Record to DVD and transfer VHS to DVD

[TechNoob]

Hello,

Please would anyone be able to advise me of a product that is capable of recording freeview to DVD *AND* transfer my old VHS tapes to DVD.

Thanks!

[hech54]

Google "DVD Recorder"........and "Macrovision" if your tapes are store bought Hollywood movies.

[handyguy]

Amazon.com Easycap, about $8.00?

[Brad]

If you're asking about PC devices, you may want to look into separate parts for each task, especially if you're going to be scheduling recordings. But something like this will do both: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hauppauge-WINTV-HVR-900-HD/dp/B001P05QQC/

This will do freeview only: http://www.amazon.co.uk/ClimaxDigital-DTV200-Receiver-Freeview-supports/dp/B001EDO3MI/

[Backpain]

I have used pinnacle studio and a capture card to convert many VHS tapes to DVD.

[2Bdecided]

I googled Freeview DVD recorder VHS and got plenty of hits - including an Amazon.co.uk advert link to a whole page full.

Whether any of them are any good is another matter.

Cheers,
David.

[orsetto]

What you're asking is not possible in Europe without spending a significant amount of money.

Europe is now following the North American history of slowing demand for these types of recorders, resulting in less choice, more compromises and higher prices. Brands that were once excellent price/performance deals have either gone bankrupt and out of business (Pioneer) or have cut corners severely to have their units made cheaply by third-tier mfrs (Sony, Toshiba). The Korean brands LG and Samsung have many issues making them all but unusable.

If you must have an "all in one" model, there are only two left worth considering:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DMR-EZ49vEBK-Format-Recorder-Freeview/dp/B0038VZXKK/...pr_product_top

or

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DMR-EX99VEBK-250GB-Recorder-Freeview/dp/B0038VZXPK/r...pr_product_top

The former is less expensive and will do basic recording to DVD and let you dub VHS to DVD. Note, however, recording directly onto DVD is not as easy as recording direct to VHS once was, the two formats work very differently. "Real time" recording to DVD is a consumer kludge: the DVD format is really a computer-based format and was designed to be burned from an HDD file at high speed rather than recorded directly onto. Media today is optimized for high speed, resulting in random failures when used in a recorder like this one. Good-quality DVDs that you would keep in your library can only be recorded to once, this recorder requires "eraseable" RW DVDs or DVD-RAM for casual "watch and erase" TV recording. Juggling the two types of disc depending on how important the recording is can be really annoying and confusing. Also, you must always remember how much time is left on the DVD, because if it runs out in the middle of a recording you'll need to do the whole thing over again (and often the disc will be ruined enough to discard).

If you will be using the recorder often, and have many VHS tapes to transfer to DVD, I strongly suggest you save your money until you can afford the more expensive model. This is the same recorder but adds a built-in hard drive (HDD), making it far easier to use and more flexible. With this model, you record everything to the HDD first. The HDD functions similar to VHS: easy to use, simply record or delete shows at will with no fuss. You can easily edit out commercials/adverts, or trim unwanted parts of a VHS tape. When you have things arranged as you like, load a DVD-R and the machine will copy from the HDD at high speed, creating a DVD for you in about 12 minutes. Additional copies can be made easily the same way. The HDD allows you to store approx 120 hours of video at the higher-quality SP mode: this means you can "save up" episodes of a series until you have enough to fill a DVD, then burn the DVD with several episodes all-at-once in high speed for best reliability and quality (this avoids moving a DVD in and out of the machine four or five times until you fill it, which risks damage, failure and loss of recordings). The large HDD capacity means you can also copy many VHS tapes to it, then mix and match the contents to make a compilation DVD (great for music video clips, program episodes scattered on different tapes, etc). The HDD system includes a "copy list" memory that lets you set up arrangements for 50 different DVDs, then burn them to disc whenever you have a spare moment.

Many here who rely on standalone DVD recorders have used both types, with and without HDD, and 99 out of 100 of us will tell you its a night and day difference: the HDD makes the recorder a joy to operate. Recorders without HDD make you tear at your hair in frustration, they're much more difficult in daily use: difficult to the point you'll regret having ever bought it. The North American version of the Panasonic DVD/VHS/HDD model was discontinued in 2006: it has become the most coveted second-hand recorder on eBay, fetching stratospheric prices (since very few owners ever let them go). You are fortunate indeed to still have this model available in UK: grab it while you can.