vcdhelp desktop recorder info: How accurate/reliable?.

[dion]

Over the past few months I've been going through the information on vcdhelp.com relating to desktop VCD-recorders (via the link given to the left of screen). There appear to be several inaccuracies in the information given; for instance the Amoisonic VDR-2000 & VDR2000 Mk2 are listed as "NTSC and PAL" (recorders?), but retailers who are selling these models on eBay.com say their VDR-2000's/ MkII's are 'NTSC-only'. Another person who has a Datavideo VDR-3000 claims his machine records both NTSC and PAL, it is listed here as "NTSC or PAL". So, who is right?. Or am I reading these lists wrong?. I tried to "e-mail" the site adminstrator about this, the 'mail bounced!.

[Baldrick]

who did you email?

[dion]

nicolas@vcdhelp.com

[vcd4me]

Well I can only say this

Don't buy a mpeg1 recorde only buy a vcd-recorde that can do svcd.

Also at those prices wh don't youjust buy a dvd recorder they sell for only around $100 more on ebay

[dion]

DVD Media is just too darn expensive, and preliminary tests suggest recordings on re-writeable DVD media doesn't always work/ play in some set-top DVD players. Pity, as the Philips DVDR-1000 and DVDR-985 are at attractive prices on eBay and they do both PAL and NTSC via the line-in sockets....pity they couldn't record VCD!. And anyway often I just want to produce a recording that's half-an-hour or so long anyway so that'd be a waste of a DVD-R/-RW. I have negotiated the purchase of a Datavideo VDR-3000 that'll do VCD and S-VCD (but supposedly not to S-VCD specification according to vcdhelp.com?), and is also supposed to produce PAL recordings as well as NTSC. Still haven't heard back from "the audio dept" about whether the Amoisonic VDR-2000 Mk2 is both NTSC and PAL or is just NTSC only.

[vcd4me]

I can only speak for myself but the prices of the vcd records are to high

amoisonic $ 733 (vcd)compared to
Pansonic $ 639 (dvd)
phillips $ 785 (dvd)

Disc are
dvd-r discs $1.50 compared to using 3 for svcd
cd-r .30 x3 =.90

I only say svcd because I have a Terapin (mpeg1) and I think I might sell it because I don't really like the quality. I don't know if the problem is with the Terapin or if it is that I don't like the quality of mpeg1 recorded on the fly

Just my 2 cents
VCD4ME

[dion]

Well, I've never seen DVD-R media that cheap, ever.....I think the Philips DVDR-1000/985 uses either DVD+RW or DVD+R disks, the cheapest of which I've seen is around the 5$ mark, and this is on eBay for cheap "no name" disks. The machine I want to get is the Datavideo VDR-3000; and I've just found out that the one unit does both PAL and NTSC recordings but requires a "software install".......I dunno if that means you have to change the software everytime you want to switch over from PAL-record to NTSC recording and vice-versa, I'm still trying to clarify that one.....at least it does MPEG-2 S-VCD mode unlike the Terapin, and has a whole heap of other nifty record modes. Now to find out if the S-VCD mode really is to "S-VCD" standards or some variation on the theme.

[vcd4me]

Wellgood luck if you want a Terapin let me know

[dion]

Well, I've been able to confirm it, the Datavideo VDR-3000 is changed over from NTSC to PAL mode (& vice-versa) by re-programming the machine (i.e. changing the software) each time you want to switch record mode......seems there's a CD-disk available that enables you to do this.