Ok - I need some help and guidance on buying a DVD recorder cum video player

I want to start a programme of transferring my most treasured videos onto DVD before vid recorders become obsolete.</p>

I want to do it in as uncomplicated way as possible, to best available quality, and I reckon the cleanest way would be to get me one of those DVD recorders that has a video with it so you can just capture. what you play on video.</p>

I'm not too fussy about price, and am prepared to to up to 20 guineas or so for the right machine, but I am also lookin for two vital requirements if they are available.</p>

1) An edit facility that will allow me to take out unwanted stuff on the recording if necessary (eg adverts) and</p>

2) A DVD that will play any region, not just region 2.</p>

Anybody who has gone through this stage of transferring and can give me a few recommendations would be greatly appreciated.</p>

Thanks muchly!</p>

 

I've got a DVD recorder with hard drive, also multi-region, and the hard drive allows you to edit it before writing to DVD...can connect a VCR to it via scart lead as well. So you could play the video and write it to the hard drive and then play around with it.
LiteOn DVD recorder, which get good reviews on technical websites even if they aren't a know name....think mine was £180 from Argos a couple of years back.

 

Make sure you get one with a FreeView tuner BUILT IN

Anything else is a waste of money.

 

Oh dear...

The reason I prefer everything in one box is because it's practically "idiot proof" to use. Don't you agree? I can just select something from the program guide and will record it to either hard disc or (very occasionally) DVD.

I guess it's a bit of dilemma when the DVD writer fails - I try to record to the hard disc rather than the DVD in order to protect it a bit. Does your hard drive still work for recording?

 

A couple of points to make

Firstly, when you say, "treasured videos", if any of them are shop-bought films, they may well be copy-protected and therefore not transferrable in this way. However, home movies and recorded TV programmes should be fine.

Secondly, the edit facilities on these devices are often a basic and somewhat cumbersome. I found it easier when transferring my videos to DVD to use a re-recordable DVD to do the transfer, then edit it (and create menus for the TV series ones) on the PC. Assuming of course that your PC has a DVD writer to burn the finished disc.

As regards the region, when you have narrowed your search down to a few makes and models, look them up on Videohelp.com. The DVD Hacks section lets you search by make and model to see if they can easily be made multiregion. This only matters for playback of purchased DVD's - ones you record yourself will not be region coded.

With respect to Freeview, analogue signals will be switched off in a few years so it is a worthy idea. However, it appears that Freeview-HD is coming in 2009 and current hardware will be unable to receive this! So quite how much futureproofing it gives is debatable, although standard-def freeview signals will still be around long after analogue ones are switched off.

Finally, my machine is a Lite-On as EastStander's is. I second his recommendation - I've been really pleased with mine.

 

Course you can! nt

 

Ok, so far so good...

I have both Sky and Freeview so no probs there. The main thing is transferring recorded videos of personal interest and stuff taped from telly. I can then shut my tape resources down.</p>

Thanks for the help so far.</p>

 

Don't know much about DVD recorders....

</p>

.....but I'm pretty sure any VCR will play your cum videos.</p>

 

Tsk!

... haven'tplayed them for years.</p>