ratDVD - the DVD movie download format

[Jorge]

Here is a very interesting project, just released and there is very little user information around so far. Yet, it is enticing to say the least. RatDVD was developed as a result from the authors negative experiences of downloading movies, (which is a no - no!). Yet, the guy was frustrated because he could not get the movies he wanted in his country for months or even a year, and since movies are his hobby, he turned to the Internet. Sound familiar? Anyway, he wanted to watch it on any DVD player - without losing any features of the original DVD and he says this is what ratDVD can do. In fact, he is touting this as a method of making movies as easy to share as MP3's due to the remarkably small file size it produces, with claimed great audio and video quality. You can even convert them back to a DVD if you like and play it in a stand alone player. Most of the time the reconstructed movie will fit on a single layer DVD. If not, you can select features to remove, alter the audio or the program can sacrifice quality to make it fit. Supposedly, this application can take an entire full length DVD movie, regardless of extras and create a single file of around 1 gigabyte in size with no noticable loss of quality. Is it true? I don't know. Does it work? I don't know that either. But it's freeware so what the heck. Here's some info from the website. Just make sure you have WinXP, DirectX9, Windows Media Player 10 and a DVD software player installed. You'll also need about a half a gig of RAM and a 2.6 class processor with a "decent" video card. Features: ratDVD takes a full featured DVD movie and puts it into a highly compressed .ratDVD container format file - while preserving all the features of the original DVD such as: Full anamorphic picture, seamless branching, multiple video angles, multiple audio channels, subpictures, etc. Keep movie versions (Directors Cut, Theatrical version, etc.), Alternate story endings, making of, video commentary , cut scenes, etc.. Keep complete menus, navigation and features Reliable high quality, valid check-summed container. You can directly play back the .ratDVD file - with all the options the original DVD movie would give you. Just by double clicking without the hassle of having to handle different files or the need to use special programs. You like the DVD? Well, you can simply convert it back to the original DVD format, burn it and watch it on any DVD player - again without loosing any features! If your content is protected and you wish to make a backup, you'll need DVD Decrypter or AnyDVD or some such product. Please report your thoughts and experiences here or in the Copy DVD Forum, regardless. If this software pans out, it could be an enormous headache for Hollywood, that's for sure. Here is a link to a ratDVD guide you can check out. You can get more information here at the ratDVD page and also find a download link. Just make sure you are using a computer that does not contain critical assets as this software is very new. It was released May 30. http://www.ratdvd.dk

Read the complete article (http://www.zeropaid.com/news/5438/ratDVD+-+the+DVD+movie+download+format/)

[notbob]

ironic that you should put DRM ground zero on your computer to make unDRMed copies of dvds, isn't it?

i wouldn't put wmp 10 on my computer if i was paid to

[shawners]

Is this the same as xvid or svcd thats going around.. which they compress movies to 1.4gig for 2 hours.

[MPXX]

hmm seems interesting....I know I wouldn't want to use WMP 10 either, although it says it's compatable with other media players...
But will people share this new format?

[wonderboy2005]

I tried this last night with The Matrix, but it repeatedly had an error at ~8%. I couldn't get the movie encoded. Even so, I wouldn't mind if this type of thing became more popular.

[random]

thats a heard paragraph to read when ur sleepy

[Krell]

Paragraphs are lame! Youre just not leet enough to read between the lines on something so fantastic, it could revolutionize the P2P pirate movie industry as we know it!

Divx can PISS OFF. I dont want 700mb movies, 1gb files are many times better, and cant fit on a CD.

This is 2005 . . . and I dont give a ratDVDs ass about a codec, this has a container! Matroska can eat rat dirt!


.

[Signa]

awww... i just got clued in on VSOdixvtoDVD. does this mean im going to have to mess with a new program? :D

i have been doing divx converting for years now. im open to anything that will take less time or work on my DVD player. i have already used VSO to make full metal alchemist into DVDs. (great show BTW, if you havent seen it, you must watch it).

[microwiz]

i wouldn't put wmp 10 on my computer if i was paid to
I'm right there with you.

What is WMP10 supposed to be DOING in the process of making the .ratDVD file, anyway? What is its role? Is there anything else that can substitute?

[AussieMatt]

From what I've seen on the Afterdawn and CD-Freaks forums regarding ratDVD , WMP 10 is only needed for playback and people there have used it without WMP 10.

Power DVD works just as good.

So jump off ya high horses and just download it and use it .The creator is planing to release the source code so maybe then the paranoid may not be as sceptical.

ratDVD needs a software player that renders and there is a Mediagraph file availible in the ratFAQ if it doesnt work on your player.Zoom player needs this file .

[boogiedan]

i like the sound of it
this might turn out to b v pop in the coming months

[Burd]

What is the major difference between this and DVD Decrypter? Is it that a DVD can be put in a smaller file format for file sharing? Guess I'll download it and give it a go. Never hurts to have more than one method of doing things.

[notbob]

What is the major difference between this and DVD Decrypter? Is it that a DVD can be put in a smaller file format for file sharing? Guess I'll download it and give it a go. Never hurts to have more than one method of doing things.

dvd decrypter works

this progrm doesn't if you don't have anydvd or dvd decrypter

[crackerjacker]

.ogm format is fine by me alto rat seems interesting for 1 gig, and preserving all the contents of a dvd
hmm

[Burd]

So, Notbob, are you saying that you need to decrypt with DVD Decrypter or AnyDVD first before you use RatDVD?

[AussieMatt]

On the ratDVD website it states it will only work with decrypted DVDs like most other video compresion programs .

[microwiz]

As long as it doesn't NEED WMP10 (and its cargo of DRM dreck) it's worth a shot.

If not wanting DRM to infest my system is a "high horse" then all I can say is GIDDY-UP!

[woodyear99]

It works well for me

[tomars]

woodyear99, any chance of posting some full res pictures of the quality? If you need an image host use www.imageshack.us, I'd be interested to see.
Thanks very much :D

[woodyear99]

I've been using it, been getting some pretty good quality / compression ratios.

[tomars]

Any chance of a screen capture?

[JediThief]

Testing now, will post results.

[post.man.now]

RATDVD 0.6 was released. That was quick!!!

Tagging is a cool new feature - hopefully this will be integrated into P2P programs soon!

See details at www.ratdvd.dk (http://www.ratdvd.dk). I will check it out now!

[tomars]

http://torrentrat.com/
Incase anyone was interested

[random]

isnt this like that other software out there that squeezed dvds into one cd?

[Jorge]

added the recent program upgrade on the ratdvd page.

[shawners]

OKAY THIS ratdvd sucks big time!! I downloaded a dvd that was compressed to ratdvd.. And its 1.5gigs unrared. So after 4minutes to unrar it.. It was ready for converting it back to dvd. So far it has NO true sorround sound, its VS. Secondly, even if you DOWNLOAD it at a fast amazing speed instead of a DVDr. You have to decompress it, which at this rate, will take 12-18 hours. Just to watch a movie on the dvd player. If you watch it on your pc, go for this.

[crackerjacker]

OKAY THIS ratdvd sucks big time!! I downloaded a dvd that was compressed to ratdvd.. And its 1.5gigs unrared. So after 4minutes to unrar it.. It was ready for converting it back to dvd. So far it has NO true sorround sound, its VS. Secondly, even if you DOWNLOAD it at a fast amazing speed instead of a DVDr. You have to decompress it, which at this rate, will take 12-18 hours. Just to watch a movie on the dvd player. If you watch it on your pc, go for this.

hmm 12 - 18 hrs that is a long time
when i convert to divx format it takes less time
if i was to get a movie in rat format i wouldnt put it on dvd i would watch it via puter, but the quality wasnt good then?
hmm
I just wanna know about the quality
*on a side note * i am going to have to rip my own dvd and test the waters. :)

[shawners]

Well after I got done doing it, it said float point error at the last part.. So it didnt save and i have no idea why it happend. So now im still stuck with a 1.5 gig ratdvd... RATS

[Signa]

wow that sux shawners.

i just discoverd the wonderful combo of DVDdecrypter and shrinkDVD. 'nuff said.

[riderx]

i am interested in something i need to play this rat movie but media player only plays it like a song.
i will try one more time.
wtf man
i will figure it out
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Signa]

OKAY THIS ratdvd sucks big time!! I downloaded a dvd that was compressed to ratdvd.. And its 1.5gigs unrared. So after 4minutes to unrar it.. It was ready for converting it back to dvd. So far it has NO true sorround sound, its VS. Secondly, even if you DOWNLOAD it at a fast amazing speed instead of a DVDr. You have to decompress it, which at this rate, will take 12-18 hours. Just to watch a movie on the dvd player. If you watch it on your pc, go for this.


1.5 gigs is alot less data to download than a full DVD, but why spend so much time unpacking it when you could have a 2 CD avi at 1.5 gigs, and then make it a DVD with somthing like DIvxtoDVD. sure there are no menus, but do you really need them? and for the people that dont have DVD burners, a 2 CD AVI is more desireable

[shawners]

Cause signa, i was testing it out. Its not worth it at all.. Time you save, still more time spent unpacking it. I downloaded it from a usenet server which you have to pay so much per gigs of downloads.. It was a movie i wouldnt want to spend downloading 4.4 gigs of. .. But its just stupid format that hopefully fades away.

[LukaBuka]

So, Notbob, are you saying that you need to decrypt with DVD Decrypter or AnyDVD first before you use RatDVD?

Altough AnyDVD isn't a bad application, it's not that great either - just google "AnyDVD problem" and you'll see taht there are tons of posts. So far the top decription utility (by my standards) is DVD Region+CSS Free by Fengtao. It's also cheaper than AnyDVD, although not by much
http://www.deprice.com/dvdregioncssfree.htm