Ask Me Help Desk - DVD Burner

Greetings, I am planning on buying something that I can use to transfer my VHS tapes to DVD, I would also like to be able to make copies of my DVD movies for my son. I am debating between a dvd burner (external) or the software that claims all you need is a cdburner, which I have already on my computer. It is so confusing, I am hoping that you all may be able to steer me in the right direction. I want to be as consevative a possible and these will be for my own collection. I am afraid my VHS tapes are getting old and I want to preserve them. I do have a dvd rom already on my computer, so I can watch them on board. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I love this site, because you aren't trying to sell me something I can't use, I get the straight deal.
Thanks a lot,

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Greetings, I am planning on buying something that I can use to transfer my VHS tapes to DVD, I would also like to be able to make copies of my DVD movies for my son. I am debating between a dvd burner (external) or the software that claims all you need is a cdburner, which I have already on my computer. It is so confusing, I am hoping that you all may be able to steer me in the right direction. I want to be as consevative a possible and these will be for my own collection. I am afraid my VHS tapes are getting old and I want to preserve them. I do have a dvd rom already on my computer, so I can watch them on board. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I love this site, because you aren't trying to sell me something I can't use, I get the straight deal.
Thanks a lot,

The thing about using a cd burner instead is not a solution. Yes you could get away with only a cd burner, but you would need about 6 cds for a two hour movie and the quality would be completely unacceptable. :)

You might also want to consider one of those standalone dvd burners you can connect to your TV. I've never used one of those, but I'd assume it would be a LOT easier to transfer vhs to dvd and TV to dvd, but far less flexible and harder to transfer from dvd to dvd.

If you have a computer dvd burner (consider going internal, they are cheaper and faster than external), it is easy to copy a dvd, but in order to go from vhs to dvd you need a video capture device (another $250, the $80 ones just don't cut it), and a really fast computer.

Just hope I cleared a few things up,

~psi42

Thanks for the info psi42. In order to put an internal dvd
Burner in my computer I would need to take out either the cd-writer or the dvd rom from my computer? Then,concerning my vhs to dvd, is there any way I could hook my vhs recorder to my computer, with any certain hardware? I'm probably way off base, but what the heck.
Thanks again for all the info.

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Thanks for the info psi42. In order to put an internal dvd
burner in my computer I would need to take out either the cd-writer or the dvd rom from my computer?

Depends on the size of your computer's case and the amount of connections on your motherboard. I'd assume you probably have space in the case for at least one more drive, but unless you have a 3rd ide connection on your motherboard, you will need to connect it to the same ide cable as your hard drive, which is generally not a good idea.
However, if you do get a dvd burner it will have all the functions of the dvd rom, and will most likely be able to burn cds as well, so you could probably live with pulling either one, unless you need to have two cd burners. :)

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Then,concerning my vhs to dvd, is there any way I could hook my vhs recorder to my computer, with any certain hardware? I'm probably way off base, but what the heck.

Yes you can. You basically need either an internal pci card or an external device that takes RCA plugs. These video capture devices are very common...
Anyway, if this is the way you want to go, this is the area where the $$$ really counts. It won't matter if you buy a 2x dvd burner or an 8x dvd burner quality-wise (although 2x burns take half an hour.) I burn at 1x anyway, because I have el cheapo discs that I don't think can even handle 2x. :)
But with the input card, the cheap ones will only capture at very low resolutions at bad framerates = waste of money. I don't have a decent one so unfortunately I can't give you any recommendations.
DVD resolution is 720x480 widescreen. I'm not sure what the fullscreen resolution is, but it's something close to that. Be sure your device can capture AT LEAST 640x480. Anything lower just doesn't cut it. If it doesn't say on the box it is probably a 320x240 junk item. ;D:)

Have fun :)

~psi42

With the prices of DVD burners going down, you should go that route.

I had a few DVD burners and I would recommand the PIONEER A107.

It's a very good burner at an affordable price, and it takes about any blank DVD.

You need enough RAM and around 10GB of free space on your hard disk.

Ideally, try to connect your burner as master and not slave and not on the same IDE as your other DVD reader.

There are plenty of free (or low priced) software on the net to convert your VHS tapes into burnable DVD format. Just look around and try a few. You'll find one that you like and are comfortable with.

Good luck

... And don't buy from Artec. My Artec drive supposedly only supports about a third of the discs out there (the rest are unrecognized and only burn at 1x, even with the newest firmware :( ).

If copying dvds is your thing, the software you want is dvdshrink. In my opinion it is the _undisputed_ best software for this purpose at this time.

:)

~psi42

Thanks for the advice, I have purchased a dvd burner for my computer, lite on, works great. Now back to the vhs tapes of my children, can I just buy a dvd recorder and hook it to my vhs player and record this way, or am I way off base.?

Thanks everyone.?