Ever wondered what will happen when your kids� favorite DVD wears out? You know the one I mean, the movie or story episode that they watch again and again and again and again. The obvious response is you�ll have to go out and buy a new copy. What if it isn�t available? For that matter, what if you�re favorite movie on DVD gets damaged or scratched and you can�t find another copy for sale?

Home entertainment offers advantages over the movie theater experience--and cost. An owned DVD can be watched any day, at any time. In addition, the movie can be watched several times. Going to the movie theater to see a film a second or third time gets expensive. Owning the DVD saves that money.

Okay, so you bought a home entertainment system, own a lot of DVDs and enjoy watching movies at home. Why would you want to take the time and expense to burn a copy of what is copyrighted material?

Making a backup copy for your own personal use, however, is quite legal. Many stores sell decryption software, and/or DVD recorders that automatically strip off the protection files and burn a copy while you�re watching.

Why spend the money and go to all that trouble? Consider this: what if your movie has been watched so often, the disc becoming worn? Or, what if the disc has scratches? Yes, you could simply buy another copy of the movie.

What if the movie was no longer available for sale? Burning a backup copy can refresh the movie and give it a longer shelf life. First, as I mentioned, you need to buy decrypting software. Remember, this software is available for people to protect their DVD investment. Copying a DVD isn�t illegal if it�s for personal use only.

So, if your favorite movie is no longer available for sale, and your copy is worn or damaged, you can burn a copy and keep on enjoying the film.

As mentioned above, the first step is to buy decrypting software. Once that is loaded on your computer, copy the DVD to the hard drive. Note, though, that movies on disc are reduced to 1/4 normal size. When these files are opened, they take up a lot of space, so be sure your computer has enough storage available to hold all the files.

Run the decrypting software, and then begin to delete all files that have nothing to do with the actual movie. Among these files will be the protection software. Once this is removed, the rest of the process is fairly smooth. Stripping the protection files also eases the way for future backup copies.

Instead of, or in addition to using your computer to create a backup, there are other devices available to decrypt DVDs. One device is an eliminator box for DVD recorders, which helps to unlock the copyright protection. Another is a special DVD recorder, which can automatically strip the protections, and burn a backup copy. These recorders can do all of this as you watch the film.

Home entertainment has become a big business. To skirt high costs of theater tickets, many households simply wait for the film to come out on DVD. Others prefer to view the movie at home, rather than fight the crowds of noisy theater patrons. Knowing how to burn a backup copy of a favorite DVD can provide many hours of enjoyment for a lot less money.