Archive through February 01, 2006
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1628 Registered: Jul-04 | Go Video is Samsung trash, a lot closer to the worst than the best. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | I want to transfer our old commercial VHS movies that are copyright-protected, to DVD's, for our own use. Many of these titles are not even available on DVD and I doubt they will be. I want to copy them to DVD before the tapes degrade and I lose the films. A friend of mine said that some really older VCR's bypass the copyright protection on the VHS tapes, so that you can copy directly to a DVD burner, if you run the VHS tape from the old VCR player. Has anyone heard this? Also, will "VideOh!" media center allow you to make copies of copyrighted videos or not? |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1771 Registered: Jul-04 | It's recording on older VCRs that will sometimes work, not playback. You'll need a seperate VCR and DVD recorder with a stabilizer between the two. No all in one unit will allow copying protected material. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | Thanks, David Massey. So that older VCR wouldn't do any good for our purpose, as we're trying to get our commercial VHS tapes onto DVD's...We don't have a DVD burner yet, are looking into them. The newest model of DVD player we have is the Panasonic PV-D4742, which is a combo unit. I've been studying the posts here the past day or so trying to figure this out, this is something I really know nothing about, and I read that the units have to be separate to do what we want...but we do have two separate VCR's in the house, so we can set one of them up to play the VHS tapes as they burn to DVD. Is there a DVD burner that you suggest, and with what stabilizer... I assume that's what filters out/disables the copyright stuff on the tapes? I've read a variety of responses here and I'm a bit confused. Thanks in advance.  |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1774 Registered: Jul-04 | Panasonic probably sells more DVD recorders than anyone else. I had one of my two Panasonic recorders only last about 2 1/2 years of moderate use though, I don't think I'd buy another one. Pioneer would probably be a good choice. You can get them at Walmart. MCM Electronics sells stabilizers for $20 plus shipping. They work for VHS, but probably not for DVDs. If you want a better one get a Sima from Best Buy or Circuit City, or look around online. |
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Curious In Carolina Unregistered guest | Thanks, David Massey. Long post here...apologies in advance. I won't be trying to copy any DVD's of ours, I just want to put our old VHS commercial films (and we have a few done from the TV but they of course won't be a problem) to DVD. We have films I love such as "The Silent Partner" (a really cool scary movie from the '70's, with Elliott Gould and Christopher Plummer) and "The Picture of Dorian Grey" (the old B&W version) that the studios aren't releasing on DVD. We have a LOT of films like this. This whole quest of mine started after I got tired of buying DVD's from E-Bay, obviously bootlegs...I didn't mine the bootleg aspect, but I have twice been burned by sellers who (1) sent me a DVD that was the wrong region, and then the seller disappeared - this was a bootleg DVD of the film "Valley of the Dolls", a cult classic that is not offered on DVD, and the other who (2) sent me the wrong FILM ("The Uninvited", 1944) instead of classic "The Picture Of Dorian Grey". I didn't mind having "The Uninvited" but it's not what I ordered and paid for! And of course THAT seller disappeared on me (E-Bay pulled their account). I just a few days ago decided we should just do this ourselves, we have so many films to backup, and are both film buffs, and we like a lot of older, offbeat films that will probably never be released on DVD. We have over 150 films still on VHS that we'd like to have on DVD. It seems more logical to do this ourselves, and when I did searches on the subject I landed here. So you are suggesting a Pioneer DVD burner...and an Sima stabilizer? I saw some posts here earlier where it seemed to be salespeople who were hawking certain stabilizers here (not you). So it was confusing me. I've also been a bit confused by what our manual for our combo player says it will read, and what I have read online. Apparently our player will not play DVD -R and that is supposed to be the most popular format. Maybe I should just go ahead and get a separate DVD player too, that can read DVD-R format? What DVD player do you recommend? |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1776 Registered: Jul-04 | Just because the player doesn't say it will play DVD-R doesn't mean it won't. I have yet to see a player that won't play good quality DVD-R discs. You are talking about a standalone recorder and not a PC burner? I'd go standalone. For discs, go to Supermediastore and get the 4x Taiyo Yuden DVD-Rs, last I knew they were $56 for 200 with free shipping. They are the best discs made and should play in almost any player. The only drawback is they are shrink wrapped instead of on spindles, but you can buy spindles there pretty cheap if you need them. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | Well, good, about the combo player we have, hopefully it will play the DVD -R discs, that's what other people have recommended to me as the most common/popular. I was just cleaning out a closet upstairs, and Lo and Behold there was a Hitachi FX 350 stand-alone VCR player/recorder on the floor under some clothes. I assume it works, I don't know why it was in the closet though! lol. I'll ask my husband, when he gets home, I don't have time to hook it up to anything right now, we can use that to play the tapes, and get yes, a stand-alone DVD burner, not a PC burner. I think I'll re-sell the "MediaOh!" stuff I got on E-Bay, when it comes, I don't really want to do anything complex, just burn the commercial VHS tapes to DVDs and make nice labels etc for them, for our shelves. I don't really have room to connect a bunch of stuff to my computer unless I absolutely have to. Thanks for the disc suggestion, I will go with that. I told my husband I am trying to sort all this out for us, I am home more, so I have more time to fiddle with this. I actually would like to get regular-size DVD cases like commercial movies come in, I can make decent-looking label inserts using page-design software I have ("Adobe InDesign"), and I can make labels, so I can make nice neat-looking case inserts etc to have on our shelves. I'm sort of a neat freak. I am looking forward to doing this, thanks so much for helping me! Another film we have that we love came to my mind, it's an old cult-ish film called "The Loved One", I had enough trouble finding THAT one even on VHS, and I am sure it will never be put out on DVD. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | I just counted how many VHS tapes we have, and it's 126 total. Whew! About 20 of them are movies taped from the TV, which of course aren't a problem. We already have some 200 films on DVD that we purchased, we have a lot of movies. Some of the movies I taped from TV I can toss, and a few of the commercial ones, but we'd still have 100 I'd want to keep, so I'd get the 100 pack of the DVD's; I bookmarked the site you recommended. NOW, on to the DVD burner we should get to transfer the VHS movies to DVD, and what filter to use for the copyrighted ones...? This is too bad to have to go through all this, because the companies won't put the films out on DVD, I mean even "The African Queen" still isn't out, the last time I checked, and I only have my mother's old VHS tape of it. That's just crazy. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1777 Registered: Jul-04 | I'd think you would want to record from cable, satellite or antenna too, so some extra discs wouldn't hurt. Those 4x discs may not be around much longer, they quit making them a long time ago. Some or maybe even all of those old movies may not be copy protected, especially if they are 20 or so year old tapes. If you want a stabilizer that should work fine for VHS, go to MCM Electronics and type in digital video stabilizer, it's $20 plus shipping. It's always worked fine for me. I did have to turn the adjustment inside for use with DVD recorders, but it's easy to do. you'll see where to adjust it when you put the battery in it. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | Okay, last evening I ordered a 200 pack of the discs, and the stabilizer you suggested. Now to get a DVD recorder. We have an small, extra TV that we're not using for anything, so I can set that one up for this, and not have to mess with our other TVs. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1789 Registered: Jul-04 | The TV will have to have line inputs, s-video or RCAs, if not you'll need an RF modulator. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | Actually, we decided to use the TV in the kitchen for it, and it's one I bought less than a year ago, so it does have those line inputs on the front. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1792 Registered: Jul-04 | Try not to stack the DVD and VHS on top of each other unless you have to, it will keep the DVD from getting too hot. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | I'm going to move the bread machine off the top of the corner table the TV is on. It's actually a little wooden entertainment center so there's a shelf too, under the TV, for a recorder or whatever. |
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aavi Unregistered guest | David, did you say that the stabilizer from MCM Electronics for $20 will let you copy VHS protected tapes to DVD? You refer to an "adjustment" inside. Does that adjustment then make it possible to transfer these tapes to DVD if you're getting a "cannot record" message? I just bought a Toshiba DR-4 DVD recorder. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1794 Registered: Jul-04 | I haven't had problems using one to record to DVD. But the Toshiba recorders, at least the older ones, are very sensitive to copy protection. They won't even record HBO and Showtime. I don't know if it will work with a Toshiba or not. |
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KudaPup Unregistered guest | Well, last evening my video stabilizer failed to override the copyright a DVD I was trying to copy of a movie that I recently purchased. Has anyone experienced the same trouble with the Sima CT-2 or the Red Pro? Have we come to a conclusion that one is better than the other? |
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Unregistered guest | I was wondering if a dvd purchased in Great Britain (UK) is formatted to work on a DVD player in the USA? I know from experience that a VHS tape does not work, I was looking to buy a collection of rare DVD's for my father for Xmas, but cannot find them anywhere in the USA. If anybody could answer this question for me I would greatly appreciate it |
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New member Username: SpaceshipSF, CA Post Number: 1 Registered: Nov-05 | Ok, This topic began May 2004, (read every single comment) and here it is November 2, 2005, and nothing much seems changed. Several questions were asked regarding Sony DVD Burners, but no one answered the questions. So if some could address my inquiry I would greatly appreciated. I purchased a Sony DV Direct Burner. It is a stand alone burner. I have not been able to burn, commerical vcr's or dvd's. When I attempted to burn a commerical dvd, I got the message,"unable to record, copyright protected",so my question, as previously ask, does anyone have experience using either the Red PRO or the SIMA, dvd stablizers? As previous stated, Sony may have incorporated somthing to prevent the consumer from being able to back-up purchased DVD's. I understand from reading all of the comments how Red Pro or Sima can record some DVD's, but those who posted comments stating the inability to record anything with these products own Sony burners/recorders. So, if someone could address my question, I would appreciate it greatly, here's the question: Has anyone being able to use either the Red Pro /Sima stabilizer on a Sony stand alone burner successfully? If so, which product was used? thanks................ |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | Alright, David, today I am going to purchase a standalone Pioneer DVD burner if I can find one. I ordered the stabilizer and the DVD's you recommended and am just waiting for them to arrive. I'm looking forward to getting this to work so I don't have to worry about our old VHS tapes any more, and I can clear some room on our shelves. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1797 Registered: Jul-04 | They sell Pioneer at Walmart, maybe Sams Club too. One thing about Pioneer, you have to buy their products from an authorized dealer, or there's no warranty. You can find authorized dealers on their websight. http://pioneerelectronics.com |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | I first went to CompUSA, and said what I was looking for, all they had was DVD burners that run through a computer, well that's fine except I told the tech there what I wanted to do, and he kept saying "You'll have to run it through your computer" so I finally said "Never mind" and went to WalMart, which is where I should have gone in the FIRST place, apparently, and got a Pioneer stand-alone DVD recorder, model DVR-321-s. The stabilizer came today too, and I got a 9 volt battery for it. All I need now are the discs (and maybe a random cable or two, I haven't tried to set this up yet). But I'm not sure what you meant by making an "adjustment" on the inside of the stabilizer. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1801 Registered: Jul-04 | The stabilizer might work without adjusting. Inside there's a rheostat that can be adjusted if it doesn't work. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | I got it all set up yesterday...and didn't touch the stabilizer except to insert the battery (and take it out, when done for the day). A blank DVD-RW disc came with the DVD recorder, and the recorder says it's compatible with DVD-R and DVD-RW. Copied a bit of "Bram Stoker's Dracula" with it, which is a fairly new tape, thought that might be a good test. Came out fine. Finalized it...but it won't play in the other DVD player we have, the one we have hooked up in the living room, and although it WILL play on my computer, it won't play through Windows Media player, it automatically comes up as "PowerDVD2", but it will play on my computer. It playes fine on the recorder/player I created it on, the Pioneer I bought yesterday. I did have to go back to WalMart and get another cable, no big deal, I should have known I'd need another one. Maybe our other player that we have hooked up to the big TV won't run a DVD-RW? The discs I ordered haven't come yet, but should be here any day now, and they are DVD-R. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1802 Registered: Jul-04 | DVD-R has far better compatibility than RW, the player may not be RW compatible. You need to be recording in video mode and not VR mode. Players won't play discs done in VR mode. When you format the RW disc, you should have a choice between video and VR mode. VR allows editing and chasing play, recording and watching at the same time. Video mode doesn't do either but is player compatible, if the player is RW compatible. |
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New member Username: Scottish_johnPost Number: 2 Registered: Apr-05 | bought a DMR-85H HDD/DVD recorder - problem is that I can record from TV to HDD also can record to DVD. Problem i have is when I have recorded a couple of programs on to HDD; I am unable to dub both "chapters" (programs onto DVD or DVD -R) I would appreciate a good help forum or an alternative to the manual which is worse that useless |
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New member Username: Scottish_johnPost Number: 3 Registered: Apr-05 | bought a DMR-85H HDD/DVD recorder - problem is that I can record from TV to HDD also can record to DVD. Problem i have is when I have recorded a couple of programs on to HDD; I am unable to dub both "chapters" (programs onto DVD or DVD -R) I would appreciate a good help forum or an alternative to the manual which is worse that useless |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | Thanks David. Well, my curiousity and my stubborn drive - I like a challenge - led me to pick up a small pack of some Memorex DVD-Rs today, since my other DVD-Rs won't be coming in until next week, and I wanted to work on this some more over the weekend. Just as a test, I first disconnected the battery from the stablizer and tried to record; got a "copyright-protect" message, so I popped out the DVD-R, put another one in after re-attaching the battery in the stabilizer, and didn't get the copyright-protect message after starting up again. I'm letting it record now, while doing some work at home, so we'll will see how it comes out. I will make sure that I also finlaize it after it's done, then I'll test it in the various players in our house. Thanks so much for your continued help; it looks like I'm getting closer and closer to getting this little personal project to be a success! |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | Success! Thanks, David Massey! It works in my computer, pulls right up in Windows Media Player, AND more importantly, it works fine in our newer DVD player/VHS combo (we also have an older model stand-alone DVD player, which doesn't want to read it, but that's okay). Using a DVD-R disc that seemed to make the difference. Apparently the defualt setting for the Pioneer DVD recorder I bought yesterday (I looked to be sure) is Video mode, for DVD-Rs. I also made sure to finalize it. Seems the main problem was with using a DVD-RW, at least in this house. The only time I'd want to use a DVD-RW is for something like taping a TV show that I missed, but that I don't want to save after seeing it once. Thanks again for all your help, I'll keep checking back in here, and if I have any more questions I'll be sure to ask YOU! Thanks again. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1804 Registered: Jul-04 | DVD-R only records in video mode. You may have had the RW in VR mode, you specify one or the other when formatting the disc. VR is good for if there's something coming on and you aren't quite ready to sit down and watch it, you can start the recording and start watching any time you're ready, it will keep recording and you can watch from the beginning at the same time. You can set the record time on the Pioneers to get the best possible recording per disc space. If the movie is only 1 1/2 hours, you can change the record speed from SP to a little faster speed for better quality. It has 32 steps for speed, at least last I knew. Glad to hear it worked out for you. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | Thanks, David Massey. And now I've compiled a list of the DVD players that will work with the DVD-R discs, as my husband pointed out that the unit in the living the DVD-R disc DOES work in, the combo one, the DVD player starts getting funky about 3/4 of the way through the film, so we're going to get a new stand-alone DVD player (not a recorder too) today. And stock up on 9-volt batteries, for the stabilizer. Also I am looking for a good source for DVD cases online, I want to put the DVD's we burn into regular DVD cases, and I'll make inserts for them on my computer. I know I could just stick them into little CD cases but I'd rather have regular DVD cases (easier on the eyes, and looks nicer) on our shelves. I have a background in graphic design and I have InDesign (page layout program) on my computer so I can make decent-enough labels for the DVD's, and inserts for the cases. Do you know offhand a good source online for the blank DVD cases? I looked at several yesterday. I would like to get black cases, with clear plastic sleeves for the inserts. I saw a bunch of different places that have them. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1806 Registered: Jul-04 | Try e-bay for cases. I store them on spindles, so I don't know anywhere else. The stabilizer battery should last at least 6 months if it's an alkaline. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | We've had a little trouble with a couple of the movies "freezing" up in the middle of recording them, and have had to fast-forward a couple, and rewound them, and tried again, to get them to tape. (My husband's suggestion) This seemed to work, but also we've already had to switch the battery out for a new one. We got some high-quality batts though after that, so maybe that will help. Thanks for the E-Bay suggestion for cases, I'll check that out. I'll want to make fancy little cases to put these in, on our shelves, that's just the way I am, I like having the cases with all the info on them, like professional ones. I made a template just now, in the page layout program "InDesign", for the case inserts I'll make. My husband bought a Hitachi DVD player yesterday that is completely compatible with the discs we're duping, so we're pretty much all set now! |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | We're still having some dupings that are "freezing up" while being done, and we've tried several times over, and these same movies freeze up (the DVD recorder stops recording, and says "Wait"), and in different spots each time. Any suggestions? |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1814 Registered: Jul-04 | Some Memorex discs are good and some aren't, they don't make their own discs. If you've got a burner in the PC, use DVDInfoPro or DVD Decrypter and get the media code from the discs. Both programs are free. The discs may be the cause of the playback problems too. It may be a defective recorder. |
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Anonymous | I have a ddv9000 Go Video duel video recorder and player. I was having difficulties attempting to make a dvd from a vhs tape from my HP movie maker 3000. So I decided to make a dupe from the original vhs tape. Apparently it transfers the copyprotection to the dupe tape as well. Not realizing it I put the dupe vhs tape in my machine to make a dvd from my HP 3000 and it would not allow me to do that either. Any help would be appreciated. I have read all the above posts and seem more confused than before. I need something that will work for vhs to dvd and dvd to dvd without any problems about copyprotection. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | Hi David, well we are still have problems with some movies duping...the discs that you recommended, that I ordered, are due to arrive today (I checked the tracking). If that doesn't solve the problem we'll have to think about returning the DVD recorder and exchanging it. Sometimes a movie won't dupe the first time we try it, then it works fine the next time...but there are some movies that we have tried to dupe and after several attempts, the DVD recorder still freezes up on these films. Maybe it's some little glitch in the tape, too? We've also been very careful to give the system as uninterrupted a power supply as possible (i.e. not running the washer and dryer at the same time as we're duping the tapes, since we have them set up nearby, and we live in an older house where the electricity can be a little funky sometimes...when I turn on my hairdryer the lights dim slightly, for instance). As for anonymous's post asking about transferring VHS tapes to DVD, I think what I am doing is going to work just fine once we get the kinks ironed out. Read back over my posts on it, and what David Massey has suggested I do. But as far as DVD to DVD, I'm not trying that, just VHS to DVD. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | P.S. David Massey, we don't have a DVD burner in our PC's. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | I wish we could go back and edit our posts...anyway, my husband was trying to dupe some homemade VHS tapes last night after I went to bed, he just told me...stuff he taped off regular TV, a LONG time ago, and he was having the same problem. Freezing up. Hopefully we'll get the better DVD's in today, and see if that solves it. If not, we'll exchange the DVD recorder. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1821 Registered: Jul-04 | It's possible that it's a power problem, but not too likely. Be sure you don't have too many things on the same breaker. VCRs and DVD recorders don't use much power, so that probably isn't the problem. If the discs you're using are 8x, the recorder may need a firmware update to be 8x compatible. What's being fed to the recorder shouldn't matter unless the tapes are so poor quality that the recorder doesn't think it's getting a signal. If it's only having problems on copy protected tapes, the stabilizer may need adjusted. |
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Smurfy 1 Unregistered guest | Hello, I hate to bother you all with the same question so many have asked already, but, I need help! I got an Emerson vhs/dvd player recorder for my birthday this past Oct., it is dvd-r and it won't copy my vhs tapes for my grandson from when my kids were little and newer tapes, he loves blues clues and I have no room for all the tapes and really need to transfer to dvd. I really appreciate any help! |
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SMURFY 1 Unregistered guest | Okay, after reading some of the other posts, it seems I need a stabilizer to stop the copyright block, am I right? If so, what would I get as I have the vcr/dvd recorder combo also? We have way too many vids and need to free up space. Again, thanx for any help anyone can give me. I see curious in carolina got help so I know there is help for my problem too!:] |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | Yes, Smurfy, you need a stabilizer, for one thing. Have David Massey help you, he helped me through the entire thing. BTW David we got the good DVD's today...everything's recording without a hitch now, so far. We're keeping the old VHS tapes as backups just in case though. Some of these offbeat films we have, I had enough problem even finding them on VHS. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1826 Registered: Jul-04 | Smurfy, you need a stabilizer and probably a seperate VCR for copy protected tapes. Unless you can put the stabilizer between the VCR output and the DVD input. I've never used a combo, so I don't know if it can be done that way or not. Curious, if those Memorex discs are 8x or 16x, the recorder may need a firmware update to be compatible with them. If there's an update it should be on the Pioneer websight. There's a link to the site in a November 3rd post in this thread. |
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Anonymous | Hi, I have 2 VHS drivers and 1 DVD Recorder driver.I would like make a copy VHS to DVD.Some VHS i can copy to DVD, but..but many copy VHS to DVD are interrupted after 4/5 sec (see protection!).The same VHS i can copy to VHS (But this i not my targhet :-( .Help me....Thanksssssss Luciana |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | I tossed what was left of the Memorex discs out, I only bought a small pack of them anyway. The ones you recommended are doing fine. But if we try to burn more than two movies in a row, sometimes we have a bit of a problem with the recorder acting up, maybe it gets hot? We don't have anything stacked on it, and it gets plenty of ventilation, it's on an open entertainment shelf. Anyway we are just copying two movies a day and that seems to be working fine. And after doing some research online, I just now ordered 200 DVD cases from SuperMediaStore.com, for $62. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1835 Registered: Jul-04 | I only do 1 movie at a time, then let the recorder cool for 1/2 hour or so. They definitely do have problems recording for long periods. Make sure the fan in the back isn't blocked and has plenty of room to vent. |
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New member Username: Smurfy_1Pekin, Il. USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Nov-05 | Thank you David for your help! I did not even think to check into the recorders before my hubby bought mine. I do have 2 seperate vcrs so I will get a stabilizer. Any suggestions for what kind I should buy? Does Best Buy have good stabilizers? Thanks David and curious I appreciate your help! ;) |
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Anonymous | So let me see if I have this right...I need a stabilizer,"Digital video stabilizer, plenty of info about them out here"(71/1/05) (what brand, and where can I get it from?)- recommended site, MCM Electronics)to use to burn dvd's to dvd, which will help with the copyright issue?/or is it vcr to dvd...I hope this information applies to dvd to dvd. Following Curious in Carolina and David Massey, once I get the stabilizer it is recommended I purchase 4x Taiyo Yuden DVD-R? Am I on the right track? Now, is recommended that one uses a stand alone dvd player ...If I have missed anything David or Ms. Carolina please let me know. Oh, if I have difficulty with the recording the rheostat on the stabilizer may need adjusting>(11/3/05). Oh, and one other thing if you are using 4xdiscs and having trouble located on this site.--- http\ecoustics.wm/bbs.....(see 6/12/05 thread, for full address) you can get firmware to help 4xdics have the ability to record as a 8x disc. Ok, guys did I pretty much get it? Please let me know, I want to head out that door and find the success that Ms.Carolina had.... |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1836 Registered: Jul-04 | Carrie, Best Buy sells Sima, which should be fine for VHS. MCM Electronics sells stabilizers for $20 plus shipping, probably half the price of a Sima. They work fine for VHS. Anonymous, if you want to do DVDs, get a burner for the PC. It's far better quality and faster, they also last longer than a standalone. You can get an NEC from Newegg for around $45. Shop4Tech has 10% off right now with coupon code turkey10. I prefer Newegg because they have a 1 year exchange warranty, and excellent customer service. You'll need a DVD-ROM or have to use hacked firmware for the burner because of the riplock on virtually all new burners. |
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New member Username: Smurfy_1Pekin, Il. USA Post Number: 2 Registered: Nov-05 | Thank you David! I saw a previous post that had the web address for MCM electronics and looked it up last night and saw the stabilizer for 20.00 so I decided that if you said it would work, that I would try that one. Well, thanks again, and I am sure I will be back with other questions and hopefully comments of success! |
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Curious In Carolina Unregistered guest | The MCM $20 stabilizer is what I got, and it works fine for our needs, we wanted to transfer copyrighted VHS tapes to DVD; a lot of what we have are hard to find even on VHS, and aren't available on DVD. Some are newer films that we just want to have on DVD, and get rid of the bulky tapes on the shelves. I'm storing the tapes as the DVD's are burned, in a closet as backups just in case we need them again. David, our system now is to transfer one film, turn everything off and let the recorder cool down for an hour, then do another one. So far everything's working just fine now. Thanks again for all your help. |
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Curious in Carolina Unregistered guest | David, one small question...should we disconnect the battery in the stabilizer when we're not using the equipment? Does it drain the battery even when the other equipment is turned off, or not? |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1857 Registered: Jul-04 | I disconnect the battery in mine, but I don't use it very often. I don't know if it drains the battery when not in use. If you use it every day, I'd just leave the battery. They are supposed to last about a year if I remember right. |
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Unregistered guest | I just ordered a Sima CT-2 GoDVD and need advice on purchase of compatible DVD recorder. I have Sony VHS recorders. My primary purpose will be to copy VHS movies to DVD format. You help would be appreciated. |
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Traci Unregistered guest | I have a question that seems to be similar to everyone else's. I have a computer (HP Media center) that allows copying and editing of dvd's and VHS. I have successfully transferred many of my precious old VHS movies into dvd's my problem is with disney movies and some of the newer tapes (like from the 90's). would hooking one of these stabilizers to my computer solve the problem like it has done for people with dvd recorders do you think? |
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Unregistered guest | I need help.I am NOT mechanically inclined and alot of this is mumble jumble to me..I bought the JVC vhs to dvd burner. I have been trying to understand alot of the messages you have on here but I would just like to know what digital video stablizer will work on my jvc so that I can copy copyrighted vhs's tapes.I have alot of childrens vhs for my foster kids and really want to keep them cause they are not available on dvd but it keeps telling me it cant. Is anyone familiar with the JVC recorder and use something to help copy them? Thanks |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1897 Registered: Jul-04 | Take the combo back, and buy a seperate VCR and DVD recorder. Combos are poor quality, and you're going to need a seperate VCR anyway. There's plenty of info in this thread about where to buy stabilizers. |
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Maggie101452 Unregistered guest | David unfortunately taking the combo back isnt an option...I bought it last Christmas but never used it till this month cause it took that long for someone to figure out how to use the dang thing......I swear its book is for geniuses. lol Anyways I have two vhs players so thats not a big deal. Can I hook up a regular vhs player to this and then record instead of using theirs? And can I hook up a stabilizer to it too? |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1913 Registered: Jul-04 | Yes, you can use a seperate VCR and a stabilizer. |
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Unregistered guest | i have a dvd recorder/vcr combo. i hooked up another dvd player and the mcm electronic stabilizer that you suggested. it overrides the copywrite, but when i playback the recorded version, all it seems to be recording is the sound. there is no picture at all, even though there is a picture & sound on the tv while its recording. what did i do wrong.....and dont say "you bought a combo". i got here to late for that! Haha. thanks. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1918 Registered: Jul-04 | Need to know exactly how everything is connected, |
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VagabondX Unregistered guest | I've read through this long and informative thread but can't find an answer to my basic question: Is it better to copy my VHS tapes to DVD via a stand alone DVD recorder or via a PC with DVD burner? My VHS tapes are mostly first generation copies themselves and don't have copy protection issues. Thanks in advance for your advice. |
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Anonymous | Just the facts ONLY please! I have read all the opinions on this site and is now more confused than ever! Bottom line which is better Sima or DVD Red? for making copies of purchased copy protected VHS tapes? It is quite clear DVD/Vhs combo is not the way to GO! If I buy a DVD recorder do I need to buy a video stabilizer?? or can I simply use Sima or DVD red to get the job done. I need to make copies of approx 150 videos with the least amount of hassle. I dont mind paying a little more or buying what it takes to save me headaches down the line. Thanks everyone in advance for your all your responses most appreciated!!! |
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trish Unregistered guest | I would like to know a store name where i can buy dvd red responses are most apprecited |
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Brac Unregistered guest | I just read through this entire page and all I can say is: READ THE ENTIRE PAGE FIRST BEFORE ASKING THE SAME QUESTION EVERYONE ELSE DID!!! So many repetitions on this page it's incredible. David Massey, I don't know how you do it, but your information was appreciated (and your patience..) |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 1958 Registered: Jul-04 | Finally someone who can and will read. It's starting to get a bit old for sure. |
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B Spin Unregistered guest | I just ordered the $20 stabilizer from MCM. I will report back to y'all on my success/failure to record a DVD from a VHS using my DVR. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread, especially David Massey. |
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Unregistered guest | Just read through all the posts and still need help. (Thanks David Massey for your input and patience!) We have a GoDVD we got quite some time ago that eliminates the copy protection problems, but gives off horizontal "noise" - a kind of fuzzy video, not nearly as clear as the original. I thought that perhaps a newer box would help - it turns out that this GoDVD says it's the SIMA CT-2. Would the $20 stabilizer you talk about fix the problem I'm having? Would any of the other SIMA products work better? I'm playing out of an inexpesive Zenith video player (that plays fine if I'm not recording) into a (yes-I-know-it's-a bad-idea)Sony combo DVD recorder. (We got the combo over a year ago, and it does fine recording all day long on non-copy protected stuff, but obviously not on purchased copy-protected VHS tapes.) I'd sure appreciate input on how to get clearer copied DVD's. We've got quite a collection of Disney videos that are starting to go bad... Thanks in advance for any help! |
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B Spin Unregistered guest | Success! The stabilizer from MCM worked as advertised and my VHS tapes encoded with Macrovision are now transferred to DVD. Marlene, I wish I could help you but my only experience is with the $20 MCM stabilizer. Thanks again, everyone. |
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burned Unregistered guest | HI,I just bought a Sony RDR GX 315 DVD recorder and I have Cox cable service. Most of the time when I try to record a movie off of one of the movie channels like HBO, Showtime ect. I get a message that it is copyright protected and that I can't copy it. Looks like I spent $300 for something I can't ever use? Has anyone ever heard of this happening? I was wondering if any device could be put between the cable box and the recorder to prevent this can't copy message? I know these messages are about VHS copying problems but I wonder if my problem is pretty much the same thing? I have a Sony RDR GX 300 Recorder and never have had a problem. so I think Sony has done something to the new model to prevent copying? Would appreciate any help or advice you can give me? Thanks Rick |
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B Spin Unregistered guest | Burned, try this thread for info: https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-video/5595.html |
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Unregistered guest | where do I find the MCM stabilizer that is talked about in this thread? |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 2001 Registered: Jul-04 | |
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mary anne Unregistered guest | i'am looking to get the sima ct-2 godvd,i read some place it doesn't work with combination dvd/vcr's unless you have a separate dvd or vcr. THIS IS WHAT I HAVE:combination dvd/vcr recorder. i have a separate dvd player and a separate vcr player. with this will i be able to record DVD TO VHS, VHS TO DVD, DVD TO DVD, VHS TO VHS. THANKS |
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Unregistered guest | So after spending the last several hours at least sifting through this blog, I think I have figured out what I need. David, from what you have stated here this is what I have figured out: I need a MCM Digital Video Stabilizer, and a Pioneer DVD recorder. Apart from another VHS player, 9-volt battery, and DVD-R's, is there anything else I might need? The second half of this blog has been the most helpful and now that I feel so close to getting exactly what I need, I want to make sure I don't do something wrong. Please post back here or preferably drop me a line at powder_pirate@hotmail.com. Thank you all, Nathan |
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Sparklystuff Unregistered guest | Hello, I bought a digital video stabiliser a few years ago to work on a VCR and it worked fine to remove copyrght. I have just got a DVD recorder and the the digital video stabiliser doesn't get rid of the copyright message! Is there anything that will change this or are there any products that will work? many thanks! |
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Anonymous | I have a 9-volt device called Copyguard Eliminator RX-II by TT Systems. It worked years ago to eliminate video copyguards when recording from VHS to VHS. Should it now work to copy commercial VHS movie tapes to DVD? Or are the units you are discussing in this forum different/better/more advanced? |
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AnonymousE Unregistered guest | I have a Pioneer DVD recorder and would like to make copies of all of my VHS tapes and some DVDs so I have backups. Which clarifier would work, and where can I get it? Thanks |
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trayerg Unregistered guest | i have a vhs/dvd recorder in the same untit. is there any way i can hook up a dvd red so i can record my old vhs's that are copyrighted to newer dvd's? thanks |
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Anonymous | Do these products work on units that have a VCR and DVD recorder together in one unit? I have a Sharp DV-RW550 |
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Yadi Unregistered guest | Question for David: Any advice on a DVD recorder and stabilizer that would work in different regions? I'm looking to buy something in the US that I can use to record all my old VHS movies that I can then take to Europe. Thanks for helping! |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 2041 Registered: Jul-04 | If you are talking about recording discs in the U.S., then taking them to Europe, any recorder should work. Most European equipment is multisystem, so NTSC discs should play on most equipment there. Burned discs are region free, so that's not a problem. I've sent discs to Europe at least a half a dozen times and no one has had problems yet. If you want to use the recorder in Europe, that'll be a problem. The voltage is different and the tuner will be NTSC instead of PAL. |
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Yadi Unregistered guest | Thanks David! That's really helpful. But I was also hoping to buy a DVD recorder in the US that I can use in Europe. Is there any good multisystem model available in the US market that you would recommend? I've been looking but can't tell from the usual specs whether they are multisystem or not. |
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Anonymous | Question for David- I have a 9-volt device called Copyguard Eliminator RX-II by TT Systems. It worked years ago to eliminate video copyguards when recording from VHS to VHS. Should it now work to copy commercial VHS movie tapes to DVD? Or are the units you are discussing in this forum different/better/more advanced? |
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New member Username: NedwPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-06 | I have an EMERSON DVD/VCR EWR20V5 combo unit and I'm trying to hookup the SIMA CT-200 to record my older Copy Protected Disney VHS tapes. I'm not having much success. The hookup, I thought, was simple but evidently I have something wrong. I still get the Copy Protect message when I try to copy the VHS tape. Can anyone help |
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New member Username: FishermaPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-06 | I just ordered the MCM stabilizer. I am going to hook it up to my combo unit. I know....combo units aren't as good, but it's all I have. I am thinking that I can play my copy protected VHS on the TV, then set the DVD recorder to record the TV channel, rather than direct copy from the VHS. Has anyone tried this? It seems like it would work. Just trying to avoid the hassle of hooking up another VCR to my combo. |
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Debu Unregistered guest | Please HELP. I am looking to buy a DVD & VHS combo unit with DVD RECORDER. I like to play both Region 1 & 3 DVD's and VHS tapes in US. In other words it will play both NTSC and PAL in regular TV in US. Also can record on DVD(NTSC is fine). Do you know of any model or brand? Please email me at kmpshow@aol.com. THANKS. |
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Anonymous | Somebody asked a question quite early in this thread, and from what I can see, nobody answered it. Specifically, if one has a combo unit, why can't one use the external video OUT connections of the VCR, run them into either the SIMA or Red unit, and then run the signal back into the INPUTS of the DVD recorder? Seems prefectly sensible (unless the combo unit does not have the I/O jacks to support that. |
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Anonymous | Question for David Massey: Why are combo units 'junk'? You ascert this in several posts but offer no evidence. I respectfully disagree with your statement because of the following: 1. Less crosstalk and signal loss/distortion when going from VHS to DVD = better analog quality for digital sampling to act on. 2. From my perspective as an electronics engineer and having looked at (e.g. torn apart) both Panasonic combo units and seperates, I find them to contain the same base tape transport units, including heads, and same DVD drives and amps. By same, I mean part numbers of major components of the devices. 3. Effective electrical isolation of VHS and DVD signal processing subsystems to eliminate motor noise, and modulation cross coupling 4. Sufficient power supply capacity with good regulation specs. 5. Usable editing & dubbing capabilites contained within the combo unit. Now, from another perspective, seperate units provide for usability of the other device if one develops a problem (e.g. a bad power supply in the VHS unit does not affect the operation of the DVD unit). Also, if one needs to modify the video or audio signal out of the VCR to the DVD, the seperate units obviously support this, where not all combo units do. So, I look forward to your reply... John |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 2102 Registered: Jul-04 | The circuitry in combos just isn't as reliable as in seperates, probably partly due to the fact that they have more heat problems. If you have or do work on electronics, you should know they aren't as reliable. Every part in a combo is the cheapest part manufactered by the company. Most of them don't even use plugs for wiring, it's just soldered, making repairs harder and more time consuming. Specs don't make much difference when the unit doesn't work. You've opened one unit, so you're an expert on combos. I've worked on most if not all of them, their reliability is garbage. Most people that buy combos want to record copy protected material, which means they need a seperate unit anyway, so what's the use of an inferior quality product? |
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meowmeow Unregistered guest | I just made a simple test on my combo (govideo VR3840). It has only one brain, not two. So it can play the VHS or record the DVD. It can not do both at the same time to/from external input. The only time it will do both at the same time is if you hit the COPY button where it takes dvd input directly from the vhs. I didn't even need to connect external input to do this test. I played a tape and then hit the button to switch to the DVD control to set it to record... and the VHS stopped playing. I waited at least 5 seconds and went back to the VHS and confirmed that the counter/timer picked up where it had been. There might be a combo out there that has two brains. You'll have to test your own. I was going to use external input from my camcorder as a test record while playing another VHS. Thanks for the pointer to mcm stabilizer. Barb |
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Unregistered guest | DISNEY HELP!!!! I have read through this massive post and see the question several times, but unless I am missing it, I don't see the answer. I have a LITEON LVW 5001. I want to make back ups of my children's Disney movies to DVD. It is hard to come by since they keep putting everything back in the vault. Can someone please tell me the stabilizer that is going to work for my DVD-R and to overcome the powerful disney encryption? Thank you in advance for your help. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 2134 Registered: Jul-04 | |
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New member Username: PaulnnaomiMobile, AL USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-06 | Well, I wish we had found this site before we purchased a combo unit...too late now. BUT, we do have a separate VCR so I'm guessing we could use that for our copyrighted VHS tapes once we have one of those stabilizers. Would this theory be correct?....also, was there an issue with the Disney encryption and the SIMA Go DVD...I thought I read in one post that the SIMA does not take care of all copyrights but the other brand does. Anyone know first hand? Has anyone actually used the SIMA for Disney VHS or had trouble with it not overcoming the copyright? Thanks, Naomi |
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Roger Ed J. Unregistered guest | Ok, LISTEN UP AS this is for people who have copy protected dvds or VHS tapes(copy protected) they wish to copy to VHS tapes. I have had two Sima go video units. The first one I accidentally dropped and broke. I ordered a second unit and it works acceptably in recording a very watchable (some defects I will explain later) VHS copy. Now, my DVD player is a newer Sony. I don't know if that makes any difference. it is a stand alone unit (not combination unit with VCR). My VCR is also a stand alone unit. I have used the following VCR units: a Zenith (a stereo unit about 10 years old), a newer Sony (stereo about 2 years old) and a Mono GE VCR more than 10 years old. Recording the DVDs onto any of these units works with the SIMA in the loop- No Macrovision screens and no fading and intensifying of the picture. The only slight imperfections noticed on playback seem to be the following: (1)The copied version is not quite as sharp as the original. however, this is probably because I am recording from a DVD to a VHS which does not have the resolution of the DVD. When copying from a VHS to VHS, there is also some slight loss of resolution. I do not have a DVD recorder so I cannot speak about going from DVD to DVD. (2) Sometimes with recording from a DVD onto a VHS, some thin blue horizontal lines are seen against backgrounds that are of one color- for example a large view of a persons face or a red coat. This effect seems to be less noticeable when recorded on the older mono GE VCR. Occasionally, I don't see the blue lines with some DVDs. Also, in going from VHS to VHS, no blue lines are seen. In any case, the VHR tapes produced are watchable. However, do not expect TOP QUALITY results with The SIMA unit. I can't comment about the DVD Red unit as I have not tried it. Good Luck, Roger Ed J. |
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Lindguini Unregistered guest | Many thanks to David Massey's input regarding copying VHS to DVD. David, you've mentioned on other threads that you use an inexpensive video stabilizer (from MCM Electronics) to clean up the Macrovision signal when copying VHS to DVD. I have a separate Panasonic VCR and Pioneer 220 DVD recorder and would like to copy my (excellent condition) store bought VHS tapes to DVD for more convenient viewing. My question is this: In your experience, is there a noticeable decrease in video quality when you pipe the VHS output through the video stabilizer and record it to DVD? I only want to copy VHS to DVD and want to avoid making DVD recordings that are visually degraded compared to the VHS master tape. Thanks for your assistance! Chris |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 2200 Registered: Jul-04 | No loss, everything I've done from VHS to DVD looks considerably better on DVD, wheather they were retail tapes or recordings. If the box does take anything from the picture, the DVD recorder more than makes up for it. You're going from 230-240 lines of resolution on VHS to a DVD recorder with about 525 lines of resolution, with filters for cleaning poor quality sources like VHS. You'll be happy with the results. |
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New member Username: LindguiniPost Number: 1 Registered: Feb-06 | Thanks, David. Glad to hear that your video stabilizer works well. There are so many types out there that claim to perform all sorts of magic tricks (Sima, Facet, Dimax, etc.) but I have yet to read that one stands out above all others. I know that the stabilizer available from MCM is an older design that has a fairly simple circuit to defeat the AGC blips --but it must be effective considering how long that basic design has been around. Oddly, while the MCM version is a plastic box with single input/output RCA jacks and a 9V battery, I've seen another version on several websites that is virtually identical except that it is housed in a slightly larger black metal box and has a 9V power jack in addition to the battery. Funny thing, the connection diagram label on the metal box version appears to be an exact duplicate of the one found on the MCM version. I don't know why a mfr would choose a metal box for this device but I expect it is a knock-off of some kind. Don't know if its internal circuit is the same but my guess is that it's identical. Anyway, I expect that going from VHS to DVD requires a simple device (since you're only dealing with Macrovision) and that things probably become more complicated when dealing with the latest CGMS coding during DVD-to-DVD recordings. I think I'll give the MCM stabilizer a shot and see how it goes for my VHS-to-DVD transfers. By the way, I couldn't be more pleased with my Pioneer 220 DVD recorder. I call it the "bulletproof burner" since it churns out perfect DVDs every time --not one bad disc, ever. |
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