Vhs to DVD help

mustbemad

Hi, I have just been given some videos of my son from when he was a baby / toddler 20 years ago

I have borrowed a video player and a DVD recorder and am starting the mammoth task of getting them on to DVD. I have managed to set everything up and I am able to record the video playing on AV1. I thought everything was going to plan but for some reason the DVD is not recording properly :sad: the first time I set to record then switched the telly over to the sky box, when the video finished I checked it and I had recorded 3 hours of black screen :sad: I decided that I must actually have to keep the channel on AV1 and started the recording again. It still hasn't worked, it recorded the first hour fine, then I had audio but a blank screen for a while but the rest of the time was just blank. Does anyone have any idea what I am doing wrong, it's driving me crazy!

MBM x

googler

I don't see what your Sky box has to do with the process. Are you talking about selecting AV1 on the DVD recorder or the TV?

Assuming you're connecting up with SCART leads (makes and models of all the kit would help),

Plug the video player into one of the AV sockets on the DVD recorder. Select this AV socket with AV button, input select or similar.
Take an output from the DVD recorder to the TV (SCART or aerial lead.) so that you can monitor what you're doing.

Press Play on VHS, press Record on DVD.

Always Fast Forward and Rewind VHS before playing back, especially if been in storage for a while. Does the one that worked for an hour play back OK all the way through if you're not recording from it?




If you have money to spare on simplifying it, get a Panasonic VHS/HDD/DVD machine. This will transfer VHS to HDD unattended, with no leads required. You can edit the footage on the HDD and transfer at high speed to DVD once footage assembled. £300 or so.

mustbemad

Hi, I only mentioned the sky box as I had changed the tv channel over to the EXT that the sky box is on thinking that the DVD recorder would still pick up the vhs playing on AV1.

So I should have a scart going from the video to the DVD recorder then another one going to the tv? I can't seem to get it to work like that. I have the video player connected directly to the av1 slot on he tv and the dvd recorder directly to av2.

Unfortunately the vhs/hdd/DVD is not an option :sad:

The video player is matsuri model vp 9609 and the DVD recorder is samsung DVD-r149.

googler

No, no, don't go through the TV.

Connect from the VHS directly to the input on the DVD recorder. Select this input with the DVD rec remote. Take an output from the DVD recorder to the TV to monitor either recording or playback. Select this connection to the TV - if it's a SCART, select it by AV selection.

What do you mean by 'couldn't get it to work like that' - what happened, why didn't it work? What were the symptoms?

wiogs

As above - basically the output of the VHS (Scart) to the input of the DVD (Scart)

If you hook up the output of the DVD to the TV you can then monitor what you are doing but it will have no effect on the copying process so once it is up and running you can watch whatever you like or switch off the TV.

googler

p 13 of DVD recorder manual - connect VHS to AV2(EXT)

Connect AV1(TV) to the TV.

Select AV2 as per p 32 of the manual (recording from external source)

As wiogs says, you can watch it or not on TV, as nothing you now do on the TV will influence the link between VHS and DVD

mustbemad

Thanks, here's hoping 3rd time lucky! I have everything set up as you said now. I did try reading the manual but it made no sense till you explained it in plain English! :beer:

MBM x

googler

Let us all know when it's successful

mustbemad

You guys are brilliant, 1 down 7 to go!

Thanks again,

MBM x

mustbemad

Hi, thanks to some kind help I got through this board last week I managed to get all of the videos on to DVDs :j

I just wondered if there is anyway of getting the 3 DVDs I created in to just one DVD? I have a toshiba laptop that I can use to rip/ burn ect.

MBM x

googler

The DVD recorder may allow you to squeeze 4 hours or possibly 8, onto one DVD, but you lose quality by doing this.

Does the recorder have different recording modes, possibly called XP, SP, LP or EP?

If so, you should keep at least one copy of each tape in XP or SP, and do another in EP as a convenience copy.