1. Visit your burner's website, and update your burner's firmware if possible.
If you don't know how to go about doing this, visit
http://forum.slysoft.com/showpost.php?p=12794&postcount=10
2. Use good quality blank media. Try Verbatim, Maxell Broadcast Quality, Maxell Plus series, Taiyo Yuden Premium, etc (not Memorex, not generic Maxell, not Princo, not TDK from Costco, not Fuji, not Ritek). If you're going to make a double layer backup use Verbatim + R DL media (made in Singapore); I find most burners will burn Verbatim +R DL (made in Singapore) well at 4x (to be safe); other burners can burn this stuff at 6x or higher with no problems. Get to know your burner.
visit
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3976250
and
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4764653&postcount=25
3. For "+R, +RW, +R DL" blank media, change the booktype of the blank media you're using to "dvd-rom", if your burner supports bitsetting changes. This step improves the chances of playability in/compatibility with (standalone, mostly) dvd players. The best way to do this is through the software that came with your burner (if possible).
Otherwise, use Nero cd-dvd speed to do this if you have to:
http://www.cdspeed2000.com/
This is a free program. (Insert the blank media in your burner. Select your burner in the drop down box at the top of the screen. Click "Extra", then "Bitsetting". Make the change to "dvd-rom" and click "set".)
If Nero cd-dvd speed doesn't work for you (options are greyed out), do this:
a) Download and install imgburn:
http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download
This is also a free program
b) Insert your blank media in your burner.
c) Select your burner in the "Destination" drop down box.
d) Click "Tools"-->"Drive"-->"Change Booktype"
e) Choose your burner type
f) Under "Change For:", select what you're using
g) If your current setting is "dvd-rom", leave everything alone and exit Imgburn and ignore step "h)"
h) Under "New setting", select "dvd-rom". Click "Change" and then "Ok". Exit Imgburn
Some drives lose their settings each time you eject, so you might have to do this each and every time before you burn.
You can skip this step if your burner defaults booktype to "dvd-rom" automatically with the various +R types of blank media.
You can also skip this step if you're using dvd-r, dvd-rw, or dvd-r dl blank media.
4. Have the latest version of Anydvd running on your toolbar (try the free 21 day trial if you don't own it). visit
http://www.slysoft.com/download.html
5. Stick the original disc in your optical reader/drive.
6. Ensure you're using the latest version of Clonedvd2 (try the free 21 day trial if you don't own it). Visit
http://www.slysoft.com/download.html
7. Run Clonedvd2, and select "Clone DvD" from Clonedvd2's startup menu--if you want a full disc backup. Select "Copy DVD Titles" if you want a main movie backup only without all the extras.
8 . Select your optical reader/source drive in "dvd video files" (if need be, click the circular arrow buttons to the right of "DVD video files". Choose the appropriate optical reader/drive that contains the original movie disc).
9. Choose the titles you want to backup. If you selected "Copy DVD Titles" in step 7, the main movie will already be selected for you. If you chose ""Clone DvD", everything will be selected, and you will need to choose what you want to remove (if you want to keep everything, then leave everything checked).
10.
If you want to split the movie over two single layer blanks, use the scissor icon towards the bottom of the screen and select the beginning and end chapters that you want to burn. This feature is pretty easy to figure out. Clonedvd2, unlike Shrink and Recode can retain the original menus while splitting across two single layer discs. Just ensure the quality bar is showing 100% if you do want to split across two discs.
11. In the upper right, click "preserve menus" if you want to backup the (title) menus on the source dvd.
12.
Near the quality bar (towards the bottom), select "dvd-5" if you want to compress to a normal single layer disc (4.7 GB). Select "dvd+/-r dl" if you don't want to compress and are using Verbatim +R DL media (for example); this selection is for double or dual layer blank media (8.5 GB).
13. Click next
14. Select the audio and subtitles you want to backup. visit
http://forum.slysoft.com/showpost.php?p=2690&postcount=4
15. Click next
16. Select "dvd writer" for the output method
17. Below that, select the appropriate burner. Ensure you have an appropriate burn speed selected on this screen. You need not burn at 16x or higher unless you absolutely want to (this often causes burn quality issues, especially with poor quality media). Sometimes burning at 12x is better than burning at 16x (I do not recommend burning at 16x or higher). Sometimes burning at 8x or 4x is best. Get to know your burner.
18. Click "Go"
For more information check Clonedvd2's Excellent help files and visit
1.Zebadee's excellent picture tutorial
http://www.ultimate-dvdr.com/clonedvd2/713-clonedvd2-intro-guide-vista-update.html#post6869
and
2.
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72022
(thanks for the link, Iocoeng)