PacMan2006

Hey guys,

I have been doing research and heard that some of the Panasonic VHS/DVD combos are really good. I want to be able to transfer TONS of NFL games I have stored on VHS tapes. I'd like to turn them into DVD.

At first, I was going to see if I could transfer them to my computer, but I don't have a capture card and honestly don't know how I would transfer the sound into the computer even if I did buy one.

Then I figured I'd transfer them from my VHS to my camcorder, and then my camcorder to my computer. But my camcorder does not have a AV Input--only an output.

So, I figured the next best route was to get a machine where I could place my VHS tapes in, press a couple buttons, and have that convert to DVD. I have read Cnet.com and such, and they are really into the Panasonic players. Anyone have any experience? And if so, can you record, say, 3 and 4 hours on one dvd using an LP or EP mode (like you could with VHS)?

I would also love to use it to record from my DirecTV whenever I want to record a TV program. But mostly, this would be from transferring over old NFL games I have on VHS so I can preserve them.

Thanks.

Spiky

Panasonic combos are really good, when compared with other combos. When compared with standalone Panasonic DVDRs, maybe not so good. A standalone model should be quite a bit cheaper and not really much different in functionality. And frankly, the combos break more often.

I have a Panny recorder, love it. You can record any length on a DVD from 1 to 8 hours, although quality at that point is poor, I don't like more than 4 hours on a single-layer DVD. The current VHS/DVDR combos should also allow for flexible recording, so it is truly ANY length.

Alan Smithee

The 2-hour mode is the only one that should be used on a DVD recorder with a single-layer disc. Anything else will look WORSE than VHS.

Flicker

My first DVD/VHS combo recorder was a Zenith. After about a year it quit working and I discovered most of the discs I recorded from my home movie VHS tapes, "pixiated" occasionally during playback.
My next was a Samsung and it worked a little better. Unfortunately, it quit working so I sent it back to the factory (along with about $50) and after three months that one quit.

Rather than send it back, I decided to buy another unit and chose Samsung since I was familiar with the operation. I did not want one with a built-in tuner so my choices were limited.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this one will perform for a long, long time.

PacMan2006

Thanks guys.

So recording past 2 hours renders the picture quality poor? I'm just thinking of a way to get around that if I were to convert a 3 hour football game. The only thing I can think of is to sit there and edit out every commercial break, which would be really time consuming.

Any suggestions?

Also, if I were to buy a standalone dvd recorder, and simply hook a VHS up to it, I wouldn't be able to see the VHS picture on my television screen, correct? Meaning, I'd have to connect the cable from the VCR output to the DVD recorder's inputs, and therefore I wouldn't be able to see what was being recorded playing on my TV, right? Or is this wrong?

jonnyquest

You could split the signal and send to your TV as well as to the DVDR, in order to monitor what's going on.

Regarding recording time, 2-layer blank discs will give longer time.
The 2-layer blanks are more expensive, and I'm not sure if all recorders can handle them.

PacMan2006

Do dual layer discs play in most players, though?

jonnyquest

Most players can play dual layer, but better to check the specifications to be sure. Also, players are more finnicky with burned discs than with factory-made discs. So, ideally you would want to confirm that your burned discs will work in your player; try before you commit too much money. Some brands of disc work better than others too.

Snowmaker

Did you look into one of these?

http://www.amazon.com/ION-Audio-Vide.../dp/B0017PJ5FI

My dad just bought one at Costco for $100.

PacMan2006

That's interesting, Snow. Never heard of it before, but I'm intrigued now.

The customer replies were really, really mixed though. Does your dad like it?

kahuna

Big Panasonic Dvd Recorder fanboy here. To bad they don't make these dvd recorders with HD's any more.

Panasonic models I owned or still have:
1. E10: RAM only, First US Panasonic DVDR built like a tank weighed about 30lbs. - Sold

2. E20: RAM, -R, - Sold

3. HS2: 40GB HDD, First US Panasonic w/HDD, RAM, -R, DV, PC card slot - broke after only 4 months. Took it in to be fixed under warranty and Panasonic refused when they open unit and found a bunch of little black ants in the unit. Where the ants came from have no idea. Still sitting in closet.

4. E80H: 80GB HDD, RAM, -R - I used this for about 3-4 years and just recently sold it for about $400.

5. E500H: 400GB HDD, RAM, -R, SD & PC slot, TVGOS, LAN, - still going strong after 4 years. I record over 50 hours each week to the HD and burn about 7-10 dvd-r's each week.

6. EH-75: VHS, 80GB HDD, upconverting, IR blaster, +-R, +-RW, RAM, DL(only HS from HDD), TVGOS, SD slot, Divx, DV - Have this unit in a brand new factory sealed sitting in my closet for about 2 years. Saving it for when the E500H goes but have tried to sale a couple of times in the past year on local craigslists but no takers. At least not my asking price ($550-$500).

Spiky

I disagree. The Panasonics look excellent up to 4 hours. Certainly not worse than VHS. 2 hour looks like a good purchased DVD if the source is high quality.

I'm not even sure you can use DL on this kind of recorder. You couldn't on older models, maybe some recent ones can.

PacMan2006

One more question...for these Panasonic combo players/recorders, can you pause a recording?

Meaning, if I'm recording a DVD from a VHS tape I made, and suddenly a commercial comes on, can I pause the DVD recording, fast forward the VHS tape, and continue the recording once the show resumes?

Spiky

Sure, probably a couple different ways.

One thing to note about the lesser recorders is they tend to not have many options for creating chapters. My $180 model simply makes a chapter about every 5 minutes. More expensive models, like the hard drive models mentioned, had better options. I don't know where the combo models fall, usually toward the low end.

Alan Smithee

Well, you COULD do that, but it's WRONG!
Speaking of which, some current DVD recorders don't let you put in chapters, which is really retarded. A lot of them automatically put in chapters every 5 minutes which is also retarded. I've gotten lots of discs in trade that weren't properly chaptered, so I had to re-do them on my computer.

Snowmaker

He likes it so far. He's been going through a lot of old VHS home movies the last couple weeks converting them to AVI or MPEGs or whatever it does. Then you can crop and cut and omit whatever you want in Nero or whatever.

rw2516

I don't know if this would work with a combo. With a combo you just press a button and the tape automatically is transferred to dvd-r. I don't think you can fast forward the tape because the recorder would be set to the dvd drive locking out the vhs controls on the remote. I have a combo with a hard drive and the recorder is set to the hard drive when I transfer tapes. Pausing the dvd/recording drive may work, not sure since it's an automatic process. Plugging an external vcr into a recorder will let you do what you are wanting, but I think the combos give a better transfer, maybe because it's internal without having the signal travel through cables.