I only back up the main movie. I use Verbatim +R DL to keep main features that run over 2 hours on one disc at 100%. I use Clonedvd2 set at +R DL.
Only wanting to backup the main movie is, I feel, irrelevant as a full disc backup will contain the main movie as well. Anydvd removes restrictions on the disc, so you can easily skip otherwise user prohibited operations (skipping past warning messages and/or advisories). More often than not the "remove annoying adverts and trailers" works perfectly fine in Anydvd in conjunction with Clonecd as well.
I know you recommend Clonecd...but I don't want everything from the original, just the main movie.
If you're using Verbatim +R DL, the main movie is a given no matter what--in addition to the all the extras without any compression. Why would you want to waste the space on a +R DL disc for?
Clonedvd, as far as I'm concerned, is for compressing video onto single layer discs. I'm not interested in compressing/degrading video quality.
Why is it so important to preserve the original layer break position?
Please read
http://forum.slysoft.com/showthread.php?t=685
Clonecd will retain the original layer break position; all this means is that the layer break pause you many notice while playing the original source disc will occur in the exact same place as your backup (it is felt that in some cases great care has been taken as to where this occurs on the original disc; this isn't true for all titles, but it's true for some). Clonedvd2 places the layer break position towards the end of the last chapter on the first layer. If you find the layer break position to be less jarring on the original disc (that is, the pause takes place where there isn't much going on in the film), then you may want to use Clonecd instead of Clonedvd2 when using +R DL media. Clonedvd2 is a transcoder based application; it remasters. Shrink, Recode, etc., cannot retain the original layer break position either. In terms of playback issues, generally, it shouldn't matter whether you use Clonedvd2 or Clonecd. The difference is where the layer break position occurs when using +R DL media. Generally speaking, one should use Verbatim +R DL media (made in Singapore).
Clonecd if I could (a) only back up the main movie, thereby preserving the original layer break (if this is so important)....could I do this with "CD" ?
Clonecd does full disc backups. With Anydvd's "jump directly to title menu" (this feature will not work with all movies, but it does work with a lot), most of the main advertisements that normally play are skipped over. The whole point of using a +R DL is to avoid compression--and I do want the bonus features as well; I don't want to have to get out my original to watch them.