HD Recorder

[djan]

Hi everybody,

What do you think about HD Recorder to capture VHS ? Is it a good solution ? Can you then use the captured video on your PC and author it for then burn it on a DVD ?

Thx for your advises.

[djan]

Can someone reply please ? :(

Is it better to buy a DVD Recorder with S-VHS input or a HD recorder with only Scart input ?

Also like in my post, is it a good solution to make DVD's from my VHS's ?

Thx.

[avih]

it depends on your needs.
i'll assume u need a stand alone solution, i.e. that u can put in your living room.

if you want to keep the videos for later, store them, etc, i'd say a dvd writer.

if you only need to "time shift" (record now, watch later, then dump the recording), HD would be better.

it also depends on your budget and the prices of products you're interested in.

the reason that u didn't get answers so far is that your question is so general, that nobody can answer it well, and has to guess your intent. and no one will do that.

next time try to be a bit more specific that questions like: what's better, PS2 or Xbox, because it depends on your needs.

[djan]

Hi, I said for what needs it was. I would like to make DVD's from my VHS's. I don't want to use a capture card, I prefer to go with a standalone solution. The budget is not so important, I can find what I need for not too much expensive. I found a HD Recorder with 40Go for $350. It's not so expensive. I was thinking to record as much as I want on the HD Recorder and then Edit the video on my PC, is it a good solution ? Thx.

[Soulhunter]

Originally posted by djan
Hi, I said for what needs it was. I would like to make DVD's from my VHS's. I don't want to use a capture card, I prefer to go with a standalone solution. The budget is not so important, I can find what I need for not too much expensive. I found a HD Recorder with 40Go for $350. It's not so expensive. I was thinking to record as much as I want on the HD Recorder and then Edit the video on my PC, is it a good solution ? Thx. I think for this budget you could get a capture card that does a much better job than this standalone... ;)

Bye

[Arachnotron]

Is it better to buy a DVD Recorder with S-VHS input or a HD recorder with only Scart input ?

I didn't see an answer to this question, so I'll have a shot at it :)

SCART is just a norm for the shape of the connector. It can be wired in many ways. It can carry RGB or composite video or s-video (not s-VHS, that is a tape format by the way :) ) or sound or a combination of those, either as input or as output. Exactly which combination is wired into it depends on the capabilities of the device in question, though they are either for input or output, but not both at the same time.

So, a recorder with scart may actually be s-video capable as well. Check the specs! I suspect the same goes here as for capture cards: if you have the choice, use s-video instead of composite.

By the way, I don't know the first thing about DVD recorders. :D

[mustardman]

I think getting a HD recorder that is able to transfer the data to a PC for editing for $350 is dubious. I would also imagine that the data format that the HD recorder would use would either be proprietry, or of a rather poor quality - especially for editing as you suggest. If you want to do editing, get a capture card. If you just want to move VHS to DVD, go for a DVD recorder (stand alone).

PS: @Arachnotron : I thought scart was able to take video in & out on the same connector? I have a deck that does I/O on one scart plug, and the other scart plug is input only.

[Arachnotron]

@Mustardman

PS: @Arachnotron : I thought scart was able to take video in & out on the same connector? I have a deck that does I/O on one scart plug, and the other scart plug is input only.

You are correct of-course, I was not thinking :( SCART's doing both in and out certainly exist.

The general conclusion is correct though: having a SCART connector does not say anything about which signals it may carry and in which direction. You need the specs/manual for that.

[rfmmars]

I agree, a good capture card allows much more control over the process.

With DVD (MPEG2) using a stand alone, bad in...... super bad out.

richard
photorecall.net

[djan]

Originally posted by mustardman
I think getting a HD recorder that is able to transfer the data to a PC for editing for $350 is dubious. I would also imagine that the data format that the HD recorder would use would either be proprietry, or of a rather poor quality - especially for editing as you suggest. If you want to do editing, get a capture card. If you just want to move VHS to DVD, go for a DVD recorder (stand alone).

I bought the HD Recorder from eBay, otherwise it's something like $1000. I don't know if I can transfer the video on the PC. I'm waiting to receive it. For information, it's the PHILIPS HDR1000.

[mustardman]

Well, a HD recorder for US$1000, you are pretty likely to get some good features and good quality. Not knowing the model, and without doing some surfing, I would imagine that connection to a PC for transferring the video data would be possible. But another option, many models have removable hard disks, which should plug straight into a IDE bus. But the actual stored video format... may be standard... may be not...

[djan]

Ok, thx I'll take a try as soon I get it.