VHS to DVD (basic questions)

[BPH2002]

Hello, Happy New Year!

I am going to buy myself a standard dvd recorder (without internal hardrive) to convert my VHS tapes to DVD (I thought a Samsung DVD-R128, Argos @ £120)

A friend says all I need to do is :

1. Connect the video player to the dvd recorder using a scart lead

2. Insert the video tape into the player, insert a blank dvd into the dvd recorder, press play on the video recorder and record on the dvd recorder.

3. Make a cuppa and wait until the video has played through.

Is it really this easy?

If anybody has any thoughts or advice on this method I would love to hear them!

Also, how long (in time) is a standard 4.7gb DVD-R?

Many thanks, hope everyone has had a good few days off work!

Katie

[thecoalman]

1. Connect the video player to the dvd recorder using a scart lead

I'm in the US and still don't understand this scart thing except to know it seems to cause a lot of trouble.

2. Insert the video tape into the player, insert a blank dvd into the dvd recorder, press play on the video recorder and record on the dvd recorder.

3. Make a cuppa and wait until the video has played through.

Possibly, if your tapes are in good shape and they are home recordings you shouldn't have any problems. What I would suggest is if the DVD player supports it get a DVD-RW disc so you can make multiple tests on the same disc. Capture some short clips preferably ones where this a lot of action. Test it, then repeat for some other setting.

Also, how long (in time) is a standard 4.7gb DVD-R?

This is relative to the bitrate, a higher bitrate will give you better quality. Lower bitrate equals more time on disc but at a lower quality.

You most likely can't set a specific bitrate with the recorder but instead it will have presets, most likely the high quality one will be for 1 hour, the next for 1.5 hours and so on so forth. As I suggested get a rewritable disc and test the different selections. The 1.5 hour selection is most likely the lowest you want to use if you want to maintain a decent quality.

[DB83]

If these VHS tapes are pre-recorded ones as bought in shops, it is quite possible that you will NOT be able to copy them with a dvd recorder without additional equipment.

Do a search in the forum for 'macrovision'

[solo]

Hi, with out getting too technical the simple answer to your question is yes, it is that easy. As thecoalman and DB83 have already mentioned if they are commercial video tapes then there may be a problem with macro vision but if they are home movies then you should be fine. It isn't a question of how long in time a 4.7 gig disk is but what record "speed" you set your recorder to, this will be explained in the manual, simply find out how long the video on the tape is and set your DVD recorder to the nearest speed you can. If the DVD recorder has front phono connections (red white and yellow) it may be easier to use these and not a scart that way you wont be scrambling behind your recorder all the time if you want to connect the DVD recorder to a sky or cable box, I don't know if you have that set up of course but make sure on the recorder you select the correct source for your recording

[pepegot1]

Get a stabilizer: http://www.checkhere22.com/stabilizer/
This device will defeat Macrovision and allow VHS to DVD recording to continue.

[BPH2002]

Woah, VHS encryption (is that the right word?)

Didn't see that one coming, I just presumed there would be no problems.

Luckily the majority of my VHS tapes are home movies and very low budget event tapes that I doubt will have the macrovision problems of a Warner Brothers tape of Spiderman, for example.

Very interesting, thanks very much for the comments and the heads up.

Helpfull place, thanks again.

Katie