab it -- DVD Ripper is a bit clunky, so I'd only suggest this part of the trio if you haven't got a decent ripper or converter already, i.e. while you're waiting for better to show up on GOTD -- the Video Converter is old tech & cumbersome, & while it can work I'd suggest a pass.

The GOTD Setup.exe is a WinRAR self-extractor combined with the usual wrapper that phones home to confirm the date -- it gives you the 3 individual setup files for the trio of APlus apps. Installing DVD Copy isn't bad at all, adding Start Menu shortcuts, the program's folder [73 files, 2 folders, ~4 MB], 1 uninstall & 1 APlus DVD Copy registry key [118 new registry entries recorded]. Installing the DVD Ripper adds Start Menu shortcuts, the program's folder [126 files, 7 folders, ~26 MB], & I recorded 53 new registry entries. The problem I see with it is it installs an older copy of Xvid, overwriting an existing install if you have one -- I'd suggest (re)installing the latest Xvid version afterward http://goo.gl/a1Wrn . If you're running XP & don't have any video related software installed, you **might** get away installing the Video Converter & not breaking video handling in Windows -- otherwise I'd advise a purely manual install if you want to go through the trouble [more on this later].

Testing DVD Copy I found it copied a complete retail DVD [7.48 GB] to my hard drive in 13 minutes [my slightly older LG drive has riplock removed (think of a copy speed limiting governor) using MediaCodeSpeedEdit http://goo.gl/l2nXg ]. It may not work on every DVD (depending on the DRM), & I wouldn't use it to do anything but put a full copy of a DVD on your hard drive [it gives you the option of creating smaller files to fit a DVD9 on a DVD5 blank], but from there you could use any number of apps like the free DVD Shrink, ImgBurn etc... it's the process of getting the DVD on your hard drive that's a bit rare. Note that in win7 ult 64 SP1, during the prep phase before copying started, DVD Copy appeared to stall, with Windows saying it had stopped responding -- I just needed to be patient, giving it time to figure out the DVD.

Testing DVD Ripper I found it worked on the DVD on my hard drive, but not the original DVD disc still in the drive. It simply converts a DVD to other video formats -- some video converters will not work with a DVD as-is -- but as I've mentioned, using it seems a bit clunky. It doesn't have a great selection of output templates or profiles, & unlike other rippers instead of a list of found titles, you have to let it play the DVD until the title you're after starts playing, then click the start button -- I had to wait until about 3 minutes of the main title had played before it worked properly for that title. Output looked very good, but run a short test 1st since the aspect ratio can be off -- you have a few choices of how to handle aspects when you set up the conversion. CPU usage on an AMD quad was good, but without the latest QT coding [used in most other GOTD converters nowadays] it's speed is only average.

The problems with the Video Converter are many, starting with an older design that does not let you trim or do any other editing to the video & again a lackluster choice of output templates/profiles. The Aplus Video Converter also takes an older approach to handling video input/output, using several individual files where other converters use a relative few. This translates into a horrendous installation, substituting the app's Direct Show, Quicktime, Real, & VFW files for what you already have installed -- many, perhaps most of these can break other video apps &/or the way video's handled in Windows. The only way I'd suggest running this Video Converter is if you 1) installed to a VM & copied the program's folder to your regular Windows install, or 2) use Universal Extractor [ http://goo.gl/8upF ] to expand the setup files, renamed the "{app}" folder, & copied it wherever on your hard drive, setting up any shortcuts to your Start Menu or desktop after that. Now it may or may not do the conversions you want it to, depending on if the APlus Video Converter's compatible with whatever you've already got installed, but you haven't destroyed anything else either. In my testing it would not for example open DVD VOB files [the full install to a VM would], but it did handle a 1080p .mkv file in the AVC format, if very slowly.

mike  –  13 years ago  –  ¿Te ha parecido útil este comentario? si | no (+74)

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Dvd copy and Dvd Ripper both installed fine and you can use your own name during installation.
Dvd Converter tries to install windows media player 11 during installation but you have the option to cancel that attempted install and Dvd converter installs ok anyway and seems to work fine. No big thing but i'm not fond of windows media player so you don't have to install it either if you don't want to.
One other thing which may be minor - Web of Trust gives the Dvd ripper and Dvd converter websites very poor ratings, in the 20% range.
Might want to use a bit of caution if you visit them.

Jeff  –  13 years ago  –  ¿Te ha parecido útil este comentario? si | no (+72)

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I also had an error message when installing the converter, but it seems to have installed okay anyway.

Through trial and error I found that the license name field for DVD Ripper and DVD Copy had to be left blank, but you have to put something (anything) in for Video Converter.

I might report back later after I've given them a try.

Jerry  –  13 years ago  –  ¿Te ha parecido útil este comentario? si | no (+34)

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