Long version: (skip down for short version)

I've been offered a contract which is outside of my normal field. These guys
have literally hundreds of hours of video on VHS which they want burning
onto DVD. They want this so they can make quick, easy copies for
distribution and so their Teachers (its a school) can get instant access to
the relevant part of the required programme, without having to shuttle back
and forth while a bunch of bored kids sits throwing paper aeroplanes.
They have sufficient budget to buy a hard disc stand-alone DVD recorder
which has me thinking: Not being familiar with the use of these recorders, I
can't decide whether I'm gonna find it best to capture the video to computer
(which is what I've always done and would have done this time, had they not
mentioned getting the stand-alone box!) and then carve it up by programme
with chapters etc. Or would this be easier to do by using the Stand-alone
box?

Short version :

Can anyone tell me - from personal experience - whether recording from VHS
to a hard drive DVD recorder (stand-alone type), including creation of
chapters and possibly menus, is any quicker or easier than using a computer
with capture card?

TIA

Rob

Standalone equipment is usually quicker (copying in real-time) and a lot
less fuss than doing it via a PC.

My DVD recorder puts in its own chapter points at regular intervals but it
can be a fiddle to re-mark them. Not sure but I think you can only do post
editing on a DVD recorder using +RW format in any case (or that is what
Philips wants you to believe)

Sometimes I find it convenient to download my video camera straight to my
DVD recorder over firewire when I come in. You can then review the footage
on your 35/42 tele from an armchair and you do have a backup of your tape
(albeit in mpeg).

Some PC editors now allow you to edit DVD mpeg files ...but I have not tried
this as yet.

I also have a SVHS recorder with a HD. This makes very good copies (mpeg) to
the HD even from 12/15 year old VHS-C tapes. It should then be possible to
copy from the HD to a DVD recorder via firewire but I have no experience as
yet. Be aware though that all firewire connections are not bi-directional -
something to do with circumventing copy protection but do I need to say
more?

Hope this helps

G


Can anyone tell me - from personal experience - whether recording from VHS
to a hard drive DVD recorder (stand-alone type), including creation of
chapters and possibly menus, is any quicker or easier than using a
computer
with capture card?

TIA

Rob

"Gandalf" wrote in message
...
Standalone equipment is usually quicker (copying in real-time) and a lot
less fuss than doing it via a PC.

My DVD recorder puts in its own chapter points at regular intervals but it
can be a fiddle to re-mark them. Not sure but I think you can only do post
editing on a DVD recorder using +RW format in any case (or that is what
Philips wants you to believe)

Sometimes I find it convenient to download my video camera straight to my
DVD recorder over firewire when I come in. You can then review the footage
on your 35/42 tele from an armchair and you do have a backup of your tape
(albeit in mpeg).

Some PC editors now allow you to edit DVD mpeg files ...but I have not
tried
this as yet.

I also have a SVHS recorder with a HD. This makes very good copies (mpeg)
to
the HD even from 12/15 year old VHS-C tapes. It should then be possible to
copy from the HD to a DVD recorder via firewire but I have no experience
as
yet. Be aware though that all firewire connections are not
bi-directional -
something to do with circumventing copy protection but do I need to say
more?

Hope this helps

Yes, thanks, some useful comments. It is exactly things like changing, or
deciding precisely, where chapter marks go in that made me ask the question
in the first place. As I said, this is all old hat to me via PC, but never
having used a Hard Disc type standalone recorder, I´m not sure which is the
best route to go. I get the idea that I´ll just capture a single VHS tape
content (which may contain about 10 different video programmes) then use the
menu to insert chapter marks at the beginning of each programme, then burn
it to DVD directly within the machine. Sounds straightforward enough, but I
should imagine it depends a lot on the make and model of the machine used.
As they haven´t actually bought it yet, I think I´ll checkout the
manufacturers´ specs to try to find out which machine would facilitate this
process.

Cheers,

Rob

G


Can anyone tell me - from personal experience - whether recording from
VHS
to a hard drive DVD recorder (stand-alone type), including creation of
chapters and possibly menus, is any quicker or easier than using a
computer
with capture card?

TIA

Rob

In message ,
Gandalf writes
Be aware though that all firewire connections are not bi-directional -
something to do with circumventing copy protection but do I need to say
more?

AFAIK that's not right. IEEE1394 uses two twisted pairs, A and B
carrying differential signals. The A pair is in one direction, the B in
the other direction.

You will have noticed that several video editors, on capture, not only
control the camcorder (in one direction), but receive and display status
and other information from the camcorder (in the other direction). Both
in real time and concurrently.

--
Tony Morgan
http://www.camcord.info

In message , Tony Morgan
writes
In message ,
Gandalf writes
Be aware though that all firewire connections are not bi-directional -
something to do with circumventing copy protection but do I need to
say more?

AFAIK that's not right. IEEE1394 uses two twisted pairs, A and B
carrying differential signals. The A pair is in one direction, the B in
the other direction.

You will have noticed that several video editors, on capture, not only
control the camcorder (in one direction), but receive and display
status and other information from the camcorder (in the other
direction). Both in real time and concurrently.

Perhaps I should have added that most camcorders with DV-in allow
write-back from the video editor to the camcorder.
--
Tony Morgan
http://www.camcord.info

Mr M...think you missed my point, I was not talking about the camera
firewire and yes with the IEEE1394 standard bi direction is possible.

How many DVD recorders have firewire and those that do....do they output via
the firewire? I think you will find that they don't otherwise Hollywood and
friends would be taking a close interest.

G

AFAIK that's not right. IEEE1394 uses two twisted pairs, A and B
carrying differential signals. The A pair is in one direction, the B in
the other direction.

Go for computer. I tried using a standalone DVDR and its a nightmare as
even when pausing during recording there is a delay.
You end up with two remote controls - very confusing.

Went straight out an bought Pinnacle DC10 (for analogue) and a DVD Writer.

At least with a decent editing S/W you can edit frame by frame. Authoring
is a doddle too.

"RobDee" wrote in message
...
Long version: (skip down for short version)

I've been offered a contract which is outside of my normal field. These
guys have literally hundreds of hours of video on VHS which they want
burning onto DVD. They want this so they can make quick, easy copies for
distribution and so their Teachers (its a school) can get instant access
to the relevant part of the required programme, without having to shuttle
back and forth while a bunch of bored kids sits throwing paper aeroplanes.
They have sufficient budget to buy a hard disc stand-alone DVD recorder
which has me thinking: Not being familiar with the use of these recorders,
I can't decide whether I'm gonna find it best to capture the video to
computer (which is what I've always done and would have done this time,
had they not mentioned getting the stand-alone box!) and then carve it up
by programme with chapters etc. Or would this be easier to do by using the
Stand-alone box?

Short version :

Can anyone tell me - from personal experience - whether recording from VHS
to a hard drive DVD recorder (stand-alone type), including creation of
chapters and possibly menus, is any quicker or easier than using a
computer with capture card?

TIA

Rob

alex wrote:

Go for computer. I tried using a standalone DVDR and its a nightmare
as even when pausing during recording there is a delay.
You end up with two remote controls - very confusing.

Went straight out an bought Pinnacle DC10 (for analogue) and a DVD
Writer.

At least with a decent editing S/W you can edit frame by frame.
Authoring


I'd recommend a DVD recorder to record the stuff in the first place, and
then transfer to PC to do the frame-level editing and authoring using
something like TMPGenc DVD Author and TMPGenc MPEG editor. It's a lot
easier than mucking about with capture devices and encoding software.
Just make sure you initialise the discs to VIDEO mode so that your PC
will be able to read them.

Regards

Mark

"alex" wrote in message
...
Go for computer. I tried using a standalone DVDR and its a nightmare as
even when pausing during recording there is a delay.
You end up with two remote controls - very confusing.

Went straight out an bought Pinnacle DC10 (for analogue) and a DVD Writer.

At least with a decent editing S/W you can edit frame by frame. Authoring
is a doddle too.


As I said originally, I would normally have done it all by computer.
However, in this case there is no editing to be done - they just want tapes
converted to DVD.
The task begins early next week, so I´ll soon find out (and report back)
which method is best!
Rob

"RobDee" wrote in message
...
Long version: (skip down for short version)

I've been offered a contract which is outside of my normal field. These
guys have literally hundreds of hours of video on VHS which they want
burning onto DVD. They want this so they can make quick, easy copies for
distribution and so their Teachers (its a school) can get instant access
to the relevant part of the required programme, without having to
shuttle
back and forth while a bunch of bored kids sits throwing paper
aeroplanes.
They have sufficient budget to buy a hard disc stand-alone DVD recorder
which has me thinking: Not being familiar with the use of these
recorders,
I can't decide whether I'm gonna find it best to capture the video to
computer (which is what I've always done and would have done this time,
had they not mentioned getting the stand-alone box!) and then carve it
up
by programme with chapters etc. Or would this be easier to do by using
the
Stand-alone box?

Short version :

Can anyone tell me - from personal experience - whether recording from
VHS
to a hard drive DVD recorder (stand-alone type), including creation of
chapters and possibly menus, is any quicker or easier than using a
computer with capture card?

TIA

Rob

"Mark A" wrote in message
...
alex wrote:

Go for computer. I tried using a standalone DVDR and its a nightmare
as even when pausing during recording there is a delay.
You end up with two remote controls - very confusing.

Went straight out an bought Pinnacle DC10 (for analogue) and a DVD
Writer.

At least with a decent editing S/W you can edit frame by frame.
Authoring


I'd recommend a DVD recorder to record the stuff in the first place, and
then transfer to PC to do the frame-level editing and authoring using
something like TMPGenc DVD Author and TMPGenc MPEG editor. It's a lot
easier than mucking about with capture devices and encoding software.

Not in my case - I do this as a major part of my job!
For me the main advantage of capturing directly to stand alone DVD (via its
built in hard drive), is that this particular contract is just really a tape
to DVD conversion, so there will be no editing. If there was any editing to
be done I would capture via Matrox and take it from there.
I may want to put Menus / titles on the discs, if so that may require a
rethink.

Thanks,

Rob

Just make sure you initialise the discs to VIDEO mode so that your PC
will be able to read them.

Regards

Mark