Mass Transfer of VHS to DVD by Standalone Player

[tcfpcm]

Hello everyone. This is my first post, but I think it will be helpful to everyone. I have been doing research on transferring a ton of VHS tapes to DVD in the fastest way possible while maintaining integrity. I also wanted to keep myself under $500 for a unit. Here are the criteria:

Quality must be the same as the original
Media must play on many players when finished
Menus and chapters are a plus

Here are the models I have looked at with their strengths and weaknesses. I have been able to get all this info from this board and AVforum, but I'm sure it is not complete. Please correct me if I am wrong and add to the list if you own a player below. Please help me make this a great list for everyone!

I will edit this list as people respond so we can just look at this post for reference.

Cyberhome 1500 $249 Walmart

DVD+R/RW

Menus and chapters on both R and RW

Editing Menu names on R and RW

auto chapter mode to 5, 10 minutes or off

Media does work well in other machines?

If you edit the chapters, it is sometimes difficult to have them read on other players.



Sansui VCR/DVD Recorder Unit $399 Sears

Has Pioneer Guts

DVD-R/RW

Does not do menus and chapters on DVD-R

auto chapter mode to 5, 10, 15, 30 minutes or off

DVD-Rs work on most other machines but not in the VR mode (VR mode is only in RW)?

Cannot to a forward or rewind and show what is going on on the screen.



Panasonic E 50/60 $400

DVD-R/RAM

Menus and chapters on both R and RW

auto chapter mode to 5, 10 minutes or off

DVD-Rs work on most other machines

Time Capturing: Will stop when you tell it to.



Panasonic E 80 $520

DVD-R/RAM

Hard drive enables more editing, but similar in quality to E 50

Menus and chapters on both R and RW

auto chapter mode to 5, 10 minutes or off

DVD-Rs work on most other machines

Time Capturing: Will stop when you tell it to.

[Bob W]

I have the E50 and I don't think you can adjust the auto chapter time nor turn it off. If you can then it's well hidden in the menu. I record to the E50 from a JVC SR-V10U VCR via the s-video out to a TBC ( http://www.avtoolbox.com/avt-8710.htm ). I then playback the DVDR's from my Bravo D1, DVI enabled DVD player ( http://www.vinc.com/product.asp?id=31&PID=21 ) at 720p or 1080i and the picture quality is better than the orignal IMO.

[donpedro]

I would sugest looking into my list. If you have trouble to understand something just ask.

Anyway... what I was about to say is that I believe that most of the recorders (if not all) record media in way that some players will have trouble. For example my stupid Daewoo. As a workarround you can re-author on PC.

[tcfpcm]

Wow. Donpedro, that is a list. The main thing that I am looking for that is not on the list is the compatibility with on other players and what editing functions are available with the "R" and not the "RW" or "RAM"

Where did you compile all that data? From the user manuals?

Thanks!

[donpedro]

Wow. Donpedro, that is a list. The main thing that I am looking for that is not on the list is the compatibility with on other players

Well... that is very hard without help....

and what editing functions are available with the "R" and not the "RW" or "RAM"

That is easy.... whenever you see "x" it means that it can be done no matter what media are you using. If there is something else, it means that it can be done only in that mode or media type.

BTW: Workarround is to do everything on RW and then just copy to R on PC. That is what I did.

Where did you compile all that data? From the user manuals?

Yes.