TORN ! Cyberhome, Liteon, Gateway, GoVideo..which 2 choose ?

[arcorob]

I want to purchase a DVD recorder for my 82 year old dad. He is pretty good with tech so age not an issue.

His primary use, to convert his aging 1000+ VHS tape collection to dvd.

I want to spend about 300 or under (USD) and the choices seem to be

LiteOn LVW5001
Cyberhome DVR-1500
GoVideo R6530
Gateway AR-230
Apex (not sure model)


Bottom line is, I have looked at the reviews and they are a bit skimpy.

I am leaning toward the LiteOn or Cyberhome. Any recs that say he will have the least trouble with xyz ?

Also, want the disks created to be playable elsewhere, like his SONY DVD player....

Thanks in advance.......

[arcorob]

Well...Went with the LiteOn at Newegg.

I didn't get any answers here and after reseraching, did not like the issues i saw with the cyberhome so.....

When dad gets it and starts to use, I will post results. We have alot we can test it with

[Mike2000]

arcorob

I think you will be pleased with the Liteon. I tested it on VHS to DVD conversion at HQ and SP speeds (1 and 2 hr). It does a nice job of cleaning up the noise. The process is easy. Be aware that you may find you only get 1:56:53 on the 2 hour setting. ilink recording is great.
Go to

http://www.dvdplusrw.org/cgi/forum/ikonboard.cgi?s=1c9c8cff04b4ad5017b390c910aca549;act=SF;f=4

and click on the LITEON dvd recorder/recorder/suggestion/enhancement and you will see many users who have purchased and what they have encountered. There are more firmware upgrades coming. Liteon just pulled their latest off their website probably due to a problem (1135). You probably have 1129 as do most of us. you will see the number in the set up window amongst other numbers.
Please register and report back your experience.
Mike

[arcorob]

Thank you so much !! I ordered the LiteOn today after ALOT of research (but never went to the link you sent, that is great , thanks !!! )

I will report back too. Tell me, any trouble with playing back media in other DVD players after you create one ??? Thanks again !

[next]

Best post of all time. I love it. 82 year old dad in an obviously loving family. Converting 1000 VHS to DVD. Simple. Asking about how to choose the right equipment.

This site has come so far. Conversion has moved to the masses.

[arcorob]

Thats pretty good !

Yeah, I would do anything to make my dad happy. Here is what is funny. If I called him up and asked him to explain F-stops on a camera, he could tell me. He has every gadget you could imagine.

BUT.....

If he sits on the remote, he has a blue screen for 2 days until he calls me and I tell him

"Dad, press INPUT till you get TV back".....LOL

[eyequit]

Good luck. Just got through posting my first reply before I read yours and almost thought my post came back up. Just got the cyberhome and was gonna put my tapes on it and then give it to my 82yo mom. Am quite happy with the cyberhome so far. I just hope I don't ruin her Christmas by taking away her VCR Plus remote. Emailed cyberhome earily in the week to see if it could be programmed to work with her unit, but have not received a reply yet. Maybe my mom and your dad can watch his DVD's in about 20 years when he gets through copying his thousands of movies.

Merry Christmas to them.

[mike1061]

My intensions were to convert my VHS tapes to DVD too. I bought a computer just to do so, but I had so meny problems I shelved the idea. In the very near future I hope to buy another one that this time will work. The programs I was using last were Pinnacle studio 8 (capture, edit), with a Canopus analog to digital converter. This worked very well, but I was unable to burn them to disk. Now I have have Sony DRU510A burner. Does anybody see why this would not work? Should I get something like this "LiteOn LVW5001", is it a stand alone unit? What I want to do is edit out the comercials, and sometimes puts of more tham one show on a disk.
Thanks Mike.

[donpedro]

The programs I was using last were Pinnacle studio 8 (capture, edit), with a Canopus analog to digital converter. This worked very well, but I was unable to burn them to disk. Now I have have Sony DRU510A burner. Does anybody see why this would not work?

Not sure what you are doing. Maybe you should post in different forum and send me link. I have same combination.

[Bob W]

If you're going to be converting a 1000 old VHS tapes to DVDR then you may want to consider this device to get rid of macrovision copy protection found on some VHS tapes. http://www.facetvideo.com/

[mike1061]

Bob W.
I realy don't have that problem. I'm talking about stuff I recorded from tv. But thanks for the info.
Mike.