BDlot

Think DVDs are on the way out? Maybe so, but DVD collections will likely live on for quite some time. All the more reason to make backup copies of your movies, as a scratched disc is a ruined disc.

Until tomorrow, you can get BDlot DVD Clone Ultimate free of charge. Use license code BU-TUUXTGUJ-FBIFHU to register the program, which normally sells for $29.95.

Update: Some users are reporting that the activation code doesn't work. I'm not sure why, as it worked fine for me. Make sure you don't have any spaces before or after the code when you paste it in. Also, be sure to uncheck the "buy now" box after installation. If you still have problems, let me know and I'll investigate with the developer.

Update No. 2: The best result seems to come from typing the license code manually, rather than copying and pasting. Alternately, try this: Digiarty is once again offering WinX DVD Ripper Platinum free of charge. Not quite the same thing, but great for ripping discs to mobile formats.

BDlot? Nope, I never heard of them either. But the software appears to be solid, and in my (admittedly quick) tests, it worked fine and dandy.

True to its name, DVD Clone Ultimate makes 1:1 copies of your DVDs, cutting through all known copy-protection methods. It can also rip movies to a hard drive or flash drive, outputting to an ISO format, a DVD folder, or MPEG-2. These options might prove useful for anyone running a media-center PC, effectively giving you DVD-quality files you can store on your hard drive (and/or burn back to disc should the need ever arise).

If you don't want to copy an entire disc, the software lets you choose individual chapters. You also have the option of extracting just the video or just the audio.

In short, DVD Clone Ultimate should handle all your disc-cloning needs. Of course, it's up to you to supply the blank media. If you don't already have a spindle, try this: Meritline has a 50-pack of Optimum dual-layer DVD+R discs for $22.99.

Bonus deal: Looking for a sweet, sweet laptop upgrade? TigerDirect has the OCZ OCZSSD2-1VTXPL120G Vertex Plus 120GB Solid State Drive for $89.99 shipped. That's after redeeming this $30 mail-in rebate (PDF). Given that I just spent $99 on a 64GB SSD, I am not happy about this. But you will be. A good SSD will make your laptop boot and run faster and last longer on a charge.