DVD recorder - best quality speed?

[edong]

I bought from Fry's a refurbished JVC MV5 VCR-DVD Recorder combo ($99) last Saturday and started transferring VHS home videos shot 15 to 18 years ago with a Panasonic camcorder. Video quality looks good as before. This after I read that VHS tapes can only last 10-15 years. Videos of my son in 1988-1992 actually look better than the ones I shot with my Sony standard 8mm in 1997-2000 and with my Sony Digital 8 in 2001-2005.

So far, I have made 10 DVD's using the SP recording speed (2 hours) to correspond with the length of the VHS tapes. Today, I read a lengthy discussion about using half D1 on VHS tapes and a bit confused.

Question -

1. In terms of DVD recording speed, what is the equivalent of half D1 and full D1?
2. Would the video quality improve if I use XP (1 hour) recording speed for these VHS?
3. I will next transfer my standard 8mm and Digital 8 tapes using Firewire. These tapes are 2 hours and 1 hour in length, respectively. What DVD recording speed is appropriate for these two formats?

The recorder's recording speeds are 1, 2, 4, 6 hours and FR(whatever this means). It uses DVD-RAM, DVD-R and DVD-RW. It cannot read "plus" but it has video stabilizer feature.

Thanks.

[CrayonEater]

Generally, the higher bitrate (shortest recording time) should give the best quality results. In practice, this is not always true, and you, ultimately, may have to experiment, but if you're getting as-good-or-better with SP mode, don't fix what ain't broke. XP (1-hr) and SP (2-hr), at least on most DVD recorders run full-D1 (720x480 or 704x480, NTSC, or x576 PAL). LP (4-hr) is half-D1 (352x480) and EP (6-hr) is 1/4-D1 (352x240).

BTW, FR probably means Flexible Recording - the bitrate (quality) will be adjusted to fit in whatever time limits you set e.g. if you have a 3-hour video, you can set FR to 3 hours and expect to get a quality between the 2-hour and 4-hour modes.

[SingSing]

I read that VHS tapes can only last 10-15 years.

DVD lasted less much than that.

[FulciLives]

Since this is family footage that you will want to preserve for as long as possible ... I would use nothing but the BEST quality mode ... the XP or 1 hour mode.

This will give the BEST quality and that is what you want for such important footage ... after all a single DVD recordable can be bought for as little as 40 cents or less these days.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[edong]

Thanks, guys, for the input.

CrayonEater answered my questions. Fulcilives has a very good suggestion. SingSing made me worry about the durability of DVD media. Before, you read that these CD/DVD media wil last 100 years, then you will read some instances of failures after just a couple of months. There is mention also of the probable risk (chemical reaction) in using Sharpie pens to label the discs which I am doing right now. I hope those media manufacturers can accurately (and honestly) tell the people what's really is the deal.

I am using FujiFilm, made in Japan. My 3-year old FujiFilms(made in Taiwan) are still playing okay. Perhaps, I will make backup copies and/or save these to a hardrive as ISO's and put it in a safe place. Any idea how long a new hard drive will last inside a box?

[FulciLives]

Thanks, guys, for the input.

CrayonEater answered my questions. Fulcilives has a very good suggestion. SingSing made me worry about the durability of DVD media. Before, you read that these CD/DVD media wil last 100 years, then you will read some instances of failures after just a couple of months. There is mention also of the probable risk (chemical reaction) in using Sharpie pens to label the discs which I am doing right now. I hope those media manufacturers can accurately (and honestly) tell the people what's really is the deal.

I am using FujiFilm, made in Japan. My 3-year old FujiFilms(made in Taiwan) are still playing okay. Perhaps, I will make backup copies and/or save these to a hardrive as ISO's and put it in a safe place. Any idea how long a new hard drive will last inside a box?

I think what SingSing was saying is that DVD was in the market place within a shorter time span as VHS if you believe that either HD-DVD and/or Blu-Ray will "kill" the DVD format.

From my understanding a HDD will go "bad" before a well made DVD disc.

Just make sure you use really high quality stuff ... MADE IN JAPAN is usually the best for DVD-R discs ... although the MADE IN TAIWAN DVD-R disc by Verbatim are very nearly as good as say the MADE IN JAPAN DVD-R discs by Taiyo Yuden.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[CrayonEater]

I wouldn't us an HDD for archival purposes. Magnetic media only lasts so long even under optimum storage conditions. HDDs also have lots that can go wrong - internal controller, heads, etc. Unless they are stored at a constant temperature, repeated heating and cooling can stress and break small wires in chips or even on the circuit boards. Tapes, at least, have little to go wrong beside the magnetic media itself, and are reliable if stored properly, but HDDs have too many gotchas.