Convert VHS to DVD - Comments Page 9

I have been pretty successful when it comes to transferring commercial VHS tapes to DVD-R via a VCR-DVD Recorder combo however I always run into a problem trying to copy Disney tapes. What do you suggest on this note?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Some have reported success using a stabilizer such as the Sima CT-200. I recommend videohelp.com for more assistance if that doesn't do the trick.

Help please! I'm techno challenged & older, so bear with me.
I have made 100's of dvd's with my Sony combo: RDR-vx530....I had so much trouble getting them finalized,I just didnt try after a few.
Now my machine died...Can a new "any" brand finalize them? Will a new "same" brand? Any other option? I dont want to lose all my recordings...any help would be appreciated.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I read some postings on VideoHelp.com and came away with no clear answer. I suggest you post your question there, with as much detail as possible. People seem pretty friendly and helpful there.

My bro-in-law was really great to offer to tape my wedding, but he used 3 different cameras that consisted of 2 kinds of VHS and 1 memory card. I want to transfer my VHS into DVD so that I can edit them all together. I am trying to find information online about the best way to go about it, but I go glassy-eyed with too much techno-talk; I am a basic techno-girl.

Is there a difference between transferring to DVD and transferring to a digital file (like MPEG-2, etc)? If so, and I already bought something that was advertised to be transferred to DVD, can I convert it into an editable file?

EDITOR'S NOTE: MPEG is a video format that should be editable with most video editing programs, such as Windows Movie Maker or Sony Vegas. DVD is a physical disk, onto which you can burn a video file (such as an MPEG). In short, you need to convert the VHS footage into some video file format (MPEG is fine), open the video files with a video editor, edit as needed, then burn to a DVD disc.

I have been using a Pinnacle studio program for years to convert my home VHS tapes to DVD. They now have the Dazzle which allows you to connect your VHS player to the computer's USB port.
The cost is $51.00 dollars for the very basic model.

I dont know about dvd's. But I have burned cd's in the past, to be more especific in the year 2000 and now they are just blank cd's I was using RWcd's, the documents, pictures and music disapear. The computer read the cd as blank and full at the same time on the properties screen. So I know for experience that they go bad especially the RW They last it about 5 years. I dont use RW CD's or RWDVD's no more I prefer to use the others since until know I have never have a problem.

I am a big movie fan, been collecting for over thirty years, with over a thousand VHS movies, many not available on DVD. As a present my husband purchased a Samsung DVD-VR357 so that I could copy my old VHS (Fox, Disney, etc...) to DVD for my personal use, absolutely not to sell. Some work and some will only copy a few seconds and then state copyright protected. What do I need to copy these movies. Help we are running out of room and please go slow..... new technology is not my thing.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Judy, please look through the comments for info about Stabilizers. The Sima CT-200 or similar devices should do the trick.

Arkiva.com provides a really great digital conversion service. They not only convert VHS to DVD, but also convert many other forms of legacy media to digital, such as film reels, slides, records, betamax, etc. Plus they do it really fast and also upload the video online your personal Arkiva homepage.

It's really easy to use and has all the features of a disaster recover software program, media sharing site, and digital conversion service.

I want to tell you about interesting information related to combo DVD VHS recorders found on Dimax Grex FAQ page - http://www.xdimax.com/grex_faq/faq_vcrdvdcombo.html. It is generally impossible to DUB protected VHS to DVD but using Grex and instructions mentinode above you can do a tricks with your combo and make it record protected VHS to DVD without any external player or recorder.

Is it possible to put VHS tapes directly onto an external hard drive and bypass the computer completely?

EDITOR'S NOTE: No, you need something to read the data from the tape, and write it to the disk. I don't know of any VHS player that can write directly to a hard drive.

You may want to have a look at the TVIX PVR R-3300. It can record to MPEG via S-Video or Composite inputs. This allows one to avoid scratchable media, tapes, etc., and go fully digital.