Companies who transfer VHS to DVD - How do they do it?

[44echo]

I do this myself (not professionally) with my own VHS tapes, but I was just wondering how the people do it who offer these services.

I see signs that offer it for $20 per tape. Surely, they don't have the DVD pressed. Do they just assume that a DVD-R will work for you? Do they use DVD recorders so they can push play on one and record on the other? For $20, they can't spend much time on it and still make money.

I was just curious how the pros did it.

[lordsmurf]

It depends.

Some of the slop operations use low-grade junk they buy from Wal-Mart or Best Buy, and the DVDs look like shit.

Others use broadcast grade gear, and just have enough volume that $20-25 a pop is worthwhile.

Also, usually $20 is a base price, for the easy jobs. Hands-off sort of work. Prices can quickly climb when more advanced work is involved. Most work is not easy.

It's always DVD-R or DVD+R, you can't press just one disc without it costs many hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars. This is what disclaimers are for.