VHS to DVD transfer: Best Choice?

[Technosis]

I'm wondering what a good choice for someone who wants to back up some old VHS tapes to DVD? Should they use a PC equipped with a DVD burner, or go with a VHS player hooked to a DVD recorder? What are the advantages of each, and can you recommend a good product? Thanks

[hightech]

Not sure where you are located, but I have one of these units and it is pretty good:
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...0093207&catid=

Check your local store for stock.

[stevethewheel]

If you just want to transfer the tape as-is, without editing, without correcting for colour or worrying about resolution then the solution above is reasonably cheap, very easy, and will turn out a reasonable DVD.

IF you want to do any editing of the tape, make chapters in your DVD, add your own soundtrack or enhance the picture quality then you need a good videocapture board and software. Most people use a "tv-tuner" board to do the capture so if you already have a coax cable connection on your PC then you can do the capturing. If you don't have a TV tuner then expect to pay $60 or more for that (dont buy a $20 one, they are usually crappy). Doing all the dubbing and editing is fairly time-consuming. If you enjoy the hobby then it can be fun to see how nice a job you can do, and if you are doing home movies then it becomes very easy to custom-mix DVD's for different members of the family. You can easily do the converting if your PC has a Pentium 4 2.0 or better.

More reading here and also here.

[alkapone]

You don't indicate...Retail movies or home movies.
If retail you could run into encrytion problems.

[Psygineer]

I have not tried the transfer VHS to DVD feature yet, however Walmart has a PYE VCR/DVD recorder all in one for I believe $100. The DVD recorder in it does a decent job recording off SDTV, and it has a one button VHS <=> DVD button. It may be the simplest and cheapest option.

[Rayzilla]

If you just want to transfer the tape as-is, without editing, without correcting for colour or worrying about resolution then the solution above is reasonably cheap, very easy, and will turn out a reasonable DVD.
...
More reading here and also here.

Unfortunately the link in the second post does not work anymore, not surprising given the age of this thread. Is it basically a DVD player with recording abilities? And is it simply connecting the output audio and video of the VHS player to the DVD recorder? If this is the case, what is the best deal out there these days (not too worried about high quality)?

Thanks.

[Jon Lai]

Just buy a Hauppauge TV Tuner. It'll do what you want plus watching TV

[stevethewheel]

Unfortunately the link in the second post does not work anymore, not surprising given the age of this thread. Is it basically a DVD player with recording abilities? And is it simply connecting the output audio and video of the VHS player to the DVD recorder? If this is the case, what is the best deal out there these days (not too worried about high quality)?

Thanks.

Yes you can buy a DVD player with recording abilities, which is what the link in the second post was for.

Some you attach your existing VHS player, others have the VHS player built in....and you can also record DVD to VHS that way.

I looked at buying one of these a couple of years ago because I have 15 or so home movie type VHS tapes around, but decided to do the conversion on my computer instead so I could edit, and also made some "custom" edits for family members.

[rabbit]

> If this is the case, what is the best deal out there these days (not too worried about high quality)?

Don't know what the best deal is, but I recommend a recorder with HDD. Recording on discs isn't reliable, and with HDDs, you don't have to play the disc shuffle. You set the timer to record all your shows, then walk away and don't worry about it (unless the power goes out!).

Price: ~$300. Maybe there's a few models can be had for less. Most are <$300.

[unknowing]

A tV tuner card is the most economical way to go, and gives you the most control, but it does require a pc. Most good cards have hardware processors so that your cpu is not bogged down with the decoding.

If you are looking for a Hauppauge TV tuner, I have one for sale. See http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/s...hlight=biostar

[Riffer]

I went with the simple solution and picked up a Panasonic unit from the States with VHS, DVD and a Hard Drive. I rip the VHS to the hard drive, edit on the hard drive, then burn to DVD. The only hassle is that the VHS can only rip at 1x, so it ties up your system for a while.

[deep]

If you already own a PC, then a tuner/capture card is the cheapest and most flexible way to go. It will also give the best results. If you don't have a PC, then a unit like Riffer describes could be worth your while if this is something you want to do repeatedly.

[Rayzilla]

Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone!

So this is what I gather out of all the tips:
1) The easiest approach is to purchase a VHS/DVD all in one unit and be able to simply play and burn simultaneously. All you need to do is insert the VHS tape and blank DVD and push a couple of buttons.
2) A little more complicated is to get a TV Tuner card to put into the PC (which I do have).

I like the first method, but my wife will probably say that we don't need another VHS player and that it will cost $200 to $300. So this is not likely to happen.

The second method looks to make more economic sense since after transferring these VHS to DVD, I will not likely be doing it much more if at all again. How easy is it to install one of these in the PC?

Thanks.

[Jon Lai]

Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone!

So this is what I gather out of all the tips:
1) The easiest approach is to purchase a VHS/DVD all in one unit and be able to simply play and burn simultaneously. All you need to do is insert the VHS tape and blank DVD and push a couple of buttons.
2) A little more complicated is to get a TV Tuner card to put into the PC (which I do have).

I like the first method, but my wife will probably say that we don't need another VHS player and that it will cost $200 to $300. So this is not likely to happen.

The second method looks to make more economic sense since after transferring these VHS to DVD, I will not likely be doing it much more if at all again. How easy is it to install one of these in the PC?

Thanks.

Not hard at all, considering you've been inside the computer before.
If not, there are external options available for not too much more.

[stevethewheel]

I like the first method, but my wife will probably say that we don't need another VHS player and that it will cost $200 to $300. So this is not likely to happen.

The second method looks to make more economic sense since after transferring these VHS to DVD, I will not likely be doing it much more if at all again. How easy is it to install one of these in the PC?

Thanks.

Very easy, if you have ever installed anything in a PC, then you should be able to handle it.

I recommend the Hauppauge cards or ATI/Sapphire cards. Should cost $50-$100.