hoxlund wrote:quality? how can it be better than dvdshrink?
have you used dvd shrink? if it doesn't fit on a dvd, the quality will be lower regardless, because of compression
It's a little more complicated than that. DVDShrink (and similair programs) all re-encode the video material to make it fit on a single DVD. The main determining factor in size and quality is the transcoding engine that is used by the program. Every program has it's own way of re-encoding the video. For instance, like I stated above, DCS uses the same engine as DVD95Copy. DVDShrink has it's own transcoding engine, which is very good in compressing data while still retaining video quality.
However, the two best MPEG encoders (which is the basis of DVD compatible video) are TMPGEnc Plus and Cinema Craft Encoder (CCE). CCE is the encoding engine used by profesionals (and very expensive for the original SP version at $2000). TMPGEnc was created as a cheaper alternative ($50-70) and as a result CCE Basic was released. While not as full fledged as the SP version, it is in the same price class as TMPGEnc.
The 'Big three'guide I mentioned uses the CCE or TMPGEnc encoding engine to re-encode or transcode (never really figured out what the difference between the two terms really is) the video material. As a result, you'll have the highest possible quality while compressing the data enough to fit on one DVD. It takes a lot more work (and a fast PC) but it is worth it is you are a quality freak.
Compare it to encoding an MP3 using the LAME encoder or by using a program like MP3CDDoctor. The end result definately is different. It just depends on your view if it is wotrh the extra hassle.
Hope this complicates things even more than they were already
.