Free DVD ripping software that is reliable - For those in the know, DVD shrink is the open source free software that can rip any dvd regardless of copy protection. I have no idea why people pay good money to buy all of these dvd ripping programs. You can thank me when you save your 50 bucks and don't buy those dvd copy platinum crap that is out there.
I've used DVDShrink for a while now and think it it works just fine - if you want to copy an entire dvd (menus and all) or just the main feature, it's terrific. It's ridiculously simple to use. You may encounter a fair number of discs that DVDShrink will not open, but as the software hasn't been updated in a while, that's to be expected. Download other freeware (like BDLot and DVD Decrypter) and you'll find that, using one program or another, you'll be able to copy and back up most anything you want.