PDOTNET  This is a review of DVD Remaster Pro 5.2.1. I haven’t upgraded to version 6 yet but I likely will just because of the faster H.264 encoding engine. With that said, version 5 is by no means slow. Typically I’ve found that a DVD can be converted to Apple TV format in about as much time as it takes to watch it. Obviously this will depend on your hardware, mine is a Core2Duo 2.4Ghz with 4GB ram.

DVD Remaster has 2 main operating modes – Remaster and Export. I’ve used the Remaster feature only once just to test it out. It lets you squeeze a large dual-layer movie down to a size that fits on a single-layer disc. The results were as expected, the movie looked great and it fit on a normal sized DVD. I don’t really find myself using this though, because the appeal of DVD Remaster for me is putting my physical DVD discs into storage and archiving them digitally.

This is where the Export feature really comes in handy. The Apple TV preset and iPod/iPhone are the only two I use and the results are just fantastic. I’ve bought a few (standard-def) movies from the iTunes store and the quality of an iTunes film compared to one that I’ve Exported myself from DVD Remaster has been exceptionally close in quality. The iTunes store does appear to be a tad bit sharper picture and handles motion better, but I’ve found there’s an option in DVD Remaster called “Multipass” that basically encodes the movie twice. The resulting quality is much better for things like action movies, but it does take MUCH longer to complete. For dramas and movies without a lot of motion, I just use one pass which is the default and it still looks great!

If version 6 of the product can do two passes in the time it takes version 5 to do one, that would be fantastic. I’ll follow up with a speed update once I’ve had a chance to test out version 6. Enjoy DVD Remaster, it is a great piece of software for OSX. I gave it 4 / 5 for ease of use only because it took me a while to figure out what everything did, mostly because (as another reviewer pointed out) there is no help file that came with version 5 of the software. But once you have figured out what everything does, it works exactly how you’d expect it to.   
(Version 6.1)

DR. GIRLFRIEND  Dev, can you please provide a direct link to the lastest version 5? I've combed through your website and still can't find it. Thanks.  
(Version 6.1)

OUTLAND5  Im completely satisfyed to the export quality in dvdremaster6.1, im used to work with software like adobe premiere, ulead media studio pro,steinberg etc.

Dvdremaster is ultra simply to work with, u dont need like "any" knowledge of the even basics of encoding and no need to study HUNDREDS of hours of products which r even (1000 TIMES) more expensive!!!! and for sure many wouldnt ever learn..., and without a good knowledge...

...u simply cant get better result.

thankyou!

Jukka.S

-quality is everything.  
(Version 6.1)

RRNOWELL  Just a comment for now... I bought this with the MacBundle back in June... now they have a 6.1 for a price... OK, but when you are asked if you want to upgrade it doesn't mention anything about a price... not the end of the world except AFTER you have run the upgrade and replaced your original version and they have tossed it in the trash they ask for a license... now if I don't want the upgrade since it costs I have to go get my original out of the trash... come on... just tell us the upgrade is not free BEFORE we accept it so we can skip it and avoid digging our app out of the trash. IF i were rating this I would ding it severely for this.  
(Version 6.1)

FOULGER  Touchey!  
(Version 6.1)

FORMICA  I love DVDRemaster Pro and use it probably once a week. I've used it for just about everything it can do, and that's a lot -- especially for just one app. But every time I've sat down to try out one of its capabilities for the first time, I struggled to figure it out and ended up experimenting with it over and over again, each experiment costing me hours of time and usually at least one DVD too -- all because DVDRemaster Pro HAS NO HELP FILES! Of course, first I had a look at the tutorial on the Metakine website, but every one of them is designed to introduce novices to its BASIC functions, so they don't include much detail and don't even begin to cover the higher-end functions and preferences. So, the tutorials are generally useless to me. And the FAQs are equally useless, since they only cover issues related to purchasing the app.

How come a professional, $50 application like DVDRemaster Pro has NO HELP FILES? What do they mean when they call it "Pro"? Do professional-level programs generally leave out the Help files because their users already know everything there is to know about it? Or is it actually just the opposite -- Pro-level apps tend to have the most comprehensive Help files because their many capabilities make them more complex, necessitating clear, well organized, thorough instructions so users can take advantage of those capabilities? So why doesn't DVDRemaster Pro have them? I don't think it's because they haven't had time to write them in the 54 versions Metakine has released since the first one in March 2003!

To me, THIS APP IS OVERPRICED AT $50 WITHOUT HELP FILES! Please, please, PLEASE start writing comprehensive Help files for one of your upcoming versions. Introducing them all-at-once would be GREAT, but taking 2 or 3 versions to fully add them is probably more practical. If not that, then at least add extensive TOOLTIPS (a la Handbrake)! For me, that would make it easier to swallow the $50 price tag, and it would definitely make it worth 5 stars.  
(Version 6.1)

THOIZ_VD  There seems to be a rush on version numbers. From 6.0 to 6.1 with only a few minor issues fixed and no other changes (features!) at all...  
(Version 6.1)

ROBK  I searched on the DVDReamster Pro website to learn about their software license.

Is it a per computer license or per user license?

DVD2OneX provides a PER user license. This means you can install DVD2OneX on any computer you own -- Windows or PC.

Is the DVDRemater Pro license as liberal??  
(Version 6.0.1)

LOUPIDABOU  Whatever.

64 bits didn't give me anything, you can run 64 bits apps in 10.5, and the new quicktime player has less features than the old one, but this isn't about SL (it was about the upgrade policy).

I suggest any potential user reading this to try the demo which is free at all times and decide for themselves.  
(Version 6.0)

PLOTH  This software does work, MOSTLY. There are a few DVDs that won't work on it. When contacted support just says "it will take quite some time to fix"

For the dvds it does do, the quality is VERY low compared to the file size.

Then to top things off - They only issue free upgrades to software for TWO MONTHS!! The new version 6 is 10 seconds faster (for a 6min rip) and they want $10 to upgrade unless you bought #5 less than 2 months ago. Because of this I may try DVD2One again but I have used Handbrake for 90% of my 400+ library & it is the best I have tried so far.

I regret buying this software.

Handbrake does ALL the dvds I throw at it - (including the ones DVDremaster can't). Handbrake is faster. Handbrake is MUCH higher quality for the same size file. Handbrake is FREE!

Save your money use Handbrake.   
(Version 6.0)