I have been trying to convert to using exclusively Gentoo Linux for my desktop. Slowly but surely I am finding software to replace everything I do, which is quite a range of tasks.

One thing I have yet to look into at all with Linux is the DVD situation. I have a DVD+-RW drive and I'd like to be able to burn data DVDs, backup commercial movie DVDs, and play movie DVDs.

I think that K3B can burn data DVDs, although I haven't tried it yet. Are there any caveats with this? Are there better alternative solutions? I have a dual-layer burner (although the media is too expensive right now), can K3B handle that as well?

For playback, what are my options? Right now I use whatever Windoze software was provided with the drive.

Right now for DVD movie backups I use Windoze software called DVD Shrink which can take a commercial, dual-layer DVD, decrypt the movie, and compress it to fit on a single-layer DVD-R. It gives options to get rid of individual items such as French subtitles, extra features, etc. so you don't have to do as much compression. What equivalents to this are there for Linux?

Thanks a lot,

~ Justin

Watch DVD's, check out ogle(google/linux-ogle).Rip DVD's try DVDrip(google/linux-packman) Just keep looking youll find everything you need.

I have used k3b to burn data DVDs.