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Long term reliability and H/w compatability of DVD/VHS
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[Deleted User]
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Way, way back in the days of VHS, one would record a program onto tape and it would play back perfectly time and time again on the box that it was made on.
However if you played it on your neighbours machine, the quality was usually questionable. (I think this was due to head alignment stuff).
Does the same apply to DVDs? I write a DVD using a DVD recorder, put it in my PC and I get lots of corruption and dropouts, and sometimes the PC gives up playing the thing entirely. Yet, put it back in the original recorder and it plays perfectly.
Do I need to use a better quality of disk? How do I tell a better quality of disk?
Also, I have VHS tapes made 10-15 years ago which I dig out for special occasions, and they play perfectly. Will I be able to do the same with DVDs ? Should I convert my precious VHS tapes to DVD, on the basis that VHS players will disappear in the next 15 years ?
However if you played it on your neighbours machine, the quality was usually questionable. (I think this was due to head alignment stuff).
Does the same apply to DVDs? I write a DVD using a DVD recorder, put it in my PC and I get lots of corruption and dropouts, and sometimes the PC gives up playing the thing entirely. Yet, put it back in the original recorder and it plays perfectly.
Do I need to use a better quality of disk? How do I tell a better quality of disk?
Also, I have VHS tapes made 10-15 years ago which I dig out for special occasions, and they play perfectly. Will I be able to do the same with DVDs ? Should I convert my precious VHS tapes to DVD, on the basis that VHS players will disappear in the next 15 years ?
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You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear as the saying goes...you can't improve on it.
Yes, you can't polish a turd.
With a poor quality source such as VHS, then it can be worse when transferred to DVD for a few reasons.
DVD uses compression (MPEG) to fit the data onto a disc.
One way it compresses the data is to only record the changes between video frames of the source.
On DTT (freeview) when the data rate is too low (as seen on some channels) this compression gives rise to motion artifacts, blocks and jerkiness around fast moving objects.
DVD has a higher data rate than DTT, but can still show problems when there is lots of change or movement in the video source.
The output from a VCR has problems with noise and jitter.
If there is a lot of noise eg. from an old worn tape, then there is a lot of random movement on the screen which the encoder in the DVD cannot cope with.
The output from the VCR also has jitter, due to mechanical inconsistencies the lines and frames of the video move slightly.
If there is a problem with blockiness on the DVD recording then set the DVD to the highest quality recording and on the VCR put the noise filter switch on or turn down the sharpness control, this will however soften the image and reduce some fine detail.
Discs made on +R discs and finalised playback very well on my old PC (DVD player only), and Mac. No skipping problems so far.
I also some times transfer old vhs tapes to blank dvd+r. As with tv recordings, using BEST and SP mode on the dvd recorder is the way to go. There's not much difference between the original vhs and dvd in these modes. vhs tapes in the SP format are better quality than LP vhs recordings, so when you transfer SP vhs goes over better. The scart link between the vhs and dvd is critical (worth spending a bit more on a good scart cable before you start). Don't re-route through a tv or other device.
Hence
vhs - dvd - tv
Dave
If I want to make some recordings that I will want to keep indefinitely, and be able to play perfectly every time should I buy an expensive DVD recorder ? (and a top of the range Scart cable )
And, does the brand of disk matter (or do they all come out of the same factory anyway) ?
Sorry, I forgot to mention this was for new recordings, not for transfering old VHS ones.
I have experienced the exact the opposite of the problem you describe, whereby a disc burned on the PC would play perfectly on the PC, but would suffer from horrendous stuttering and pixelation problems on my Panasonic DVD player. At first I thought the discs were to blame but I eventually traced the problem back to the DVD player itself, which I have since abandoned. My new LG player has no problems at all with CD/DVD+/-R(W)s.
PC drives are generally very reliable at reading discs, so I am surprised you are experiencing playback problems. Playback errors on the PC are usually due to bad sectors on the disc. Yet the same discs work perfectly on your DVD recorder - odd.
So get the old videos onto DVD now before they deteriorate further, then the DVDs can be copied without loss of quality every 5 to 10 years, although reasonable quality discs should last longer than this.
The dyes used in recordable discs will deteriorate over time, some types are better than others. Discs should be stored in cases away from direct sunlight.
I had a problem with some cheap discs where the reflective layer peeled off the top surface of the discs easily when scratched.
Better quality discs with good dyes and anti-scratch coatings or white top faces should be fine for years.
With important data it is a good idea to burn it onto two different brands of disc. Then the storage life should be different, allowing a copy to be made still from the good one. Also keep one in a different location in case of fire or other damage.