Backing up DVDs can be laboriously, frustrating and downright time consuming. Depending on the process, the software available and the computer, it can be a task that most people neglect. However, if you have a large DVD collection, or even just information saved on DVDs, backing these up is a good idea. Learning how to backup DVDs takes just a little time. It can save a lot of heartache down the line if something happens to those favorites of yours.

When it comes to your favorite DVDs, over time, the more you watch them the easier it is for them to get scratched, damaged or otherwise destroyed. DVDs are not always expensive, but it can be expensive over time to continuously replace ones that become inoperable. By taking preventative measures, backing up DVDs and storing them in a safe place, you can ensure that your DVDs last much longer than you ever expected.

If you do not think backing up DVDs is for you, think about your DVD collection first. Imagine what would happen if you lost five to seven of your favorite movies from that collection. Since DVDs are generally anywhere from $15 to $20 a pop, you are losing a lot of money if those DVDs go bad down the line. In some cases, you might not even be able to find those classics, special editions or limited edition releases again without spending a lot more than you bargained for. By backing those copies up, if something happens to the genuine copy, you can still enjoy those films for years to come, especially if something happens to the original film itself.

The first question on anybody's mind should be whether or not backing up DVDs is legal. This is tricky territory. As most people know, copying DVDs for the purpose of distribution or sharing, even within the same household, is illegal. This is considered copyright infringement. However, copying DVDs to make backup copies that only you will use or watch is technically legal.

Again, this is a technicality. Since you own the DVD, it is yours to do with whatever you see fit as long as you do not share copies of it. Thus, making a backup copy should be legal. There have been no landmark cases in the US to this date that says making backup copies of DVDs is illegal. In most cases, since you physically paid for the DVD and own it, it is effectively yours, not the company that distributed it.

How do you backup DVDs?

Burning a DVD is not as simple as backing up data. The first thing you need to do is find the right type of burning software. One of the most well known burning suites is Nero. However, Nero can be highly expense and for the beginner, it may be a good option. Nero will do everything you need to burn a backup copy of a DVD with little work once you get the hang of it.

If you do not want to spend the money on something as expensive as Nero, you can invest in multiple programs that do the same thing. Again, this can be complicated for the beginner, and you may want to stick with something easier. Programs like DVD Shrink can be coupled with a DVD burning program, even one that came with your new computer, to burn a DVD. If this sounds too complicated, sticking with an all-in-one burning program, like Nero, is going to be the best solution.

There are many cheap, and free, programs out there to burn DVDs and other data. Taking the time to find the right program is essential to making the copy process easy for you. Visit Download.com or CNET to see what might work for you and give them a try, once you find the right program; you can begin to understand how the backup process works. There are also alternatives to the programs you find online. If you head into any retail store, you will find different programs at a lower cost to do all the work for you as far as the decoding, encoding and burning process.

What steps do you need to take to make backup copies?

There are a few steps you have to take before burning backup copies of DVDs. First and foremost, you have to find the right software. This can be done in one of two ways: You can either purchase software online or at a store or you can download free versions of software. Either way, once you find the right software to make copies, you are almost ready to go.

Next, you need to purchase the right DVDs. In most cases, DVD-Rs work the best on all computers. However, you will need to refer to your computer's manual to find out what works best with your DVD drive. If you need DVD+Rs, or RW DVDs, go with what works best. You may find after burning a few copies, one type of DVD works better than another. You may even find you prefer one brand to another. Only through trial and error can you determine which DVDs will work best for your burning DVD backup copies.

How does backup burning work?

Backup burning works in three steps. First, the program you use decodes the original DVD. However, not all DVDs can be copied, even for backup copies. This type of digital rights management makes it nearly impossible to make a backup copy. While in some cases this can be broken, for the beginner, if you cannot burn a copy via a program, you might want to pick up an extra copy of the DVD to be sure.

Once the program decodes the DVD, it then must encode it in a format that can be burned to DVD. Depending on the settings, the quality you are looking for and other preferences, it can take time to find the right encoding settings. A program like DVD Shrink will simply "shrink" the original DVD's files to fit on a smaller DVD disc. It does all the hard work for you, but if you are using other programs where you choose the settings, it can take some tweaking to find the right way to copy the DVD.

When you have found the right program, take the time to read through the help files, manual and any other documentation that came with it. You want to completely understand how the preferences will affect the overall playback of the DVD. In the mean time, you can do some test runs on DVDs tweaking with the settings to see how it plays on your DVD player, too. This will give you a real time idea of how backing up and individual settings affect the copy itself.

After the original DVD has been decoded, then encoded, it can be burned. In some cases, you can burn more than one DVD at a time onto a disc. Of course, this will degrade the overall quality of what you burn, but if you are just burning movile files as opposed to the entirety of a DVD, it may work for you. Depending on the set-up you have, you may have to burn the files in a separate program. If this is the case, you can simply open up the burning program, and burn the files to DVD. If you are utilizing an all-in-one program, it will simply burn after completion and be ready to play.

Once you have backed up your DVDs, you want to keep them safe. Make sure that you label your DVDs properly so you do not forget which one is which, you can either do this by using Light Scribe technology or a permanent marker. You can invest in cases for them, similar to those that came with your original DVD. You can also purchase a variety of sleeves, plastic cases or DVD holders.

Depending on how many DVDs you backup, one of the above solutions should be sufficient for your backup collection. When you store the DVDs, you want to ensure you do not scratch or otherwise damage them. After all, what is the point of backing up your DVDs if you are not going to take care of them for the long run?

Once you have backed up your DVD collection, you will be well-versed in how to make DVD backups in a variety of ways. This will give you the opportunity to back up important files, documents and other data in ways you see fit. Take advantage of learning how to backup DVDs in other ways, such as backing up your information, too. This way you not only do not lose out on your DVDs, but you also keep your important data intact.

Backing up DVDs can be easy to do, but it takes a little work to get there. By utilizing this guide and finding the right software, you can back up your DVD collection with relative ease. Backing up DVDs can be a worthwhile endeavor to keep your favorite movies, concerts and other DVDs safe into the future. If DVD backup burning is something you are interested in, give it a try and see if its worth your while.