I need a GOOD VHS To DVD Recorder!

[Kimiakane]

This marks the two year anniversary since I bought the Sony VCR-DVD Recorder Model RDR-VX515 and it performs rather well. I can record many, many programs from cable and from my DVR and all is good. However, I bought this machine because I have over 20 years worth of videotapes recorded from the early days of cable television until the beginning of the present century. Nearly everything I try recording from my VHS tapes gives me a message stating I can't record "copy-written" shows and it shuts the recording process down.

Is there a way to fix this, or do I need a different VHS to DVD Recorder and if so, which ones come recommended so this enormous irritant isn't repeated?

[victoriabears]

panasonic ES 45 v or similiar, Sony plays all sorts of tricks like this

[lordsmurf]

All DVD recorders have trouble with anti-copy and false detection of anti-copy. Some are worse than others.

Sony is a noisy DVD recorder anyway, it's not very good. Panasonic isn't all that great either.

JVC is better, but there are not any new machines being made. Toshiba is good, but it also has anti-copy issues going on.

I have yet to test the Philips 3575 for VHS sources.

[Kimiakane]

Do you mean the Panasonic is "noisy" but it will likely copy my home-made videotapes (I recorded programs from cable instead of buying pre-recorded VHS...remember how expensive they were? ) whereas the Sony doesn't?

[victoriabears]

the new panasonics are much better than the macr blocked ones lordsmurf refers to, the combos make very nice dvd's

[lordsmurf]

Better, but still a lot of problems. I have about 20 discs made on the exact machine you suggest, and it makes the video muddy, color is lost, and there is a lot of noise. Luckily, my new tv can filter most of this out and make up for the image issues.

[samijubal]

I don't know about the new recorders, but the older Toshiba recorders do excellent VHS to DVD.

[victoriabears]

Lordsmurf,,whats this new TV model and number?--thanks

[lordsmurf]

Sony KDS-55A3000 from Sony. It's got loads and loads of video filters on it.

Pretty much stick a JVC LSI and a Toshiba XS and ATI VideoSoap filter sets into a tv, and there you go.

It looks better on SD than some cheap crappy sets look on HD.
Also has 120Hz and quite decent stereo speakers.
No ugly ass glare from the screen or facing, it's matte and non-glare.

It comes in 50, 55 and 60. The 55 was perfect for my room, about $200 less too, the 60 was too big.

It's the tv I always wanted but didn't exist until this year.

Peter Griffin would say it's "freakin' sweet"

The only real complaint I've seen to date is that it has lots of menus, and some of the settings are embedded. RTFM and you'll be fine. Common video sense helps too, and experience with tv sets, DVD recorders, VCRs, etc. It looks perfect out of the box, but an Avia DVD won't hurt.

[KeepItSimple]

Lord Smurf even though they are no longer being made are there a couple of DVD-VHS machines that JVC made that you would recommend that I could look for?
I want to be able to edit on the computer afterwards and my Panasonic, even though I love it for recording TV, produces those time code breaks which are impossible to deal with for editing. Also the Panasonic creates a 704x480 picture and that causes problems too.
Thanks!

[lordsmurf]

Yes, but I forget the exact models. I think they all work fine. There were few D-VHS models made.

[samijubal]

Sony KDS-55A3000 from Sony. It's got loads and loads of video filters on it.

Pretty much stick a JVC LSI and a Toshiba XS and ATI VideoSoap filter sets into a tv, and there you go.

It looks better on SD than some cheap crappy sets look on HD.
Also has 120Hz and quite decent stereo speakers.
No ugly ass glare from the screen or facing, it's matte and non-glare.

It comes in 50, 55 and 60. The 55 was perfect for my room, about $200 less too, the 60 was too big.

It's the tv I always wanted but didn't exist until this year.

Peter Griffin would say it's "freakin' sweet"

The only real complaint I've seen to date is that it has lots of menus, and some of the settings are embedded. RTFM and you'll be fine. Common video sense helps too, and experience with tv sets, DVD recorders, VCRs, etc. It looks perfect out of the box, but an Avia DVD won't hurt.

Sony can make a TV that looks good, but they can't make them to last. My CRT HDTV lasted 4 1/2 months until it went kaput and I had to take either a POS rear projection TV or a buyout, I went with the buyout. I knew all about their reliability issues when I bought the TV, I've heard plenty of complaints about their TVs and seen the hundreds of posts in other forums about Sony TV problems. I saw the PQ and had a momentary lapse of sanity and bought the TV. I'll never make the mistake of buying anything Sony again.