How can I make copies of tapes on DVD?

[gilligan fanatic]

I am doing real good in this tape trading, after being here a week I have two trades lined up. I am only doing VHS, but since this is doing better than I thought. I have a burner on my computer, but I only have 20GB of hard drive space so I realy can't upload 100 tapes and burn them. Any suggestions on something I can do that can make DVD's without using all my hard drive space.

[Lamont]

thing to do would be to either 1. upgrade your computer and add more memory
or 2. buy a stand alone dvd recorder and use it to record the vhs onto dvd-r
u can get a cheap 1 for $100 at walmart

[RedWhine56]

AFAIK, there are only two ways.

1) you have to hook up a VCR to your computer & have special cards & such & even then, it takes some skill & knowledge to get things accurately or else your video can be jumpy, sound out of synch, etc. Plus, this may be more trouble than it's worth if your computer is old/slow.

2) Get a DVD recorder & hook it up to your VHS. Play your VHS & record on the DVD recorder. (That's what I do.) Easiest for those who are audio/video challenged like me.

[gilligan fanatic]

Originally Posted by Lamont

thing to do would be to either 1. upgrade your computer and add more memory
or 2. buy a stand alone dvd recorder and use it to record the vhs onto dvd-r
u can get a cheap 1 for $100 at walmart

hmm stand alone dvd recorder that seems to be what I have been looking for. As soon as marching band season ends I will have to get a job and that will be the first thing I buy. Until then I guess I will still use VHS. $100 doesn't sound that bad for all the things you can do with it.

Originally Posted by RedWhine56

2) Get a DVD recorder & hook it up to your VHS. Play your VHS & record on the DVD recorder. (That's what I do.) Easiest for those who are audio/video challenged.

I don't know if this is a dumb question but is a burner and a recorder the same thing?

[dlemond]

Question:

When you use a stand alone DVD recorder to transfer VHS tapes to disc, can you make chapter stops?

Or is it basically just like a tape where you have to fast forward to get through the disc (after you have recorded it)?

[RedWhine56]

Originally Posted by gilligan fanatic

I don't know if this is a dumb question but is a burner and a recorder the same thing?

NOt a dumb question at all. I think of a 'burner' as a drive that fits into a computer or duplicator. A DVD 'recorder' is a stand alone that you hook up to your tv. Some have hard drives so you can record to that & make a DVD directly on the machine. Obviously, they are more expensive (but NEAT!). My DVD recorder does not have a hard drive, so it makes things a bit more cumbersome, but still doable. (IE, I normally record to VHS & then dup the things I want to DVD. This prevents me from wasting a DVD if I find out the episode is one I already have or if the network switches their schedule at the last minute, due to 'breaking news' or something & I end up recording something I didn't want (this has happened a time or two!))

[RedWhine56]

Originally Posted by dlemond

When you use a stand alone DVD recorder to transfer VHS tapes to disc, can you make chapter stops?

Or is it basically just like a tape where you have to fast forward to get through the disc (after you have recorded it)?

Mine allows you to manually add chapters. In order to create individual episodes with TOP menus, I stop the recording at the end of each episode. The chapters mine makes are just for skipping to a particular scene - I can't make a chapter menu. The standalone automatically makes a TOP menu entry. I can then change the images for each menu entry - but it has to be something from that episode. I can also change the background image, but it must be something that's on one of the shows on the disc. You can change titles of the episodes, but it's a PITA, since you need to use the numeric pad on the remote control - I just don't have the patience for that.

I'd guess most systems work this way (or better), since mine was the cheapest unit I could find at the time. (But it's served me well, so far!)

[Lamont]

most dvd recorders work 2 ways, 1. cheaper ones do not allow u to set up individual chapters--but they do skip ahead in 5 minute intervals so u can jump to next scene, higher tier recorders, allow u to make custom chapters and so forth, u can get a cheap 1 at walmart for $100, even less on special

but u can also get a better panasonic, mid grade one for like $225 at best buy/circuit city etc

recorders record in Real Time, just like a vhs recorder

burners just transfer the data, so a burner can burn from a vhs source in real time or can burn a dvd in a few mins


thanks

[TVFactFan]

So would it be less FREEZING Scenes if a DVD was copied to another DVD in Real Time instead of using a Burner?

[Lamont]

freezing can occur regardless
often times its an error on the disc in a spot
sometimes it is a duping error
and often times it is the dvd player u r using
i have a $400 + dvd player that wont play certain dvds but i also have a $45 cheapo sanyo from walmart that plays all discs no problems

[dlemond]

Originally Posted by RedWhine56

Mine allows you to manually add chapters. In order to create individual episodes with TOP menus, I stop the recording at the end of each episode. The chapters mine makes are just for skipping to a particular scene - I can't make a chapter menu. The standalone automatically makes a TOP menu entry. I can then change the images for each menu entry - but it has to be something from that episode. I can also change the background image, but it must be something that's on one of the shows on the disc. You can change titles of the episodes, but it's a PITA, since you need to use the numeric pad on the remote control - I just don't have the patience for that.

I'd guess most systems work this way (or better), since mine was the cheapest unit I could find at the time. (But it's served me well, so far!)

Thanks for your help.

What unit/model do you have?

[RedWhine56]

Originally Posted by Lamont

freezing can occur regardless
often times its an error on the disc in a spot
sometimes it is a duping error
and often times it is the dvd player u r using
i have a $400 + dvd player that wont play certain dvds but i also have a $45 cheapo sanyo from walmart that plays all discs no problems

Is your $400 player kind of old? If so, does it play commercial DVDs fine? Does it play the DVDs I sent you? If 'yes' to all questions, it's a compatibility problem - I have the same problem with two old stand alone players we have and can tell you how to make DVDs that will play on it, if you're interested.

Originally Posted by dlemond

Thanks for your help.

What unit/model do you have?

Mine is a Magnavox MRV640. Another reason I like it is it has a set of RCA jacks (or red, white, yellow jacks as I call them ) on the front - makes connecting the input a bit easier.

[gilligan fanatic]

Originally Posted by RedWhine56

NOt a dumb question at all. I think of a 'burner' as a drive that fits into a computer or duplicator. A DVD 'recorder' is a stand alone that you hook up to your tv. Some have hard drives so you can record to that & make a DVD directly on the machine. Obviously, they are more expensive (but NEAT!). My DVD recorder does not have a hard drive, so it makes things a bit more cumbersome, but still doable. (IE, I normally record to VHS & then dup the things I want to DVD. This prevents me from wasting a DVD if I find out the episode is one I already have or if the network switches their schedule at the last minute, due to 'breaking news' or something & I end up recording something I didn't want (this has happened a time or two!))

ok, and thanks again.

[cprompt]

Hello:
I have tried or owned all of the different brands of DVD recorders. They are all good except for Cyberhome. It works, Yes, but it is troublesome. The early RCA DVD recorder is also trouble, although it still is better than the Cyberhome.