Method of Choice to convert tapes to disk

[burnselk]

Hey guys, I need some guidance. My pc came with a "cd-writer" and a "dvd-rom". Now I want to add a "dvd burner" but I don't have the space to install it until I remove one of the two preinstalled drives mentioned above. I don't want to spend the extra $ on an external burner.
Question 1: Which drive would you remove (the cd-writer or the dvd-rom)?

I'm trying to get set up "to convert several of my own old VHS and 8mm tapes to disk" using a video capture device and dvd burner.
Question 2: What method would you recommend I use to convert my old vhs and 8mm tapes to disk ($ is a big factor)? A "DVD/VHS Combo Recorder" or a "video capture device (usb or firewire) and dvd burner"? Or am I totally confused by thinking this way? Don't forget, I'm a beginner....but I have already purchased a DVD burner (I/O Magic IDVD16DLS) but haven't installed it yet due to question 1). I've also purchased a new WD 250 HDD but haven't installed it yet either.
Hope this makes sense.....thanks a million, I appreciate your input....any and all input will be most helpful to me.

[rfmmars]

Hey guys, I need some guidance. My pc came with a "cd-writer" and a "dvd-rom". Now I want to add a "dvd burner" but I don't have the space to install it until I remove one of the two preinstalled drives mentioned above. I don't want to spend the extra $ on an external burner.
Question 1: Which drive would you remove (the cd-writer or the dvd-rom)?

I'm trying to get set up "to convert several of my own old VHS and 8mm tapes to disk" using a video capture device and dvd burner.
Question 2: What method would you recommend I use to convert my old vhs and 8mm tapes to disk ($ is a big factor)? A "DVD/VHS Combo Recorder" or a "video capture device (usb or firewire) and dvd burner"? Or am I totally confused by thinking this way? Don't forget, I'm a beginner....but I have already purchased a DVD burner (I/O Magic IDVD16DLS) but haven't installed it yet due to question 1). I've also purchased a new WD 250 HDD but haven't installed it yet either.
Hope this makes sense.....thanks a million, I appreciate your input....any and all input will be most helpful to me.

Forget the combo units, many times the burns will only play on that machine.

Take the CD writer out. Sometimes there is a problem running two DVD drives on the same cable but since you have the two running ok now, that a good sign. I have also a IO / Magic and I do not like it at all, hope you don't have buring problems.

Richard
www.photorecall.net

[Mug Funky]

as far as what device to remove, it's a matter of choice.

if you burn lots of CDs and your current writer does a good job, it's probably better to keep it (in my experience combined DVD/CD writers can have some annoying compatibility issues with CDs, but this would only be apparent if you have a finicky audio CD player or something like that).

if you're going to do DVD backups, you might want to keep the DVD-ROM around, as these generally don't have "riplock" enabled and can read at full speed. also if you get a crap disc, sometimes the old DVD-ROM can read it where nothing else can. of course, if you're not doing DVD ripping much, you'll only need the one drive.

basically, either way you do it wont make a big difference.. :)

[burnselk]

Forget the combo units, many times the burns will only play on that machine.

Richard
www.photorecall.net

How can I convert analog VHS tapes to DVD if I don't have a combo? I would prefer to go another route, but can I?

I have analog VHS tapes (many) and 8mm analog tapes (many) that I want to put on DVD.....how can I do both? :confused:

[Mug Funky]

instead of a combo VCR/DVD recorder, you can simply get a DVD recorder and plug your old VCR into it through the RCA plug.

or if you want mega quality you can digitize with a PCI card with a good comb filter and a TBC (this fixes the jittery horizontal lines, so long as your tape is first generation, and not a dub from a tape that already had timebase errors). of course, that'll be expensive.

i got my parents a pioneer DVR 330s, and that's got a superb comb filter and a damn good mpeg-2 encoder as well. no TBC, but that's not too bad for casual backing-up of VHS. it's not like any of it's going to be released on DVD.

[burnselk]

instead of a combo VCR/DVD recorder, you can simply get a DVD recorder and plug your old VCR into it through the RCA plug.....I like this idea.....hope it can be done.

:goodpost: Do all DVD recorders and all VHS players have the ability to connect in this way?

Mud, good advice....my kind of language.

Would you not recommend a video caputuring device like the ADS Tech Xpress?

[Mug Funky]

AFAIK all VCRs since their inception have had composite outputs plus RF ones. probably safer to use the composite one (the 3 RCA's rather than the single BNC connector).

DVD recorders also have RCA and S-VHS inputs usually, sometimes more.

i'm not familiar with the ADS Tech Xpress, so i can't really give a recommendation there. additionally, all the VHS capturing i've needed to do has been audio-only... i really didn't care how the video looked so long as i could sync it with a better source in editing :)

[burnselk]

AFAIK all VCRs since their inception have had composite outputs plus RF ones. probably safer to use the composite one (the 3 RCA's rather than the single BNC connector).

DVD recorders also have RCA and S-VHS inputs usually, sometimes more.

:)

My VHS recorder/player only has a yellow and a white input (on the front) and a yellow and white output (on the rear) plugs.

[Qjimbo]

Yellow is composite video, white is mono sound, which is RCA, just mono instead of stereo (RCA usually being 3 phono connectors: Yellow, White and Red). Most DVD recorders have composite video inputs, but what might vary is how they interpret only one channel of sound. You might get all sound of the left or right hand side, but that would be easily cured with a phono lead splitter such as this (http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=28100&&source=14&doy=search).