Gift idea...

[Nilfennasion]

My old man is turning 52 this year, and I am out of ideas as to what to get for him. He wants to transfer a lot of his old home movies to DVD, but he seriously underestimates how complex the process is.

One of the ideas I had as a result of this is to get him a standalone/set-top DVD-recorder. They're down to about $500 in this country, but I am wondering if there are any traps to look out for. Obviously, I want something that he can plug the VCR and the antenna feed into. Any suggestions for someone living in Australia?

[teegee420]

I'm afraid I can't offer any Oz specific advice but I wanted to suggest that you get one with a firewire port. That way he can transfer MiniDV and Digital 8 cam footage to DVD with better quality as opposed to using RCA/composite connections. If he's into that kind of thing it's a good feature to have. Good luck with things.

[Nilfennasion]

Thanks. I will definitely keep that one in mind. He used to videotape everything (one of his hobbies when I was young was photography), so you never know.

I have found that it is possible to find models marketed in Oz when it comes to players and checking which formats they can play back. Is there a procedure for checking on the site which set-top recorders can record which format? The purpose of this recorder would also be recording from TV, of course.

[teegee420]

I can't really help you there, but be patient. I'm sure someone more knowledgable will come along. In the meantime, have you browsed through the DVD Recorders Forum we have here?

[Nilfennasion]

No, I haven't gone through the recorders forum. One of the reasons I stick to this one is because I have enough trouble keeping track in one busy forum, leave alone two or three. Since I got the recorder drive in my computer, he's been asking me about the possibility of transferring his home videos to DVD that way, and I think the set-top system would be the better choice, quite frankly.

You seem like you know a fair bit, teegee, so maybe you can help me with something. Is it worth my while to add menus to the discs I have shrinked? If so, how do I go about doing it?

[pchan]

Hi Nilfennasion,

The Lite-On LVW-5001 DVD Recorder may a good choice for your dad. Sell for A$549 in Oz. Check it out. http://www.liteonit.com/DC/english/lvw_5001.htm

[Nilfennasion]

Of the models I have seen to date, it is so far my first choice because it supports the +RW format and has a firewire connector. I'll make a note of it.

[teegee420]

No, I haven't gone through the recorders forum. One of the reasons I stick to this one is because I have enough trouble keeping track in one busy forum, leave alone two or three. Since I got the recorder drive in my computer, he's been asking me about the possibility of transferring his home videos to DVD that way, and I think the set-top system would be the better choice, quite frankly.

Ok, just so we're clear, the recorders forum deals with set-top recorders, not PC DVD writers. Just thought you'd be able to get some good info there.

Is it worth my while to add menus to the discs I have shrinked? If so, how do I go about doing it?

I'll assume you're talking about backing up your commercial DVD's. This is just my opinion but menu's aren't very important to me when it comes to putting a dual layer DVD9 disc onto a single layer 4.7gb DVD-R. I care more about picture quality than I do fancy navigation bells and whistles. Besides, why bother if you have removed all the extras and commentary tracks?

[RabidDog]

Why not get Him a mediacenter "type" box. They will generally allow video inputs and output onto your pc and also the other way round. Various models spring to mind ...pinnacle Hauppage Nebula. Or just pay for his

home

movies to be converted.
As for your last suggestion .. Factor 40 n Cold beer.

[Nilfennasion]

There is quite a lot of material to be backed up at the moment. Old VHS cassettes are the primary source, so something that can receive input from a VCR is always good to have.

[Nilfennasion]

Two things.

First, how important is it to have an internal hard drive on these machines?

Second, I've just learned that some of the home movies in question will in fact be film sourced, things like 8MM and Super-8. How much does that affect what I want to do? What is the resolution of formats like these?