VHS tapes to DVD

[jeff]

Hi there

We are looking to buy a DVD Recorder. The problem is:

1. We are hooked to SKY TV.
2. We have a Panasonic Video Recorder that is only 2 years old.
3. We have 100 plus video tapes that we want to convert to DVD.

Can we buy a Panasonic DVD Recorder with a hard drive and connect it to the existing video recorder and record our tapes to the hard drive then onto DVD? We have been advised that if we connect it like this we won't be able to record direct from SKY to the hard drive because the VCR is connected also.

We have been advised to buy a VCR/DVD combo and that we just need to put the tapes in and press record and it's done. Problem being is that there doesn't seem to be a VCR/DVD combo with a hard drive and in the long run that will have its limitations.

We were also advised that we would need a $200.00 connection cord to run from the VCR to the new DVD recorder because we are hooked to SKY.

The other option being just to buy a basic Panasonic DVD recorder with no hard drive and just run the video and record it to the DVD recorder.

We are now suffering from techno overload and are non the wiser. Every shop you go to seems to offer you a different story and the usual blurb about it's the last one left at that price and you had better get in quick!

Any help would be appreciated.

Chrissie and Jeff

[merv]

You are wanting to copy your tapes to DVD, so I don't believe you couldn't connect your VCR to a new DVD recorder using ordinary cables that you can buy at Dick Smith - you know the triple type, one for video and one for each channel of stereo sound. Usually the recorders these days have at least two sets of connectors of that 3-set type being yellow, white and red.

Then you select video1, 2 or 3 or ever how many input choices it has and for the one you connected to, and away you go. If its already taken up by the Sky plugs then you could always disconnect the Sky connection while you do the copying.

If you buy the DVD recorder you'll probably never record on VHS again so the VHS machine can be stand alone connected only to the DVD recorder and only used when you play a tape and doesn't need to be connected to Sky primarily or the TV, you'd connect Sky and the TV to the new recorder.

Does that make sense?

[Gubb]

Your better off hooking up the VCR through your computer, copying the tapes to your PC's hard drive, then converting them to DVD format.

It's a hell of a lot of work, an unless they are wedding videos, or other home movies, it's probably not worth the effort.

[CookMySock]

Your better off hooking up the VCR through your computer, copying the tapes to your PC's hard drive, then converting them to DVD format.

Many, if not most modern DVD players, and all computers will play DIVX/XVID compressed-format so you may not need to convert them to a real DVD. You can test this by burning a sample DIVX video, or some MP3's to an ordinary 700MB CDROM and try it in your DVD player.

As Hubba Gubba says, It should be quite straight forward to record from a video-in card on your PC, then encode to DIVX - then you end up with a bunch of videos that you can store on any format, ie DVD, USB Hard Disk, Ipod etc etc. (not that I have actually done this.) I have recorded off TV, but what you are doing is similar. I did this on Linux so my method will be of no use to you. I don't know about doing this on Windows.

Once you have a system working it should be rinse-and-repeat for each video.

Take care also - one mark on a CD/DVD and it is toast of course.. Don't lose valuable family memories, so save it in a number of places. Hard Disks are cheap.

DB

[pete376403]

from the horses mouth, as it were - from the user manual of the Panasonic DMR-EH50 we've got (hard drive DVD recorder) "recording from a video cassette recorder" - connect the other AV equipment to the AV terminals on the recorder use either S Video or 3x RCA type according to output on VCR. Press [input select] to select the input channel for the equipment you have connected. Press [rec mode] to select the recording mode. Start play on the other equipment. Press [rec]

So yes, it can be done

[Motig]

Yep buy the DVD Recorder with harddrive. We have sky and had both the DVD recorder and Video player hooked up. Easiest way tho is hook up the Sky to your DVD recorder then to the Tv. When you want to spend time copying your old videos to the DVD harddrive or straight to disc just connect the video player and DVD together and just leave then merrily working away. If you want to watch sky just connect the Sky leads direct to the telly. You;ll have to disconnect Sky from the DVD Recorder anyway when you connect the video player to it.

[merv]

Yep so me, pete and Motig are all saying the same thing really, just connect your VHS to the DVD recorder and you're away. If you've already got a set of RCA plugs - remember I said the yellow, white and red ones just use them, else go to Dick Smith and buy a set.

I wouldn't bother with the PC because it is just more hassle than its worth in comparison to the other set up if you are going to buy a DVD recorder anyway.

[Laava]

So you see how evil SKY is controlling what you do with your other machines? Burn, burn, burn I tell ya!
Oh and the hard drive DVD is perfect for what you want! Using your std VHS to TV connections

[jeff]

Thanks guys for your input.

Went out and bought a DVD recorder today. I have told Jeff to hook it up when I am out somewhere else!

Chrissie

[jeff]

Hi there

Well it took a couple of days to figure out the wiring, but we finally got it up and running by leaving the RCA red wire off the DVD and the video and figuring out which channel to run it on.

But the plus side is we can save to the DVD from both the TV and the video recorder so we just have to convert 100 or so tapes to DVD now!

Don't know whether some of these blokes in the retail side know a great deal about these things. They all seemed to think that we would only be able to record from the VHS and would have to record everything to the VHS first then send it to the DVD.

Next step down the track will have to be the blue-ray technology. Apparently the disks hold a lot more information than the current DVDs.

Thanks for all your help.

Chrissie and Jeff

[Laava]

I have my VHS plugged directly into the DVD recorder on Line 4. Was dead simple and still can play tapes to the TV. However I didn't hook up the aerial to the VHS as I will never record anything. my 2c