ShrinkyDVDink - a DVD Backup/Compression Utility for Mac

The first time I heard about programs that would take a DVD that had been purchased in a store and shrink it down so that everything (even though the original was a dual-layer disc) into a single layer disc, I remembering wondering why someone would want to do that. It seemed a bit silly, actually. Making a copy that wasn't as good as the original? Why do that?

There are good reasons, of course. I've had friends tell me that the first thing they do when they purchase a new DVD is make a copy. This copy is what their kids get to watch (and abuse, and occasionally break). When that happens, as it often does, there's no problem, since the original is stored safely, where the kids can't get at it!

Because of this need to copy discs, not for pirating reasons, but for safety, programs such as ShrinkyDVDink exist. ShrinkyDVDink is a shareware application that enables users to do exactly what I outlined above, and even more.

The first thing you'll notice when opening ShrinkyDVDink is that you can't use it... at least not right away. First, before you can even try it out, you'll need to go to the company's website (www.shrinky-dvd-ink.com), and request a trial license. Once you receive the trial license (which is free), you'll have a completely working copy of ShrinkyDVDink, but one that's only good for making two copies. It's kind of a pain to have to request the license (as opposed to programs that keep track of their use and quit working after a certain point), but I suppose it works.

Anyway, after you get ShrinkyDVDink working, the first thing you'll want to do is tell it what DVD you want to copy (or, if you've already copied all the files from a DVD, where you have the Audio_TS folder stored on your hard drive). Once you've done this, you'll see a listing of everything that's on the DVD. This includes every preview, every alternative audio track, any and all special features, and all the subtitles.