DVD Question

[J.R.]

(If this doesn't belong here, I apologize)

Yes, I have finally decided to leave the 1980s and purchase a DVD player and, obviously, I plan on getting my videotape collection transferred to DVD. MY questions are:

What kind of DVD player should I get ? just DVD or a DVD/VCR Combo ?

Is it possible to do the transfer on my own ?

And importantly, how do you transfer contents of a videotape to DVD ?

Thank you
-Joe R.

[ClockGameJohn]

Most obviously, a standard DVD player won't be any good for you - you'll need a DVD Recorder.  Most work with the DVD-R format.  I recommend a Phillips or Panasonic, I've heard the least complaints about them.

I record in DVD-R format direct from TiVo for any shows I wanna keep.  I have a Panasonic Model and it works well.  The tricky thing is knowing that some models will not record on some formats of DVD.  There are many!

[MCArroyo1]

To the best of my knowledge (and this really isn't my subject), you'll have a really hard time finding DVD/VCR combos that'll record DVDs.  All you'll need to do is get a few cables and connect your DVD recorder to the TV and VCR; it's really not that complicated.

I've got a Philips, and it really works well.

One other note: some machines will only read or record with the DVD-R format,  and some with the DVD+R format.  You'll need to check your machine, then watch out for the pluses or minuses when purchasing blank DVDs.

[Particleman]

I'd highly recommend going to computer route.  Not only can you create video DVDs, you can also backup much more data than a CD can.  Trust me, after losing my FF Challenge data, I could have used one then!

Something you'll hear people who do this with the computer is problems with audio sync.  Several things can cause it, number one being that most TV capture cards record using AVI and those files later have to be converted to MPEG.  

So make sure you get a capture card that has MPEG hardware on the card.  I have a Win-TV PVR 250 by Hauppauge.  The software for it isn't the best but this card always puts out awesome MPEG movies with little to no sync problems.

I'd also recommend an 8x Pioneer DVD +/- recordable drive.  I have never had this drive burn a bad DVD and I've done quite a few.  It has a technology that compensates for DVDs that tend to teeter-tot on the spindle mechanism.

Just about all new DVD players will play the + or - format.  The DVD-R discs are cheaper and are by far the most compatable discs out there.  If you get the hardware I mentioned above, I'd stick with minus.

Like I said, I've done quite a few VHS to DVD conversions and they have all turned out successful.  You'll probably experience the same amount of success with a standalone, non-PC oriented DVD recorder but you'll miss out on backing up a ton of stuff on your computer if you ever wanted to.

One last thing, if you go the computer route and have a motherboard with a VIA chipset (if you have a P4 processor, you don't), you'll want to download a PCI Latency patch.  You can Google search for it and find it.  All motherboards based on the VIA chipset should have this installed anyway.

[Adam Nedeff]

I have a Sansui DVD-VCR combo. Before we get into the technical things, I should tell you that Customer Service for Sansui SUCKS so when you have problems with the machine, you'll be teaching yourself how to solve them rather often (which isn't necessarily a bad thing).

A few things you have to know: Dust is a problem, and even with a CD laser cleaner, you can still have problems with dust, so a can of compressed air is also a good idea.

If you've got everything you want on your DVD and you're done burning it, make sure to finalize! My owner's manual didn't exactly make it clear that there's a connection between finalizing the disc and playing it in seperate machines, so I took it to be an optional step initially.

As far as shopping for a machine goes, I guess the kind you want depends on how much fun you want to have, so if you were looking forward to making your own menu designs and that kind of thing, forget the Sansui.

And a word of warning, I've learned from friends that this isn't a problem restricted to just my machine---the burner can be flightly with video quality sometimes. As a general rule, if it's bad VQ it won't burn, but sometimes the stars are aligned right and a bad VQ tape will burn, and on the other hand, a tape with pristine VQ will refuse to burn. Just one of those things. This problem is more infrequent if you use wires to hook up another VCR and record off that instead of the one in the actual console, so this sounds like weird advice, but even if you buy a DVD-VCR combo, hang onto the old VCR and hook the two together just in case.

Burning modes are the same as VCR mode, SLP, LP, and SP (and on the Sansui, XP, which is one hour of recording). SLP is the only mode that is "noticable" (the things I have burned in SLP look like something in WMP being played on full screen; quality is still very good and watchable, that's just what it looks like). LP (4 hours) is the best mode possible because it'll hold ten commercial-free shows, and the difference between it and SP is negligible at worst (i.e. little things like pixelations on the edges on things will sometimes happen, but nothing that makes you rip it out of the machine and say "THIS SUCKS, MA!")

Another warning is that on the Sansui, tracking can't be fixed after burning starts, so check the tracking before you hit the all-important button.

I'm not really a tech-head, so this is all the advice I can give, but I hope it helps before and after you make your purchase.

[mystery7]

At work I use this Pioneer double burner. But since you don't have $4 grand lying around I'd suggest a DVD burner for your PC. If you want to get all funky with title and chapter menus, that's the way to go. Editing, screen captures and copies will be easier too. If your computer's hooked to cable or satellite and you've got a TiVo-style PVR in it, all the better since you won't need a second DVD burner (or VCR) to time-shift today's TPiR on. If you do decide on a stand-alone DVD recorder, Panasonic makes good ones, some even with TV tuners and timers - just like VCRs. Look in the right places and you might find one for less than $200.

We use DVD-R (that's Dash-R to you, not minus) with good results. The brand of disc you burn on can be important too. TDK is a good, consistent brand, but Memorex is a wildcard.

You MUST finalize a DVD-R in order for it to become a watchable disc. The Pioneer at work won't even eject a recorded disc unless it's been finalized.

For a good night or two (or six) of reading about way more than you wanted to know about DVD, I recommend Jim Taylor's DVD Demystified website.

Enjoy!

[Matt Ottinger]

A lot of us have chimed in on this topic before, so for all the two cents I've put in, you'd probably have a dime by now.  But here goes anyway.

You need to decide what your priorities are, and what your honest limitations are. Using a computer to burn DVDs will give you the highest quality results, without question.  Still, you'll have to understand the ins and outs of the proper software and hardware you'll need to get the job done.   (When someone tells you it's easy, that usually means it's easy to HIM.  It doesn't mean you're stupid if you can't figure it out yourself.)

It will typically take longer to make your copies on a computer than it would with a stand-alone recorder, and unless you already have a computer ready to do the job (and I'm guessing that's pretty darned unlikely), the initial cost will certainly be greater than for a stand-alone recorder.

A satnd-alone recorder is easier and cheaper.  For most, it's not much different than dubbing between two VCRs.  Also, many of the decent ones (and we're still talking $300-$400 range) will let you create perfectly functional titles and chapters fairly easily. It won't look as fancy as a DVD you rented at Blockbuster, but it'll get the job done.  Finally, for most of us who have a collection that's already on the poor-quality VHS format tapes, the advantage of a computer in terms of the quality of the image really isn't that significant.

Now to specifics.  I strongly recommend the Philips line for DVD recorders and TDK for blank discs.  Between home and work, I've make dozens of masters and hundreds of copies each year for the last three, so I've had enough of a shake-down period to know what works.  

Also, though I'm usually not a fan of them, I strongly suggest you splurge for an extended warranty.  Since it sounds like your goal is to get a ton of stuff from VHS to DVD, you're going to be running this thing a lot more hours than the average person would.  This is still relatively new technology, and I think the jury's still out on how solidly built these machines are.  Better to pay a little now and have it fixed for free the next four years....by which time there will be some entirely different, even cooler new format that we'll all have to migrate to.

[J.R.]

Thanks for all the wonderful advice. I really appreciate it.

Now I have a couple more queries:

I'm not interested in fancy menus and stuff, are there good recorders/players worth in the $150-$200 range ?

Can I hook up a VCR to a DVD player just the same as two VCRs and start dubbing ?

Would someone be intersted in transfering some of my tapes to DVD ? I have dozens of tapes and it would easy if someone could take off some of my load, I would be eternally grateful.

-Joe R.

[Brandon Brooks]

I actually caught sight of a VCR-DVD recorder at Wal-Mart.  Wasn't that expensive either at $250.  Don't know if it's any good though.

Brandon Brooks

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'JRaygor\' date=\'Sep 23 2004, 05:41 PM\'] I'm not interested in fancy menus and stuff, are there good recorders/players worth in the $150-$200 range ?

Can I hook up a VCR to a DVD player just the same as two VCRs and start dubbing ? [/quote]
 I just bought a Philips that would do anything you'd want for $300.  (Another $60, I think it was, for the extended warranty I spoke of.)  Hey, my first one not too many years ago was right at a thousand bucks.

As with any piece of home electronics, I'd be very wary of the units that were at the extreme bottom of the price scale, especially if it's a brand name that you've never heard of.  But yes, it's possible to find one at the price you mentioned.

And yes, you can hook your VCR directly to your DVD recorder using those standard RCA cables you see everywhere (the ones with yellow, red and white ends).  Since you've never done it before, it'll obviously take you a little while to understand what you're doing, but a lot of it is self-evident and you don't need any extra equipment or special instruction.  Remember, these machines are now aimed at the average consumer.

[davemackey]

Lite-On makes a very good DVD recorder at an attractive price that allows you to not only hook up your other peripherals to it, but you can also attach a camcorder via D-Link interface. I bought one and I'm very happy with it. It records DVD+R and DVD+RW discs.

[mystery7]

I just checked out Wal*Mart's website and saw a couple of DVD/VCR combos: an Emerson and a Sanyo. Given that Emerson is now made by the ever-questionable Funai (see also Symphonic and Sylvania), I'd pick the Sanyo as the lesser of two evils. But if you've already got a good VCR, and you're fairly comfortable making a couple extra cable connections, you can get a better standalone DVD recorder for less, like this Philips. Anything cheaper and you might end up with a lesser brand you won't be as pleased with. Pays to shop around. And don't think I'm endorsing Wal*Mart in any way - I know much better places to buy things like this.

Not having a burner at home, I can't offer to burn for you but I can guide you through the process if you need the help. My e-mail is in my profile.

[roadgeek]

I could convert your tapes to DVD if you'd like.  Email me if you're interested or have any questions.

[tvmitch]

FWIW, I have a Gateway DVD+R recorder that works fantastically. It's the same thing as a Lite-On DVW-5001. With assorted rebates and whatnot, I got the thing for $170 from HSN. If you want the details on that deal, which might still be around, email me.

Had only one coaster from crappy media...the rest have been golden. Also takes DVD+RW media, which is fantastic for just treating the thing like a TiVo and taping a whole day's worth of shows, deleting what's no good, and going again. And DVDs take up a whole lot less space than tapes.

I send my end of my trades out strictly on recorded DVD now, and since I knew I'd primarily be using it for trading, I went with a set-top unit. I have a more-than-capable Powerbook to record DVDs, but the time commitment to record anything to DVD through a computer is immense.

Joe, I know you will probably use it for trading, so I would recommend a set-top. Just as easy to use as a VCR, and DVD+R and +RW media can be found for cheaper than videotapes.

And somewhat unrelated to this thread, an announcement: I'm going to start getting rid of my VHS tapes as I move them to DVD, so I'm doing the same idea that Brad Francini is doing. If you're a new trader with whom I haven't traded before, and you're interested in getting 3-4 random tapes for the cost of mailer and postage (probably about $8-$10), email me at mitchgroff at yahoo dot com. Rudeness and/or emailing me more than once before I get back to you will disqualify you from consideration. I feel bad just throwing these away when I know so of y'all out there would enjoy what I've got.

My collection is here if you want to take a look around.

[ChrisLambert!]

I've had terrible luck, I guess. I've only had one total coaster, but there have been several discs where a recording has stopped midway through and I've not been able to record anything else on the disc. (In those cases, I can still finalize and save what was already on there.)

I think I've dubbed everything onto DVD that I really need to save. The rest will probably be parted with sometime after next May. Don't try to get in an early request, because you're already 5th or 6th in line.