Recipe for Copying VHS Tapes to DVD

[yoda581]

I’ve been reading a lot on this and other boards and learning lots. I’m coming to the realization that there isn’t any one “recipe” of hardware, software and settings to do any particular project. But I think there must be some general rules, etc. that should keep me on the right track. Here are two projects I would like to do:

Project #1: Like many other posters, I have several old VHS tapes of my family as the kids are growing up. Each tape has two hours of video on it. I would like to transfer these tapes to DVD (ideally one tape to one dvd) and make copies to give to each of my children, to be played on set top players.

Project #2: Using my new Panasonic Mini-DV PV GS300 video camera, I want to interview my older relatives to capture their memories and stories for family tree purposes. These would also be put together onto a DVD and distributed to family members, to be played on set top players.

My hardware: Laptop pc with DVD+RW drive, Ad Tech DVD Xpress video capture device, Panasonic PV GS300 mini dv camera.

Here’s my process: I play vcr output into the Ads Tech capture box via RCA cables and use Ads Tech’s CapWiz capture software. This creates an .mpg file. Next, I use ULead DVD Movie Factory 3 SE to open the mpg file to edit, add chapters and burn it to a DVD.

I haven’t used the video camera too much, but the camera connects to the pc with a usb 2.0 cable and video is captured with Panasonic’s Motion DV Studio 3 LE.

I have used all of the default settings so far. I was able to take a 20 minute vhs video and put on a dvd+rw. It took about an hour to do this. The dvd played once in my Pioneer dvd-r set top player, but wouldn’t play the next day on the same player.

Anyway . . . after all of that, my question is: Before spending a lot of time going down the wrong path, what am I doing wrong, right, etc.?

Thank you!
Jim

[Marvingj]

Pioneer DVD Recorder is a DVD-R player. Your Disc is a DVD+RW. Pioneer doesn't play DVD-RW. According to the manual. But I heard that it can play a DVD+RW. I have a Pioneer 225, I never tried it. But your problem could be Compability. Try Copying it to a DVD-RW.

[theewizard]

did you finalize the +RW disc before you put it in the pioneer recorder/player ?

I would suggest another try a it, and finalize the disc,

if you put an OPEN +rw disc into a -rw recorder it likely messed up the file structure when it finalized the disc before letting you remove it


yes you will have to erase it to use it again

[thecoalman]

RW discs are not very reliable, possibly why. Haven't heard of one going bad overnight though... I use them myself but only for testing.

I haven’t used the video camera too much, but the camera connects to the pc with a usb 2.0 cable and video is captured with Panasonic’s Motion DV Studio 3 LE.

Most cams transfer a low quality video over USB, use firewire instead. If you transfer over firewire as DV-AVI it's a bit for bit copy of what's on the cam.

[Dubber]

I once bought 10 EMTECH DVD-Rs and 9 were unreadable within one week. I think 3 went bad overnight.
Try different make DVDs and format ( either -R or +R).

[JaredKnight]

JaredKnight here,

I am going to use a vcr to output to Panasonic DMR-ES15S DVD rcdr,
and then edit (lightly, with titles,etc) this +rw disc in some program. which I have not chosen as yet. Anyone have any suggestions?

My VHS videos are of a 7 year stay in Japan during the 80's, not too great and decaying fast....

Thanks

[Cobra]

JaredKnight,

Please don't threadjack (post your own question in someone else's thread).

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=322160&highlight=

Continue in your own topic here.

Thanks very much!

Cobra