Which DVD-HDD-Recorder can create maps?

[ericzutter]

I want to copy all my 100 VHS movies to the harddisk from a DVD-HDD Recorder. I don't want to put them on DVD. I am looking for an DVD-HDD Recorder with the following features :

- create maps on harddisk so that I can group my VHS movies by genre (example comedy, horror, action, etc).
- good editing functions

Can anybody advice me a DVD-HDD-recorder that has the above features ?

[RabidDog]

Toshiba dtr35t . pioneer 440hx-s. Pioneer mapmaker 002
Also its better to call them folders or directorys otherwise people will think you are a mad cartographer.
hmm... 100 x 2 hours = hard disk big size (160gb plus) possibly 320gb or more

[bobkart]

At maximum recording quality, each hour is in the range of 4.25GiB. So 200 hours ~= 850GiB (~=900GB).

At SP, 450GB; at LP, 225GB.

[ericzutter]

Also its better to call them folders or directorys otherwise people will think you are a mad cartographer.

My mistake. I speak dutch. Indeed the dutch word "map" is not the same as the english word "map".

Toshiba dtr35t . pioneer 440hx-s. Pioneer mapmaker 002

My goal is that when I browse the movies I stored on the harddisk, I don't need to browse one big list of 100 movies. But that I can first select the genre or group (=comedy, action, horror, etc) so that I will receive a smaller list to browse.

I read on the site http://www.220-electronics.com/dvdrecorders/pioneer640.htm that with Pioneer you can use four groups to store your movies and easely move a movie from one group to another group. Is this what your mean with the ability to create folders on the harddisk from Pioneer?

Is there a limit on the number of folders or groups you can create on te harddisk from Pioneer and Toshiba ?

[ericzutter]

In the pdf file http://www.komplett.ie/mlf/produkt/diverse/317751_ENG.pdf (page 40) they say that the harddisk from the LG dvd-hdd-recorder is divided into ten genre. Does anybody has experience with LG ?

And which one (Pioneer, Toshiba, LG, ...) is the most easy to use to browse and edit 100 VHS movies stored on the harddisk from the dvd-recorder ?

[falberni]

I have a Zentih recorder, which is exactly the same as one of its parent company's LG models. On the same screen that you type a name for each clip, you can also select a genre for the clip. There are only six genres as follows:

DOCU = Documentary
EDU = Educational
NEWS
DRAMA
ANI = ??? I don't know hwat this means
SPORTS
MOVIE
SHOW

There is no provision to add new genres. Once you assign a name and a genre to a clip, the clips are show like thumbnail. There are no folders. Are the clips are shown on the smae screen. The genere is shown on the thumnails like a small symbol.

[FulciLives]

Toshiba or Pioneer are the two best when it comes to quality.

Your idea of storing the movies on the HDD is pretty dumb though. I mean you can only store so many (not as many as what I think you are thinking) and then what? Once it is filled up you are done and can't do anything more. You gonna pay $350 US Dollars or more for a machine that can hold what? ... 20 movies or so?

That's dumb.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[ericzutter]

I have a Zentih recorder, which is exactly the same as one of its parent company's LG models. On the same screen that you type a name for each clip, you can also select a genre for the clip.

Do you have the option to show only the movies from one specific genre ?

[ericzutter]

Your idea of storing the movies on the HDD is pretty dumb though. I mean you can only store so many (not as many as what I think you are thinking) and then what? Once it is filled up you are done and can't do anything more. You gonna pay $350 US Dollars or more for a machine that can hold what? ... 20 movies or so?

When you say 20 movies, then it is in DVD quality. I don't see the use to store VHS-movies in DVD quality. Even if I can not put all my movies on the harddisk, I will put my preferred movies on the harddisk. I suppose that a 250 GB harddisk can hold 50 movies in SP or 100 movies in LP. How is the quality from SP and LP compared to VHS on Pioneer, Toshiba and LG ?

[FulciLives]

But if you do LP speed then you might as well burn them to DVD because with LP mode even the longest of movie will fit a single DVD disc and most times you will be able to put 2 per disc.

It only makes "sense" not to burn to DVD and leave on the HDD if going for the BEST quality i.e., highest bitrates.

You need to re-think this.

Perhaps a computer based capture solution where you can capture your movies then compress to DivX/XviD and then save on the computer's HDD while hooking the TV out of the computer to a TV.

Think Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350 which has inputs and outputs and turns any computer into a PVR. In fact this capture card using MPEG-1 at Full D1 resolution and a "high" bitrate might be a good option ... or "low" bitrate MPEG-2 at Half D1 resolution.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[falberni]

I have a Zentih recorder, which is exactly the same as one of its parent company's LG models. On the same screen that you type a name for each clip, you can also select a genre for the clip.

Do you have the option to show only the movies from one specific genre ?

No, it does not make folders. It does not group similar movies together either. All the clips are shown as thumbnails on one screen. You can move up and down the big screen and select the clip you want by using the up and down arrows on the remote.

[ericzutter]

Think Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350 which has inputs and outputs and turns any computer into a PVR.

Looks good. When you use the remote control from the Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350 card, will the image be showed on the TV screen or the PC screen ?

The problem is that I don't have a PC. I only have a laptop. So I will have to choose: buy a PC with the Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350 or buy a DVD HDD Recorder.

[FulciLives]

Think Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350 which has inputs and outputs and turns any computer into a PVR.

Looks good. When you use the remote control from the Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350 card, will the image be showed on the TV screen or the PC screen ?

The problem is that I don't have a PC. I only have a laptop. So I will have to choose: buy a PC with the Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350 or buy a DVD HDD Recorder.

The Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350 is a PCI card that has special hardware embedded into it that takes care of all the recording so you don't need a fast computer to use it.

My suggestion is to buy a cheap computer from a large retail store because you don't need an expensive computer. Pop the Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350 into it and eventually get a 2nd very large HDD for the computer.

This will give you more bang for your buck. Just please note that the output of the Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350 will only work with MPEG video that has MPEG audio. So basically it will work with the captures you make but you can't use it to display the desktop on the TV nor can you use it to play other video files such as DivX or XviD. For that you would have to make sure the computer came with a graphics/video card that has a TV out function.

Yes the computer solution will be more expensive but it gives you many more options ... especially with a graphics/video card that has a TV out function ... and since a computer can have multiple large HDD's ... in the end you can store many more movies on it.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
When using the remote with the Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350 you can watch your captures on a TV or on the computer monitor or I think both at the same time.

[obs]

I have a Zentih recorder, which is exactly the same as one of its parent company's LG models. On the same screen that you type a name for each clip, you can also select a genre for the clip.

Do you have the option to show only the movies from one specific genre ?

Don't know about the Zenith, but on the LG LRH-780 ...

It shows everything you've recorded on the HDD, but you can have it sorted by Genre (or by date or by title). I think this model is only in Canada, but my suggestion is to visit the website of players you are interested in and download the userguide.

[TBoneit]

The question that comes to my mind is when the hard drive inthe recorder dies then what. Notice I said when not if. Think how much work it would be o recapture the 100 videos when the hard drive dies.

I'd burn them to DVDs and if you want easy access use a 400 disc DVD changer, Sony for example, what I have, if you Titlewrite the DVDs during creation and use Jacket_P s will go through all the DVDs and pick up the title and thumbnail and let you group them as desired. On mine 380 to 400 are where I currently have Music DVDs stored with a gap down to 350, Action/Adventure DVDs are in the 300 to 350 range. And so on.