Try this site.Check off the features (in this case 'VCR')and you will get a list with user comments. http://www.videohelp.com/dvdrecorders Note that most combo type machines will honour 'Macrovision' and will refuse to copy VHS movies that contain this protection. To backup these tapes requires a standalone tape player and a 'video enhancer'.
Thanks for the reply, but do you know of any DVD recorder that burns copyrighted VHS tapes or do you have to buy a a encrypter box?
I don't know of any who advertise the fact. I use a twenty year old Optex 'enhancer' on my DVD recorder that was used for dubbing between tape players and note that not all movie tapes have protection anyway. I think that Haupage capture cards for the PC ignore Macrovision - but capture cards have their own problems.The link I gave has details.
So is it better to buy a standalone DVD recorder and hook-up the VCR thru a enhancer? what does the enhancer actually do? Does it block the copyright on the VHS?
I don't know the mechanics of the process, but in essence the video signal is stripped of any indicator that the content is protected. Only commercial tapes have the protection and only some of them actually have it. If an unfiltered tape has protection, the recorder shows a suitable message on the TV screen and it won't copy the signal. The general quality of the DVD will reflect the quality of the tape.
