[Styker]

Hi,

I am thinking of buying a DVD/VCR combi or something that will enable me to transfer VHS tapes to a DVD recorder one way or the other.

I do have some questions on this if you can help me out I'd be grateful.

DVD disks that have been recorded on a DVD recorder, in your experiences do they play ok on other DVD players? I ask as over the years when I've tried to watch DVD's that have been recorded on another DVD player/recorder, sometimes they fail to play or play properly. The picture goes fuzzy with zig zags I remember on one occasion.

Is that a quality of disk problem or a general disk problem when a recorded disk is being played on another player? I think the disks I had trouble with both seemed to have a purple colour at the edges of the bottom of the disk. Other disks recorded on other player/recorders have played ok though.

The other question I have is can DVD recorders connect to VHS players and can i transfer VHS to just a DVD recorder? I should be able to right? Depending on if the connecting sockets match? What I'm thinking of is instead of buying a DVD/VCR combi to maybe try and get a blu ray recorder and see if I can connect it to my VHS player and record things that way. The Video only has scart sockets and some of the old small circular type sockets/output connections if you get what I mean. Will I be able to connect it to a blu ray recorder do you think?

Finally, If I do buy a DVD/VCR combi, what do you think the picture quality would be like on a blu ray player? That's if it plays in the first place of course.

Thanks.

[mac2708]

Basically the quality of any VHS tape copied to DVD or Blu-ray can never be any better than the original source - which in most cases will be fairly poor.
The other problem you may face is, that unless these are home recordings, copyright protection on retail VHS tapes

Have a look here at some ways of transferring VHS to DVD
http://www.which.co.uk/technology/tv...-video-to-dvd/

[Styker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mac2708

Basically the quality of any VHS tape copied to DVD or Blu-ray can never be any better than the original source - which in most cases will be fairly poor.
The other problem you may face is, that unless these are home recordings, copyright protection on retail VHS tapes

There is a few retail video tapes that I would like to transfer to DVD, these tapes are old in general. One of them is from the early to mid 80's and the other is early 90's, neither of them are available to buy on DVD, do you think they will not be transferable or is it try it and see thing? Or is it the case that no pre recorded retail VHS will transfer to DVD recording disks?

[Nigel Goodwin]

Generally commercial tapes are protected to prevent such copying.

[chrisjr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Styker

There is a few retail video tapes that I would like to transfer to DVD, these tapes are old in general. One of them is from the early to mid 80's and the other is early 90's, neither of them are available to buy on DVD, do you think they will not be transferable or is it try it and see thing? Or is it the case that no pre recorded retail VHS will transfer to DVD recording disks?

Retail VHS tapes are likely to have Macrovision copy protection on them. It was not uncommon back when VHS was the dominant format. In theory all DVD recorders should detect the Macrovision and not record the tape.

[Styker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisjr

Retail VHS tapes are likely to have Macrovision copy protection on them. It was not uncommon back when VHS was the dominant format. In theory all DVD recorders should detect the Macrovision and not record the tape.

And would that macrovision have been in place from the mid 80's to early 90's?

Any way of telling if a tape does have macrovision on it? Any symbols or logo's that indicate it has?

[chrisjr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Styker

And would that macrovision have been in place from the mid 80's to early 90's?

Any way of telling if a tape does have macrovision on it? Any symbols or logo's that indicate it has?

The first film to have Macrovision was released in about 1984. It's so long since I last set eyes on a retail VHS tape that I have no idea if there is any indication that it has Macrovision.

[mac2708]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Styker

And would that macrovision have been in place from the mid 80's to early 90's?

Any way of telling if a tape does have macrovision on it? Any symbols or logo's that indicate it has?

First question: Yes

Second question: As it was fairly standard practice I can't remember seeing it marked on the box that it was Macrovision protected.
You may be able to see if you can adjust the vertical position on your TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fBTYbm3CZQ

Also see this http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question313.htm

Just as a matter of interest what are the two films

[Styker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mac2708

First question: Yes

Second question: As it was fairly standard practice I can't remember seeing it marked on the box that it was Macrovision protected.
You may be able to see if you can adjust the vertical position on your TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fBTYbm3CZQ

Also see this http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question313.htm

Just as a matter of interest what are the two films

I'll PM you that.

[Deacon1972]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Styker

I'll PM you that.

Spoil sport.....

[mac2708]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deacon1972

Spoil sport.....

They are nothing to get excited about really.
Without giving anything away/breaking confidences.....
one is a US TV movie from 1985 and the other a British comedy series from 1992

[captainkremmen]

Does your PC not have a DVD writer?.

Another, and cheaper route might be to buy an analogue capture device, which you can pick up for less than £20, and in many cases less than £10. You can then use one of the myriad of free or commercial packages to convert and burn to DVD, and if you want to go a bit more advance, even a menu and adding chapters.

Defeating Macrovision is also possible, but will usually require the purchase of another small box or special cable which ever route you go down. Some older combi units might also have the ability to switch off Macrovision detection by entering a special key combination on the remote. I wont give any further info on that as it will be against DS T&Cs though.

[Styker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by captainkremmen

Does your PC not have a DVD writer?.

Another, and cheaper route might be to buy an analogue capture device, which you can pick up for less than £20, and in many cases less than £10. You can then use one of the myriad of free or commercial packages to convert and burn to DVD, and if you want to go a bit more advance, even a menu and adding chapters.

Defeating Macrovision is also possible, but will usually require the purchase of another small box or special cable which ever route you go down. Some older combi units might also have the ability to switch off Macrovision detection by entering a special key combination on the remote. I wont give any further info on that as it will be against DS T&Cs though.

I'm not that UP on technology these days but the computer must have its as ASIS i5, cost me just under £500 and the best part of another £200 in other equipment I bought for it.

I'll try and read up on how to do it by computer, I was going to buy some leads that could have connected to the computer but some of the reviews on that technology isn't favourable and there isn't many reviews either.