This page is meant to document the simplest method for duplicating a DVD that is NOT copy-protected, using a Macintosh system (Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard).
You will be creating a CDR-file, and if you intend to preserve the CDR-file, you'll need about 3Gb to 5Gb of disk space, depending upon the actual content of your DVD. I always connect an external disk drive to my computer with a Firewire cable, turn it on, and mount the associated volumes. That's where I save the file. Now, follow these steps:
1) Launch "Disk Utility", typically found in Applications->Utilities. You should see several "devices" in the left-panel, like your build-in hard disk drive with its associated volume name indented underneath. You may also see your external hard drives and associated volumes, if you have external drives connected.
2) To create a CDR-file from a DVD, insert the DVD into the slot of your DVD player/recorder. If you don't have such a device built into you Macintosh, you'll need to connect an external DVD player/recorder. In Disk Utility, you should now see the DVD player/recorder device, followed by a volume name such as "DVD Video Recording".
3) Sometimes, an application called "DVD Player" gets launched, and your DVD begins to play. If that happens, press the "ESC" key (upper left of your keyboard) to "stop" the play back, and give you control. Then, Cmd-Q (Quit) from the "DVD Player" application.
4) In Disk Utility, click once on the DVD player/recorder to select it. The tool-bar at the top of the Disk Utility window should now change to include "New Image" as a choice.
5) Click once on "New Image" to get a Save dialog box. In the "Save As:" box near to top, enter the name you want to assigned to your CDR-file, but DON'T include a .suffix.
6) Choose where you want it saved using the left-panel in the Save dialog box to navigate to the final destination. This could be someplace on an external volume.
7) Use the "Image format:" pull-down menu to choose "DVD/CD master" as the format. The Encryption option can remain "none".
8) Now, click once on the "Save" button in the lower-right corner of the Save dialog box. Your CDR-file should now be created. This takes considerable time. Be patient.
9) When done, the "Eject" button should still be a choice in the tool-bar for the selected DVD player/recorder. Click it to eject the DVD. Then "Quit" from Disk Utility.
OK, now that you've created a CDR-file, what can you do with it? Several things, including playing the CDR version of your DVD on your computer. But let's now cover making a duplicate DVD of your original using the CDR-file.
1) Launch "Disk Utility". Your CDR-file may show up in the bottom half of the left-panel.
2) Insert a blank DVD into the slot of your DVD player/recorder. If you're asked to "Initialize" it, there should also be an "Ignore" choice. Be sure to click "Ignore".
3) Click once on "Burn" in the tool-bar. You should get a dialog box entitled "Select image to burn". Navigate to your saved CDR-file, select it, and click "Burn" in the dialog.
4) A clone of your original DVD should be created by writing the blank DVD. You should "Eject" it when done, and can do this directly in Disk Utility.
You can repeat steps 2 through 4 above to make more clones. When all done, you should "Quit" from Disk Utility.
Lastly, here's how to "Play" a saved CDR-file.
1) Navigate (with Finder) to your saved CDR-file, and double-click it. This should open what appears to be a disk image on your Desktop with the "DVD Video Recording" name. You may also see a window showing the contents of the image. Just "Close" the window because it has no relevance to what we're doing.
2) Navigate in Applications to "DVD Player", and double-click it. This will recognize your "DVD Video Recording" image and allow you to "Play" it. You may be given a dialog box at the beginning complaining it has been viewed before. Decide how you wish to proceed. When you're done, you should "Quit" from "DVD Player". You can "eject" the disk image the way you would dismount any Desktop disk image, such as by selecting it and doing "Cmd-E". Have fun.