DVR and VHS recordings to DVD (best method?)

[florida_guy]

I just installed a DVR which allows me to record TV programs to it's internal hard drive. It will hold 30-50 hours of shows.

There will be some shows that I want to keep indefinitely and I don't want to use up the hard drive space with those shows. Worse yet if the device ever goes back I will get it replaced free by my cable provider but I will lose anything I have taped on it.

I have considered a DVD recorder but they are kind of pricey. ($450)

I think I would prefer a PC solution where I use a PC DVD burner to archive this stuff and then play it on my DVD player for the TV.

It would also be nice to be able to archive some of my favorite VHS tapes.

Any experience out there. Thanks.

[sfhondapilot]

It's an interface that connects to a analog source (such as a VHS) and my computer's usb port. Fire up the software and it captures, in real time, the output from the VHS tape. I have begun to put my old family videos onto DVD.

Works pretty well. The video editing software is just so so. The tough part is that real time capture means I usually need to attend the process - in order to break up the different video segments into separate .mpg captures.

[tim.s]

From what little I've seen while researching DirecTV, what you want to do is call "video extraction" and most DVRs are built to make this difficult.

Although I think this mainly refers to Tivo units, the manufacturers use a type of encoding similar to DVDs to prevent broadcasts from being digitally copied.

I've seen info on how to hack a DVR (again, for Tivo I think) in order to copy the recordings or for the purpose of adding a larger hard drive, but of course, this voids your warranty and usually requires modifying the DVRs software.

But these things do get easier every day.

[florida_guy]

Originally posted by sfhondapilot
The tough part is that real time capture means I usually need to attend the process - in order to break up the different video segments into separate .mpg captures.

??? I don't know wheat that means. I just wasnt to be able to play back the show I want to archive from my VCR or DVR straight to the DVD.

[florida_guy]

Originally posted by tim.s
From what little I've seen while researching DirecTV, what you want to do is call "video extraction" and most DVRs are built to make this difficult

The instructions for this one (Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8000) explain (and suggest that you do it) how to archive favorite programs to a VCR. I would be surprised if you could do it to a VCR but not to a DVD but I don't know much about this.

[tim.s]

That's good. It must be the Tivo models then.

So all you really need is the analog to digital converter.

[florida_guy]

Originally posted by tim.s
That's good. It must be the Tivo models then.

So all you really need is the analog to digital converter.

It's definitely not Tivo but similar. I'm back to the Internet to research the dazzle digital video creator. Thanks for the hint.

[sfhondapilot]

Originally posted by florida_guy

??? I don't know wheat that means. I just wasnt to be able to play back the show I want to archive from my VCR or DVR straight to the DVD.

I tend to have a lot of different segments on a VHS tape spanning a couple different dates. When I convert these through the Adaptec converter, I like to limit the capture to specific events. For instance, one tape might have a series of birthday parties. I will start the capture at the begining of the tape and stop the capture (of the video) at the conclusion of the first taped birthday party. Then, save and name the file and start the capture process all over with the next event taped on the VHS tape.

That's what I meant by the need to attend the process.

Not that it's that inconvenient, but you need to be able to set aside some time when you can pay attention to the task.

[florida_guy]

Originally posted by sfhondapilot

Not that it's that inconvenient, but you need to be able to set aside some time when you can pay attention to the task.

I had have to do that with my TV recordings because I always account for the program being delayed or running over so I'd want to edit that stuff out.

From what I've been reading tonight it seems like all the PC solutions are cumbersome and unreliable or at least have the potentional to be.

Seems like the safest way to go is a DVD Recorcder ($450) and up.