Ok, so after reading until my eyes bleed, I need to just ask directly. I have an Athlon 64 +3500 system, with 1 GB RAM, 120GB HD, ASUS EN6600 256 MB GeForce 6600 video card, a Lite-On DVD burner and both USB2.0/Firewire ports. I have various video programs (Windows Movie Maker, etc), Nero DVD burning software, etc. I also have (2) Panasonic DVD/VCD combo players (neither recordable). What I want to do is back up all of the VHS videos my kids have from Disney, etc. Just to preserve them better since they get watched a lot. I thought about using my Panasonic PV-D252D video camera to convert them, but it doesn't have pass-through. So here is my dilema: Buy a Plextor PX-M402U unit and a Red Pro http://www.xdimax.com/dvd/dvdredpro.html and copy and edit. OR Spend the $ to get a DVD Recorder and direct copy. I believe I still need a stabilizer or the Red Pro (????). Any suggestions? Anything I am missing?
Those units will work, although most DVD recorders won't allow a copy of a protected (macrovision) tape. An alternative would be a hardware mpeg-2 encoder card, which ignores macrovision, such as the Hauppauge PVR 150/250/350/500.
so instead of either of the above, I can jsut get a PVR-150 and do what I need to? THe Red PRo is the macrovision stripper in my scenario btw. Thanks for the input!
The USB device simply means you don't have to open the computer. It works as well as the others, although transportable. The 350 has playback issues, as well as some lockups on some systems, and is not recommended. Get the 150/250 or 500 if you want dual tuners. Get a "Retail" version if you want a remote, but no FM radio. Get a "MCE" version of you want FM radio, but no remote. The MCE versions will all work in regular XP.
Thanks!!! Btw, (ok worry-wort alert) I don't need anythign else to take out the protection when backing up the commercial VHS's with any of these correct?
How about the following cards? KWORLD VS-TV878RF AVerMedia M150 PCI Interface M150 Media Center Edition 2005 PCI TV Tuner (does it work with XP Pro?) Also, once the VHS has been copied to the DVD, will it play correctly in my DVD/VCR combo(s)?
ok, I ordered the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-USB2 unit. I shouldn't need anything else now to copy the commercial VHS's correct? This unit will strip the protection off?
Hi. I've been borrowing VHS tapes from the local library via the inter-library loan system and copying them. I can get DVDs and VHS tapes from old movies that you will never find in any video store. I have a fast computer from Dell, and the machine doesn't have any trouble with the USB cable assembly I bought from Belkin. It's the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 DVD Creator Part # F5U228 and I paid about $100 here in the States. It hooks up to my DVD/VHS machine, and the software that comes with it, while tough to figure out, will burn in both European and American formats. Even though the "Hi-Speed USB 2.0 DVD Creator" program came bundled with the cable assembly, I could get free technical support until I learned how to use it. It's a bit tough to understand, or at least it was for me. I guess I could have read the instructions, but...??? If you want to do a lot of editing with your own video camera, you'll probably want to upgrade to their better version. But I make DVDs all the time with it. I've learned to burn DVDs with Nero at no more than 4X to be sure they will run on anyone's player, by the way. Good luck. Zergkiller
The Hauppauge PVR-USB 2.0 will take your VHS (with the right cables) and make mpg's on your computer. No macrovision involved. How you author them to disk after that, is up to you. You cannot simply burn the mpg to a dvd, and expect it to play.
Thanks for all of your help. I will have to play around and find out the best way to author them for playing on my DVD/VCR combo.
