Ever Consider Using DVD Recorder to Back-Up Your DVD's

[tylerdurdan]

You could do it old school, the way we used to dub vhs tapes back in the day.

You would just have to buy some hardware to defeat macrovision, right? Anyone put any ever try this?

[ricky1756]

how would you compress, since most dvds are over 4.38 gigs?

[Capmaster]

how would you compress, since most dvds are over 4.38 gigs?

If you're capturing the video it doesn't matter what the original file sizes are. That's only an issue when you rip to HD and then to a backup DVD. You can set whatever bitrate you want on the standalone recorder. The issue is defeating macrovision because even the recorders that have built-in TBCs will still honor MV and reject any copying attempt. You'll need an external stripper or TBC to dub like that.

[hech54]

Before I had a burner that's how I did it. I just bought one of these and put my DVD or VHS tape to my Philips DVDR985.

http://home.cfl.rr.com/filter/

[handyguy]

Its real simple. Get a macro free dvd player. Put the disk in it, push play, push record on the dvd recorder & Voila!

I get 4 hours of very nice quality per disk on a Panasonic dvd recorder.

[XrayDuke]

The only problems that you run into is you lose the original menu and any extras on the disc and you have to record in real time...2 hour movie takes 2 hours to record. I have some old videos that are not available on DVD that I have backup up to dvd but if speed is a issue than use computer and DVD burner. If speed is not a issue than a macrovision free DVD player and DVD recorder will give you a nice backup...only without the fancy menus.

[secstate]

I have done this using my Macro/CGSM/A free Cyberhome 500 to my Panny E50. It works but there is a slight but noticable loss in quality picture quality and of course you lose Dolby 5.1 sound. However there is one great use to me doing it this way. The Cyberhome will convert PAL DVDs to NTSC output which allows me to convert PAL DVDs to NTSC. Trying to do it on a computer is like a 13 step process that will make even a hardened geek go slightly insane.

[handyguy]

VHS to dvd you get better quality on a panasonic.

But dvd to dvd you get a slight quality drop because it converts digital to analog to digital. But you can get subtitles to record as always viewable.

[yumagah]

The LiteOn 5001 is macro free so it can back up anything, even commercial DVD's. If you want to copy a whole DVD it's better to do it on a PC, get the menu's and alt. soundtracks.
If you want to make clips of several DVD, e.g. concert highlights, it's easier to just record to DVD recorder. But you do lose the 5.1 sound. To copy 2 short movies to one DVD, a recorder is also very useful.
Also to rescue a failing DVD or one with playback problems, e.g. The Matrix, find a player that handles it best and re-record. A slight quality loss with the re-cording but then future problems are over.