VHS to DVD with Computer or Standalone

[Rod L]

I'm undecided as to whether to convert my VHS tapes to digital (DVD) by using a computer or a stand alone deck.

Is one of the above methods better then the other in terms of simplicity, speed and quality?

In most cases I would be doing a straight thru conversion with no menuing needed, however I may want to add indexing (which I presently have no clue how that is done.)

I read up on both and it seems that there are still many problems with either method. Audio sync ect.

Can someone point in a direction that would solve this conversion question? PC or stand alone.

Also, I'm looking for the least cost solution. I would prefer having to avoid special equipment such as Time Correction for $300.

Thanks,

Rod

[yoda313]

Hello,

Standalone recorder for simplicity without fancy menus.

Pc dvd recorder+capture card for maximum flexibility and creativity

Kevin

[pepegot1]

I use stand alone JVC DR 10S recorder and edit on the PC with as much sophistication as I desire.
See my post on Macrovision FYI for more details

[jetfan]

I recently bought a lite on dvd recorder for about $150 after rebates at cc. For speed and convienence, this little puppy does the trick. You can choose quality, ...eg 1 hr, 2hr, up tp 6 hrs, and it also inserts chapters automatically at a chosen interval. You can pause and insert another tape or you can stop it and pick up another day. The nice part about stopping it is that it creates a simple menu so that you can choose which segment that you would like to view. A major disadvantage with this method is that you are basically making a straight copy, you can't edit, camera shakes, whatever.

I only used my computer for video prior to this, which is a lot slower. An example, 1 hour to capture, say an hour to edit, create menus, add sound effects, choose shots, etc (you could spend many hours on this part alone) Then you have to encode the video to be DVD compliant. Studio 9 would take about 2 - 2 1/2 hours to do 1 hour of video. Finally, another 10 - 15 minutes to burn the DVD.

So there you have it -an hour for a duplicate of a tape with rough footage or about 5 hours to create a masterpiece.

I only do video conversions for family and friends, so I bought this DVD recorder to back up about a hundred or so video tapes before they deteriorate any further and for the nice features of DVD's. There's just not enough time to do so many tapes the way that I prefer - the studio route.

[lordsmurf]

A DVD recorder sounds like what you want. Easy, not many options needed.

JVC, LiteOn, Pioneer ... top three in terms of quality, price and features. All are easy to find. Pioneer even at Walmart (nice 90-day return policy!)

[Bob W]

Trust me you don't want to do video capture so just get a DVD recorder.

[Epicurus8a]

I spent a lot of time and money trying to find a capture device I liked. Then I gave up and bought a Pioneer DVD Recorder (after briefly testing a Panasonic machine). Here is my short story:

I've been using a Pioneer 210s for 8 months or so and just bought a Pioneer 420H-s with an 80gig hard drive (for storage and simple cut-editing). Both machines have been flawless so far and are a true joy to own. Both machines record DVD-R, DVD-RW. Also, they both have the option to record in VR mode* (for editing) with an RW disc. Editing is well thought out, and a breeze! The best feature by far is the manual (VBR) bit rate selection.

Whenever I want custom menus or chapters I'll rip my discs to the computer hard drive, and re-author them. (DVD Decrypter & TMPGEnc DVD Author are good for this, meanwhile you can study up.)

*NOTE: VR mode is not supported by most DVD players or most software, but that will change as time goes by.