VHS to DVD - again!

woo

keep your videos and player till the copyright expires? probably another 100 years to go

superscaper

WestieFan wrote:

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'

This is why copyright law is such a mess, it's only recently that ripping cds to mp3 has been "officially" acknowledged as being fair use, and I'm sure under some circumstances you are allowed to backup for personal use (especially with software) but it's all a bit hazy with what's allowed and what isn't when transferring from one medium to another.

WestieFan

woo wrote:

keep your videos and player till the copyright expires? probably another 100 years to go

I think both my VCR and I will have expired myself by that time and I won't be worrying about watching my old videos. :rotfl:

It seems to be a bit of a minefield out there, I am wondering why they make all this stuff to be able to do it then don't allow you, even for personal use. To me its the same as cd-mp3 but if it's illegal, so be it. Must be loads of people in the same position though.

It has got me wondering too, what's the copyright issue if you record something from the telly?

Contains_Mild_Peril

WestieFan wrote:

It has got me wondering too, what's the copyright issue if you record something from the telly?

Strictly speaking, you're only supposed to do so in order to watch at a more convenient time, not to keep it long-term on tape/ DVD.

albertross_2

if you have stuff recorded from the TV then you should be able to copy those without any problems. Commercial videos are usually protected with macrovision, which can stop you from copying them..

Some further info in these links..

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=macrovision+scart&meta=

If you have a lot of TV stuff to do, it is a bit of a bind, and would be easier with a combined VHS and DVD recorder, and then you could get rid of the existing vcr under the TV.

If you have a combined unit, you usually have to press a couple of buttons to copy a full tape to DVD. If you have two seperate units, it's a lot fiddlier, you have to worry about the different capacities etc.. Doing it on a PC is also a bind.

You could also get a unit with a HD in, but that starts bumping the cost up a bit.

mrbadexample

Hmmm....I thought if I bought the original I could make a back-up copy for my own use? Does the format matter?

For example, I wanted a DVD from America. The company did not produce a region 2 format, and when I contacted them said they had no plans to do so. I therefore purchased region 1 format, then got my mate to copy them and make them region free, so I could play them. They are solely for my own use.

Have I infringed copyright?

woo

Yes you have - from above..
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

Backup copies for personal use only apply to software as far as I know, dvd movies cannot be copied as a backup, otherwise using that logic as I mentioned earlier you could photocopy an entire book but that is definitely illegal without the copyright holder's permission.

woo

the only time you can make a backup of software for personal use is if the EULA states it otherwise you cannot.

superscaper

woo wrote:

the only time you can make a backup of software for personal use is if the EULA states it otherwise you cannot.

Maybe it's the US law I've seen stated then but I've definitely come across "consumers also in theory have the right to make a backup copy of media they legally own". Maybe things have changed.