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This is an interesting entry in the useful tools for editors category. Free software can be found on the Internet that does the same thing as Fast DVD Copy 4, it is expensive (relatively speaking compared to other useful tools) and it has draconian licensing that makes you feel like a criminal. But it works easy, fast and very well and that makes it worth while. What does Fast DVD Copy 4 do? From the developers website:

  • One-click copy interface
  • Allows you to copy:
    • almost all DVD videos to blank DVD-R(W) discs
    • PlayStation 2 games* to a DVD-R(W) disc
    • almost all Audio CDs to a CD-R(W) disc
    • a CD-ROM to a CD-R(W) disc
    • a DVD-ROM to a DVD-R(W) disc
  • Takes advantage of Macintosh dual processors for faster processing
  • Removes CSS encryption and Macrovision protection
  • Free update patches available online
  • Privacy guaranteed with no digital mark written on the copied discs

Now it sounds like this is just good for copying your Blockbuster rentals but truth be told nothing is easier to make one click copies of dvds and we all know clients often hand you a DVD that you long thought was out of your life (and off your hard drive) wanting copies and wanting them now. I say they have draconian licensing because you have to jump through hoops requesting serial numbers and then authorizing your computer and the de-authorizing that machine if you ever want to put it on another system. You even have to activate the trial mode (which gives you one free usage btw). Such is the choice of the small software developer. And at $99.95 it’s not cheap. It’s the kind of software that would reside well on a facilities work-horse / community machine where it could get a lot of usage. Or you can wait it out and see if it pops back up on Maczot for $49.95.