AnyDVD: The Tasty Secret Sauce

[Jason Dunn]

<img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/anydvd-quicklook.gif" /><br /><br /><b>Product Category:</b> Software<br /><b>Manufacturer:</b> Slysoft<br /><b>Where to Buy:</b> <a href="http://www.slysoft.com/?aid=50312">AnyDVD site</a> [Affiliate]<br /><b>Price:</b> $39 USD<br /><b>System Requirements:</b> IBM-compatible PC with a minimum 500 MHz Pentium-class microprocessor and 64 MB RAM. Windows 95/98/98SE/ME/2000/XP, 2 MB hard-disk space.<br /><br /><b>Pros:</b><li>Highly effective;<br /><li>Frequent updates to address new DVD encryption schemes;<br /><li>Lifetime updates.<b>Cons:</b><ul><li>Poor software update mechanism.</ul><b>Summary:</b><br />AnyDVD is a real-time DVD decryption tool that works so well, you'd swear it was magic. The developers created a fast, lightweight, highly effective way of allowing you to work with video on commercial DVDs very easily. And beyond decryption, it has a few other tricks.<br /><br />Read on for the full review!<!><br /><PAGEBREAK><br />AnyDVD is one of those programs that is simple on the surface, but its simplicity belies how powerful this program is at what it does. Ripping a DVD and encoding it for other purposes – whether it be backing it up so your kids don't ruin the original, or making a version of the DVD for playback on your portable video player, always involves several steps. <br /><br />The first is often the most difficult for people new at the process: cracking the encryption. See, those Hollywood movie companies don't want you to be able to use that DVD for any more than watching it in a DVD player on your TV. They want you to have to buy another copy for watching on your portable video player, they just haven't quite figured out how yet (<a href="http://www.vongo.com">Vongo</a> is a step in that direction). And replacing a DVD when your kid scratches the original? They want you to go buy a new one of course. To force you into that, they encrypt the video files on the DVD so that a standard computer can play them back, but can't copy them off the disc or do anything with them. Try putting a DVD in your computer, browsing the disc, and try to copy one of the VOB files off it. Your computer will give you an error and the copy will fail. The concept behind AnyDVD is a simple one: it cracks that encryption, allowing you to do what you want with the DVD that you bought.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/anydvd-001.gif" /><br /><i>Figure 1: The interface you can access when a DVD is inserted.</i><br /><br />When I first installed AnyDVD (there's a <a href="http://www.anydvd.com">21 day free trial</a>), I didn't realize that it wasn't really a "program" in the strict sense of the word. When it loads it sits in your system tray – there's no user interface that pops up. It's lightweight and uses up very little memory. I don't even notice when it's running – system impact is negligible. The magic happens when you put in a DVD. As the DVD is loaded by the PC, AnyDVD intercepts the DVD data stream and removes the encryption. It's like pixie dust! <br /><br /><b><span>It Just Works</span></b><br />That copy that failed before? It will now work – you can put in a commercial DVD, drag a VOB file off the DVD, and play it on your PC (if you have a program that plays VOB files). Want to edit it? Change the extension from VOB to MPG and you can open the file in your favourite video editor (assuming it supports MPEG2) and you can slice, dice, and export it back out again. You can feed that MPEG2 file to the Windows Media Encoder and get any size and bit rate file you want (the Encoder is a bit glitchy using this method though). In short, AnyDVD is the secret sauce that allows you to do more with DVDs than you could before. There's a big trend with video editing software now to include tools to work directly with DVDs, but because of the DCMA, software companies based in the USA can't include any method of breaking the DVD encryption. Slysoft is based in the Antigua, so they have no such limitations. AnyDVD unleashes the power of your software.<br /><br />One of the things I found particularly powerful is that when you have AnyDVD running, those encrypted commercial DVDs are as easy to manipulate as the homemade ones you burned last year. Roxio has a Media Import tool as part of their Easy Media Creator 8 suite that allows you to select any part of the DVD, chapter by chapter, and it will rip an MPEG2 file, encode a WMV file (without interlacing, sadly), or a DivX file. Adobe's Premiere Elements 2 can open files directly off the DVD and you can edit them like any other file - it's a thing of beauty. And the new breed of one-step video transcoding tools for taking DVDs and spitting out portable-media friendly files suddenly work much better. The combination of AnyDVD and <a href="http://www.slysoft.com/en/clonedvd-mobile.html">CloneDVD Mobile</a> (review coming soon!), made by the same company, is particularly powerful. They offer discounts when you purchase multiple programs at the same time.<br /><PAGEBREAK><br /><b><span>Beyond Decryption</span></b><br />AnyDVD has some other interesting features beyond decryption, the most notable of which is that if it's running and you put in a DVD to watch, it can skip past all those inane FBI warnings and commercials/previews, plunking you down right at the root menu for the DVD. I loved being able to just right into the movie without the 2-4 minutes most DVDs force you to wait through. Other features include stripping DVD regions, so if you want to watch that DVD you bought in Japan on your North American laptop, you can. Another welcome feature is that AnyDVD will disable the "PC Friendly" features that kick off when you put the DVD in your PC, such as that vile InterActual player that always wants to install itself.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/anydvd-002.gif" /><br /><i>Figure 2: Some of the options available.</i><br /><br />The creators of AnyDVD, Slysoft, update it with ferocity – there's a new version every few weeks. They seem to systematically hunt down DVDs that use new encryption techniques, crack them, then incorporate the fixes into a new version of AnyDVD. If there's one thing I don't like about AnyDVD though is that there's no smooth update mechanism. The program checks for a new version when you load it up, and it you select update, all it does it load the AnyDVD download page in your browser. You have to download the entire program and install it again to get the new fixes. The combination of this poor upgrade mechanism and the frequency of updates has made me always run a few versions behind. I'd much rather see an integrated download mechanism that would grab whatever files have been updated and restart the program. The developers should look at how Picasa works for the way this should work.<br /><br /><b><span>It's the One to Beat</span></b><br />All in all, AnyDVD is a fantastic program that's definitely worth the money they charge for it ($39 USD). If you want to work with video off commercial DVDs, for whatever reason, the first step is always cracking the encryption and nothing does it better than AnyDVD. Although there are freeware programs that can get the same end result, I find that as I get older my time and sanity are worth a great deal to me, so there's no contest between AnyDVD and freeware alternatives. The fact that it comes with free lifetime upgrades is also a comforting thought, because I know the entertainment industry never stops coming up with ways to stop me from using the DVD I bought the way I want to use it. If it seems like I'm a fan of this program, it's because I value software that works well, doesn't get in my way, and provides huge value for the dollar. That's AnyDVD.<br /><br /><i>Jason Dunn owns and operates <a href="http://www.thoughtsmedia.com">Thoughts Media Inc.</a>, a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys mobile devices, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Alberta, Canada.</i>

[mcsouth]

Thanks for the review, Jason. I will admit to being curious about this software when it was mentioned a few weeks ago. However, for the bit that I do, DVD Decrypter and PocketDivxEncoder will do me just fine for the grand price of....free. Stick in a DVD, fire up DVD Decrypter, select Main Movie files, and let her rip. Point PocketDvixEncoder at the result, pick the audio and video quality levels, and let her rip as well.

The one place that I have had trouble has been with certain DVD's that seems to somehow put several versions of a scene with different languages as part of the main VOB - PocketDivxEncoder will just convert the whole thing, so the results are frustrating at times. The two DVD's that this occurred with was The Incredibles (the scene where he gets through the lava flow into the secret office repeated the views of the screen showing the dead super heros over and over with different languages each time). The other DVD that I had this happen with was Star Wars Episode 3 during the opening where the text flies off into space - again, repeated multiple times in different languages.

I have yet to sit down and take the time to figure out how to "fix" this so it doesn't happen again. In this case, a software product that would take care of this would be worth opening my wallet for....

[bitequator]

Great review Jason. Is there a special purchase link with referral to you, for anyone that wants to buy it?

And can you elaborate -- I thought CloneDVD/CloneCD is made by elby (Elaborate Bytes). Have development been transferred to SlySoft instead? And was CloneDVD Mobile written by SlySoft from scratch?

http://www.elby.de/products/clone_dvd/index.html ($49 purchase for CloneDVD v2, whereas SlySoft sells it for $39)

Then there's DVD X Studios that sells CloneDVD v2 and v3, each for $99:

http://www.clonedvd.net/


P.S. mcsouth, has DVD Decrypter really been discontinued (no updates)?

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/6501.cfm

[mcsouth]

I hadn't seen the actual release that you linked to, but yes, DVD Decrypter is no longer being updated. That being said, I have not run into a DVD yet that it couldn't handle. I suspect that day will come at some point, until then, it still meets my needs.

Nice to know that there are alternatives out there though, like AnyDVD...

They can have my Fair Use rights when they pry them from my cold dead fingers!

[Jason Dunn]

However, for the bit that I do, DVD Decrypter and PocketDivxEncoder will do me just fine for the grand price of....free.

Can you still get DVD Decrypter anymore though? Looking around Afterdawn, it looks like almost everything is gone - you can't download it any more. That was always my frustration with freeware programs, you'd get used to using it, then it would vanish. Glad you got a system that works for you though!

[Jason Dunn]

Great review Jason. Is there a special purchase link with referral to you, for anyone that wants to buy it?

Nope. I've asked Slysoft about a discount coupon code, no response yet.

And can you elaborate -- I thought CloneDVD/CloneCD is made by elby (Elaborate Bytes). Have development been transferred to SlySoft instead? And was CloneDVD Mobile written by SlySoft from scratch?

Check out this thread:
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=108198

[cmchavez]

Can you still get DVD Decrypter anymore though?

DVD Decrypter (and the equally infamous DVD Shrink) are two of those programs you can still find if you have some extra time to run a thorough Google search of the net. Nero has DVD Shrink-like functionality as part of their Nero Vision Express software, but to be honest, I have stuck with Shrink due to familiarity and ease of use.

[bitequator]

Oh I didn't know DVD Shrink has also been discontinued?

I'd assumed since the official support site (where you can still download it) is still there at www.dvdshrink.org, that it was still being actively developed...

[rbloodworth]

Hi, i registered just to comment on the use of Any DVD.
I have been using it for several years and have several versions of the software. It has always worked. there are other reasons to have the any dvd software. (or so i have read) when sony created their software protection that loaded software onto the computer without the owners knowlage or concent. thus fouling up their computers and if you tried to remove it it would cause havoc. the any dvd stoped the loading of software. protecting the system. (i never had any problems with any software being loaded onto my machine or on anyones machine that i know which had anydvd (sony program mentioned above)
Now for the update complaint. You don't need to update. or at least rarely need to update. the creators of any dvd sends you regular emails on the changes and updates. you really need to update only if you need to copy a newer dvd that has some changed or different encryption that the older version dosn't have. I have had no problmes with security. (unlike windows software etc.) I have went almost a year before updating and only updates because i wanted to copy a new release. i belive it was the new star wars movie. when a new movie comes out they have updates for changes in about a week or less after release to dvd.
the updates work just like the older ones. never conflict in a system with other software unlike other programs i have had.
now for activation. they have the coolest activation i have ever seen. a simle file which when you click on it it registers the software. no number and letter combinations. one click, restart and wamo your done. the instalation is a breaze as well. in seconds your done. ( it probably takes longer to restart your computer that it did to load and register the software. ) I only wish that other companies took their product as seriously as any dvd does. EAse of use, ease to register. and finally promp regular updates, no security problems and no conflicts with other systems, hardware or software. rock solid and seamless.

[Jason Dunn]

Thanks for the comments rbloodworth, and welcome to the site! I hope you'll stick around and get involved. :-)

[rbloodworth]

Thanks for the comments rbloodworth, and welcome to the site! I hope you'll stick around and get involved. :-)

Thanks for the welcome Jason.
when i saw this sight commenting on ANY DVD i had to respond. I noticed that there wasn't any comment from somone with extended experience with ANYDVD. I thought it would be nice to add that informaton.
Again Thankyou

[kiwi]

Nero has DVD Shrink-like functionality as part of their Nero Vision Express software, but to be honest, I have stuck with Shrink due to familiarity and ease of use.


I heard somewhere the guy who wrote Shrink DVD did the Nero Express version of the same type of functionality.

[Jason Dunn]

I heard somewhere the guy who wrote Shrink DVD did the Nero Express version of the same type of functionality.

Yeah, but it sucks - it only encodes to Nero's special MPEG4 format ("Nero Digital" I think. Nero is delusional to think they can promote a new format...

[rbloodworth]

" I heard somewhere the guy who wrote Shrink DVD did the Nero Express version of the same type of functionality."


I use dvd shrink, nero demo (later the full version ) and any dvd and it works smoothly and easily (for those that don't know dvd shrink has a nero plug in that allows burning directly to a dvd ) ( the demo for nero is hard to find however it isn't imposible and it is free. i used it for months and it didn't fail although i didnt have nero burn funciton for other things like cd's etc. i used the build in windows cd burner for backup of some files etc. when i bough a burner program i got a older nero version that was a lot cheeper) :)

I wouldn't get too complicated with different programs etc. if it isn't broke don't fix it.

rob

[amiramark]

Great Review &amp; Great Product! I have been using AnyDVD for what seems like forever. It works flawlessly and has allowed me to back up all my DVD and CD collections. AND think of this....when someone wants to borrow a DVD to watch a movie, just pop in a blank DVD and loan them your backup copy....no more missing DVD.

SlySoft and AnyDVD should be awarded the Acadamey Award for this product....but come to think of it, lets not let Hollywood know they are wasting their time with stupid encryption methods that do not work when AnyDVD is on the job.