[MPlayer-users] How to backup a DVD with reduced video quality?

[Pieter Hulshoff]

On Friday 30 July 2004 15:24, Gilles wrote:
> > >I'd like to make backups of my DVDs using 2 Mb/s i.s.o. 8 Mb/s mpeg2
> > >videostreams while still retaining all audio/subtitle functionalities.
> > > On the suggestion of someone here I recently started using dvdbackup
> > > for the backup of my DVDs, but how can I effectively change the
> > > videostream from 8 to 2 Mb/s while retaining the ability to place the
> > > data on a DVD?
>
> 'tcrequant' (part of the 'transcode' tools) allows to reduce the video rate
> of an MPEG2 file.
>
> [In order not to have noticeable loss of quality, the resulting data rate
> should probably be more like 4 Mb/s (I didn't not test smaller rates, the
> purpose being to fit a 9 GB DVD on a home-recordable media).]
>
> I can provide you with a script (in Perl), that performs the necessary
> intermediate steps.  To use it you will need various programs/tool suites:
> mplayer, transcode, mjpeg, dvdauthor, plus some Perl modules.

If this will retain the audio/subtitle abilities, then I'm definately 
interested. I think I have most of the tools you mentioned installed, and I'm 
sure I can get my hand on them if not. :)

Regards,

Pieter Hulshoff