Some suggestions on a standalone model please.

[bh72]

This will be my first purchase of a stand alone recordable, and my decision on which model to buy will come down to the best combination of these three things.:

1. Recorded image quality
2. Editing features, such as multiple options for creating menus, and frame cutting/joining editing.
3.Multiregion Macro defeat ability.

I realise the best option out there is editing on my PC (which I intend to do for certain DVD's) but at the same time I still would like to be able to do the best editing possible on my DVDR, since my PC is used mainly for buisness, and most of the time the HD is rather full.

So opinions would be appreciated on which model fits best these criteria.

[bh72]

How does Lite-On usually fair with editing and recording quality...I know it has a Macro and Region hack.

Anyone?

[trhouse]

Lite-On's only record in +VR mode. Not the most compatible format.

[lordsmurf]

DVD+VR is the same as DVD-Video, for all intentions. Do not confuse DVD-VR with DVD+VR.

DVD-VR is the non-standard format.

LiteOn has pretty good recording quality, it all just depends on what you want to record. DV tapes, VHS tapes and off-air signals all act differently.

DVD recorders give you no options for making nice menus, nor frame-accurate editing. You need a PC for that.

Anti-copy issues must be addressed with full-frame TBCs most of the time (not one supposedly found in recorders). LiteOn can be hacked, but it's not guaranteed, many newer models are not hacking well.

[trhouse]

Yes, I was aware of the differences. The big difference to me is that +VR mode does not require finalizing in many instances. I have a borrowed Sony GX315 and the manual says that it still may require finalizing in some cases. +VR is certainly more compatible than -VR. Here is a some additional info,

[DVWannaB]

DVD recorders give you no options for ....... frame-accurate editing. You need a PC for that.

I have found that my JVC MH30 and my Pioneer 520Hs give accurate cuts right where I tell it to everytime. Sony HX715 and Toshiba XS52 on the other hand seem to cut whereever the hell they feel like.

[trhouse]

The Pioneer 531H I have can only do frame accurate cuts in -VR mode. Can your MH30 do frame accurate cuts in dvd-video mode?

[lordsmurf]

trhouse, some of that info on the grid of info is totally bogus. For example, edits made on DVD+VR do NOT make more space available, it just "hides" it, and even then, this hiding effect is known to corrupt IFOs and not work on any player other than the recorder.

There's more too, but I don't have time to get into it.

[trhouse]

Lordsmurf, you are correct. I read the text above the table and did not look at the table closely enough to realize the that the text and table conflict.

Here is the text from directly above the box,


For those interested, here is a link to the full text from the Ulead Learning Center.

http://www.ulead.com/learning/general/video_04_1.htm

[DVWannaB]

The Pioneer 531H I have can only do frame accurate cuts in -VR mode. Can your MH30 do frame accurate cuts in dvd-video mode?

trhouse,

I do all my editing on the hard drive on both machines. The Pioneer 520 has an option in its set-up menu that gives me the option to do only GOP cuts or do both GOP and frame cuts. The JVC has no such option, but when editing on the JVC hard drive I use the pause and then the FF or REW (while on pause) to move one frame forward or one frame back at a time to find the exact cut point. Works like a charm everytime without fail. The great thing about the Pioneer is that you can see the GOP points in the time section so you can decide whether you want to cut on the GOP or on a particular frame.

These methods do not work with the Sony HX715 or Toshiba XS52. The only way I have found to avoid an unwanted scene in your edit it to cut 2-3 frames before or after the segment you want to keep. In some cases where there is only 1 frame between your wanted segment and a commercial, you kinda cross your fingers that the finished DVD does not contain the first few frames of the commercial. I have found that its best to edit the Sony and Toshiba on my computer.

[trhouse]

DVWannaB.

I find on my 531H that I can do GOP level edits in dvd-video mode and frame accurate in dvd-r ( VR ) mode. I thought the MH30 was capable of both modes too. I was just curious if the same was true, but you say it does not give you a choice, so there is no dvd-video vs dvd-r (VR) mode to choose?

[DVWannaB]

In regards to the JVC. I wasnt clear on this point. JVC does not give you the option like the Pioneer does to choose edit modes. Buut the JVC can do GOP cuts as well as frame cuts. The only thing with the JVC, unlike Pioneer, you cannot see the GOP counter. It only shows hours & minutes. While the Pioneer shows the same in its counter, it also shows the GOP counter as you know.

So as a result, I try not to edit by GOP with the JVC, because it would take me actually counting frames between GOPs. It would take days editing to do that, so I just go for frame-based editing.

As far as VR or DVD-video modes, I assume by editing my recordings on the hard-drive, I am doing DVD-video mode editing. Please feel to school me on this if I am wrong. Thanks.