Can a dvd recorder overwrite part of a recording like VCRs?

[lordsmurf]

I'll take the first one because the+R/RW media is newer.

That's a dumb reason.

DVD-R works in more players than DVD+R.

DVD+RW works in more players than DVD-RW. But DVD+RW tends to not last as long as DVD-RW media. DVD+RW also uses DVD+VR format most of the time, which is CVBR based, meaning lower image quality than true VBR DVD-RW-using counterparts.

Newer is not better. In fact, DVD+R/DVD+RW is not an official DVD format, it's a rogue format started up by a few companies that refuses to pay royalties for the official technology. They were plagued by R&D problems that took years to resolve, which is why they are "new". It's because they couldn't get off the ground. Meanwhile, DVD-R was solid from the beginning, nary an issue.

[oldfart13]

What newer series could you possibly want to re-record onto DVD-+R that aren't out or coming out onto DVD? A friend of mine spends his days buying the series that he used to have on VHS as pristine quality DVD box sets. Seinfeld? Isn't the whole thing out on DVD these days? Why recap it when you can buy/borrow/rent and rip? Some series and movies it isn't even worth ripping the discs as the per unit cost was so low (I just bought a movie I wanted for a long time "Eating Raoul" from Wal-Mart for $4.88...a dual layer blank will set me back almost as much and a rental will set me back more than the disc is worth!). Newer series like whatever is on this past year from US TV will be out between now and December. No need to do anything other than cap for later watching. The time taken to convert is better spent on capping stuff that is one-of-a-kind or old stuff that will never be made available (family videos, conventions, movies not on DVD [some stations run these, I kid you not...got 2 in the last month], etc.). Lotsa my friends in the same boat though as they are unaware of exactly how much stuff is out or coming out on DVD. That's why sites like www.tvshowsondvd.com are a blessing....

[trhouse]

I too used -r/-rw almost exclusively until about two months ago. The change came when I started using DL ( dual/double layer ) disks. I have a Pioneer that writes to -DL but the media is about twice the price of +DL and I can only find it online. I now burn +DL with a loaner Panasonic ES35V and it has worked out well. This is Verbatim media in both cases. One advantage of +rw is that it does not require finalizing in many cases to work in players.

[edit]Verbatim +DL inkjet printables, $1.50 each ( 20 pack ) after rebate from Newegg

[lordsmurf]

DL is a whole different animal.
DVD+R DL works much better than DVD-R DL right now.

[lordsmurf]

What newer series could you possibly want to re-record onto DVD-+R that aren't out or coming out onto DVD?

Pretty much anything that gets cancelled.

Drew Carey's Green Screen Show, for example. Unlikely that it will ever hit DVD, it was cancelled, nobody cares.

It's a shame more shows don't follow the trend of Smallville or Family Guy, where the release is put out maybe 3 months after the season ended. That would be excellent.

[SingSing]

DVD+R/W is more convinent, because it does not need to finalised.

[lordsmurf]

DVD+R/W is more convinent, because it does not need to finalised.

DVD+R still has to be finalized.

[ZippyP.]

If I record from my VCR to the HDD in dvd recorder with SLP or SEP mode, then I copy the recording to a DVD with SLP or SEP mode, what would the result be?!!
Would it be terrible?! Would the recording time increase to 12 or 16 HRS? or I can't do that?
Did anyone try that?

Once it's recorded you cannot change it, SP stays SP, EP stays EP.

[reco]

If I record from my VCR to the HDD in dvd recorder with SLP or SEP mode, then I copy the recording to a DVD with SLP or SEP mode, what would the result be?!!
Would it be terrible?! Would the recording time increase to 12 or 16 HRS? or I can't do that?
Did anyone try that?

Once it's recorded you cannot change it, SP stays SP, EP stays EP.

It is like copying a file in your computer, the good thing is you dont lose anything transfering a digital file from one media to another, the bad thing is, you can not change anything while doing this copy.

On the other hand, with VHS you always lose quality when transfering the content of the tape to another tape or to a digital media.

[BM9]

If I record from my VCR to the HDD in dvd recorder with SLP or SEP mode, then I copy the recording to a DVD with SLP or SEP mode, what would the result be?!!
Would it be terrible?! Would the recording time increase to 12 or 16 HRS? or I can't do that?
Did anyone try that?

Once it's recorded you cannot change it, SP stays SP, EP stays EP.

Do you mean that If I record anything from VCR or receiver to the recorder's HDD with any mode, I can't then set the recording mode when I copy from HDD to DVD?

[reco]

If I record from my VCR to the HDD in dvd recorder with SLP or SEP mode, then I copy the recording to a DVD with SLP or SEP mode, what would the result be?!!
Would it be terrible?! Would the recording time increase to 12 or 16 HRS? or I can't do that?
Did anyone try that?

Once it's recorded you cannot change it, SP stays SP, EP stays EP.

Do you mean that If I record anything from VCR or receiver to the recorder's HDD with any mode, I can't then set the recording mode when I copy from HDD to DVD?

You are not "recording" it again, you are copying one file from HDD to DVD Media, just like if u were using a PC.

[energy80s]

OK, I've read through this thread, and it seems that a DVD Recorder with a built in hard drive would be the most useful thing for you. This will allow for editing and also downsampling to a lower bitrate if needs be (to fit a programme to existing disc space). As for picture quality of different modes, check out my thread on the Pioneer 433 as I have included screen grabs of different resolutions there ... https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=297109 ... it will give you some idea of comparisons in quality for different recorder settings.

[TBoneit]

If I record from my VCR to the HDD in dvd recorder with SLP or SEP mode, then I copy the recording to a DVD with SLP or SEP mode, what would the result be?!!
Would it be terrible?! Would the recording time increase to 12 or 16 HRS? or I can't do that?
Did anyone try that?

Once it's recorded you cannot change it, SP stays SP, EP stays EP.

Well you can with the Pioneer 531H that I have. If I add more video than will fir on the disc it will offer to re-encode to fit the disc. Keeping in mind that it will do the re-encode in real time. 8 hours of video will take 8 hours + burn time.

And keep in mind that you can not put anything not in dvd specs. Therfore you couldn't take 18 hours and make an 18 hour DVD. Which is what I believe the OP wants to do. With discs as cheap as they are why go beyond one video per disk?

And the second encode will reduce quality. But you could take 4 two hour recordings that were done at Sp and put them onto one DVD if the quaility hit didn't bother you.

[oldfart13]

What newer series could you possibly want to re-record onto DVD-+R that aren't out or coming out onto DVD?

Pretty much anything that gets cancelled.

Drew Carey's Green Screen Show, for example. Unlikely that it will ever hit DVD, it was cancelled, nobody cares.

It's a shame more shows don't follow the trend of Smallville or Family Guy, where the release is put out maybe 3 months after the season ended. That would be excellent.

Hmmm...and yet some cancelled stuff is out or coming out:

Firefly (and not just because of the movie either)
Night Stalker (the new one was cancelled but it's coming out)
Threshold (July apparently)
etc.

Of course if the show only went a couple episodes it may never be made available on anything other than on demand download. Me, I'm still waiting for "TV Funhouse" to come out on DVD...

[TBoneit]

OTOH many things are coming out and others never will most likely.

For example "Name's the Same" (1951)" was showing somewhere a few years ago. Yup it was a game show but funny, funny, funny. I do not expect it to ever show up on DVD.

Many of the older HBO specials probably will never see DVD. I'm thinking of some of their Burlesque shows that were done here in NJ or Some Ice Skating etc. I'm guessing that they didn't even think of getting rights to put out on DVD ot tape back inthe 80's. They probably had rights to so many showings and that was it.

Many old TV shows may be tied up by copyright problems, but that is a guess.

I recall watching saturday TV shows as a kid that will never see DVD.... Sky King, Cisco Kid, Roy Rogers, Andy's Gang, And of course shows that are not considered PC. Or mainstram Westerns, Bat Masterson, Have Gun Will travel, The Rifelman, Maverick and so on.

So these days I'll gamble the cost of a few blanks to record shows that may not make it. Tabitha and the one with the Pink Submarine never made hit status of course OTOH Tabitha is on DVD so who knows maybe I will see Palladin riding again.

[lordsmurf]

oldfart, think about all releases that are edited, cut, censored, butchered and not like the actual tv versions we came to love. They can keep their screwed up releases, I'll just record the "good version" off tv.