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Guides and articles
Guides and articles
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Target Device
 For this guide the Target Device should be set to Hard Disk Folder. However, your other options will be to Burn with Nero using your DVD Burner drive, create an ISO Image and Create an ISO Image and burn with DVD Decrypter. Personally I believe it is best to output to files so you can test the quality before it is burned to a disc.
Select target folder for DVD output files: Click the Browse button and look for a folder to save your files into. The best idea is to select the partition you want to save it in (C:\ F:\ H:\ etc.) and click Create Folder. Now select the folder rename it to whatever you want and click OK.
Create VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS subfolders: Keep this selected, it will basically create both those folders inside the folder you just made and place all your DVD files into the VIDEO_TS folder. Ok, now click the Quality Settings tab.
Quality Settings
 This is a very important tab and it brings up that old dilemma again. Under this tab you can increase the quality of the output video dramatically, by selecting one or both of the options here. However, if you select one of them, the encoding will take longer, and if you select the two of them, the encoding will take even longer again. Let's a take a look at both options for a minute, I want you to really think about this.
Perform deep analysis before backup to improve quality: With this selected, the encoding will be done in two passes. The first pass (deep analysis) will gather information on the video content for DVD Shrink to help it to determine in the second pass (encoding) how to use it with efficiency in mind. This will also ensure that DVD Shrink makes it's target size accurately. I highly recommend that you enable this option but do remember, it will make the encoding take a lot longer than without it selected. Of course, there is no substitute for using less compression on your DVD wherever possible.
Compress video with high quality adaptive error compensation: Adaptive Error Compensation exists to reduce the number of noticeable artifacts on the output video. During video compression small errors and artifacts occur, this is not just with DVD Shrink either, it is just one of those bad things about video compression. Adaptive Error Correction was added to DVD Shrink to help reduce the number of video artifacts on the output. With this setting switched on, DVD Shrink will compare the original and the compressed frames to check if any noticeable artifacts have been produced. If they have, it will compensate for them accordingly, hence the name "Adaptive Error Compensation".
There are four option here to choose from, Maximum Smoothness, Smooth, Sharp and Maximum Sharpness. Sharp is the default setting. Basically, with sharp selected, DVD Shrink will try to preserve the sharpness of the original video stream. This is vice versa with Smooth. The Maximum Options will be more aggressive. The problem with choosing is choosing one may be at the expense of the other (choosing Sharp may be at the expense of smoothness or vice versa). The choice between both, is up to you. Think about it because in my experience, using Adaptive Error Compensation greatly improves the output quality on most if not all backups. However, as mentioned, the process will take longer with this selected. It is really up to you.
Now let's look at the Options tab.
Options
 Here are just three simple options to choose if you wish. Run backup in low priority mode will run the backup in a low priority setting under Windows. This option exists because people like to be able to continue using their computer while a backup is in progress. If you want to use your computer, keep this setting on, if not, then disable it.
Shutdown computer when backup is complete is a good idea to select if you want to start encoding when you go to bed at night. This was you can also choose to perform a deep analysis and Adaptive Error Correction without worrying that your computer time is being eaten up or that the computer will be on and idle for hours if you fall asleep.
Play sound when complete is self explanatory. It's a good option if you are going to run off to watch tv or something while the backup is in progress. Ok, now there's just the Burn settings. All that is available under Burn Settings is Burn Speed and the Volume label so I wont bother giving it a section. It is useless if you selected Hard Disk Folder as your output anyway. Click OK whenever you want to begin the process.
The Encoding Process
 Depending on your settings, the speed of your computer and the amount of content to be shrinked, this process could take a while so don't hold your breath. As soon as it is finished I highly recommend using a software DVD player of some sort (WinDVD, PowerDVD etc) to check to see how good the quality came out.
If all is well, then it is finally time to burn.
Please go to the Next Page
On the final page, we will burn the DVD that DVD Shrink just created for us with the Nero Burning Rom package. We also include information on burning the DVD with free software if you have have Nero.
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Created: 10 July 2006 Last updated: 22 March 2008
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