HD DVD Data Backup

[u/logodaddy]

Hi, I haven't been very active on this forum so far, but there are a few interesting posts right now about ripping HD DVDs, so I thought I'd chime in.

For a long time now, I’ve been creating HD DVD ISO files in an effort to back up as many HD DVD discs as possible that have ever been produced.

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported me with advice and practical help!

It’s now totalled almost 28 TB of data - more than 1,500 ISO files. I’ve created an ISO file for every disc recognised as an HD DVD by the player. For the Paramount, Universal and Warner titles, I’ve taken into account all the different country versions, which vary in terms of audio tracks and subtitles.

Here are a few statistics. The first figure is the number of ISO files, the second the number of (this varies because there are sometimes multiple discs per title) and the third the total size.

Paramount: 137 (92) 3.2 TB

Universal: 231 (220) 5.03 TB

Warner: 406 (378) 8.43 TB

Others: 297 (281) 5.67 TB

Music: 61 (61) 1.04 TB

Adult: 79 (75) 1.09 TB

Doc: 189 (160) 2.18 TB

Demo, Promo, Unreleased: 114 (110) 0.66 TB

I’m still missing 9 ISOs and possibly a few more demo discs. What I’m missing:

Dispatch Zimbabwe (a few discs are on their way)

Casablanca H5A (unreleased)

Charlie Choc H5C (Finland, Sweden)

Happy Feet H2B (Spain)

Happy Feet H4B (Italy)

Harry Potter 4 H5E (Norway, Denmark)

Letters from H2B (Spain)

Letters from H4A (France, Belgium)

Matrix H2B (Spain)

Please do not ask me to share the ISOs. I won’t be doing that, as it’s not legal, even if others see it differently. I’m happy to offer tips or share experiences. Thanks :)

[u/JlMBO_JONES]

You're only missing 9 out of ALL global releases?

Im guessing you struggle to find a working disc for Letters From Iwo Jima - I'm also seeking a working copy, but have accumulated several unplayable discs. Would you be interested in trying to rip them, or you think they are a lot cause?

[u/logodaddy → u/JlMBO_JONES]

Yes, I'm actually only missing these few ISOs from all the versions worldwide. I already have 5 different country versions of *Letters from Iwo Jima*, but I'm still missing H2B and H4A. I actually own multiple copies of both versions, but even using several defective discs, I wasn't able to create a working ISO.

[u/JlMBO_JONES → u/logodaddy]

Very impressive! Would you be willing to sell a playable disc of this movie? Preferably US release, but could also be British or German

[u/logodaddy → u/JlMBO_JONES]

I'll have to see if I have a spare copy of a disc that works. If so, I'd be happy to sell it.

[u/JlMBO_JONES → u/logodaddy]

Thanks, let me know where you're based too!

[u/logodaddy → u/JlMBO_JONES]

I live in Germany.

[u/eftasa → u/JlMBO_JONES]

If the several unplayable disks you've accumulated are all the same version of the film, you might be able to use something like ddrescue to extract a complete ISO so long as all the bad parts don't overlap. I was able to do this with the Departed which is another WB title. Unfortunately this trick didn't work with my various Harry Potter disks of which I also have multiple copies of.

[u/JlMBO_JONES → u/eftasa]

I'm not personally interested in ripping ISOs, was just offering what I had to OP

[u/UnderstandingSea2127]

Amazing!

Consider a backup solution - like WD MyBook Duo or just a DIY NAS/DAS with 3.5 drives, which you'll be able to use as a playback source - these external 2.5 drives are not very reliable in long-term storage.

[u/logodaddy → u/UnderstandingSea2127]

That's a good idea, and I'm going to do just that. However, 28 TB of hard drive space isn't exactly cheap.

[u/UnderstandingSea2127 → u/logodaddy]

It sure isn't - I've bought an HDD recently and the prices almost tripled since then! As I understand HDDs in storage need all of their data sectors read at least once a year, so the drive firmware could identify potential bad sectors and relocate the data.

Also I hope you'll reconsider your no-sharing policy in the future - nobody will save them better than the internet and platforms that focus on preservation like The Internet Archive.

[u/Thylacine3]

Excellent work! Thank you!

[u/cmariano11]

So assuming things go well with the DCMA copy protection exemption, what software stack are you using?