Newbie converting to DVD - help!

[photogman]

Newbie here with a couple of questions. Currently I own a Panasonic DMR-EH50 digital recorder with a built-in hard drive that will record up to 44 hours of material. It has served its purpose very well for recording programs off my dish. However, I've got about 2 dozen VHS tapes with family videos on them I would like to convert to DVD's. I've got a spare VHS player/recorder that I don't use often. And obviously, I've got this computer with a lot of external hard drive and ethernet network server space if I need it. I've kind of shopped around a little at the local Sam's Club and called Crutchfied's as well and nobody has a combination DVD recorder/VHS recorder with a a hard drive and digital video inputs along with all the other needed inputs/outputs. I thought a one-button conversion record from VHS to DVD would have been nice and care-free but I couldn't find the animal I was looking for and if it did exist, probably not at a reasonable price. Can I do as well with my computer as far as video/audio quality is concerned compared to one of the one touch combo's they advertise and sell currently? If so, what do I need and maybe somebody could point me to a guide on this website that would do it.

My DMR-EH50 just has S-Video and a yellow video, red-white left right audio on the front panel but no digital video. I've also got a bunch of mini DV tapes and 8mm tapes that I want to convert to DVD also.

Any advice and help you could offer or point me to would be very much appreciated!

Thanks a bunch!

[Krispy Kritter]

A simple solution, using the hardware you already have, would be to connect your VCR to your recorder. Playback the tapes on the VCR and record using your recorder in real time. Record onto DVD-RW discs so that they can be reused. Then use the recorded discs to transport your video to your PC. You can then edit and create DVD's using your PC.