results of trials to make dvd from vhs not using a pc.

[victoriabears]

It all started in April 2004, with a new pc megafast, tv/capture card, trying to capture straight from vcr composite and s-vhs to pc-results yukkish.

I ought to wave a flag and say have large pal vhs collection from old country - UK.
Added advc300 but was trying with very bad material and like many others over corrected.
Disocvered as mentioned here, no need to capture to avi then convert if all you are doing is editing out sections and creating menus
With practice got very good results and ended up really like the TMPG group of software, cyberlink power producer is also very good for capturing(remember to stop those anti-virus and messanger programs) and procoder express is good at ntsc/pal conversions and improving the image.
I am a techie guy more than a artist so lack of fancy menus doesn;t really affact me.

So, onto todays efforts, using following vcr's:-
JVC 2915u(Ntsc)(Better than expected)/5900am(pal.ntsc)(Not as good)/3600u Ntsc(Great)
Samsung worldwide converter vcr(Likes some sources better than others)
Sony SLVT2000 vcr(pal)-Very solid machine
Panasnic nv-hd685 pal.great in uk with scarts,not so in non scart land.

connected one at a time to these dvd recorders:-

RJ Tech 100dvdrw(same as Curtis5000 btw) Best value
Sony GX300, very nice solid ergonomic machine
Toshibs rx32, like most tosh products very nice all round.
Panasonic e85, like most panny good solid reliable and great picture.

Your conclusion that I have more money than sense is born out by my wifes grey hairs and my bank managers overuse of tranquilisers.

The results were amazing as follows:

The likely lads episodes from the 1980's/1990 re-runs from UK satellite came out great using any of the pal vcr',s, including the samsung (which has not been the greatest in converting vhs I can tell you) except the NVhd685, which seems to be suffering from the need to use scart to s video/rca, picture is crap, to any of the dvd recorders

Using ntsc source the results are frankly not as good as the pal(But it is from Shaw Cable), is this inherent?, but adding the advc to the string certainly brightened things up a lot.

I used standard s=vhs leads, the $15 variety not the super rich type, on some source material I did see a more natural image using rca composite.

All the dvd recorders are great, with a hard disk I would go Toshiba (What IS the black level bug all about) the menus are great and easier to use than panasonic, but I'd say that the Panny has the edge picture quality wise. the Sony is very good as well, and it is the first Sony product I have enjoyed using.

The real winner is the RJ tech, which London drugs are selling off under the Curtis brand for Can$200, but be warned I had to take one back, and the menus are non-existant, and it feels fragile but the recording picture quality is great.

For really nice editing and menus, use your pc, but thats the fun part getting a good capture is the hard work, and I think direct to a dvd recorder is great.

The bottom line of what I have discovered in nearly a year is start simple and if you like it then stop there.

I am awaiting delivery of the jvc 9911u, much touted hereabouts, and will update then, will be suprised if my best today is beaten but pleased if it is.

[lordsmurf]

I can attest to the failings of the Samsung machine. There are many tapes it just barfs on, but the JVC HR-S7965EK will play fine. Or at least better.

I still have trouble with Aussie PAL, however. This EU equipment does not play nice with OZ stuff.