Here are the GOOD THINGS I've discovered about DVD X COPY:
-EASY TO INSTALL and get started
-Only takes seconds for the program to determine size of DVD movie and if it requires one or two disks to make a copy
-Takes LESS THAN 1 HOUR to make copies(1 disc)
-The QUALITY IS PERFECT....Looks just like the original!
-For movies that would require only 1 disk if the special features were omitted, the PROGRAM WILL PROMPT you if you want to leave them on(requiring 2 disks) or to omit them so the movie can fit onto one disk...very nice!
-Allows you to choose which chapter, to a certain extent, to split the movie at if its going to require 2 disks. It also lets you preview the chapter that disk #2 will start at, so you can actually see what part of the movie disk #2 will begin with.
-The DVD-Rs I record on PLAY PERFECTLY on my Sony DVD player(2 year old).
-They also play on my Toshiba laptop-DVD drive(Also about 2 years old).
-They DID NOT play on an older(3 years) RCA model(with DIVX, remember that fiasco?) that I have. No surprise there.
-So far, the different brands of DVD-R disks I've used play fine. However, I burned a movie onto a DVD-RW disk, but could not play it on my DVD player or laptop. I'm sure this is a disk format compatibility issue with my player, therefore not a problem stemming from DVD X Copy.
-DVD X COPY puts a warning/disclaimer on each disk at start-up when playing the movie stating that it is a copy and is intended for personal use only, blah blah blah. Good or bad(depending on your intentions), this helps in the prevention of anyone thinking they might want to get into the movie-pirating business!

....BUT HERE'S MY BIGGEST BEEF WITH DVD X COPY....
The MAJORITY OF MOVIES REQUIRE 2 DISKS for copying!!!
I sat down one night and tested out about 60 MOVIES from my DVD collection and let DVD X COPY determine how many disks it would take to record each movie(I didn't actually copy them, it only takes a moment for the program to make it's caculations on a movie). To my disappointment, about 37 MOVIES OUT OF 60 REQUIRED 2 DISKS! Out of the other 23 1-disk movies, 8 of those were only able to fit on one disk if I omitted some or all of the special features. That means out of 60 DVDs, ONLY 15 MOVIES with all of their features could fit onto one disk!

I also discovered that the LENGTH OF THE MOVIE is NOT the sole determining factor on whether a movie will fit onto 1 disk or 2.

Consider the following examples.

The following LENGTHY movies will fit onto 1 DISK:
Air Force One.............125 min.
The 5th Element...........126 min.
The Man In The Iron Mask..132 min.
Rob Roy...................139 min.

The following SHORTER movies require 2 DISKS:
Dragonheart...............103 min.
Behind Enemy Lines........105 min.
Grease....................110 min.
Mission Impossible........110 min.

Why is this? I'm not sure, but it's probably got something to do with how much disk space was originally required for the DVD based on the quality and the way it was produced at the factory. I'm sure someone more savvy in this area could explain it.
The above examples are EXCEPTIONS to the rule, most longer movies(approx. 120 minutes) will require 2 disks, whereas shorter ones(80-100 minutes) should fit onto one disk. Thankfully, none of the movies I checked required 3 disks(I don't even know if that's possible with DVD X COPY).

CHEAP DVD-R disks can be found on many internet sites, usually in stacks of 50 or 100. I recently purchased a pack of 100 for about $.... This was cheaper than in local stores, where they ranged anywhere between $...-$.... each. If you can get them cheap, then splitting movies onto 2 disks doesn't seem too bad, although the CONVENIENCE OF 1 DISK CAN'T BE UNDERESTIMATED!

I've read some bad reviews here, but it sounds like some of them were because of COMPATIBILITY ISSUES with computers and whatnot. Read the system requirements CAREFULLY before you buy. There are A LOT OF VARIABLES INVOLVED HERE(type of DVD burner, computer specifications, DVD-R brand used, etc.) If your system is set up right, you should be as pleased as I was with the results.

IN SUMMARY...
DVD X COPY is very easy to use, even for beginners. Very simple and straight-forward, short burn time. I'm very pleased with the quality and playability of the copies I've created. It's only downfall that I can see is that the majority of movies(approx. 2 out of 3) being copied require 2 disks instead of just 1. I certainly hope that sometime in the near future 321 Studios(the DVD X COPY creators) figure out a way to correct this deficiency in an otherwise superior and user-friendly program.

If getting each movie onto 1 disk is of high importance to you, then you might try another program/recording format. For me, the quality and playability (on newer model DVD players) of movies using DVD X COPY outweighs the somewhat annoying inconvenience of 1 movie on 2 disks.

Let's hope they fix this soon in a later version! If so, they'll deserve 5 stars.

Until then, I'll give DVD X COPY 4 OUT OF 5 STARS.

I'm also not sure where the whole "pay-to-upgrade" spiel is coming from either. Since owning DVDXCOPY I have seen 3 version upgrades (1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and soon to be released 1.5). I haven't had to pay for any of these. Simply download and reinstall. Done. Plus, if you bought DVDXCOPY early on when it was released chances are you'll get the Platinum version of the product for FREE when it is released. Episodic discs are currently the achilles heal of this software but that is soon to be rememedied (hopefully) in the 1.5 version and in the Platinum.

Now I will admit I have read some horror stories on their forum about guys having problems getting this software to work. As with anything PC based though it is hard to guarantee compatibiltiy with everything that is out there. I would suggest making sure you meet all the requirements before plunking down the cash for this software. But in DVDXCOPY's defense, I have had this software since January and have yet to make one coaster using my Sony DRU500A burner. I am also using DVD-R media bought in bulk. My average cost per disc (Meritline Accu media) is $.79 which in my eyes is a bargain. Granted many movies take 2 discs (there are double sided DVD-R's and I've used them successfully), but I don't think that is a big deal. Small price to pay. Plus, DVDXCOPY is smart enough that it will tell you if you can squeeze a whole movie on one disc by losing the special features, etc. This won't be for everybody as even I like special features, but once I've seen them once I don't usually watch them ever again.

I don't work for 321 Studios but I am a user of their product. I think anytime you get into a new technology such as this you can't expect perfect results. I have been fortunate to have an awesome experience with this product (so much so that my brother is now using it and having no issues). In about 35 minutes (rip to burn) I have a perfect copy of a DVD using 2x DVD-R. This will only get better and better as time goes on and drive speeds go up.

Before purchasing, examine your system then head over to the DVDXCOPY web site.... Hang out on the forum and ask some questions. I think with a little work up front you'll be better prepared and will have a better experience with this product. And once you get going with it you'll be blown away.