Picture quality question from recordings done on DVD Recorders

[DouglasRobert]

Recently got a DVD a friend made. Don't know if he used a DVD Recorder or a Computer DVD Burner.

But what I noticed is that recordings done at EP looked way worse than SP VHS, very smeary image.

The recordings done at SP speed looked sharp, but at times there was blockiness evident and some digital artifacts.

So is that normal?

Do recordings done on a DVD Recorder always show some digital artifacts or blockiness regardless of the speed you record at?

Does recordings done on a DVD recorder have the same picture quality of a DVD you buy from a major studio?

Does the format make a difference in picture quality?

I'm looking at a DVD+ format DVD Recorder, are these good in general?

[X]

Recorded at its best setting, 1 hour per DVD, allows a bitrate equal to a very good commercial DVD (10Mbps). However the source material has to be considered and it's doubtful that you'd have a good enough source to look as good as a decent commercial DVD (which excludes anything by Madacy of course). The best input method to a DVD recorder right now is component and even that is fairly rare. The best input to most recorders is s-video that doesn't have anywhere near the resolution or quality of a DVD although the recorder will record it in DVD resolution.

2 hour mode, SP (5.2Mbps) , is generally accepted as having a pretty good picture. But 6 hour mode, EP (1.7Mbps), is really bad.

1 or 2 hour mode should show very little artifacting. This can depend on the source material and the brand of recorder.

Whether you record on + or - DVD doesn't make any difference in the quality.

[Psych1]

Yes, there is a difference. But, with the right technique and equipment, you can't see the difference.

[cajun_junky]

I have a dumb question related to the topic. If you are recording a movie off of HBO (for example) and it is playing with Dolby Digital Surround audio (versus prologic) would the dvd record the dolby digital audio? I thought that there was a limitation on how "well" a recorder would copy.

[X]

I don't know of any standard recorder that accepts 5.1 channels of audio input or a digital audio input connection. I think you have to go with one built into the cable/satellite box or an HD recorder.

[JZ1276]

no recorder supports DD 5.1, just ProLogic

[cajun_junky]

no recorder supports DD 5.1, just ProLogic

That is what I thought.....