Two newb questions about the DMR ES46V

[Unikfreak]

So I've used my Panasonic ES46V for the last month or so. Since I only had 2 hours top tapes, there's wasn't any problem. However, now I'm onto a six hour tape and I want to make it on 2 DVD-R to prevent degradation as much as possible but when I'm reading the manual, there's not a lot that tells me how to cut after three hours and start on a new DVD. What's the thing I'm missing? And by doing so, is it possible to take it back to the last frame of the VHS or do I have to take the 2-3 second delay?

Another question is, I want to remove the commercials on some TV tapes but I have no clue how to do it. In the manual, they (Panasonic) say that I can press stop or pause when I record to stop the recording. However, it just doesn't work.

Thanks!

[victoriabears]

The issue with this machine is that I think it doesn;t behave like a normal, press record press stop recorder when dubbing.

The 2/3 second delay is common an dvd recorders and you just have to allow for it, dvd recorders are great for getting the material to dvd , they are not edit machines.

I have that machine and holding the return button, right hand side 2/3rds down, stops the automatic recording process.
For pausing on automatic its that return button again, I would use DVD+/-rw's and edit them on a computer.

[trhouse]

Capturing to more than one dvd

My method with this recorder is as follows. Set the tape to the beginning of the first point where you want video to be captured. Back up a few seconds. Set the recorder in "Copy" mode to "Flexible recording" with a set time for the first capture such as two hours and three minutes or for however long you want the first recording. After the first recording is complete, the ES46V will not rewind. Back up a few seconds and press the "Cancel ( reset )" button to zero the counter. Fast forward to find the time remaining on the tape. Rewind to the zero point and set up another "Copy" as before but using the remaining time on the tape plus a few minutes as the set recording time.

Editing

Recorders without a hard drive are not the best units for editing. The method you describe is especially tedious. You need to be present when the commercials start and end. There is no way to avoid capturing some of the beginning of the commercial. There are two well known ways of doing this but they both involve the computer. The first is recording to dvd-ram. Just capture the whole program and then go back and edit out the commercials on the dvd-ram disk. The ES46V can do this very well. Next transfer the dvd-ram disk to the computer and use the computer to burn the dvd-ram disk to a dvd-r or dvd+r. The other method is to capture the entire program to any rewriteable media such as dvd-rw, dvd+rw, dvd-ram and copy it into the computer and use a software program to both edit and burn to a dvd-r or dvd+r. Use of dvd-ram requires that your computer dvd drive be compatible with dvd-ram and not all are.

Hdd recorder

The advantage of the hdd recorder like the Panasonic EH75S is that you can capture to the hdd, edit, then burn to dvd without a computer but the prices of these units is above the list price due to being discontinued and in high demand. The EH75S is essentially a ES46V with an 80 GB drive but they are selling on eBay for $550 and up.

[Unikfreak]

Thanks guys,

I think I'll deal with the TV commercials using my Matrox capture card and Premiere 2.0 instead since it's pretty fast and to the frame.

About the 2+ DVD usage, I've followed your method trhouse and like all the things you've suggested to me before, it worked fine! Thanks once again!

[LCSHG]

Unikfreak

The above return posts are to the issue and on point

A question.
As I understand it you have a 6hr tape and want to dub it to two DVD disks in 3hr mode and want to do this, to prevent degradation. I assume picture degradation.
Why do you feel that a picture on two disks will be better than the original 6hr recording especially on a VHS tape.
I should think that the entire program on one disk would be no better or worse than the original tape

[Unikfreak]

Unikfreak

The above return posts are to the issue and on point

A question.
As I understand it you have a 6hr tape and want to dub it to two DVD disks in 3hr mode and want to do this, to prevent degradation. I assume picture degradation.
Why do you feel that a picture on two disks will be better than the original 6hr recording especially on a VHS tape.
I should think that the entire program on one disk would be no better or worse than the original tape

The main reason I want to do this is to prevent macroblocks and other artifacts associated with an LP DVD recording. Also following the rule of thumb from zorankarapanc's post on Panasonic machines. I really don't understand where you're going with the question...

[LCSHG]

Unikfreak

My question was to see if there was any real value in splitting a long tape program into a number of individual disks, and I might be missing something. It was not addressing the VHS unit problem as I feel this was adequatly adressed but to the Use of SP to eliminate any macroblockig or artifacts which are not being caused by your VHS unit

I have never encountered macroblocks or artifacts with dubbing VHS to DVD in 2, 3 , 4 or 6 hr mode to DVD. (Using my Liteon/ilo units)

My units are HQ 1hr, SP 2hr, LP 3 hr, EP 4hr, SLP 6hr.They are full D1 at 2hr SP and ½ D1 at 3 hr LP.
Some units have a 2-1/2 mode and are full D1. Which seems to be fine. A number of units push the bit rate to full D1 at 3 hr LP. Which is to much at that mode and can result in the macroblocks and artifacts you mention. Many have modified their firmware to correct this.

I don’t know the DVD recorder being used but I should think it might be pushing the bit rate too much at LP which is causing you problems and to use the SP mpde

This is all speaking of standalone units, Not a PC or the use of very expensive enhancement equipment

I have taken a 4 and 6 hr tape, dubbed them to a disk at the 4 and 6hr DVD mode.
Than the same tapes were dubbed to 2 disks at 2 hr SP and 3 hr LP mode. Others and I could see no difference. The basic picture quality remained the same.

Again this was dubbing a VHS tape an Hour for an Hour and I could see no difference in picture quality.If the progran was recorded in VHS tape at 6 hr, I would think to record it at DVD SP would not result in any better quality.

(Except when going the other way)


The Titanic was in a two-tape edition and somewhat over 3hr long. It was done on tape in 2 hr mode.
I burned this on 2 disks at SP and than on one disk at 4 hr EP. There was a slight difference in quality that was noticed at times by some but very little

The flick Das Boot was almost 5 hr long
It was a 2 tape edition done in VHS 3 hr mode. To put it on one disk I had to burn it at 6 hr SLP. I than burned it on 2 disks at 3 hr LP. There was a difference noticed but even the DVD 6hr SLP mode was better than a tape at 6 hr

At No time were there any macroblocks or artifacts.

Now had the original tapes been recorded on a single tape there would have been no difference in picture quality when dubbing the entire tape on to a single disk

I primarily use SP and often use LP, mainly to fill the disks as full as possible with only the one flick. Other than that I could use a lesser mode with out a resulting loss of quality
Most often in VHS tape the resolution is not there