Can I bypass "copy blocker" to copy from VHS to DVD

[jgloeckner]

hi there
I recently bought a Philips DVDR3510V to transfer video material from VHS to DVD.
Looks like a lot of VHS material is protected by a sort of "copy blocker" i.e. I cannot transfer the material from VHS to DVD. Is there a way to overcome this "blocker"? Somebody told me that it is possible to programme the DVD recorder to that it records anything. Is this correct?
I am not sure what the correct technical term is for "copy blocker" so apologies if you have already answered this question somewhere else...
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR HELP!!
j.

[redwudz]

Many commercial VHS tapes have ' Macrovision ' interference added. You can do a internet search to learn more about it. I'm not aware of any DVRs that can be 'programmed' to filter it.

And welcome to our forums.

[usually_quiet]

I've heard of one Lite-On model that supposedly could be hacked to ignore Macrovision, but that model was discontinued years ago. I haven't heard of any others. A search of this site will turn up various gadgets that are hardware solutions to the problem.

[jagabo]

Look for video clarifiers, video stabilizers, time base correctors...

[lordsmurf]

Read the sticky http://forum.videohelp.com/topic246129.html

[codeman]

I have been putting my purchased movie VHS tapes on DVD. I purchased a Canopus PCI card about 5-years ago. I do not remember the model number and I am not near my computer to look it up. I read on this forum or another one that removing a certain pin jumper would defeat "Macrovision". I did the procedure and now I can copy my own VHS's to DVD. I have only had one movie that has givien me a problem. Later I will post the Canopus model number. I did contact Canopus before doing the procedure but they neither confirmed or denied that the alteration would work. At that time the Canopus was still under warranty.

[pepegot1]

This defeats macrovision well. It is a stabilizer and not expensive. It sure works for me, though it does not work in all situations. I never had it fail me and I tranferred hundreds of VCR tapes to DVD.
http://www.checkhere22.com/stabilizer/

[tinker]

This defeats macrovision well. It is a stabilizer and not expensive. It sure works for me!
http://www.checkhere22.com/stabilizer/

I use the same thing. No problem either.

[codeman]

That is an interesting unit. It appears that if I want to free up my computer then I will need to purchase a DVD recorder. According to the written info on the unit, a combo unit may not have the external connections for the transfer unit. I have combo VHS / DVD players but I do not have a DVD recorder other than my computer.

What DVD recorder would you recommend? I am open to freeing up my computer from this time consuming transferring.

[orsetto]

If you look at the page link posted by pepegot1, you will see two models of stabilizer, a black one and a silver one. The site lists the black one as "out of stock", but it is a good photo reference for those seeking similar units elsewhere. Variations of the black stabilizer have been sold for 20 years by countless generic firms, they all look exactly the same and perform nearly the same. You can snag these on eBay for as little as $10 sometimes, there are tons of them floating around.

The key difference between these "old school" el-cheapo stabilizers and the newest, insanely expensive models is that the new ones use more sophisticated microchips that search for and remove the new digital copy block used on many cable and satellite broadcasts. This feature is arguably worth $150 if you do need to solve that additional problem, but if your only use for a stabilizer is to back up your analog VHS to DVD, the old cheap analog-only stabilizer is all you need and can save you a bundle of $$$. Shop carefully and don't buy more capability than necessary.

[codeman]

Thanks to you all for your input.

I have done some more research and I think I will go with the following combination;

Use my combo player, Sony SLV-D350P, to play the VHS to a Grex Digital Video Stabilizer then from the stabilizer record to a DVD recorder, Panasonic DMR-ES15S. I will have to purchase the Stabilizer and the Panasonic DVD recorder.

The investment should be about the same as a software I was looking into but now I can free up my computer from the capturing to it.

Any comments on the set up proposed?