Let me start out with some background. I have done software tech support for 20+ years. I use a system whose sole purpose is rip and shrink movies. No extraneous processes are running. It is a 3rd gen i7 with 8g of Ram and an a GTX 1060 graphics card using a clean, fresh Windows 10 pro install. This system is only connected to the internet to update AnyDVD HD. After further testing and review, I can only conclude that the issue lies with AnyDVD HD software.
Don't think that this is basically an issue with money. I have contributed to several freeware/shareware projects when I felt their product serves my purpose (including Handbrake and VLC tested here). I believe that people should be paid for their efforts. That said, I don't think it is right to buy another product from a company to resolve an issue with an existing product.
Before you say that my testing is apples to oranges - you are right. I am testing what works to what doesn't. And what works is a newer, longer release.
Bottom Line:
I will put my testing data down below but for those who want to cut to the chase: AnyDVD HD does not catch all the copy protections issues on 'The Long Shot' and does not generate any errors.This needs to addressed and resolved. CloneBD is not adequate replacement for Handbrake in my testing.
My Testing:
Comparison of testing with 'Avengers Endgame' with 'The Long Shot'.
AnyDVD HD works 'correctly' (plays nice) with Handbrake and VLC.
Inserting the'Avengers Endgame' disc it is scanned properly,
recognized and the protections stripped. VLC will then automatically
fire up and begin to play it. I use AndDVD HD to rip the file to disk.
Handbrake will take less than 5 minutes to scan and then handbrake
will spend the next 2 hours shrinking themovie to a 2.9gb Mp4 file at
a 2000kbps setting. This results in a viewing experience that provides
almost zero pixelation and an overall pleasant viewing experience on
both a laptop AND a 55in 1080p screen.
AnyDVD HD does not 'play nice' when it comes to 'The Long Shot' Disk.
Insert the Disk and AnyDVD HD begins to do it's thing. After AnyDVD HD
finishes (without any error) VLC pops up. Here is where thing start to
go sideways. VLC cannon play the disk. It gives an error of a file
problem. I then use AndDVD HD to rip the file to disk. An older
version of Handbrake will take over 2 hours to scan the resulting file
and error out. The latest version of Handbrake will also take about 2
hours to scan and complete the scan without error. Try to process the
file and then it throws an error concerning file issues.
CloneBD - this was suggested as a 'fix' to my issue. Did it
functionally work? Yes. Does it work as well as handbrake? NO!
I run CloneBD on Avengers Endgame and it takes almost 4hours and 45 minutes to render a the movie. Where Handbrake was processing about 40-45 frames per
second, CloneBD was running at a solid 6fps. Setting the processing
to 2000kbps gave a file size approximately the same in Mp4. But the
resulting picture was moderately to heavily pixelated.
CloneBD managed 15fps at a glance with 'The Long Short'
So I ran another Clone BD test at 3000kbs. Another 4 hours and 45
minutes go by. The resulting video quality was still not as good as
the 2000kbps file from Handbrake.
I have no problem putting money down for an equivalent product if it
resolves my issues. I have contributed to both the VLC and Handbrake
projects because I found them valuable. Now I am told I need to spend
another $120+ for software that is inferior to what I currently have
if AnyDVD HD worked as expected.
Is Redfox moving to business model where you have to use
all their software to get the desired output? I don't know. If CloneBD
worked as well as Handbrake I would probably take the path of least
resistance and buy it. But it doesn't so I'm not buying - yet.
If VLC would play the BluRay after AnyDVD HD did it's thing, I would
feel that issue lies with Handbrake. But if a bluray player can't play
the movie after decrypting due to file issues - that I have to put on
AnyDVD HD. There is an issue here. If the logs don't show an error
then there is a logging issue as well.
Don't think that this is basically an issue with money. I have contributed to several freeware/shareware projects when I felt their product serves my purpose (including Handbrake and VLC tested here). I believe that people should be paid for their efforts. That said, I don't think it is right to buy another product from a company to resolve an issue with an existing product.
Before you say that my testing is apples to oranges - you are right. I am testing what works to what doesn't. And what works is a newer, longer release.
Bottom Line:
I will put my testing data down below but for those who want to cut to the chase: AnyDVD HD does not catch all the copy protections issues on 'The Long Shot' and does not generate any errors.This needs to addressed and resolved. CloneBD is not adequate replacement for Handbrake in my testing.
My Testing:
Comparison of testing with 'Avengers Endgame' with 'The Long Shot'.
AnyDVD HD works 'correctly' (plays nice) with Handbrake and VLC.
Inserting the'Avengers Endgame' disc it is scanned properly,
recognized and the protections stripped. VLC will then automatically
fire up and begin to play it. I use AndDVD HD to rip the file to disk.
Handbrake will take less than 5 minutes to scan and then handbrake
will spend the next 2 hours shrinking themovie to a 2.9gb Mp4 file at
a 2000kbps setting. This results in a viewing experience that provides
almost zero pixelation and an overall pleasant viewing experience on
both a laptop AND a 55in 1080p screen.
AnyDVD HD does not 'play nice' when it comes to 'The Long Shot' Disk.
Insert the Disk and AnyDVD HD begins to do it's thing. After AnyDVD HD
finishes (without any error) VLC pops up. Here is where thing start to
go sideways. VLC cannon play the disk. It gives an error of a file
problem. I then use AndDVD HD to rip the file to disk. An older
version of Handbrake will take over 2 hours to scan the resulting file
and error out. The latest version of Handbrake will also take about 2
hours to scan and complete the scan without error. Try to process the
file and then it throws an error concerning file issues.
CloneBD - this was suggested as a 'fix' to my issue. Did it
functionally work? Yes. Does it work as well as handbrake? NO!
I run CloneBD on Avengers Endgame and it takes almost 4hours and 45 minutes to render a the movie. Where Handbrake was processing about 40-45 frames per
second, CloneBD was running at a solid 6fps. Setting the processing
to 2000kbps gave a file size approximately the same in Mp4. But the
resulting picture was moderately to heavily pixelated.
CloneBD managed 15fps at a glance with 'The Long Short'
So I ran another Clone BD test at 3000kbs. Another 4 hours and 45
minutes go by. The resulting video quality was still not as good as
the 2000kbps file from Handbrake.
I have no problem putting money down for an equivalent product if it
resolves my issues. I have contributed to both the VLC and Handbrake
projects because I found them valuable. Now I am told I need to spend
another $120+ for software that is inferior to what I currently have
if AnyDVD HD worked as expected.
Is Redfox moving to business model where you have to use
all their software to get the desired output? I don't know. If CloneBD
worked as well as Handbrake I would probably take the path of least
resistance and buy it. But it doesn't so I'm not buying - yet.
If VLC would play the BluRay after AnyDVD HD did it's thing, I would
feel that issue lies with Handbrake. But if a bluray player can't play
the movie after decrypting due to file issues - that I have to put on
AnyDVD HD. There is an issue here. If the logs don't show an error
then there is a logging issue as well.