VHS to DVD - again!

WestieFan

Hi folks

I have been reading previous threads about this but can't find the answer I want. I am planning to buy a DVD recorder and do away with all my old VHS tapes. I want to keep the pc and possibly the telly out of the equation, so I think I am right in saying that I just connect VCR directly to DVD recorder and record that way?

Problem is we have a good few shop-bought tapes which the kids want to keep. Will there be a problem recording them to DVD?

superscaper

WestieFan wrote:

Problem is we have a good few shop-bought tapes which the kids want to keep. Will there be a problem recording them to DVD?

Yes, as far as I know that's illegal.

woo

As well as been illegal, some tapes produce a signal that will prevent you recording it anyway.

WestieFan

Oops didn't know that. Looks like we need to keep an old VCR then.

superscaper

I just simply sold all my old tapes anyway, and decided to replace ones I wanted with DVD, a lot of them are cheaper now as DVDs than when I bought them on VHS. Also average lifetime of VHS is about 13 years before they start to seriously degrade. DVDs in theory shouldn't degrade at all.

jiblets1

Are we sure it's illeagal? I thought that if you had the original then it was fine - just like putting your CDs onto your ipod?

I say this because in my school we have a large selection of educational videos and we have recently bought a DVD recorder. I was going to put all of our bought videos onto DVD to save space and prolong their life.

woo

People tend to use fair use as a reason for been able to do this, hwoever the state-side fair use (and back up for personal use) where you can do that and UK fair use are very different and it is much less well defined here.
Basically if you own the CD and rip it to your iPod then you will be breaking coopyright, however FACT and the record companies are ignoring/allowing this.
With the school scenario the copyrgith licesne may allow you to do this - but you probably should check with the copyright owners if they are still around, and no doubt will want to charge you a fortune for dvds..

superscaper

I think you have to make an assumption that it's illegal until there is court precedence to say otherwise. It would come under the exact same law as photocopying a book because the book was starting to fall apart.

adchesney

If you want to transfer non copyright videos to DVD try this kit http://www.scan.co.uk/products/productinfo.asp?WebProductID=455011 for less than £60, it must be an easy answer!

ANDREW

superscaper

adchesney wrote:

If you want to transfer non copyright videos to DVD try this kit http://www.scan.co.uk/products/productinfo.asp?WebProductID=455011 for less than £60, it must be an easy answer!

ANDREW

Just to clarify that ALL videos (even home movies) have copyright, the big difference is whether you are the copyrightholder or that you have the copyrightholders' permission.

WestieFan

Cheers for the links guys, I have seen a similar product under the name of "Dazzle" but didn't want to spend any more money than I have to.

Looks like I will have to try and find cheap dvd versions of my tapes, although some of them are very old/rare and you can't get them on dvd so back to square one, unless somebody finds some rule that says you can keep 'backups'