Author Topic: Game Shows on VHS to DVD (Read 24992 times)

JayDLewis · « **Reply #60 on:** February 09, 2007, 09:42:35 AM »

AFA my meager collection goes, I'm being quite ruthless in what I keep and transfer to DVD. (I got an LG LRA-750 for Christmas. No coasters out of 30ish DVDs). The first batch of DVD+Rs I picked up were Sonys (75 for $25 at WalMart ($35 now) and I'm storing 99% of the finished product in the full-size DVD cases.

However, a number of the cases I'm using hold 2 DVDs. If you can find something like that (WalMart here sells em $6 for 10), you can save on space.

For you guys with massive collections, this is obviously impractical. But for anyone like me who has a very small collection of things you want to keep, it works out good. The other upside is that I can "hide" any GS DVDs amongst my normal movies.

And, to answer Jimmy, the DVD case is the size it is is that it's the same dimensions as a VHS tape. For people replacing their movies, they don't have to rebuild or invest in new shelving solutions. Plus, it's "space saving" since 2 DVD cases are the thickness of one tape.

Chelsea Thrasher · « **Reply #61 on:** July 22, 2008, 03:07:27 AM »

Wanted to bump this up - both to see if anyone's experiences have changed or been added to in the last year, but also to recount what my freshly-out-of-warranty Panasonic DMR-EZ17S is doing to me.

If there are no errors in the disc (IE: It's not a coaster), operation is smooth and it's a good machine. But I've had two coasters in the last week off a spindle, and both times I've gotten trapped in the machine's absolutely abysmal diagnostic routine - the machine powers down, then goes through a little loop (what exactly it does, I don't know - there's no on-screen messages and only a series of squares flashing on the LCD)...then resets and does the same diagnostic loop all over again. It stays trapped in this u61 error cycle for hours. Force-ejects and every other possible output do nothing.

Eventually, after about 2 hours, the disc is released, and the machine works fine again, though the disc is wrecked. If a simple coaster can cause this much trouble, I'd hate to see how the machine reacts to a *real* problem. Panasonic always made solid and reliable products, so to have a two hour outage in one of their DVD recorders due seemingly to a bad disc is mind-boggling. And based on what Google turns up, I appear to be getting off lucky in terms of the u61 errors.

I really expected Panasonic products to work better than this.

catnap1972 · « **Reply #62 on:** July 22, 2008, 07:29:02 AM »

[quote name=\'Seth Thrasher\' post=\'191652\' date=\'Jul 22 2008, 03:07 AM\']

I really expected Panasonic products to work better than this.
[/quote]

Last year's Panasonic "EZ" series are notorious for being a PITA. Consider yourself lucky that yours still works...many put out a "U99" error out of the blue and just die altogether.

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #63 on:** July 22, 2008, 09:59:33 AM »

I recently bought a DVD recorder and it only provides satisfactory results (to me) when I use the 1 hour mode. Also been having situations where the discs stop playing or freeze up after a short time (to be fair, I tried to save money by using store brand discs; pretty sure they weren't Tanyo-Yuden).
Good thing I didn't throw out the tapes after dubbing. Had a two-second power outage while dubbing
and the machine took ten minutes to restore, etc...

Very disappointed that this "superior" archiving format isn't as reliable or user friendly as tapes yet.

Hastin · « **Reply #64 on:** July 22, 2008, 11:24:14 AM »

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'191663\' date=\'Jul 22 2008, 06:59 AM\']
Very disappointed that this "superior" archiving format isn't as reliable or user friendly as tapes yet.
[/quote]

To me, optical media is never as superior as magnetic media. So, I just started dumping to External Hard Disc. It's a tad bit more expensive (about $4 a GB), but at least it seems like it will fail less than DVD does.

clemon79 · « **Reply #65 on:** July 22, 2008, 11:49:59 AM »

[quote name=\'Hastin\' post=\'191668\' date=\'Jul 22 2008, 08:24 AM\']
To me, optical media is never as superior as magnetic media.[/quote]
*boggle*

Hey, Hastin, come on over, we should watch some shows together. Bring your drive, although I have no idea what component we're going to use to watch them using that. Hey, you don't mind if I sit it down next to this old telephone, do you? I'm expecting a call anytime now...

joshg · « **Reply #66 on:** July 22, 2008, 01:04:28 PM »

[quote name=\'Seth Thrasher\' post=\'191652\' date=\'Jul 22 2008, 12:07 AM\']
Wanted to bump this up - both to see if anyone's experiences have changed or been added to in the last year, but also to recount what my freshly-out-of-warranty Panasonic DMR-EZ17S is doing to me.

If there are no errors in the disc (IE: It's not a coaster), operation is smooth and it's a good machine. But I've had two coasters in the last week off a spindle, and both times I've gotten trapped in the machine's absolutely abysmal diagnostic routine - the machine powers down, then goes through a little loop (what exactly it does, I don't know - there's no on-screen messages and only a series of squares flashing on the LCD)...then resets and does the same diagnostic loop all over again. It stays trapped in this u61 error cycle for hours. Force-ejects and every other possible output do nothing.
[/quote]
Oh crap. Is this what I have to look forward to with my DMR-EZ17? My DMR-ES10 gives me more problems than the EZ17. I haven't had many coasters, thanks to the EZ17 finalizing the discs that the ES10 refused to.

Speaking of discs, I've had a good level of success with FujiFilm discs. Other than online, I'm having a bizotch of a time finding these discs in stores. Anyone know if any brick and mortar stores still sell them?

Josh

bellbm · « **Reply #67 on:** July 22, 2008, 01:05:21 PM »

I just transfer to my hard drive, edit into MPEG2 files, and with my new TIVO, I can now access any episode, any time I want.
I have the video tape back up, in case my hard drive ever crashes.

No need for DVD media at all (unless I want to watch a show somewhere else, other than my living room).

clemon79 · « **Reply #68 on:** July 22, 2008, 01:39:04 PM »

[quote name=\'bellbm\' post=\'191678\' date=\'Jul 22 2008, 10:05 AM\']
(unless I want to watch a show somewhere else, other than my living room).[/quote]
Exactly, sir.

(Gawd. I forgot that you have to keep things in MP2 to use TivoBack. Xvid/H.264 streaming to the Xbox FTW.)

clemon79 · « **Reply #69 on:** July 22, 2008, 01:47:52 PM »

[quote name=\'joshg\' post=\'191677\' date=\'Jul 22 2008, 10:04 AM\']
Speaking of discs, I've had a good level of success with FujiFilm discs. Other than online, I'm having a bizotch of a time finding these discs in stores. Anyone know if any brick and mortar stores still sell them?[/quote]
I'm a little surprised Bestest Buy or Socket Circus doesn't carry Fujifilm.

I think if you really like the brand, I'd just buy 'em online. Most likely you're going to get them far cheaper that way than you would pay in a B&M, anyhow.

joshg · « **Reply #70 on:** July 22, 2008, 02:22:35 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'191688\' date=\'Jul 22 2008, 10:47 AM\']
[quote name=\'joshg\' post=\'191677\' date=\'Jul 22 2008, 10:04 AM\']
Speaking of discs, I've had a good level of success with FujiFilm discs. Other than online, I'm having a bizotch of a time finding these discs in stores. Anyone know if any brick and mortar stores still sell them?[/quote]
I'm a little surprised Bestest Buy or Socket Circus doesn't carry Fujifilm.

I think if you really like the brand, I'd just buy 'em online. Most likely you're going to get them far cheaper that way than you would pay in a B&M, anyhow.
[/quote]
Bestest Bye used to carry Fuji. Socket Circus never had them. My last few spindles were from online purchases anyway.

Josh

/dubbing NYSI as I type

Chelsea Thrasher · « **Reply #71 on:** July 22, 2008, 02:25:19 PM »

[quote name=\'joshg\' post=\'191677\' date=\'Jul 22 2008, 01:04 PM\']
Is this what I have to look forward to with my DMR-EZ17?
[/quote]

Probably. And based on the number of folks complaining about u61 errors (and no three people's errors seem to have the same source) the problems start about 2 months after your warranty expires.

Hastin · « **Reply #72 on:** July 22, 2008, 04:10:53 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'191670\' date=\'Jul 22 2008, 08:49 AM\']
Bring your drive, although I have no idea what component we're going to use to watch them using that.
[/quote]

I do. A small shuttle Vista Media Center box, it's what all my TV gets stored on (and then extended to many rooms using a couple of Xbox 360s). I just fill externals with programs I want, then when they are full, catalog them, and put them away.

As for old phones, I've got a rotary in my room that really works (even has the teen-friendly (as advertised in 1971) long handset cable). It blends nice in my retro-future themed room.

tpirfan28 · « **Reply #73 on:** July 22, 2008, 04:18:57 PM »

I dub to my PC, then to DVD. Saves money over buying a DVD recorder.

Disc wise...I use Sony DVD-Rs. Very rarely do I get coasters, and they hold up well. AVOID Memorex discs at all costs...they barely hold 1/2 discful before croaking.

Gerald78 · « **Reply #74 on:** July 22, 2008, 04:49:14 PM »

Great thread!

I'm about to purchase a DVD/VHS recorder...anyone hear anything good/bad about Toshiba units?