VHS to DVD recorders/captures

[lordsmurf]

I have 16 -RW discs I use over and over again.

[delrio]

Grab yourself a used JVC HR-S9911 VCR and a JVC DR-M10S DVD recorder. No need for combo unit, MV1

The combo unit would be more convenient, if he's got plain old non-Super VHS.

Del Rio

[lordsmurf]

No it wouldn't.
The JVC VCR in that combo is a piece of crap, and is also regular VHS. It has quality issues both visually and mechanically. Run away screaming. The non-combo JVC recorder, and then any decent VCR (S-VHS or otherwise) would be a better buy.

[delrio]

No it wouldn't.
The JVC VCR in that combo is a piece of crap, and is also regular VHS. It has quality issues both visually and mechanically. Run away screaming. The non-combo JVC recorder, and then any decent VCR (S-VHS or otherwise) would be a better buy.

Hmmm. How bad is the picture? I'm not so concerned about the long-term viability of it - it only needs to live long enough to encode my somewhat limited VHS collection.

Del Rio

[gshelley61]

It may cost somewhat more to acquire a separate high-quality VCR and standalone DVD recorder, but the results you will get are worth it. The difference in VHS playback image quality from something like the JVC HR-S9600U and a cheap VCR is like night and day, IMHO.

[Bort04]

All I do is just borrow my brother's digital video camera and record the output of my VCR with it. Then I pass the data (via Firewire) to my PC, edit the video, and create a DVD. Easy!

What's the picture quality of the dvd when you use this method? That is something I could try.

[lordsmurf]

No it wouldn't.
The JVC VCR in that combo is a piece of crap, and is also regular VHS. It has quality issues both visually and mechanically. Run away screaming. The non-combo JVC recorder, and then any decent VCR (S-VHS or otherwise) would be a better buy.

Hmmm. How bad is the picture? I'm not so concerned about the long-term viability of it - it only needs to live long enough to encode my somewhat limited VHS collection.

Del Rio

On my quality scale of 1 to 4, the VCR in that combo gets a 4 (worst).

[delrio]

It may cost somewhat more to acquire a separate high-quality VCR and standalone DVD recorder, but the results you will get are worth it. The difference in VHS playback image quality from something like the JVC HR-S9600U and a cheap VCR is like night and day, IMHO.

I was always told that when playing back regular non-Super VHS, you're better off getting a normal VHS deck, because S-VHS decks have a different style of heads which compromise the playback of regular VHS.

Also, I don't want to spend $600+ to offload maybe 50 or 60 videos (that were recorded on a sub-$200 Sharp VHS deck) onto DVD. Anyone have a more affordable recommendation for a regular, non-Super VHS deck?

Del Rio

[xiaNaix]

I've found that no single VCR will play all of my old VHS tapes well. I've got at least a half dozen units around here and some of them play certain tapes better than others. Your best bet is to play your tape on the VCR it was recorded with. If that is not available, try all of your decks and see which one it looks best on.

[richdvd]

It may cost somewhat more to acquire a separate high-quality VCR and standalone DVD recorder, but the results you will get are worth it. The difference in VHS playback image quality from something like the JVC HR-S9600U and a cheap VCR is like night and day, IMHO.

I was always told that when playing back regular non-Super VHS, you're better off getting a normal VHS deck, because S-VHS decks have a different style of heads which compromise the playback of regular VHS.

Also, I don't want to spend $600+ to offload maybe 50 or 60 videos (that were recorded on a sub-$200 Sharp VHS deck) onto DVD. Anyone have a more affordable recommendation for a regular, non-Super VHS deck?

Del Rio

B&H Photo has some JVC SVHS VCRs that are under $200.
You might be best off to try one of those.
I just bought the JVC 3912 model, and it works great.

[lordsmurf]

My 3800 started eating tapes again, as of yesterday. POS. I get to re-align it again. Happens every 1-2 years.

[gshelley61]

I was always told that when playing back regular non-Super VHS, you're better off getting a normal VHS deck, because S-VHS decks have a different style of heads which compromise the playback of regular VHS.

Also, I don't want to spend $600+ to offload maybe 50 or 60 videos (that were recorded on a sub-$200 Sharp VHS deck) onto DVD. Anyone have a more affordable recommendation for a regular, non-Super VHS deck?

Del Rio

Look for a bargain on a decent pre-owned unit on eBay. The S-VHS decks generally have better tape transports, heads and electronics... that results in a better playback picture. There are several mid to late 90's JVC's that were very well made. There are some great prosumer decks like the Panasonic AG-1960 (and AG-1970/1980 if you want a TBC). Some like the Toshiba 6-head VCR's from the same era.

You can always re-sell the unit when you are done with it.

[nathanaa]

Thanks for the head-up on that JVC HR-S9911U over at eCost.com. Down to $227 per unit, which I was happy to see. Then they tack on that BS "Handling" fee - yeah, charge me $6.95 to slap a label on the box you p****s. Still, got mine for under $235, which seems a pretty good deal.

[gshelley61]

Let us know how you like it when it arrives...

[nathanaa]

Well, unfortunately, that may be a bit of a wait. Once I get the JVC VHS, I then still need to get the TBC and the DVD recorder. I'm going to have to do this a piece at a time. My next purchase will be the TBC, the AVTools AVT-8710 I think - it's cheaper, and it sounds like as I learn more I'll be able to adjust any problem tapes better with that particular TBC. After that, well, it may be a few more months, but the JVC DR-M10S is awfully popular, and to a newbie like me it sounds pretty user friendly. By the time I can afford a recorder there might be a M20 down in my price range too, who knows?

By the by - is there a DR-M10 that does *not* have the VCR built in? All I've seen are the combo decks, but I thought I've run across posts where the authors have referred to the deck as not being a combo. Or does noone ever really use that VCR (I've read it's a standard quality component, not worth using for this sort of work.)

[lordsmurf]

The MV1 is the combo.
The M10 is the record only.

[slickbobo]

Let me tell you first hand, the JVC DRMV1S is one troubled unit. I've had it now for about two months and while I've been able to dub many of my old VHS tapes to DVD's, the problems that seem to 'pop up' can be frustrating. The most common is when the unit starts blinking 'LOADING' in the middle of playing a DVD. Weird. Also, the VHS player must be JVC's low-end unit. POC. I tried takeing it back to BB but because I was 'past the 30 day return policy AND didn't purchase there extended warranty' TO BAD. I'am left to take any issues I have up with JVC. STAY AWAY FROM THE DRMV1S. You've been warned.

[buick]

I just purchased the JVC DR-M10SL unit and love it. I found I could go up to 2:45 hours on my old tapes and carry about the same qaulity.My ? is if some people could share how they are authoring the dvd-rw's on there computor? I would really like to use ulead dvd workshop to put chapters and menu's since Im use to using it. I found that my pioneer 106 wont see the files on the disk not unless I save it in video mode and close disk and then just working with vob's.

Thanks for any help

[gshelley61]

Record your -RW's in standard DVD-Video format and finalize. Ulead should be able to handle the resulting VOB's with no problems.