How to Backup a DVD with DVD Shrink
Backing up a DVD is one of the smartest things you can do with a film collection you own. Discs get scratched, lost or damaged, and once a favourite movie will not play, it is gone. DVD Shrink makes backing up a DVD simple and free. This complete guide shows you how to back up a DVD to your computer, how to shrink it so it fits a blank disc, and how to burn a copy, all step by step.
Why back up your DVDs?
There are plenty of good reasons to keep a backup of a disc you own. Children's DVDs get scratched almost as soon as they are opened. Collector's editions are expensive to replace. And discs simply degrade over time. A backup on your hard drive means the movie is safe no matter what happens to the original. DVD Shrink lets you make that backup quickly, for free, and keep it as a file on your PC or as a fresh disc.
What you need to back up a DVD
To back up a DVD with DVD Shrink you need the software installed, which you can get from our download page, the DVD you want to copy, and free space on your hard drive. For a trimmed backup of just the movie you need around 4.7 GB free, and for a full copy of a dual layer disc up to 8.5 GB. If you want a physical copy at the end, you also need a DVD writer and a burning program.
Step by step: back up a DVD to your computer
Here is the process from start to finish.
- Insert the disc into your DVD drive and open DVD Shrink.
- Click Open Disc and select your DVD drive. DVD Shrink reads and analyses the disc, showing its titles and sizes.
- Choose your mode. Pick Full Disc for a complete copy, or Re-author to keep only the main movie and the tracks you want.
- Set the quality. DVD Shrink works out the compression automatically. For heavy shrinking, enable deep analysis for a smoother result.
- Click Backup, choose ISO image or VIDEO_TS folder as the output, and pick a save location on your hard drive.
- Wait a few minutes while DVD Shrink processes the disc and writes your backup.
When it finishes you have a complete backup of your DVD on your computer, ready to watch or burn.
Shrinking a DVD to fit a blank disc
Many movie DVDs are dual layer, holding around 8.5 GB, while ordinary recordable discs hold 4.7 GB. This is where DVD Shrink earns its name. When you open the disc, DVD Shrink automatically calculates how much to compress the content so it fits a single layer disc. If you want to protect the picture quality of the main movie, use re-author mode and drop the extras, so the film keeps more of the available space. Our guide to shrinking a dual layer DVD covers this in more detail.
Burning your DVD backup to a disc
If you want a physical backup rather than just a file, the final step is burning. Take the ISO image or VIDEO_TS folder that DVD Shrink produced and use a burning program to write it to a blank DVD. Choose a good quality blank disc and burn at a moderate speed for the most reliable result. The activated edition of DVD Shrink, available through our Join Now page, adds built in burning so you can do everything in one place.
How DVD Shrink protects quality while backing up
DVD Shrink is not a crude copier. When it needs to compress, it uses a deep analysis pass that studies the video first, so it can lower the bitrate intelligently and keep detail where the eye notices it most. It also strips out region locks and the forced trailers that stop you skipping to the menu, so your backup is cleaner and friendlier than the original. This careful approach is why DVD Shrink backups look better than those from many simpler tools.
The original DVD Shrink, not a clone
When you back up something as valuable as your film collection, you want reliable software. This site is the home of the original and official DVD Shrink. Countless clones and copycat downloads exist, often outdated or bundled with unwanted extras. The official version is the genuine one, the best maintained on the market, and free of that junk. For backups you can trust, use the real DVD Shrink from the official source.
Start backing up your DVDs today
Backing up a DVD with DVD Shrink is quick, free and easy. Insert the disc, open it in DVD Shrink, choose your mode, set the quality and click Backup. In a few minutes your movie is safe on your computer, ready to keep or burn. If you have not installed it yet, download DVD Shrink now, and if you are new to it, our step by step tutorial and FAQ will guide you the rest of the way.
Backing up to your hard drive versus burning a disc
When you back up a DVD you have two useful destinations, and it helps to think about both. Backing up to your hard drive as an ISO image or a VIDEO_TS folder gives you a digital copy you can watch instantly, store on a network drive, or copy to a media server. Burning to a blank disc gives you a physical spare that behaves just like the original in any DVD player. Many people do both: they keep a digital copy for convenience and burn a disc for the shelf. DVD Shrink makes either easy, and you can always burn a disc later from an ISO you saved earlier.
Choosing the right output format
DVD Shrink offers a few ways to save your backup, and picking the right one avoids confusion. An ISO image is a single tidy file that mirrors an entire disc, ideal for storage and easy to burn or mount whenever you like. A VIDEO_TS folder is the unpacked collection of DVD files, which plays directly in most media players and suits some older burning tools. For most people, ISO is the cleaner choice for long term storage. Whichever you pick, the movie inside is identical in quality.
How much space you need
Planning your storage keeps backups stress free. A single layer backup of just the main movie takes around 4.7 GB, while a full copy of a dual layer disc can reach 8.5 GB. If you are backing up a whole collection, the numbers add up quickly, so a dedicated external drive is a smart investment. The good news is that DVD Shrink lets you compress down to a single layer whenever you want to save space, trading a little quality for a much smaller file. You stay in control of the balance every time.
Protecting quality when you compress
The worry people have about shrinking a DVD is losing picture quality, and DVD Shrink answers it directly. When compression is needed, its deep analysis pass studies the film first and lowers the bitrate intelligently, spending data where the eye notices it and saving it where it does not. Combined with re-author mode, which drops extras so the movie keeps more room, this produces backups that look remarkably close to the original. For a single film compressed onto one disc, most people cannot tell the copy from the source in normal viewing.
Backing up damaged or older discs
One of the best reasons to back up is to rescue discs that are starting to fail. A lightly scratched DVD may still read well enough for DVD Shrink to make a clean backup, preserving the film before the damage gets worse. Clean the disc gently first, from the centre outward, and give the drive time to work through any tricky sections. Backing up your discs while they still play is the surest way to keep your collection alive for years to come, long after the originals would have worn out.
Organising your backup library
As your collection of backups grows, a little organisation pays off. Give each ISO a clear name with the film title and year, and keep them in tidy folders by genre or series. If you use a media server, well named files show up with the right artwork and details automatically. A consistent naming habit turns a pile of anonymous files into a proper digital library you can browse and enjoy as easily as a shelf of discs.
Back up with the original DVD Shrink
Your film collection is worth protecting, so it deserves trustworthy software. This site is the home of the original and official DVD Shrink, the genuine program that has been the standard for DVD backup for years. The internet is littered with clones and copycat downloads, often outdated or bundled with junk you do not want. The official version is the real one, the best maintained on the market, and completely free. Give your discs the backup they deserve by using the genuine DVD Shrink from the official source, and your favourite films will be safe for the long haul.
Answers to common backup questions
People new to backing up DVDs tend to ask the same practical questions. How long does a backup take? On a modern PC, usually just a few minutes, a little longer if you enable deep analysis for the best quality. Can you back up a disc without a blank to burn to? Yes, saving to your hard drive as an ISO or folder needs no blank disc at all. Will the backup play in a normal DVD player? Yes, once burned to disc it plays just like the original, because DVD Shrink rebuilds a proper DVD-Video structure. Do you keep the menus? You can, if you use Full Disc mode, or you can drop them with re-author mode to give the movie more space. Knowing the answers up front makes your first backup feel completely straightforward.
How often should you back up your discs?
A sensible rhythm keeps your collection safe without becoming a chore. The best time to back up a disc is while it still plays perfectly, since waiting until a scratch appears risks losing part of the film. Many people back up new discs soon after buying them, then work gradually through their existing shelf a few titles at a time. Children's films and discs that get heavy use are worth prioritising, because they are the ones most likely to be damaged. Once a film is safely stored as an ISO on your hard drive, you never need to back it up again unless the drive itself fails, which is why keeping a spare copy of your library on a second drive is such a smart habit. A little steady effort now protects your collection for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I backup a DVD to my computer?
Open DVD Shrink, click Open Disc, let it read your DVD, choose Full Disc or Re-author, then click Backup and save an ISO or VIDEO_TS folder to your hard drive.
Can DVD Shrink backup a DVD to a smaller disc?
Yes. DVD Shrink automatically compresses a dual layer DVD so it fits on a standard single layer recordable disc while keeping good picture quality.
How do I burn my DVD backup to a disc?
Save the backup as an ISO or VIDEO_TS folder, then use a burning program to write it to a blank DVD. The activated edition of DVD Shrink also adds burning.
Is it legal to backup my own DVDs?
In many regions a personal backup of a disc you own is widely accepted. Rules vary by country, so only back up discs you have purchased, for personal use.
How much space does a DVD backup need?
A single layer backup needs about 4.7GB of free space, and a full dual layer copy needs about 8.5GB. Always back up to your hard drive first.
