Is it legal to copy videos to dvd?

liz-paul

I still have a lot of videos from before I started on dvds which I have been gradually buying the dvd versions when I see them cheap. But I noticed that our combined video & dvd player can copy from video to dvd. I'm just not sure of the legal situation. Am I allowed to copy them for my own personal use as I have already bought them just on a different format? I hope this makes sense!

JUNIOR

I think its still deemed as piracy, but the chances of you being caught are so remote because there for your use ,its not like your going sell them down the local market.

Unstoppable_2

You will find that the Macrovision protection on the VHS cassette prevents it as it screws with the automatic level controls for brightness and contrast making the result pretty unwatchable.

posted_2

If they are commercial video's, copy protection may foil your plan

bingo_bango

Technically it's not legal, but if for personal use, then FACT have no problem with you doing so.

Energize

Vhs is a poor quality format when compared to dvd, I would just save the hassle and buy the dvds.

liz-paul

Thanks for all your replies. I would much rather just buy them on dvd but I have 100 left to convert I just don't have the money this year (of for some time to come) as it would cost around £500. And we're having baby no 2, trying to move, buying a new car, & supposedly a new sofa & telly already this year so don't think my hubby will give the go ahead for new dvds:rotfl:

Hadn't thought of copyright protection, wonder if I'll be able to d oit after all.....

chocolateteddy

My grandmother had a dvd recorder/ video combo for christmas so I intended to send all our home videos round for her to put onto dvd. I also sent round some disney ones as our video recorder no longer works and the children occassionally ask to watch them. But she was unable to copy them thinking about it I can understand why, pirate copies etc. So the kids will just have to watch them round grandmas house as I don't fancy paying for all new dvds when they don't watch them much. Did buy hubby the starwars trilogy on dvd though for christmas as 4,5 and 6 were videos now have complete set on DVD.

mdbarber

chocolateteddy wrote: »

My grandmother had a dvd recorder/ video combo for christmas so I intended to send all our home videos round for her to put onto dvd. I also sent round some disney ones as our video recorder no longer works and the children occassionally ask to watch them. But she was unable to copy them thinking about it I can understand why, pirate copies etc. So the kids will just have to watch them round grandmas house as I don't fancy paying for all new dvds when they don't watch them much. Did buy hubby the starwars trilogy on dvd though for christmas as 4,5 and 6 were videos now have complete set on DVD.

doubt very much your home videos had any copy protection on them, maybe her machine was a dvd player/vhs recorder combo, there were a lot more of those about than dvd recorders/vhs players.
back to the op i thought it was legally ok to have 1 backup copy of any electronic media don't think it was ever specified what format the backup had to be in, so as long as you retain the original as well it should be ok.