No doubt lots of you are looking to buy a DVD burner or, if you already have one, are hunting for some cool software. I have just the column for you: a little hardware (plus what's on the horizon), some free software, and a handful of not-very-well-known DVD tools. Let's start with DVD drives.

Drive, I Said...

You probably remember the agony of choosing the best CD-RW drive. You can start again with DVD. We've taken some of the aggravation out of it with our expert buying guide. "How to Buy a DVD-Rewritable Drive" tells you about write once and rewritable drives, and has a chart with speed and format specs.

We also have a side-by-side comparison tool that's great for figuring out which of two or more products have the features you need. Take a minute and look at a chart that compares our current DVD Best Buys, Sony's DRU-500A and Hewlett-Packard's DVD Writer Dvd300i. (I use the Sony model because it's a shade faster than the HP, and Sony provides toll-free tech support.) For a more comprehensive list, check our Top 10 DVD Drives.

I just heard that Sony has released its new DRX-510UL, a 4X DVD+RW drive. The CD-RW's specs have been upped to 16X from 10X, and DVD-ROM reading increased to 12X from 8X. The bad news is the price is high: $350 for the internal DRU-510A and $430 for external DRX-510UL. The good news is that the price of the DRU-500A is bound to drop. Read more about it in "Multimedia Devices Debut."

Dig This: Spending some time in a dull meeting? Bring your notebook and fiddle with "Drawtoy vs. Byokal" (and no, I don't know what it means, either). Wildly entertaining, the make-your-own kaleidoscope will mesmerize you and make the meeting just whiz by. [With thanks to Jack K.]

Jump Into the Future

You've heard the expression that you can't squeeze four pounds of, well, let's say manure into a three-pound bag? The same thing might not be true of a DVD. Ordinarily, you're restricted to cramming about 9GB onto a DVD. But Toshiba has a plan, and it's a big one. Read "Toshiba Packs 36GB Onto Blue Laser Disc" for the scoop.

It also turns out the next version of Windows will support all DVD formats, which is good news for all of us. Catch up on the news in "Longhorn Will Support All DVD-W Formats."

Ready, Aim, Copy

Before I start, are you ready for my editor's caveat about DVD burning? We (meaning PCWorld.com and the Bass International legal firm of Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe) don't advocate copying DVDs--it's illegal, unless you're making a backup for your own use. Furthermore, my editor reminded me to tell you that the responsibility for using any DVD-copying program is yours alone. This is also good advice for using sharp objects such as scissors and, in some cases, the edges of paper.

Understand, he went on, that there are serious legal and ethical questions associated with copying commercial DVDs (and probably using scissors). Buying a DVD-copying program doesn't give you the right to distribute or make copies of rental films. Additionally, should you not tie your shoelaces properly while using the software, you may trip, damaging both the software and possibly yourself.

Ain't avoiding litigation fun?

There's really no mystery to copying a DVD. For less than $100 you can pick up a copy of DVD X Copy from 321 Studios. It makes an identical copy that includes any annoying previews as well as inane menus, time-wasting featurettes, and voice-overs from gabby directors. Tom Spring did a terrific job explaining how DVD X Copy works, and describing its limitations. Take a look at "Tool Copies DVD Movies" (but don't copy it). BTW, DVD X Copy is $60-$70, including shipping, according to the PCWorld.com Product Finder.

Quick Tip: If you're interested in watching Internet videos as well as creating DVD movies, check out the Internet Video Magazine.

I know you'd like to experiment, so I found a few programs that offer free trial versions. Might as well start with DVD X Copy Express; it's limited to copying 1 gigabyte of your DVD. You might also want to check out EasyDivX Standard: More than 10,000 readers have downloaded the freebie and seem to think it's more than adequate for copying DVDs. In fact, because EasyDivX is designed to make backup copies of your DVD collection, it lets you squeeze a DVD movie onto a single CD-recordable disc. Some people have been able to play back the copy on their PC, albeit the quality isn't as good as the original.

You'll find EasyDivX, and other DVD-copying tools, at "Burn Copies of Your DVDs." Check out even more freebies in "Free DVD Utilities: Record, Edit, and Back Up Your Movies."

Dig This: I found a cool little site called "The Hall of Machinery" that offers animations of actual perpetual motion machines--the Bhaskara wheel and the Arabian wheel with articulated arms are the two I find most intriguing.

Bonus: A Quick DVD Tutorial

A few months ago the Pasadena IBM Users Group gave a tutorial on burning DVDs. I don't have the room in this column to give you all the details, but I can share some of the highlights. The guy who did the tutorial is a DVD maven (actually, fanatic about the topic), and super knowledgeable about the software to use.

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