Can anyone give me advice on buying a DVD Recorder/VCR Combi.

I bought a Toshiba one recently with a hard drive .However when dubbing it will only dub the whole tape you can't stop and start .I can't pause the DVD recording then swop over video tapes and continue to record onto the same DVD .

Can anyone recomend a DVD recorder combi that is on the market currently that will let me do this.

Panasonic. It's a VHS, HDD and DVD recorder. In copying video tapes you're better off copying to the hard drive, editing from there and then copying to dvd.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...7C14419626.htm

If it's an important tape, like a wedding, why not ask somewhere like Jessops or similar to transfer it?
Or is this a large collection of tapes?

On the Toshiba you can't transfer to the hard drive from VCR only DVD to HDD .Does the panasonic one allow you to go VCR /HDD.?

Yes you can do VCR to HDD or VCR to DVD

Which Tosh do you have? The one I have (RD-XV48) let's you dub in any direction if the original is copyright free. I don't think they are still available but a newer version (RD-XV59) is available.

If you are copying a VHS dub it to the HDD first. When the tape finishes the copying process stops. Keep doing this until you have copied all the tapes you want. They will be listed individually in the HDD menu. You can combine the titles into one if you want.

Create 'playlists' and do any editing there. Do NOT delete the original copy yet.

When you are ready to commit to DVD create a 'copy list' in any order you like. Start the dubbing process and the machine will transfer the copy list to DVD in the order you selected.

Ive had a Philips dvd-r and vhs combi for nearly 5 years, and its editing facilities are great-I can pause both decks, wind the vhs on to a point with the dvd-r still on rec/pause, line up the vhs, and carry on recording. Its an old model now, but its been faultless. I dont know about the modern range though.

I have the same one as you but there is no button to press for vhs/hdd .only vcr/dvd and hdd /dvd so how do you transfer vhs to hdd?

£440 ?? .........................

Holy Cow!

Video capture card for PC - under £50?
DVD burner, £25? Get one bundled with Nero and it'll have DVD encoder (MPEG2) too.
1TB HDD (for all that video) under £50.
VirtualDub, free.

Some issues getting audio sync maybe but worth a stab? Virtual dub isn't the most complicated programme in the world.

VHS, does that still excist?

+ an entry level PC £300 + the risk of buggering it up installing the s/w and h/w + all the time and hassle.

Meh!

I'm still baffled as to to what they have on VCR that would warrant buying a VCR-to-DVD machine. The quality was dire so it's got to be something worth the hassle.

Could be family home videos - you know, weddings, the kids, christenings etc - or it could be classic episodes of programmes that the Beeb has wiped that master tapes, which isn't as far fetched as it sounds. A guy I did some work for a while ago is a big fan of Dr Who. There are episodes that only exist on VHS home recordings. A few Monty Python episodes were lost the same way. As long as it isn't commercial videos protected by macrovision then does it really matter?

Now you're getting into nudge-nudge territory!

It's old TV News bulletins,Nationwide and tv idents which is why i don't want to dub the whole tape .I Just want to capture the idents and continuity bits .And i wanted my all my episodes of Sons and Daughters on DVD .No wise cracks i love it .

That is strange! I have copied numerous VHS to the HDD. Some I have edited to DVD & some just left on the HDD.

There are two ways to access the dubbing menu.

1. Top left of remote press 'setup' You should see a dubbing option. Select that and the various dubbing options are shown.

2. There is a dedicated dub button near the bottom left of the remote. Pressing this will take you direct to the dubbing menu.

Even if the VHS is encrypted it should still let you start the process but will stop when it dedects the encryption.

Trouble with tape it deteriotes over time. So copying to something digital will at the very least keep the quality at its last known best.

Try looking at Australian DVD shops online. They do actually sell some! Shipping isn't too bad and most region 4 discs are region 2 & 4.

Even the previous model(RD-XV47),allows multi directional dubbing from all three sources.

Toshiba is F****** useless ! Now i have the problem when i go to Dubbing Menu the yellow highlighter is stuck on

VCR-HDD and it will not move .Called up Toshiba helpline what a waste of time and money that was i did a rest to factory condition of the machine and the highlighter still will not move .The guy was just useless .Anyone have any ideas.I'm trying to go from DVD-HDD .

Hi No-way

I recently bought a Toshiba vhs/hdd/dvd recorder - and after trying and failing to record to dvd - either timer recording or 'instant' - I contacted them (noting the message that was coming up on screen) -

- and was told the machine was faulty and it should go back to the shop!

I got a replacement and (to date) it works perfectly - but the early frustrations made me worry that I would never get the hang of it at all. Nice to know it was the machine, and not me.

I wonder how long you have had your system? I found the on-line customer service to be very good and very quick. If your machine is less than a year old, you could perhaps insist on a replacement?

(Meanwhile, I have not tried dubbing my old VHS to DVD just yet, but will let you know how I get on when I do)

Hi Just bought it in April .I find the technical help line service exteremly poor they don't seem clued up .

They have offered to repair it within ten days and they can shove it .I want a new one ASAP.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8253915.stm

No-Way - this link to general consumer advice will help you.

Looking back, even the remote control on my machine was 'faulty' - it frequently failed to move around the menus!

Insist on a new machine and use words like "Ann Robinson" and "Watchdog" until you get one!

I suggest you consult the SOG act, and Trading Standards, both of whom will inform of your rights under the SOG (and it isn't to get a new one).