posted on March 18, 2003 12:22:13 PM new
I have an extensive video collection I want to transfer to DVD. I am have seen but stupidly forgot to note the manufacturers of machine that do direct VHS to DVD recording. I will eventually need to do some authoring but would like the ease of and convenience of digitizing without taking up computer time. Can someone recommend a good machine that can do this? Many thanks. Oh yeah - to make this ebay relevent - I will be selling of all the tapes once as they are transfered.
posted on March 18, 2003 01:08:58 PM new
neonmania,
If you sell off the tapes after you have copied them on to DVD... then you are violating federal copyright law. It is perfectly fine to make copies of media for personal use if the copies are used as backup (or allow for advances in technology). However, you must still retain the older technology original as that is your license for the copies. I believe that all this information is explained in the FBI warning that appears at the begining of all videos.
As for specific models of machines that allow for direct VHS to DVD copying... I'm not really certain. However... you really don't need one. It would probably be cheaper for you to buy just a DVD recorder deck. You could then hook your VHS deck directly to your DVD recorder deck (connect audio/video cords to the output of the VHS and connect the other end to the input of the DVD recorder). Hope that helps!
posted on March 18, 2003 05:18:42 PM new
EAuction.
Thank you for the input on the copyright, however this collection falls into 3 catagories...
1) I own the copyright
2) Not commercial material
3) Commercial material not subject to US copyright laws.
As for the synching up machines method, I am aware of it but as any GoVideo deck owner will tell you, Quality retention is much better in a machine designed for this purpose. I know the machine exists. Someone else today suggested that Philips is manufacturing them but their website is useless for people looking to view their model catalog. Once I find one and figure out the model it will however be an excellent place to dl an operating manual
I tried doing a web and Ebay search but no such luck. Even GoVideo who pioneered the all in one dubbing decks does not seem to have what I am looking for.
I may be forced to call FRYS but I have not yet garnered the energy to deal with the prerequisite three complete twits before finding someone that knows what they are taking about. (I once watched a sales person tell a customer that she would need to purchase Photoshop to utilize the $10 clip art collection she was buying in word. When the customer balked at purchasing a $500 program he then informed her that she didn't need a full version...as long as she was running ANY adobe product, an update would work. - I caught her on the way to check out and let her know that both pieces of info were incorrect, she needed nothing. In exchange for saving her $250, she bought me a coke )
posted on March 19, 2003 08:37:18 AM new
I have been drooling over the Philips DVD burner for a long time. It looks really nice but the last time I looked, pretty costly. Way out of my price range. I wanted to use it to transfer my son's baby videos onto DVD and convert some of my own (purchased) movies over to DVD, especially my favorite ones. Tapes don't last forever. I didnt want to copy them to resell them. Just for my own use.
so far, that is my favorite but unobtainable right now like everything else. No mon, no fun, just sun. HAHAHAHA
posted on March 19, 2003 09:08:54 AM new
Paloma - I set up a different account where I am selling the parts of the collection that I don't want to save. The proceeds from those sales will help pay for the machine. Once I have it and I can sell off the rest they will act as reimbursement and pay for all of the DVDs. I was thinking about setting up a site offering transfer service to actually make the machine work for me. I'll let you know when I get it - maybe I can help you with those baby vids once I get used to the authoring software.
posted on March 19, 2003 11:40:09 AM new
Just FYI, in case someone doesn't know this, most digital camcorders today can connect directly to a PC via a firewire cable and PCI card, total cost no more than $70. They come with software to transfer your digital video tapes to CDR or DVD but the software is usually not too great, so I recommending buying a better program. If you want to transfer VHS tapes, you can connect a VCR to your digital camera and use it as a converter or you can buy a hardware/software package that does it all for about $200.
I am in the process of transferring my old family videos to PC before the tapes degrade. I found that VHS tapes can be transferred to Mpeg1 and you get about 45 minutes per CD. Going to Mpeg2 makes the files bigger, but not better. VHS just doesn't have that great quality. With the digital video tape, going to Mpeg2 makes a tremendous difference but you get about 20 minutes per CD.
If you want some details and recent reviews of several products, visit
www.ccs-digital.com/writing/200303.html
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