Game Shows on VHS to DVD

[happyattacks]

Finnally got a nice Sony DVD Recorder for the Holidays ---  Starting dubbing some of the ol stuff from VHS over to DVD. I know some of you guys have transferred your collection over to DVD... I've done a couple of runs, and just am not happy with the quality on the Finished DVD's - Alot of that pixelating stuf. Even stuff taped on EP on VHS looks better on the tape. Is the only way to get decent quality on the DVD at SP? This only gives you two hours, and rather than having hundreds of VHS's, I will now have 100's of DVD's?!?  

I'd be curious as to the thoughts of others and what method/speed/media you'd reccommend before I go any farther.

Thanks as always!

Matt

[PYLW]

Base it on importance. Record the ABC Password episode in SP, for example, while a tape with some run of the mill Family Feud episodes can be placed on two 2.5 hour DVD's.

[Ian Wallis]

I've got about 500 episodes of my collection transferred so far - and I've done them all in SP.  I have a Panasonic machine with a built-in hard drive, and I've been pleased with the results so far.

Even thought my 250 VHS tapes will turn into 750 DVDs when I'm all done, I've noticed no loss in video quality doing it in the SP mode.  Besides, blank DVDs are cheap anyway (I use Maxells).

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'141532\' date=\'Dec 27 2006, 07:33 AM\']
I've got about 500 episodes of my collection transferred so far - and I've done them all in SP.  I have a Panasonic machine with a built-in hard drive, and I've been pleased with the results so far. [/quote]
Anybody have experience with brands and models of DVD recorders that are particularly good or evil?

Randy
tvrandywest.com

[xanfan]

>>Anybody have experience with brands and models of DVD recorders that are particularly good or evil?

Avoid Philips/Magnavox. (As much as I love their other devices, the DVD recorders are awkward, and I've gotten lots of coasters.) Meanwhile, I've had nothing but good things to say about Panasonic. No problems at all yet.

And as far as video speed, don't try to use anything less than 2 Hour mode. The video quality gets worse. And if you're concerned about physical space, 3 DVDs in 2 hour mode still takes up less space than a 6 hour videotape. And you have quick access to the stuff when it's over.

[Casey]

Along these same lines, I have several tapes of Face the Music episodes I intend to move over to DVD and I've discovered that one of my tapes (an 8 hour one no less) has broken at the leader end.  I'd like to salvage this tape someone, even if it means missing the first little bit of the first episode on it.  Has anyone here had any luck repairing VHS tapes?  I'm fortunate in that it only broke at the leader right near the spindle end (yes, I did disassemble it).

[clemon79]

What? You're telling me that the company that invented the videocassette doesn't know how to build a decent example of the format that is burying VHS? Shocking.

And while I've never futzed with one myself, I must concur with those recommending Panasonic machines....by all reports the Panny's are excellent. They're really turning out some fantastic electronics over there; buddy of mine was gifted with a mini-DVD camcorder for Christmas that I was really impressed with.

[dzinkin]

Just to provide another data point... I've had a Magnavox DVD recorder for a few weeks now and have had no problems with it.  It occurred to me about a month ago, when my sister-in-law asked me for a show she'd missed, that I was the only one in the family who still had a VHS machine -- so I went to Sam's Club and picked up the most basic DVD recorder they had for just under $90.

When I say basic, I mean basic -- for example, it won't record to dual-layer discs and it doesn't have a hard drive -- but I wasn't looking for a boatload of features, just something to record shows off the DVR for family members.  So far I haven't had a single coaster and the video quality is great.

[Casey]

To answer Randy's question, I have a Panasonic DVR which has a hard drive in it.  It's been excellent, once you learn the things it doesn't like you to do. :-)   It's older, in that the only rewriteable discs it will record to are DVD-RAM discs.  I've been pleased with it.

[MikeK]

[quote name=\'xanfan\' post=\'141572\' date=\'Dec 27 2006, 06:04 PM\']
>>Anybody have experience with brands and models of DVD recorders that are particularly good or evil?

Meanwhile, I've had nothing but good things to say about Panasonic. No problems at all yet.[/quote]
I wonder who sold you on that Panasonic DVD recorder. ;-)

I've had a Panasonic DVD recorder since Labor Day, probably the same model as Kris'.  It's been nothing short of phenomenal in every aspect.

I would avoid LiteOn recorders like the plague.  The list of issues is long, with the major ones being that the recorder flat out died after 8 months, LiteOn would do nothing to rectify the issue despite the recorder being under warranty, and the recorder's clock was fast at a rate of about 60 seconds per day.

[Casey Buck]

Pffft, the only DVD recorder brands worth a damn are Magnetbox, Panaphonics, and Sorny.

/Yeah, a Simpsons reference.
//3F11, "Scenes From the Class Struggle in Springfield"

[Chelsea Thrasher]

I got a Magnavox as a gift a few weeks ago.  So far it's worked perfectly fine,  with no coasters. Easily my best experience with a DVD recorder.

Two years ago, I received one of the Wal-Mart store brand DVD recorders as a gift.  The Wal-Mart store brand at the time was a re-badged LiteOn.   The thing completely just shut down within a month and a half.  Exchanged it for another one, and it too died after about 1.5 months.  And about a third of the discs were coasters.

As long as the Magnavox works, I'll probably be happy to just keep using it.  If/when *it* goes, I'll probably just purchase my own (Given my own experiences, and what's been said, I'm already eyeing a Panasonic)

[Adam Nedeff]

I've owned a Sylvania burner and a Sansui burner. I was happy with both, but if push comes to shove, I prefer the Sylvania. And in both instances, I've found that I can usually cram up to four hours on a single disc without compromising picture quality. YMMV.

[MrBuddwing]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'141532\' date=\'Dec 27 2006, 10:33 AM\']
Even thought my 250 VHS tapes will turn into 750 DVDs when I'm all done, I've noticed no loss in video quality doing it in the SP mode.  Besides, blank DVDs are cheap anyway (I use Maxells).
[/quote]

I hope your statement, "DVDs are cheap anyway," doesn't get misunderstood and corrupted into "cheap DVDs."

As a relative newcomer to the digital age, I'm frankly concerned about reports that burn-them-yourself CDs and DVDs may not last long as analog tape. Something to do with the dyes in the discs, and how long they will hold up so the discs will remain readable years from now.

The general rule seems to be, stick with a major brand (like Maxell). But I'm going to look into DVD-Rs that are being promoted for their supposed longevity, such as the Mitsui Gold Archive Grade DVDs.

And yes, I've heard of P.T. Barnum.

[LA the DJ]

As someone who used to manage an electronics store, I can not extoll the virtues of Panasonic enough. They were so good we used them in our security system and recorded things on the floor model.
Philips are really iffy, and Magnavox is made by Funai, who've never made a quality product. Ever.
While we never carried Sony recorders, I do know Sony tends to have a lot of problems with optical drives. We constantly got CD and DVD ploayers of theirs back.
As for media, I've never gone wrong with Imation.
Hope this helps.