video to dvd

hostertlady

I have some videos of when the children were little and it was lovely to watch them, but now I wont let anyone play them because I am afraid of the video tape getting broken or snapping! all the memories will be lost forever!!

I bought a philips dvd/video combi in the summer and was wondering is this what i can use to transfer over onto DVD's? then i can make a few copies and they will be safe forever..

Is it easy to do?

Do i need to but anything else?

I cant make head nor tail of the manual so easy advice please if you can help me

geewhiz

If it's a dvd recorder you have then yes that's all you need, if you're stuck you could post the model number so someone can give you more info.

shown73

Its not just easy, it is essential. I've just been doing some more this week. Keep the videos by all means, but get them on to dvd also. Your vhs machine won't last for ever. Worry about the next technical development when it arrives, but in the meantime, do back up those videos on something a bit more up to date.

totalsolutions

I have a new recorder unit (Panasonic) and very clever it might be to, and I must agree the complexity of all the functions is truly bewildering. I have not used the unit since Christmas and until now ploughing though the manual. To answer your question you need a -DVD disc loaded in the unit and your cassette also loaded in. Please make sure the cassette has the erasure tab removed to prevent accidental over writing of your valuable tape contents. Then on my unit I would press the VHS to DVD button for 3 seconds. Check the "Copy" lights on the units display.
Tips Drive selected - DVD (not hard drive)

dot111

Well very odd this is here, I was just going to ask similar question about 8mm tapes. I have so many of the children when they were small. Is it possible to copy them?

totalsolutions

Er 8mm tapes ...??? never used them do you mean 8mm film/no sound track stuff. What you need is a small viewer / screening box to project them and re-record to DV tape. High street camera shops will do this for you.

dot111

No, the ones that are used in camcorders, well were, they are 10 to 20 yrs old.

robredz

You can probably connect the 8mm camcorder to a DVD recorder with a composite cable, yellow is video, red and black or red/white are audio, as these camcorders predate digital this would have been the way to connect to vhs before firewire and usb. I have an analogue 8mm Canon which connects in this way. If there are no composite sockets on a machine you can buy an adaptor to plug it into a scart socket instead.

dot111

I don't own a DVD recorder, would a cheap pre owner one off ebay do the job?

totalsolutions

Pinnacle -Dazzle
http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/uk/Home/

robredz

Any dvd recorder should do