Why DVD to HD better than DVD to DVD?

[kevs]

JUst want to get my head around why quality will be much better going from DVD to HD on recorder that has a HD, compared to the crappy quality I saw testing from DVD player to a DVD Recorder. With using the Recorder/HD combo you get quality you would get with computer because your eliminating cables? is that it? thanks.

[redwudz]

It's not from eliminating cables. It's probably from eliminating conversions from digital to analog. From a DVD player to a separate DVD recorder, the video would need to be converted to the player output, S-Video or composite which is analog. Then when it gets to the DVR, it would have to be converted again from analog to digital to make the recording. You always have loss with conversions, especially in real time.

In a DVR there are fewer or no conversions when you backup a disc to it's hard drive, as it stays in the digital format. And it takes less processing power.

And I suppose the next question should be; Can you do the transfer in digital between a DVD player and a DVR? If the DVD player had a digital output like DV, or DVI or HDMI and the DVR had the same inputs, probably. At least it would be better without the DA conversions.

[FulciLives]

JUst want to get my head around why quality will be much better going from DVD to HD on recorder that has a HD, compared to the crappy quality I saw testing from DVD player to a DVD Recorder. With using the Recorder/HD combo you get quality you would get with computer because your eliminating cables? is that it? thanks.

Some DVD recorders that have a built-in HDD will allow you to make a 100% digital copy of a DVD to the HDD ... this can then be burned back to a new DVD recordable. The new DVD is a 100% digital copy of the original. There will be no loss in quality!

However this will only work if the DVD you try to copy is free of copy protection. This is true of discs you record yourself and want to make a copy of but it obviously does not apply to a commercial store bought DVD since just about all of those will have copy protection.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[kevs]

thanks Red and Fulci: that sums it up pretty good.