OK. Just bought a brand new DVD recorder for the first time. "It'll be so much better than VHS, honest, guv!"

So, I start recording something. (Just like I used to be able to do with video tapes.) Then I stop recording. Then I rewind a little to get to the exact point I want that recording to end. Then I press record again for the next thing I want to record.

And the damn thing seems to have put the new recording 'somewhere else' and not recorded over the bit at the end I didn't want.

And this is progress?

Tell me I'm missing something here!!!

Read the instruction book.

If you are recording on +R or -R you cant go over the end of something previously recorded.

+RW is the best option for what you want to do but you need to read the manual to see how to do it.

If your recorder has -RW it needs to support -RW(VR) and not just -RW(VIDEO).With -RW(VR) you can perform HDD style editing but you then need to use your PC dvd drive to transfer it to -/+R


What you really should have done is buy a recorder with HDD then after you have recorded everything you can edit to perfection then transfer to dvd

lol. 96 pages. double column. no help.


I am using +RW



I have a Humax, but it's no good for tight editing to within a second of the start and end! Progress, eh!

I meant a proper HDD recorder not a PVR.

Something from Pioneer or Panny would have enabled you to record and edit perfectly.

You can do what you require with +RW.

I imagine its different from recorder to recorder how you
do it.

When I had a Philips recorder you paused the disc where you wanted to join and IIRC you then pressed and HELD "record" for a few seconds when you wanted to start the new recording

But I wont be surprised if your recorder performs the feature using a different method.

You really do need to give the manual a quick scan .

What is the make and model of your recorder?

If its a really low budget DVD+ only recorder dont be surprised if this type of editing is something they have removed to cut costs.

But lets see first.

And mine will do this... but that requires you to anticipate the moment of end!



Panasonic DMR-EZ47VEB

To join a recording you pause it at the end of the first recording then start recording as the second programme begins and they should join-thats what you said you wanted to do.

If you want to be able to record without accuracy then go back and edit out the seconds you dont want later on you need a HDD.

Assuming your Panny does not have one you will need to record on DVD RAM.

This allows HDD style editing but because the discs dont play on other players Panny added RW a couple of years ago.

You should do all your recording on a RAM disc ,then you can edit all the ads and the padding either side .
But you then need to use a PC dvd drive to transfer the edited recording to the PC HDD so you can then copy it back to a +R or -R (or +RW/-RW if you dont want to keep it).

Note that some dvd drives wont play RAM either.

It sounds as if you should have taken more time before buying in order to check the recorder you were buying would do what you wanted it to.

I know nothing about this so I thought I'd look here for the answer. Bloody dvds I say!!!


I think your missing the OP point!



Yes. I think RAM disc is the answer. A friend has one and I think it works like you want.



Bloody hell. What a way to treat forum members. "You got the wrong thing, prat, and you should see the size of my expensive set up!"

Sorry mods, I should have just reported the guy but I couldn't resist!

I cant see the problem with the criticism.

Surely before you spend money on just about anything you do some research, identify what you want your purchase to do, ask for opinions, seek reviews and then decide?

To buy something and then don't bother to even read the manual is frankly idiotic. In this day and age most manuals are available for download before you buy so you can see exactly what functions it has and how easy/difficult it is to operate.

Forums like this are to assist people with genuine problems surely? Unless the OP is illiterate a bit of self help by reading the relevant section, if not all of the manual, is surely a reasonable first step?

An interesting perspective. I can see why you're miffed.

You are missing something. With DVD recorders, you can go back later and trim up the beginnings and ends and remove adverts. You don't have to be there live, or have a precision pause finger ready, to make a perfect recording. With tape you only ever have the one chance to get it right.

The biggest difference in this case between VHS and DVDR is Sequential Access v Direct Access.

In VHS, a mechanical 'pause' or pressing 'stop' both do the same physical thing to the medium - they stop suquential processing. Restarting with 'release pause' or 'play/record' just allows more data to be written in the next sequential place - up against the previous recording, hence 'smooth' editing.

With a DVDR, a 'pause' works as in VHS above - it pauses the physical writing of the data. Pressing 'release pause' will allow more data to be written up against the previous recording as for VHS. Pressing 'stop' marks an end to that recording and pressing 'play/record' marks the start of a completely new recording - and a new entry in the index ready for 'direct access' via the menu systems.

This last point is one reason why you can find recordings quickly on DVD or on HDD - much faster than spooling through tape.

I'm afraid it's 'horses for courses' and DVD doesn't do Sequential Access' very well - designed for something else.

Rgds,
Scorp

I tend to agree with the OP. Unless you are a technofreak most DVD recorders are a minefield. Even I have to think twice and plan what I am doing. My wife refused to use either of mine. "What did you buy that stupid complicated bit of kit for" She gets on fine with VM+ with HDD however.

As I have said on other threads I find single layer DVD recording disappointing. Too many formats handled in too many ways by different DVD recorders, only 2 hours max for questionably decent quality, inflexible or long winded access and dubious multi machine compatbility.

If I really want to archive I tend now to record direct to PC HDD, edit and burn to DL-DVD.

But this is nowhere near as user friendly as a a VHS VCR!

I've tried that. It's OK. I can delete parts of recordings. Nothing like the functionality of VHS, though.



Oh yes!...Thanks... and you're probably right

I am, so I can't read this comment... which is probably just as well, friend.


Damn clunky though! Still, RAM disc seems to be doing the job. Hell of a way round for such a simple thing.



Designed Very Dumb?



I agree with this, thanks for the support.

I am a little lost with this one.
I am assuming that the itmes you are recording you are wanting to keep, hence the wanting to edit the end/start points. If this is the case a DVD-RAM disc is a much more advanced system than VHS and allows for much more accurate editing down to individual frames of the recording. You can even remove the adverts from the recording (gaining that space back to record more) along with the titel/end credits.
The decent machines are a doddle to set timer recordings on using the built-in freeview 7 day tv guide, or video-plus. Finding the recording on the disc is easier than a VHS tape. And all this is bundled with better recording quality.
I can understand that you might find the operation of the item "clunky" but when they do so much more than an old VCR you have to expect the operation to be a bit more in-depth.
As for saying not having sequential access is dumb, I am gob smacked. One of the most irritating flaws in VHS was that is you forgot / someone else changed a tape/rewound the tape and you pressed record you lost all the over recorded footage. This does not happen on dvd. It ensures that it uses the next available space. It will also tell you how much space is left on the disc.

It's got MORE functionality than VHS, your problem is that it's DIFFERENT functionality!. You're comparing it to a VCR, it's not, it's completely different - you need to revise the way you use.

I completely agree with Gilson here, DVD recorders are MUCH, MUCH, more complicated for people who are used to VCR's. I've sure at least 75% of DVD recorders sold are hardly ever used - and what really pi**es me off is Sony keep giving them away free with LCD's. This trebles the delivery and installation time (if not more!), then you get repeated calls to show them how to work it yet again!.

A woman brought a DVD recorder in for 'repair', along with a few disks, complaining that although the disks were empty, she couldn't record on them. The machine was about two years old, so my first thought was the mech was going to be duff!. Anyway, I chucked a test disk in, and it recorded fine? - so I tried one of her discs, and it wouldn't record. I then examined her discs, they were all DVD-R's, and she had been recording on them, then deleting the contents - this doesn't free the space up as it's not rewritable. I rang and spoke to her, and every single disc she had was a DVD-R, and she had used them all up and deleted the contents.

Another 'pet hate', youngish people come in the shop looking at DVD recorders, they then tell you they are buying one for their grandmother, because she can't work her VCR, so they are buying her a DVD recorder instead!

What are you on about?

The reply was perfectly in order.

It gave the info he wanted but was also right to point out that he should read the manual and also check if the equipment will do what he wants it to do.

Reported the guy?

Get a life

But you cant go back later and edit unless you use the correct format discs,something the OP was obviously unaware of and why he was advised to go HDD

"Functionality of VHS"?

Perhaps you can let us know what VHS can do that RAM cant -apart from instant playback on other machines.

Of course with dvd you get the opportunity to get broadcast quality recordings if you stick to 2h20 or less on a single layer dvd.

With VHS its not possible to record something ,then take out the ads later .

Whereas they would probably find a PVR quite easy to use - once they've got over the initial technophobia.

As Bobcar says, PVR (Sky+ for me) for 99% of recordings which are likely to be watch and wipe, there's the extra benefit of series links and direct access to the recording library.

If you want to archive (I do archive some stuff) I can write to DVR-R and all my mates can watch the recording (but they may have to skip adverts etc) or I can write to DVD-RAM and edit cleanly post recording (something that cant be done with VHS.

As I stated earlier, these are two completely different types of machine (with PVRs adding a third type with its own unique benefits) and with VHS you always had to do your editing real time, ie sit with the pause button ready all the time. In effect, the recording has to be watched once (to edit it) before it's watched again post edit.

Dont get me wrong, I love my old VHS machine, it plays my old tapes really well: far, far better than any new fangled DVD recorder could.

Rgds,
Scorp

PVR's are no trouble, easier than VCR's - but no FreeView round here

Can't beat Sky+ though, the easiest to use of all PVR's.