I need to know the best combination of dvd software an media type (dvd/+-r/rw) will give me best results for backing up dvds.
Dvd writer- Lg4163b dual layer burner
Software I have: dvd shrink,clonedvd2, anydvd,nero, alcohol120%,dvd decrypter (all are latest versions)

So which gives better results
Dvd shrink + Anydvd+ Nero or Alcohol 120%
Anydvd + CloneDVD2
DVD Decrptor+ Shrink Dvd
et.............

Also which media should I use +r or -r

Thanks in advance

It wholly depends on what you want to back up, for movies I use DVD Shrink + DVD Decryptor. For data/audio stuff I use RecordNow! Deluxe.

But for game protected DVDs it's a diff. matter.

I just use +R, it's the first format I brought, and it worked on my dvd player and I will continue to buy +R, but I'm pretty sure my dvd player (not recorded/drive) supports -R. If you want to get technical read this.

DVD writer - Philips DVD 8631 DL +/-

No need to use use anydvd with dvdshrink. I use dvdshrink with just nero but lots of people use it with dvd decrypter.

AnyDVD is best used when you have a DVD-ROM drive AND a DVD burner, as it can save you the "copy to hard drive" step of the copy process. If you don't have two drives, then it's benefit is to allow you to make use of applications that normally don't work with protected DVDs. There's some value in doing so, as some of the apps out there are really nice and very easy to use and do the copy, shrink and brun all with one button, such as the copier versions of WinDVD and PowerDVD or Nero. People like the flexibility that DVD Decypter and DVDShrink offer, but if you just want to copy the movie and be done with it with the minimum of fuss, then using AnyDVD with one of the commercial copier apps is the way to go.

I might also point out that if you are only going to be watching the movies on a computer, RatDVD is an excellent option. It allows you to keep the entire contents of the DVD (including menus, indexes and special features) in a single smaller file. You can generally store two or three complete DVDs on one single-sided DVD-R after RatDVD is done with them.

I've been meaning to try RatDVD, just haven't got round to it. Whats the quailty/compression like?

Ath the default level, it's not all that great. I turned up the slider to about 3/4s full, and it was about the same as what you normally see in an XVID 1-file dvd-rip. File size with that settings was a little under 2 gigs, so it's not as great at compression as it could be, but the ability to keep the scene indexes and menus is worth it to me.

You know I have tried most of the apps mentioned above and all I want to do is backup DVDs that I already own and remove the FBI warnings and the user restrictions on bypassing the previews and FBI warnings.

My problem is that when a particular app reads the DVD and breaks the dvd down in to its different chapters and titles, if it allows you to play a chapter or title to see if that is the FBI warning or not, it won't let you remove said chapter or title. It either wants to copy the entire DVD or just the movie. But I want to keep the subtitles, bonus features, and previews, etc. Such is the case with Nero's DVD Backup util as well as DVD Shrink I think.

If it does let you remove a chapter or title [like I said the FBI warnings is what I am targeting] it won't let you play that chapter or title to see if that is indeed the FBI Warning. I have to guess what is the FBI warning based on the length of the chapter :30 seconds or less. This is the case with the latest version of Clone DVD for example.

Is there an application that will let you identify and remove the FBI warning and copy the rest of the DVD in its entirety????

You could try VobBlanker.

I can preview any (sub)video stream in DVD Shrink, also on all my backed up DVDs I can fast forward through the FBI warnings - DVD Shrink also removes the PUOs by default. So I dunno what your problems your having, but try defaulting your settings.

Personally instead of re-authoring the DVD I just remove all the PUOs less hassle for me.