Which DVD Burner -R, +R, ±R?

[2ZOD.COM]

I need to convert 60-70 VHS tapes to DVD. I've been looking around for a DVD Burner for some time now and the Sony DRU-500AX seems to be the best, but it's very overpriced.

Would I be better off just getting a simple DVD-R drive instead?

Or, should I just wait? I hear Lite-On is coming out with some new burners soon and should be around the $150-200 range. Would it be wiser to just wait for that, or go ahead and buy the Sony?

I'm kind of torn on this whole -R and +R thing. I need the disks to be very compatible, but everyone seems to be going with -R disks. Which one actually provides more compatability?

Thanks,
Carl

[idbirch2]

You will find that people with a -R drive will say "-R drives are the most compatible" whereas people with a +R drive say "No no no, +R is more compatible!" I am yet so see conclusive evidence of either of these statements.

DRU500 users of course just sit their laughing smuggly cos they don't care!

I have a Pioneer 105 -R drive and am yet to have a problem with compatibility in a standalone/console. Every standalone I have tested with plays fine, likewise every game I have burnt for my PS2 is fine too.

I wouldnt get to stressed about the decision - flip a coin. If it bothers you that much fork out the extra cash for the DRU500 - you can't go wrong then.

[gooki]

If all you are doing is converting VHS 2 DVD i'd recomend a panasonic standalone DVD-R/Ram recorder over a PC based system. It will save you a lot of time and frustration.

[Gil T Pleasure]

Yes, go with a standalone DVD recorder. This is the simpliest, easiest and fastest way of transferring your VHS collection to DVD.

If you don't care for DVD-RAM, the Sharp DVRW2U (http://forum.doom9.org/editpost.php?s=&action=editpost&postid=299121), which supports the DVD-R/RW format, is now available in the states for about $600.

[taz291819]

Check to see what your stand-alone dvd players will read. I was in the same situation as you are in, but since all my stand-alone players are Phillips, I went with DVD+R. There are a lot of sites out there that list compatibility with dvd+r/dvd-r or both.

[Imperial Zeppelin]

Coin toss is the way to go in terms of "+" or "-". I use the lower price method; I got the Cendyne packaging of the Pioneer 105 for $180 just recently and I've been very happy with Pioneer burners...

As far as getting a set top recorder, now you're talking big bucks. Heck, the $180 for the computer burner and the additional maybe $100 for an AV interface, if you need it, is still lots cheaper then the $600 for a set top recorder...and you can do lot's more editing on the computer.

My $0.02...

Zep

[gooki]

yes, but time is money, and captureing and encoding 60-70hs tapes isn't a task I would look foward to.

[Gil T Pleasure]

Yes, going the PC route is much cheaper, BUT it has a steep learning curve. On the other hand, standalone DVD recorder is as easy to use as a VCR.

[Imperial Zeppelin]

I want to make the case for flexibility. Yes, set top recorders are easy, but you can just as easily dump VHS to HDD and then take that right to DVD. It's two steps instead of one on the set top recorder...

However, if those 60 - 70 tapes are "family specials" taped using VHS camcorders, then, let's face it, on a two-hour tape, there's probably at least 15 minutes of the camera pointing to the ground, facing the sky, etc. If you want to spend the time, and yes it takes a lot of time, to edit this stuff out, then a computer rig is the way to go. My brother-in-law went the set top route and has exact dupes of his VHS tapes, in-grown toe nails and all. I prefer to excise those kind of scenes, as well as the irritating toe nails, and get the best possible result and save money to boot.

Programs like Studio 8 have very easy learning curves and truthfully, I usually use it in lieu of Premiere, which has a curve so steep it makes Mt. Everest look like a rolling hill...

The other thing is no matter which way you go, if you want to backup movie VHS tapes, there's the matter of the video booster signal (ie. Macrovision override)one will need.

Once again, my position is simple. I went the PC route and have never regretted it. The options are limitless and it costs less in cash, but more in time.

[Gil T Pleasure]

If you really must remove the uninteresting part of the tape, you can do that with a standalone DVD recorder. the Philips DVD+RW recorders have basic editing capabilities and the Panasonics DVD-RAM recorders offer on-disc editing (although the DVD-RAM discs themselves aren't very compatible).

Also, you need a way of digitizing/capturing the video to your PC's HDD. Factor in the price of a good capture device + DVD burner and you could be spending about the same as a standalone DVD recorder.