DVD Software and terminology explained in detail

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DVD Ripping Software

DVD ripping software is used to decrypt and copy the contents of a DVD onto your hard drive. The term "ripping" is used here to imply that you "rip" the audio and video tracks from the DVD disc. The use of ripping software to copy the contents of a DVD to your hard drive is necessary to bypass CSS encryption.
DVD Ripping

DVD Authoring Software

DVD authoring software is used to determine the layout and functionality of a DVD. For example, menus which you can use to navigate through a DVD are all developed through DVD authoring software. They determine if a DVD will loop continuously, play from start to finish, or start with a menu. This is an optional step in designing a DVD.
DVD Authoring

DVD Decoders

A DVD decoder is required in order to play DVD movies or videos on a computer system. The decoder unlocks the CSS copy protection applied to the video files on a DVD movie disc, decodes the MPEG-2 formatting, and displays the video through a viewing program installed on the PC.
DVD Decoders

DVD to CD Programs

DVD to CD conversion programs simply copy your ripped movies onto a CD through the use of a CD-RW drive. This allows you to make copies if you do not have access to a dvd burner.
DVD to CD

DVD Player Software

DVD players are common and widespread throughout the PC world today. Most new computer systems come with dvd players installed on them where they have a DVD-rom drive installed. There are many additional stand alone dvd player software packages available from independent program developers.
DVD Players

DVD Copying Software

DVD copying software is used to copy a ripped movie or video from a hard drive to a DVD rom or CD-R/W disc. After the ripping process is completed, you will need to use copying software to transfer the data to a media type capable of storing the files and in the format capable of playing back on a PC or a home DVD player.
DVD Copying

DVD Burning Software

DVD burning software is software which does a multitude of tasks. Generally speaking, many software companies refer to their dvd software as "burning" software since the act of actually writing data to a disc is called burning.
DVD Burning