Please check my plan for VHS to DVD conversion

[quickpick]

I have approximately 200 VHS tapes. Some of them were store bought, but the large majority of them were recorded by me from various television sources and on many different VCRs over the past 20 years.

Just to give a quick idea of what is on them, most contain horse racing shows, and in most cases I probably would just want individual races, so I'm looking at many two minute clips over the course of each tape. I might also save some full shows and possibly editing commercials from them.

My goal is to transfer these tapes quickly to DVD with the "best" quality that I can expect without professional equipment or a degree from Harvard. Most were recorded at SLP, so I'm assuming that I'm looking at two or three DVDs per tape at the highest quality.

I just want to get them to DVD and worry about editing the contents later, even though I'm wasting discs. DVD-Rs are cheap enough at this point that I don't care and would prefer it over juggling DVD-RWs.

I settled on a DVD recorder even though I'm computer literate, because I felt that a capture card didn't add enough quality for all the extra headache involved. With that horribly long introduction in mind, here is the equipment I plan to use:

- JVC SVHS HR-S9911
- DataVideo TBC-1000
- Pioneer DVR-220 DVD Recorder
- TDK DVD-R 8x

Any thoughts or even just a "that looks ok" would be appreciated before I make the investment. Here are the issues I still have questions about:

- Is this the "best" equipment for my money and should I be adding anything else?
- Should I go with a JVC DVD recorder because it's a JVC SVHS?
- What cable configuration is needed to connect the SVHS to the TBC to the DVD recorder? What cables are best to purchase?
- How much chance do I have that 20 year old tapes are still ok?
- Are there any standalone combo units that could do as good a job?
- There seems to be many software options when I ultimately decide to edit these DVDs. What format is the ideal to record in to make editing easier when I finally decide to edit? I might want to do some very simple graphics...which software package would be best for that?

If you made it this far, thanks for reading and for any help you might provide.

[Marvingj]

The Equipment you have is great. Here is my suggestion get Monster Cables & instead of Pioneer 220 get the I believe 500 series you'll paid maybe a $150 more but it has a hard drive. Which is a even better backup to your disc. Combo are fair to good at most but won't hold up. The Confirguartion is SVHS>TBC>DVD Recorder.....LordSmurf & GShelley probably could get you more Detail in that QUEST......GOOD LUCK!!!

[lordsmurf]

Since you have lots of tapes, I would suggest the JVC DR-M10 DVD recorder, because unlike most recorders, it can clean up grain and chroma noise that plagued VHS tapes, especially at SLP mode.

Pioneer is a good unit, but it does a faithful transfer only, it does not clean up your tapes.

I work with many tapes each month, restoring them as best as possible, given the technology, and when it comes to the scenario you're in, I would use that.

- JVC SVHS HR-S9911
- DataVideo TBC-1000
- JVC DR-M10 DVD Recorder
- MXL (Maxell, made in Japan) or MCC (Verbatim) DVD-R 4x/8x/16x

You'll note I changed your media. While TDK is good, MXL and MCC is better. And they all cost about the same.

You may want to consider adding a proc amp or detailer, but it depends on your budget.

Use s-video connection all the wayough. Should you buy a proc amp or detailer, be sure those also use s-video. The SignVideo DR-1000 detailers is good for enhancing detail in often-soft VHS tapes. Either the SignVideo PA-100 or the Elite Video BVP-4 proc amps would be good for treaking the color and contrast of old VHS tapes, which tend to be off in this regard.

I ROUTINELY work with VHS tapes that are from the 1970s-1990s. The output is always very nice, especially given the equipment I use. The same items you are about to get, and things I'm suggesting to you.

There are no standalone singel units that do everything, no. What you are talking about now is the way to go about it.

DVD recorders can use DVD-Video or VR mode. Use DVD-Video mode.

Software?
For editing: Womble MPEG-VCR
For menus: Adobe Photoshop Elements
For authoring: TMPGEnc DVD Author (TDA)
All of these are VERY affordable, about $50 each.

You may also benefit from reading at http://www.digitalfaq.com

[trhouse]

I have been making dvd's from personal vhs and vhs-c recordings that go back to the 1980's. Because they are from a number of different families and generations, the quality of tape, how they have been handled, and stored varies greatly. Some tapes are so crinkled in spots that the vcr begins to rewind. One had the media itself flipped inside the cassette then flipped back. Some of the late 1980's tapes look amazingly good.

I chose to record as many compilations as possible with a recorder alone which accounts for around 95% of the tapes. I let a professional with much better equipment than what I would buy do the last 5%. Its saves me a lot of time too.

I do not think you need to spend any extra for X8 media whichever brand you select. The recorder records at X1. I have been using Taiyo Yuden X4, dvd-r and have not had any record or playback problems in 230 burns. It costs $25/100 at Supermediastore at the moment.

Recorders only record in mpeg2 format. Recommendations for editing depend on what is being done. All inclusive software that can trim off the ends of the video, create chapters, menus, provide Dolby AC-3 audio support, and burn include Sonic MyDVD 6. MyDVD will re-encode if you trim from inside such as a commercial and re-coding takes time. Ulead Moviefactory is another. These are not as flexible as the separate Womble, Adobe, TMPGenc solution.

[pfh]

You'd be quite happy with lordsmurf's suggestions IMO.

[quickpick]

First off, thanks to all for the fast and terrific replies.

lordsmurf...I am going to adjust my plan to exactly what you suggested, so thank you for the detailed advice.

However, after reading your advice about the proc amp, I searched a few earlier posts and gshelley's sticky on the subject. I think I am leaning toward SignVideo over the Elite if I went for the proc amp. However I did run into some questions in comparing that to the detailer. Although I realize it would be best to have both, I don't think that I want to make that kind of investment. However, if you had to pick one and the $150 difference wasn't an issue, is the proc amp a better bet than the detailer? Considering I am an amateur and would be learning along the way, would either one be easier for me to use?

I've also noticed some question as to where either the proc amp (or detailer) would fall in the chain and no definite answer. Is it best to have it before or after the TBC?

Finally, I would go with Marvingj's advice on Monster cables, and I assume that I need three of them, from the SVHS to the TBC, then the TBC to the SignVideo device I choose, and finally one from that to the DVD recorder?

Thanks!

[gshelley61]

The proc amp is more important than a detailer because adjusting black level, luma and color is more critical than image sharpening.

Your Pioneer DVD recorder has a built in Detail adjustment that you can tweak (and a input black level correction adjustment, too). Use the 7.5 IRE black level video input setting on your Pioneer when recording VHS. In fact, try the default "VCR" setting that is in the Pioneer menu.

Try different hook up configurations, starting with VCR-->TBC-->Proc Amp-->DVD Recorder. Then try placing the Proc Amp before the TBC to see how that turns out. Use the Pioneer's MPEG encoding preview feature when adjusting the Proc Amp for color, luma and black level correction. It is in the Manual Recording (MN) setup area.

[trhouse]

I thought the M10S is being replaced by the new M100S is it not?

http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL027381&pathId=115&page=1

[lordsmurf]

It al depends on the shape of your videos. Sometimes I use the proc amp and not the detailers. Sometimes the detailer and not the proc amp.

[lordsmurf]

I thought the M10S is being replaced by the new M100S is it not?

http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL027381&pathId=115&page=1

Those are more or less the same things.

[thestorm]

LordSmurf, I was looking at the DR-MH30S, since it has a hard drive...would I be correct in thinking it's the same as the MH10 you recommended except it has the hard drive?

also, can you point me towards any other dvd recorder decks with hard drives that help clean up vhs transfers? i'm trying to find a model that one of the stores around me (metro detroit area) carries so I can try it out without incurring shipping costs if the output isn't good enough for my tastes.

thanx in advance for your advice,
dennis

[lordsmurf]

Yes, the 30 is the 10 with a hard drive.
Have you got an ULTIMATE ELECTRONICS in your area?

[thestorm]

unfortunately, i don't...it looks like the nearest one is a good 500 miles from here...

[justinluck]

What are the advantages of having a hard drive in the DVD recorder? Is it not necessary if we transfer the DVDs to our computer for editing?

[thestorm]

my thinking is having the hard drive allows me to capture an entire 6 hour tape at higher quality to the hard drive, then burn it to dvd+rw and copy it to my computer for editing & final dvd-creation.

i could be entirely wrong, however.

[quickpick]

Again, thanks for all the great advice.

I've done some follow-up reading and research and hoped I could get some opinions on the following:

- lordsmurf, for media, would these TY DVD-R 4x be just as good as the suggestions you made above? I read where you said you prefer the TY DVD+R, but these appear to be the ones highly rated on your site.

- For a VCR, would I be better off with a refurbished JVC 9800 or a new 9911? There isn't a dramatic difference in price, but am I correct in assuming that the quality of the 9800 makes it the better bet?

- are Monster cables worth the extra investment?

Thanks!