VHS to DVD Recorders?

[PZelda]

I'm looking to buy a VHS to DVD recorder...please keep in mind...I am new to this stuff.

I have heard that now they are becoming more available in stores, and that you can even pick one up from Kmart...

So my question is this...I am only going to buy one off the internet as a last resort...I want to buy one in stores, if possible. What name brand should I look for, and when you're reading the description part, how do you know if it'll record? Like...does it say, "VHS-to-DVD recorder" or simply, "DVD Recorder"? And how much are they usually retailing for now?

Sorry I'm bombarding you guys with so much questions

[Agent 13]

Originally posted by Miss Vicki
So my question is this...I am only going to buy one off the internet as a last resort...I want to buy one in stores, if possible. What name brand should I look for, and when you're reading the description part, how do you know if it'll record? Like...does it say, "VHS-to-DVD recorder" or simply, "DVD Recorder"? And how much are they usually retailing for now?

I'd definitely recommend my Panasonic DMR-E50, which our local Walmart sells for $378. I found a better deal over the internet last October, totalling $319 (shipping included). I also bought the four year warranty for $79, so hopefully I'll have it for a long time. I've made around 1000 DVDs already, and the thing keeps going strong, without a hitch once I found a DVD brand that my machine likes best.

Jen

[PZelda]

Originally posted by Agent 13
I'd definitely recommend my Panasonic DMR-E50, which our local Walmart sells for $378. I found a better deal over the internet last October, totalling $319 (shipping included). I also bought the four year warranty for $79, so hopefully I'll have it for a long time. I've made around 1000 DVDs already, and the thing keeps going strong, without a hitch once I found a DVD brand that my machine likes best.

Jen

Perfect! There's a Walmart about 3 minutes away from where I live (the nearest Kmart is 20 minutes away).

I don't want to have to order over the internet - I don't like waiting You know? I'll have to check it out. Thanks mucho!

[tsmiller70]

Hey Agent 13,

Where did you find the Panasonic DMR-E50 online for that price? I'm wanting to get one myself. It seems most people are going to DVD. Also what brand of DVDr do you use? Thanks for all the info.

tsmiller70

[Agent 13]

tsmiller70,

I can't remember the name of the place I got mine from; however, a friend asked me the same thing shortly after I got mine, and the price had gone up at that store by that time.

Before I bought mine, I did a thorough google search to narrow down the cheapest price. I know it's nerve wracking to buy on-line, which is why I bought the added warranty. Even with paying the extra $79, it was cheaper for me to buy on-line than it would have been to buy from our local Walmart, pay the taxes, and not end up with the warranty.

I've used a few different DVD brands, but now I use Princo exclusively because my machine was locking up when I tried others. It's a generic brand, and I've only had one in 100 not work, which is unusual from what I've heard. Since prices vary dramatically, I narrow down the best price on-line each time I need to get more and buy in bulk.

Jen

[D-Dey]

Originally posted by Agent 13
I'd definitely recommend my Panasonic DMR-E50, which our local Walmart sells for $378. I found a better deal over the internet last October, totalling $319 (shipping included). I also bought the four year warranty for $79, so hopefully I'll have it for a long time. I've made around 1000 DVDs already, and the thing keeps going strong, without a hitch once I found a DVD brand that my machine likes best.

Jen

You know this looks like a decent machine, but according to this link:

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews12684.html

It doesn't record off of VHS...unless you hooked a VCR up to it, which I assume is what you did.

[Agent 13]

Originally posted by D-Dey
You know this looks like a decent machine, but according to this link:

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews12684.html

It doesn't record off of VHS...unless you hooked a VCR up to it, which I assume is what you did.

It records off of VHS and DVD (that's all we do). You hook the DVD recorder up to a VCR just like you would connect two VCRs to make copies, or else connect the recorder directly to your cable.

[jasoncole]

you can't go wrong with panasonic we had 2 of their multi format (pal and ntsc) vcr's at home and they were great now my sisters taken one we will replace it and get a new panasonic dvd player as well with any luck

panasonic rrrrrrrrroooooooooccccccccckkkksssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DubSaint]

Hi and welcome to the wonderful world of dubbing.

I recommend that before you go shopping be sure to review the following websites for all of DVD format questions:

www.dvdrhelp.com and www. dvdplusrw.org

List what it is that you want to know first prior to checking those sites out. It will save you a lot of time. There are FAQs and forums to fish for information such as format comparisons and compatibilities to DVD video.

-R: write once, read only (least expensive)
+R: ditto
-RW: re-writable disc, re-write only last chapter recorded on disc
+RW: re-writable disc, re-write ANYwhere on recorded disc
both of these give you the opportunity to start over in case of an error.
-RAM: re-writable data style, 2-3 times more expensive than RWs

Should you not be technically savvy, check out the new GoVideo VHS-DVD recorder deck. No wires to connect and less space on on the shelf. The DVD's are -R(W). Blank DVD stock costs is another factor to account for. You have to factor in scrapping discs during your learning curve.

Also make a list of what it is that you want to get out of this potentially large time commitment. If you have a small collection of material that you want to transfer and that you can find these on DVD the time, effort and costs may not be worth it. Unless, you want to record new material from cable or satellite dish.
Otherwise don't bother buying this type of unit and buy the dvd seasons instead. They'll be better quality too.

Regardless, good luck and have fun.

[debwalsh]

Also make a list of what it is that you want to get out of this potentially large time commitment. If you have a small collection of material that you want to transfer and that you can find these on DVD the time, effort and costs may not be worth it. Unless, you want to record new material from cable or satellite dish.

I'd have to agree here. The cost of a DVD recorder is about the same as a high-end VCR, but I doubt most people still spring for the more expensive models for casual recording. When I selected mine, I did it based on recommendations by a number of people I trusted. I have satellite (DISH Network) as well as cable, so I have a really good source and I hated to see that quality degrade rapidly in my recordings. Most importantly, I have a lot of older tapes - over 20 years old in many cases - which aren't getting any better with age. I know the discs I'm recording now do not have a permanent shelf life, but I am at least extending the life of the recordings by making a snapshot-in-time backup of the tapes. Even nicer, once I've got those irreplaceable recordings backed up to disc, I can use the discs to make copies, and not put any more wear and tear on the original tapes than is absolutely necessary.

I'm probably looking at a project spanning years to put those recordings on DVD. I have a priority list of shows I want secured, and I'm removing commercials and entering titles as I go. But I know upfront this is not something I'm going to finish in a weekend, but for me, it's worth it.

I like the graphical nature of the Philips DVD recorders, but I'm really happy with the Panasonic unit I have, and it's compatible with a number of folks I was already trading with as well as my DVD players. I also love the DVD-RAM discs, which I use a lot.

Whichever route you take, I highly recommend the hard drive units - it is so nice to be able to precisely remove commercials, although it can be a little depressing to realize just how short American television programs actually are!

[PZelda]

Originally posted by DubSaint
Hi and welcome to the wonderful world of dubbing.

I recommend that before you go shopping be sure to review the following websites for all of DVD format questions:

www.dvdrhelp.com and www. dvdplusrw.org

List what it is that you want to know first prior to checking those sites out. It will save you a lot of time. There are FAQs and forums to fish for information such as format comparisons and compatibilities to DVD video.

-R: write once, read only (least expensive)
+R: ditto
-RW: re-writable disc, re-write only last chapter recorded on disc
+RW: re-writable disc, re-write ANYwhere on recorded disc
both of these give you the opportunity to start over in case of an error.
-RAM: re-writable data style, 2-3 times more expensive than RWs

Should you not be technically savvy, check out the new GoVideo VHS-DVD recorder deck. No wires to connect and less space on on the shelf. The DVD's are -R(W). Blank DVD stock costs is another factor to account for. You have to factor in scrapping discs during your learning curve.

Also make a list of what it is that you want to get out of this potentially large time commitment. If you have a small collection of material that you want to transfer and that you can find these on DVD the time, effort and costs may not be worth it. Unless, you want to record new material from cable or satellite dish.
Otherwise don't bother buying this type of unit and buy the dvd seasons instead. They'll be better quality too.

Regardless, good luck and have fun.

I want to transfer my collection over to DVD's. None of the stuff I have on tape is currently on DVD's, and I even have a lot of stuff on tape that hasn't been seen since it originally aired (from between a year ago to 15 years ago). I also have quite a number of tapes that are about 15 years old and I fear greatly for loss of quality on my tapes, which I know will happen eventually. I agree with debwalsh's post - Deb summed up my thoughts perfectly.

Again, thanks, you guys. All your posts REALLY help.

[Agent 13]

Originally posted by DubSaint
You have to factor in scrapping discs during your learning curve.

I only ruined two discs during my learning curve, as you called it. If you just start slow, you shouldn't ruin too many discs. However, it took me awhile to figure out which brands of DVDs my machine would readily accept. That can be expensive.

Originally posted by DubSaint
Also make a list of what it is that you want to get out of this potentially large time commitment. If you have a small collection of material that you want to transfer and that you can find these on DVD the time, effort and costs may not be worth it.

In some cases, it might be better to just wait until DVD recorders go down in price. Personally, I didn't feel like I had much of a choice because too often I end up with slp videos that can only be watched decently once or twice. What a waste!

I've never regretted spending the money on my DVD recorder. In fact, quite the opposite. I ought to have bitten the bullet much sooner. It's definitely worth its weight in gold.

And now, accepting slp tapes is fine by me (most of the time) because I just dub them to DVD asap to preserve the quality. The main problem is that I can't dub to DVD fast enough. On the bright side, I'm well over half-way done with my collection, but sometimes it seems sooooooo slow in going. I'd be done by now if I didn't continually trade ("Just one more show, just one more show, just one more show, etc.").

Jen