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With the rising popularity of DVD ripping software, many users prefer free programs to back up their DVDs without spending a penny. DVD Shrink is a popular free software for compressing and ripping DVD content. But can it compete with the newest software? Let’s find out!
Learn the process of DVD Shrink download and use it to rip your favorite DVD content within minutes. Here, we will cover its relevant aspects such as price, compatible OS, features, ripping tutorial, user experience, and a powerful DVD Shrink alternative to trying advanced features for a smooth ripping experience.
DVD Shrink Overview
DVD Shrink is a free DVD transcoder for Microsoft Windows that helps users back up the content on their system. According to its name, it can compress the data and even result in a significantly lossy output quality. The program can decrypt copy-protected DVDs and process the videos with various additional options to improve the backup quality. However, it has stopped updating and is incompetent compared to today’s ripping software. However, users with old Windows systems can use it for free to decrypt, digitize, and back up their commercial DVDs.
Basic Information of DVD Shrink
Here’s some additional information to help you understand DVD Shrink better. This section will clarify whether it is compatible with your operating system, the amount you need to spend to use the software, and the significant features and functions to know if it fulfills your needs.
💻Supported OS: Windows PC (versions 8/7/XP and Vista). It can also be downloaded and used on Linux with Wine.
💲Price: DVD Shrink is a free software, aka freeware DVD Shrink, completely free of charge. Users can even donate to its official site. However, it is optional.
💡Key Features and Offerings
- Convert or compress into a new file
- Supports numerous high-quality output formats
- Leverages users to tailor the compression ratio and modify the resolution
- Decrypts multiple DVDs on earlier Windows operating systems
- Available free of charge, always
How to Rip DVD Content Using DVD Shrink
Check out the detailed steps for DVD Shrink download and use it to rip and play DVD content on other platforms.
Step 1: Download and launch DVD Shrink 3.2.0.15 on your Windows PC. Click Re-author in the top menu bar.
Step 2: Load the DVD drive with the content you want to rip. Ensure the episode you decide to rip isn’t split into 1 GB-size clips, as then it will be inconvenient to convert into AVI format.
Step 3: Browse to the Edit menu and click Preferences. Move to the Output Files tab and remove the tick mark from the Split VOB files into 1GB size chunks (recommended) box. Click OK.
Step 4: Select all the desired episode(s) to rip and ensure they are in the Main Movie section. If not, find them in the Extras section. You can check them quickly through their duration, usually around 40 minutes.
Alternatively, preview the episode(s) in the window at the lower left corner for commentaries on the episodes.
Step 5: Tap the Backup button to open the Backup DVD dialog. Choose Hard Disk Folder in the Select Backup target option.
In the Select target folder for DVD output files box, you can leave it as the default folder or select any of your choices.
Step 6: You can see the Encoding window with the percentage while your DVD is ripping. Ripping one episode can take 8 to 30 minutes, so you can multitask as the ripping takes place.
The opened dialog will show you the Decryption Status, Rate, Buffered, and Time Remaining. Feel free to Pause or Cancel the ripping procedure anytime.
DVD Shrink User Experiences
Users across the web find DVD Shrink valuable for its ease of use and functionality, especially for basic ripping. Its re-author feature makes it a good choice even today: just insert the disc, and the movie starts playing automatically, even on Windows XP and Vista. This feature has stood the test of time and made the app breathe in the virtualized environment despite any updates or development for over 10 years.
Pros and Cons of DVD Shrink
DVD Shrink has a lot to offer. But is it really the best software for ripping and backing up DVD content? Weigh its pros and cons to make a well-informed decision.
👍Pros
- Free and easy-to-use traditional interface and design, making it convenient for new users without technical know-how
- Supports compression of large DVD files for seamless playback on smaller discs
- Offers convenient choices such as recreation and re-encoding
- New, faster, and powerful burning engine for quicker compression, conversion, and burning operations
- Decrypt various DVD encryption technologies, such as RC, CSS, ArccOS, RCE, and more
- Provides ripping numerous DVDs at once
- Reduces the data in half to a burnt DVD
- Default compression algorithm for adequate viewing conditions
- Improves the quality of backup by backing any DVD video disc
👎Cons
- DVD Shrink lacks frequent updates. In fact, the software was last updated in May 2005.
- Because of a lack of updates, DVD Shrink does not support the latest encryption techniques.
- Loses a certain amount of output quality when processing videos
- Lacks advanced functionalities such as ripping Blu-ray and converting video formats
- Sadly, DVD Shrink for Mac and Linux is unavailable as it works only on Windows computers. So, users must seek other ripping options.
- DVD Shrink is only available on selected Windows OS, and DVD Shrink Windows 10/11 doesn’t seem to work
Alternative to DVD Shrink: DVDFab DVD Ripper
DVD Shrink is a popular software for processing DVDs. However, it has not been updated for 10+ years. So, unlike newer ripping software, DVD Shrink lacks the techniques to decrypt newer DVDs or work on the latest OS. Even the output quality can be a bit lossy, and there is no support for Mac computers. Here’s why we chose a DVD Shrink alternative like DVDFab. Its Ripper module works wonders on Windows and Mac computers equally.
DVDFab DVD Ripper is a good choice for converting DVD content into 1000+ compatible formats. The program can achieve 1:1 original lossless quality and back up DVDs at GPU-accelerated speed. Its video editing functions further enhance the output by cutting and trimming unnecessary sections from the clip. DVDFab DVD Ripper also gives the freedom to tailor the output parameters for the desired output quality.
Pros and Cons of DVDFab DVD Ripper
- Rips all types of encrypted DVDs, whether old or new
- Digitize the disc content into over a thousand digital formats, be it audio or video
- Over 260 presets are available to rip DVDs for different devices
- Supports numerous filter options like 4K/5K, 10/12 bit, H.265, and more
- Compress the video size so you can play the decrypted content on any platform
- Video editor available with the program to crop and trim videos
- Merge clips, add watermarks/subtitles, or adjust the video output by changing the brightness and saturation
- Rip multiple DVDs at once in lossless 1:1 (original) quality with GPU hardware acceleration speed
- DVDFab DVD Ripper’s free version can only rip DVDs in MKV and MP4 formats
Quick Process to Use DVDFab DVD Ripper
Step 1: Download and run the DVDFab program from the official site. Once you enter the main page, click the Ripper module on the homepage. Now, load your desired copy-protected DVD, and the software will load it automatically.
You can also click the large + option and load your intended encrypted DVD source for convenience.
Step 2: Select the Profile Selection Box and use the built-in profile library to choose the output profile format. Pick any format such as MKV, MP4, AVI, MP3, or any digital format for output.
Step 3: Tailor the video output for various parameters, whether audio, subtitles, chapters, or preferred advanced configurations.
DVDFab also offers a built-in video editor that lets you edit the output depending on your needs.
Step 4: Next, pick an Output Folder to choose your storage location for the newly created video. Then, select Start to rip your encrypted DVD.
FAQs
Q.1. Is DVD Shrink available for Mac?
No. DVD Shrink can be downloaded and used only on Windows computers. However, you can use DVDFab DVD Ripper to convert, compress, and edit your cherished DVD content into a thousand digital formats at a blazing speed.
Q.2. Is DVD Shrink safe?
Yes, DVD Shrink is safe DVD ripping and backup software. However, it has stopped updating since May 2005. So, to avoid data loss, beware of downloading it from unreliable or fake websites.
Q.3. Can I still download the DVD Shrink?
Yes. DVD Shrink is available, and users can easily download it on their Windows computers. Just search for DVD Shrink on the web and download it from the official site on earlier versions of your PC.
Final Wrap
DVD Shrink is a very well-designed app that is still relevant to rip movies, primarily its re-authoring tool. Once you proceed with the DVD Shrink download, it will be pretty easy to learn how to use the app. However, the lack of updates and lossy output with no advanced features may be a turn-off for seasoned users. Instead, we recommend using DVDFab DVD Ripper for all the ripping needs, whether conversion, compression, or editing. Try it once for professional-quality original and lossless results at a blazing speed.