recordable DVD players

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marik

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I have a Samsung dvd-r150.
I dont know much about these type of electronics at all, and I find the instruction manual really difficult to understand (jeez, am i like 80 yrs old!)

Anyways, i was wondering if anyone could explain to me how you tape old VHS tapes and burn that onto blank DVD's. Do you just make the VCR the imput and press play on the old tape, meanwhime record on the dvd?

Furthermore, how do you edit out commericals, break it down into dvd chapters and edit/create a dvd menu.

Any help would be appricated
 
You do exactly as you mentioned. Hopefully you have front jacks so you don't have to hook them up in the back of the players. Don't remember if the vcr is the input or out, but just experiment with the hookups, make a quick recording and see if it's working. Obviously, if the vcr is the input, the dvd will be the out, or vice versa. You most likely will have to record in real time, so pick a time your not using the equipment or sit there and watch. If you do watch, you can edit out the commercials using the pause on the dvd recorder. Each time you stop the recording (not pause), that part just recorded becomes it's own chapter. You won't be able to change (edit) anything on the dvd, with the Samsung, once the recording is finalized. Probably can with the computer and proper software.

Good luck!
 
So say I STOP the recording at every commerical of a tv show i have on vhs. That means that it will be broken down into chapters based on where i pressed STOP. is there a title menu at at the beginning of the dvd where I can name the chapters or identify them? Or are they automatically listed 1,2,3,4, on a very basic looking screen?

Do you need cpu software to add an image to the dvd screen menu and chapter names?
 
That's right. Each time you STOP recording it will become a separate chapter, which is why you will want to PAUSE at commercials (of course, you have to sit there and watch to do this). The menu on the dvd is broken down into numbered chapters, with the first frame of each chapter appearing in a box. So yes, this is a very basic menu setup. You may be able to create something a bit more to your liking, as far as adding images to the menu and chapter names, depending on your recorder. But most likely you will have to use your computer. I would just check the menu options in the recorder manual. Should only be a page or two.

Personally, I think it would be easiest to just let the tape record without stopping for commercials, and use the computer software to edit after your done. Unfortunately, the stand alone recorders aren't able to do a whole lot other than record.
 
So will the chapters all play continueously one after another when you play the dvd (similar to how a movie has its scenes broken down to chapters but will run continously when you play the movie)

OR

will the chapters be divided similar to how a dvd has features like 'deleted scenes', 'gag reel', 'trailers', etc, and you must select them indivdually to play them?
 
You will have to select them individually to play them. At the end of the chapter, the menu comes up and you will have to select your next one.

Maybe there's an option you can select to change that. I don't think so.
 
more questions

ok, i am now able to record my old vhs tapes. Of course i have more questions now.

1) i wanted to burn my old vhs movie of Entropy (since it doesnt exist on dvd), and it said Copy Protected. Is there any way around this? I tried covering up that lil breakable tab space that you needed to cover when you wanted to re-record over vhs in the old days. But it didnt work. Any other ideas?

2) From the sounds of things you must do all your burning on the disc at one sitting. You cant burn a couple tv shows onto a disc and then come back later and burn more onto the same disc (unless maybe you left the dvd power on and untouched). So if i want to record 6 hrs of tv shows on a disc, do i literally have to go thru all 6 in one sitting to do it? that sounds crazy.


3) speaking of burning old tv shows to disc. To anyone that has done it before, what is the best amount of shows to put on each disc? I am talking about disc length vs. quality. I know technically i could put 6 hrs worth on there, but before i do it, i figure the playback quality might be terrible. Any suggestions to those that have tried before? Is 4 hours still decent quality? Maybe best not to go over 2 hours?
 
1) I had a copy protected movie on vhs that I wanted to record too, and I never did find a way around it.

2) I'm pretty sure you can burn onto the same disk, until you finalize it.

3) My rule of thumb was, anything I was recording to watch over and over again (U2 stuff, tv shows I wanted to keep, movies), I recorded in the best quality I could, where it would all fit on the disc. So, 2 hours, unless it was a movie that ran over 2 hours. If I was recording something to watch later, but not something I particularly wanted to save, I'd record in the lowest quality.
 
I think that would depend on your recorder, the discs you are using, the quality of the source material, the quality of the tv you're viewing on...

Discs are cheap. Why don't you try to record a few minutes at each quality and see what you think of it?
 
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