[Hidden-tech] question about converting VHS to DVD

[Rich]

This is one I have been studying for some time, here is a summary of 
what I found

*Initial warning *- there are 5 (at least) DVD formats that you will 
find when making dvd's in small
quantity -- not something I can explain here - the keys ones for this 
are probably
dvd-r and dvd+r --- make sure you confirm your burning and playing 
machines use the same
and REALLY use the same -- there are subtleties about how well they are 
interchangeable.
Meaning nothing is better than testing. AND then there is what format 
does your computer
play or burn if you want to be able to edit the video.

Also, newer units are doing more formats.

AND there is the matter of editing and making easy to use dvd menus.

*1) Services*: there are services who will do it for you - read what 
they offer carefully - many
are really photo to slide show DVD not tape to dvd -- also fees and 
quaility vary
I have not tried any - since I want to edit and clean many of my tapes

*2) * *VCR Player/DVD Recorder:* There are a number of nicely packaged 
vcr players/dvd recorder boxes from all major
electronics vendors - and most of the reviews I have read (Amazon has 
good reviews) are
TERRIBLE -- it seems the technology is not quite there for consumer boxes.

 I did try a Samsung and returned it - I messed up on the formats, 
between my video boxes
(player/recorder) and my computer -- newer units do more.  The Samsung 
did a pretty
good job on dvd-r but made very poor menus in fact sometimes none at all 
and so only
the first video was available.

There is an RCA unit on sale at Target I am thinking of getting that 
seems to have good reviews,
not sure if Target has a better return policy then Amazon

3) *Copy to Computer*: The most flexible is to copy the video to a 
computer - edit and burn - BUT cavets there also.
Like - you need a new pretty high end computer (2-3 gig cpu) with LOTS 
of  RAM (>1 gig)
and disk (at least 160 gig) -- and then you still have to find the 
software and get the video
to the computer - I have seen direct video wiring converters - but the 
vcr needs to be next to
computer - tivo offers a feature that will stream from your tivo (series 
2) to your computer over
your in-house network --- it has never worked for me AND the videos are 
license encoded to
you have to use the video burning software they offer.

Net-net: today - it takes some fair bit of initial setup research and 
work to get a clean dvd from a home vcr
tape - the most reliable I use is a Sony Digital Camcorder that I can 
then move to my computer (a very loaded
Dell) and use either Nero or MyDVD to edit and burn the DVD's -- and I 
always have to leave that desktop
machine for 2-6 hours doing nothing but processing video to get an 
initial burn - making copies is a snap after that.

Ok - so 3 ideas:
1) Plan on finding a service or spending a fair bit of time experimenting
2) Wait a while - no idea if months or a year from now from what I can 
see of the industry

AND
3) anyone who would like to collaborate with me on improving the process 
I would be very interested in
    working together -     there might even be a business in it all

lisa cody wrote:
> How is this accomplished?
> Is there way to do this cheaply? I'd like to convert all my VHS to DVD.
>  
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>

-- 
Rich Roth
CEO On-the-net

Bringing you complex online systems since the net was young
http://www.tnrglobal.com - http://www.on-the-net.com/rr/