I'm not talking about plugging a usb storage device into a sky box.
You can connect a dvd recorder to a sky box by scart and record and archive your favourite shows to dvd, you can't do that with a pvr, you can only record from it's internal tuner.
I never record from my dvd recorder's internal tuner, the picture quality on most channels is rubbish plus most of what I watch is on subscription channels.
You clearly don't understand the process. The problem with recording with your DVD recorder quality is precisely because it's not a pvr. It's nothing to do with the tuner it's the process a DVD recorder has to do to recode the content depending on the recording quality you choose A pvr simply copies the broadcast digital stream to a hard disk (there is no option for quality it's always 100%), As a result replaying this is 100% identical to the original content. For this reason a pvr can only record from it's own tuners. Once on a hard disk the recording can be copied identically any number of times. What's more a Full-HD recording can be copied with suitable kit in it's original 1920 x 1080.
Your Sky box is a pvr (it records the same way as any other), you can do the same with any pvr but you don't need to if the pvr allows direct copies of the actual digital data.
Copying a whole series is no issue you can simply copy the series recording folder and all it's contents. Because there's no need to convert the data, the copying process takes no longer than copying any other file from say a usb hard drive to your computer (way faster than using a DVDR which takes as long to copy as the original broadcast - 10 1 hr episodes will take 10hrs to copy). During this time you can't use the box at all. You can copy in less than real time from a suitable pvr in much less than this and continue to use the box as normal.
Once on a PC you can burn DVD's if you really want to (and the quality will be 100% as the digital content is already DVD compliant so no need to re-code).
In addition you can even burn HD content to DVD blanks in HD quality using AVCHD if you replay on a PC or using a Blu-ray player.
You are about 20 yrs or so behind the times. The best SD PVR ever made was the Topfield ones.
If you really want to copy from a Sky-box there are ways to dramatically improve the quality by converting the HDMI output to component quality using a HDCP compatible HDMI to Component converter and recording it on a HD PVR with component inputs like the Hauppage ones. That way you at least get HD in HD.
No need for the hdmi to component adapter these days. Use the correct chinese made hdmi splitter and feed the output from that straight into the hdmi in on a hauppauge colossus in a pc. All done digitally. And all in hd (if the source is). And in 5.1 dolby digital (if the source is)
No need for the hdmi to component adapter these days. Use the correct chinese made hdmi splitter and feed the output from that straight into the hdmi in on a hauppauge colossus in a pc. All done digitally. And all in hd (if the source is). And in 5.1 dolby digital (if the source is)
Presumably you can't do this without a PC, the poster said it would be complicated. I think this qualifies as complicated Would a Hauppage pvr designed to capture games console HDMI out work, and is the input to the pvr recoded to a lesser quality. Some HDMI wireless and wired network cable transmitters do this.
Interesting post though
Do you need one output to be connected to a HDCP compatible display to use the other one ?
[QUOTE=pavier;76365036You can connect a dvd recorder to a sky box by scart and record and archive your favourite shows to dvd, you can't do that with a pvr, you can only record from it's internal tuner.
.[/QUOTE]
Your Sky box is a pvr (assuming it's not ancient). Non recording Sky boxes haven't been available for years, and all HD capable ones are pvrs.
You clearly don't understand the process. The problem with recording with your DVD recorder quality is precisely because it's not a pvr. It's nothing to do with the tuner it's the process a DVD recorder has to do to recode the content depending on the recording quality you choose A pvr simply copies the broadcast digital stream to a hard disk (there is no option for quality it's always 100%), As a result replaying this is 100% identical to the original content. For this reason a pvr can only record from it's own tuners. Once on a hard disk the recording can be copied identically any number of times. What's more a Full-HD recording can be copied with suitable kit in it's original 1920 x 1080.
Your Sky box is a pvr (it records the same way as any other), you can do the same with any pvr but you don't need to if the pvr allows direct copies of the actual digital data.
Copying a whole series is no issue you can simply copy the series recording folder and all it's contents. Because there's no need to convert the data, the copying process takes no longer than copying any other file from say a usb hard drive to your computer (way faster than using a DVDR which takes as long to copy as the original broadcast - 10 1 hr episodes will take 10hrs to copy). During this time you can't use the box at all. You can copy in less than real time from a suitable pvr in much less than this and continue to use the box as normal.
Once on a PC you can burn DVD's if you really want to (and the quality will be 100% as the digital content is already DVD compliant so no need to re-code).
In addition you can even burn HD content to DVD blanks in HD quality using AVCHD if you replay on a PC or using a Blu-ray player.
You are about 20 yrs or so behind the times. The best SD PVR ever made was the Topfield ones.
If you really want to copy from a Sky-box there are ways to dramatically improve the quality by converting the HDMI output to component quality using a HDCP compatible HDMI to Component converter and recording it on a HD PVR with component inputs like the Hauppage ones. That way you at least get HD in HD.
Can you please stop miss quoting/paraphrasing what I said and being so patronizing.
I am well aware of the difference between direct recording of the transport stream and re encoding in real time. The internal tuner is not the problem regarding quality, the problem is freeview channels use very low bit rates and so the picture being broadcast is appalling. What good is ts recording if the picture is crap to start with?
Things may be better with freesat, I don't know because I only have sky but if the sd channels on freesat are the same as on sky then they're not much better than freeview.
I only ever record from HD channels and the playback picture quality in sd is superb. My Sony and Pioneer recorders re encode in real time to the hard drive so I don't have to go though that again to burn a dvd, (I think the Panasonics use direct recording from it's own tuner which means more real time re encoding to burn a dvd), just chop out the add breaks, add chapter marks as desired, create a dvd menu and burn a disc. None of which you can do on a pvr, you can transfer to a pc and do it on that but it's such a pain in comparison.
By the way, and here I'm not clear on this (feel free to enlighten me) but I thought if you wanted to use a direct transport stream file to author a dvd it would have to be re encoded into mpeg in real time anyway, so we're back to square one in that regard.
We're going to have agree to disagree on this. Like I've said I've been doing this for over ten years and must have recorded around a thousand dvds.
You stick to your pc and I'll stick to my recorder.
It would be nice (but illegal) to record HD and and convert to a more universal format and I'm aware of how to do this with extra gadgets between the stb and a pc but other than for the occasional recording it's just not worth the hassle.
I'm not 20 years out of date. You still haven't suggested an easier way to do what I do. If there was an easier way I'd be using it.
I don't know much about the standalone capture boxes - I presume you mean the rocket. Avermedia do a similar one. I don't know if the audio is captured in 5.1 on these.
I imagine it should work - it's the 'correct' splitter that's important!
On the colossus you can choose up to 20Mbit/s - this is more than sky broadcast so the picture is indistinguishable form the input. It's not as easy as recording to a hdd/dvd machine.
I like the faq on the hauppauge website about the HDCP on the PS4 - it calls the HDCP an irritating feature! It can be turned off though - presumably just for games.
Can you please stop miss quoting/paraphrasing what I said and being so patronizing.
I am well aware of the difference between direct recording of the transport stream and re encoding in real time. The internal tuner is not the problem regarding quality, the problem is freeview channels use very low bit rates and so the picture being broadcast is appalling. What good is ts recording if the picture is crap to start with?
Things may be better with freesat, I don't know because I only have sky but if the sd channels on freesat are the same as on sky then they're not much better than freeview.
I only ever record from HD channels and the playback picture quality in sd is superb. My Sony and Pioneer recorders re encode in real time to the hard drive so I don't have to go though that again to burn a dvd, (I think the Panasonics use direct recording from it's own tuner which means more real time re encoding to burn a dvd), just chop out the add breaks, add chapter marks as desired, create a dvd menu and burn a disc. None of which you can do on a pvr, you can transfer to a pc and do it on that but it's such a pain in comparison.
By the way, and here I'm not clear on this (feel free to enlighten me) but I thought if you wanted to use a direct transport stream file to author a dvd it would have to be re encoded into mpeg in real time anyway, so we're back to square one in that regard.
We're going to have agree to disagree on this. Like I've said I've been doing this for over ten years and must have recorded around a thousand dvds.
You stick to your pc and I'll stick to my recorder.
It would be nice (but illegal) to record HD and and convert to a more universal format and I'm aware of how to do this with extra gadgets between the stb and a pc but other than for the occasional recording it's just not worth the hassle.
I'm not 20 years out of date. You still haven't suggested an easier way to do what I do. If there was an easier way I'd be using it.
Err - what you are doing is strictly illegal anyway. It's not illegal to use a fta sat box to record HD in HD.
As to bitrates for the channels most of us use, the bitrates used on Freeview and quality are very similar.
There are crap channels on satellite as well as terrestrial. The main PSB ones certainly aren't inferior.
I ought to know
I currently have 2 Freeview+ HDR FOX T2's. A Foxsat-hdr and a HDR1000S freesat+ box, a Panasonic TV (2014 top of the range) with twin Freetime and twin Freeview+ tuners with usb recording capability. There is no perceivable difference between Freeview and Freesat. I also have two HD camcorders.
If your Freeview kit produces poor pictures it's time to replace it.
Stat Muxing on a mux or transponder can affect the specific bitrate. Give me a programme on a UK PSB channel I will record both from satellite and terrestrial and post the results (not that I imagine you will have a clue what they mean). You won't get much difference. I'm 70 frankly your 10 year old technique says everything. Do you really think nothing has changed in 10 years. If you can buy a new DVD recorder in the next year or so I will be amazed.
Modern kit allows you to view your recordings virtually anywhere within a home network and anywhere in the world without recording to outdated Digital Versatile Disks.
Do you know what DLNA stands for, look it up and join the 21st century.
I am an old fart, in comparison you are pre-historic ;-)
I used to create Wedding Videos , so do know about DVD-Video and it's capabilities. These days I work in HD quality, but rarely burn to optical media. It's so much more convenient to use a usb hard disk and a £20.00 Media player to watch on any TV with a HDMI socket.
Err - what you are doing is strictly illegal anyway. It's not illegal to use a fta sat box to record HD in HD.
As to bitrates for the channels most of us use, the bitrates used on Freeview and quality are very similar.
There are crap channels on satellite as well as terrestrial. The main PSB ones certainly aren't inferior.
I ought to know
I currently have 2 Freeview+ HDR FOX T2's. A Foxsat-hdr and a HDR1000S freesat+ box, a Panasonic TV (2014 top of the range) with twin Freetime and twin Freeview+ tuners with usb recording capability. There is no perceivable difference between Freeview and Freesat. I also have two HD camcorders.
If your Freeview kit produces poor pictures it's time to replace it.
Stat Muxing on a mux or transponder can affect the specific bitrate. Give me a programme on a UK PSB channel I will record both from satellite and terrestrial and post the results (not that I imagine you will have a clue what they mean). You won't get much difference. I'm 70 frankly your 10 year old technique says everything. Do you really think nothing has changed in 10 years. If you can buy a new DVD recorder in the next year or so I will be amazed.
Modern kit allows you to view your recordings virtually anywhere within a home network and anywhere in the world without recording to outdated Digital Versatile Disks.
Do you know what DLNA stands for, look it up and join the 21st century.
I am an old fart, in comparison you are pre-historic ;-)
I used to create Wedding Videos , so do know about DVD-Video and it's capabilities. These days I work in HD quality, but rarely burn to optical media. It's so much more convenient to use a usb hard disk and a £20.00 Media player to watch on any TV with a HDMI socket.
Here we go again.
Did you not read the bit where I said most of what I watch is from subscription channels and I only record from HD channels?
And are you suggesting that freeview sd channels are on a par with sky HD channels for quality?
And if sky were bothered about illegal recording of a HD channel via scart in sd their box would not facilitate it with it's copy feature. Also each channel can, if they want, add copy protection to their broadcast to prevent even sd recording to an external recorder.
Seriously, you still haven't told me an easier way to do what I do. You just keep patronizingly bang on about being out of date.
Ten years from now there'll no doubt be a better alternative, but right now doing all this on a pc is not easier.
Here we go again.
Did you not read the bit where I said most of what I watch is from subscription channels and I only record from HD channels?
And are you suggesting that freeview sd channels are on a par with sky HD channels for quality?
And if sky were bothered about illegal recording of a HD channel via scart in sd their box would not facilitate it with it's copy feature. Also each channel can, if they want, add copy protection to their broadcast to prevent even sd recording to an external recorder.
Seriously, you still haven't told me an easier way to do what I do. You just keep patronizingly bang on about being out of date.
Ten years from now there'll no doubt be a better alternative, but right now doing all this on a pc is not easier.
No I read the post you responded to that referred to Freesat and Freeview pvrs and made no mention of Sky at all. As to recording Sky subscription channels without using a DVDR already answered. In fact recording on a PC with a suitable capture card would be just as easy and what's more is not likely to not be available in the near future.
If I wanted to record SD content in the best possible quality directly from any analogue 576i source I would use a DV capture device (Like my TRV950E camcorder with DV in) to my laptop with a firewire card. This has a major advantage because the captured files are in intraframe format (every frame has data for every pixel) unlike the lossy mpeg file structure used by MPEG2.
This isn't new technology either, it's also outdated, but way better than your DVDR.
Carry on using your outdated system, just stop insisting it's the best possible system when it's 100% clear you have never used anything else. Do you know the difference between DV digital compression and MPEG2. Do you in fact know what MPEG2 is ?
No I read the post you responded to that referred to Freesat and Freeview pvrs and made no mention of Sky at all. As to recording Sky subscription channels without using a DVDR already answered. In fact recording on a PC with a suitable capture card would be just as easy and what's more is not likely to not be available in the near future.
If I wanted to record SD content in the best possible quality directly from any analogue 576i source I would use a DV capture device (Like my TRV950E camcorder with DV in) to my laptop with a firewire card. This has a major advantage because the captured files are in intraframe format (every frame has data for every pixel) unlike the lossy mpeg file structure used by MPEG2.
This isn't new technology either, it's also outdated, but way better than your DVDR.
Carry on using your outdated system, just stop insisting it's the best possible system when it's 100% clear you have never used anything else. Do you know the difference between DV digital compression and MPEG2. Do you in fact know what MPEG2 is ?
You're still not answering my question.
How do you attach a TRV950E camcorder to a sky box (composite av? Is that supposed to be good quality?) and then edit the content? How do you attach a capture device to a sky box and then edit (chop out ad breaks, add chapter marks, create menus etc) without needing a pc?
Are you seriously suggesting that sitting at a desk with a keyboard and mouse and a pc with a capture device connected to a stb is more convenient than doing it from an armchair with a few clicks on a remote?
Could someone explain how it`s possible to copy a recording from a hard disc recorder onto a USB stick, please? I`ve been using Panasonic dvd/hd recorders but have had 2 optical drives fail. As far as I can see I`ve no means of connecting any storage device to the output of the machine apart from via scart, phono, or hdmi. Is it possible to "play" the recording from the hard disc and feed the output into a pc? I don`t have video capture software, but no doubt someone could recommend a place for me to start. And presumably I could then burn the captured recording onto a dvd using the pc. Sorry if these are basic questions but am trying to catch up!
I for one have no idea how to transfer recordings from my freesat box to another device other than the tv it's connected to. Hdmi splitter maybe? Same would apply to sky and freeview as well.
It was/is easy to do with a dvd recorder like those from Panasonic with built in freeview, or even tape.
If all you've got is an hdmi output, it is harder. But that was the point - they don't want you to do it, especially not in high definition. The studios didn't like video recorders - thay didn't want tapes of over 1.5 hours in length so you couldn't record a whole film. Luckily sense prevailed then, but no so much now.
There are ways of doing it - see my post above. Number 28, but it's not cheap and it's a bit of a faff.
We still have a panny combi freeview (SD only, single tuner), hdd, DVD burner, with hdmi upscale (as well as scart out). There's a USB input socket as well, just for JPEG picture slideshow playback, nothing else.
It still works well, and is much more user friendly than the freesat PVr (humax) that is used most of the time. At DSO I recommended the panny combi to an elderly couple we are friends with just on the basis of ease of use alone, having the dvd built in rather than a separate DVD player was a bonus. It's just so simple to use, even if it's not technically the best anymore. And our one and theirs never goes wrong. Never had a failed recording etc on either of them.
CherylFan, you could try what I posted in 38 above. if you want to improve the picture quality you could try a rgb to s-video converter connected to your recorder and use the s-video input on the USB device. but they're not cheap - £64 plus. Try just the USB box first and see if the quality is OK or not before deciding. It may be cheaper or better to fix the recorder?
I`ll try your tip, thank you. I`ve had one machine repaired and the dealer said Panasonic chip in for part of the cost, or certainly did at the time (a couple of years ago). But if hd/dvd recorders are being phased out as items, them I`m going to need to find a longer-term solution!
in which case there's no need for a convertor, just the right cable.
Even if it doesn't have such a socket you can usually set the scart output to s-video format and then just use a cheap scart to s-video adaptor.
....but, it looks like the s-video sockets on the recorder and the capture device are both female so they'll need a male to male s-video cable to connect them (+ the audio phono leads).
I notice from the manual the recorder also has component video output so a component video capture device would give even better quality but is more expensive and perhaps not worth it for an sd source, depends how fussy you are.
Audio phono leads are included in the video capture device kit, no need to purchase them again. Just use the red and white parts and ignore the yellow which is made redundant by the separate s-video connection.
Comments
You clearly don't understand the process. The problem with recording with your DVD recorder quality is precisely because it's not a pvr. It's nothing to do with the tuner it's the process a DVD recorder has to do to recode the content depending on the recording quality you choose A pvr simply copies the broadcast digital stream to a hard disk (there is no option for quality it's always 100%), As a result replaying this is 100% identical to the original content. For this reason a pvr can only record from it's own tuners. Once on a hard disk the recording can be copied identically any number of times. What's more a Full-HD recording can be copied with suitable kit in it's original 1920 x 1080.
Your Sky box is a pvr (it records the same way as any other), you can do the same with any pvr but you don't need to if the pvr allows direct copies of the actual digital data.
Copying a whole series is no issue you can simply copy the series recording folder and all it's contents. Because there's no need to convert the data, the copying process takes no longer than copying any other file from say a usb hard drive to your computer (way faster than using a DVDR which takes as long to copy as the original broadcast - 10 1 hr episodes will take 10hrs to copy). During this time you can't use the box at all. You can copy in less than real time from a suitable pvr in much less than this and continue to use the box as normal.
Once on a PC you can burn DVD's if you really want to (and the quality will be 100% as the digital content is already DVD compliant so no need to re-code).
In addition you can even burn HD content to DVD blanks in HD quality using AVCHD if you replay on a PC or using a Blu-ray player.
You are about 20 yrs or so behind the times. The best SD PVR ever made was the Topfield ones.
If you really want to copy from a Sky-box there are ways to dramatically improve the quality by converting the HDMI output to component quality using a HDCP compatible HDMI to Component converter and recording it on a HD PVR with component inputs like the Hauppage ones. That way you at least get HD in HD.
Presumably you can't do this without a PC, the poster said it would be complicated. I think this qualifies as complicated
Interesting post though
Do you need one output to be connected to a HDCP compatible display to use the other one ?
.[/QUOTE]
Your Sky box is a pvr
Can you please stop miss quoting/paraphrasing what I said and being so patronizing.
I am well aware of the difference between direct recording of the transport stream and re encoding in real time. The internal tuner is not the problem regarding quality, the problem is freeview channels use very low bit rates and so the picture being broadcast is appalling. What good is ts recording if the picture is crap to start with?
Things may be better with freesat, I don't know because I only have sky but if the sd channels on freesat are the same as on sky then they're not much better than freeview.
I only ever record from HD channels and the playback picture quality in sd is superb. My Sony and Pioneer recorders re encode in real time to the hard drive so I don't have to go though that again to burn a dvd, (I think the Panasonics use direct recording from it's own tuner which means more real time re encoding to burn a dvd), just chop out the add breaks, add chapter marks as desired, create a dvd menu and burn a disc. None of which you can do on a pvr, you can transfer to a pc and do it on that but it's such a pain in comparison.
By the way, and here I'm not clear on this (feel free to enlighten me) but I thought if you wanted to use a direct transport stream file to author a dvd it would have to be re encoded into mpeg in real time anyway, so we're back to square one in that regard.
We're going to have agree to disagree on this. Like I've said I've been doing this for over ten years and must have recorded around a thousand dvds.
You stick to your pc and I'll stick to my recorder.
It would be nice (but illegal) to record HD and and convert to a more universal format and I'm aware of how to do this with extra gadgets between the stb and a pc but other than for the occasional recording it's just not worth the hassle.
I'm not 20 years out of date. You still haven't suggested an easier way to do what I do. If there was an easier way I'd be using it.
I imagine it should work - it's the 'correct' splitter that's important!
On the colossus you can choose up to 20Mbit/s - this is more than sky broadcast so the picture is indistinguishable form the input. It's not as easy as recording to a hdd/dvd machine.
I like the faq on the hauppauge website about the HDCP on the PS4 - it calls the HDCP an irritating feature! It can be turned off though - presumably just for games.
Nothing is connected to the 2nd splitter output
Err - what you are doing is strictly illegal anyway. It's not illegal to use a fta sat box to record HD in HD.
As to bitrates for the channels most of us use, the bitrates used on Freeview and quality are very similar.
There are crap channels on satellite as well as terrestrial. The main PSB ones certainly aren't inferior.
I ought to know
I currently have 2 Freeview+ HDR FOX T2's. A Foxsat-hdr and a HDR1000S freesat+ box, a Panasonic TV (2014 top of the range) with twin Freetime and twin Freeview+ tuners with usb recording capability. There is no perceivable difference between Freeview and Freesat. I also have two HD camcorders.
If your Freeview kit produces poor pictures it's time to replace it.
Stat Muxing on a mux or transponder can affect the specific bitrate. Give me a programme on a UK PSB channel I will record both from satellite and terrestrial and post the results (not that I imagine you will have a clue what they mean). You won't get much difference. I'm 70 frankly your 10 year old technique says everything. Do you really think nothing has changed in 10 years. If you can buy a new DVD recorder in the next year or so I will be amazed.
Modern kit allows you to view your recordings virtually anywhere within a home network and anywhere in the world without recording to outdated Digital Versatile Disks.
Do you know what DLNA stands for, look it up and join the 21st century.
I am an old fart, in comparison you are pre-historic ;-)
I used to create Wedding Videos , so do know about DVD-Video and it's capabilities. These days I work in HD quality, but rarely burn to optical media. It's so much more convenient to use a usb hard disk and a £20.00 Media player to watch on any TV with a HDMI socket.
Did you not read the bit where I said most of what I watch is from subscription channels and I only record from HD channels?
And are you suggesting that freeview sd channels are on a par with sky HD channels for quality?
And if sky were bothered about illegal recording of a HD channel via scart in sd their box would not facilitate it with it's copy feature. Also each channel can, if they want, add copy protection to their broadcast to prevent even sd recording to an external recorder.
Seriously, you still haven't told me an easier way to do what I do. You just keep patronizingly bang on about being out of date.
Ten years from now there'll no doubt be a better alternative, but right now doing all this on a pc is not easier.
No I read the post you responded to that referred to Freesat and Freeview pvrs and made no mention of Sky at all. As to recording Sky subscription channels without using a DVDR already answered. In fact recording on a PC with a suitable capture card would be just as easy and what's more is not likely to not be available in the near future.
If I wanted to record SD content in the best possible quality directly from any analogue 576i source I would use a DV capture device (Like my TRV950E camcorder with DV in) to my laptop with a firewire card. This has a major advantage because the captured files are in intraframe format (every frame has data for every pixel) unlike the lossy mpeg file structure used by MPEG2.
This isn't new technology either, it's also outdated, but way better than your DVDR.
Carry on using your outdated system, just stop insisting it's the best possible system when it's 100% clear you have never used anything else. Do you know the difference between DV digital compression and MPEG2. Do you in fact know what MPEG2 is ?
You're still not answering my question.
How do you attach a TRV950E camcorder to a sky box (composite av? Is that supposed to be good quality?) and then edit the content? How do you attach a capture device to a sky box and then edit (chop out ad breaks, add chapter marks, create menus etc) without needing a pc?
Are you seriously suggesting that sitting at a desk with a keyboard and mouse and a pc with a capture device connected to a stb is more convenient than doing it from an armchair with a few clicks on a remote?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ClimaxDigital-VCAP302-Converter-Maker-easy-recording/dp/B003PSI73G/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1420896288&sr=8-4&keywords=video+capture
The downside is that all the recordings will done using composite video, which means that the picture will not be as good as those on the panasonic, but may be ok for you. This bundle comes with the scart adapter you will need, all the cables, and some editing software. What model of dvd recorder do you have?
It was/is easy to do with a dvd recorder like those from Panasonic with built in freeview, or even tape.
There are ways of doing it - see my post above. Number 28, but it's not cheap and it's a bit of a faff.
It still works well, and is much more user friendly than the freesat PVr (humax) that is used most of the time. At DSO I recommended the panny combi to an elderly couple we are friends with just on the basis of ease of use alone, having the dvd built in rather than a separate DVD player was a bonus. It's just so simple to use, even if it's not technically the best anymore. And our one and theirs never goes wrong. Never had a failed recording etc on either of them.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/S.video.socket.png
in which case there's no need for a convertor, just the right cable.
Even if it doesn't have such a socket you can usually set the scart output to s-video format and then just use a cheap scart to s-video adaptor.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41mYpUYgJbL._SX300_.jpg
http://tda.panasonic-europe-service.com/docs/2z54b192e8z3z26525z656ez706466z24z25e083656d595a80526481d575840e769bd48ab6/tsn2/data/ALL/DMREX768EB/OI/787787/rqt9167-b.pdf
Page 9 shows the rear panel. If this is the right unit, you can plug the usb capture device straight into this socket and the two audio phonos.
I notice from the manual the recorder also has component video output so a component video capture device would give even better quality but is more expensive and perhaps not worth it for an sd source, depends how fussy you are.
CherylFan you will need a lead like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mini-DIN-S-Video-Cable-Plated-Plugs/dp/B002JV6J30/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420982306&sr=8-1&keywords=s-video+lead
and left and right audio lead like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Twin-Phono-Plug-Audio-Cable-Dark-Blue/dp/B008D4M0QC/ref=sr_1_49?ie=UTF8&qid=1420982527&sr=8-49&keywords=phono+lead+3m
Get the shortest leads that will comfortably fit as especially with video the shorter lead the better.