(Possibly) A Weird Question

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Most of you know I'm not the most computerally savvy (love the techno-talk, :smirky:), so if this is a stupid question, please don't laugh to hard at me, it's been a rough week, LOL.

My question:
Is there a piece of computer machinery (I have no idea what it would be called), that allows one to take video from a VHS and transfer it to a computer hard drive?

I have several old family tapes that I would like to make DVD movies from, and I can't figure out how to get them from my VHS tapes to my computer hard drive so I can work with them.

Anybody have any suggestions?

[UnkHiram]

Homsey

I Dont know of a Computer gizmo that does it but you can do it with your DVD recorder. Just patch the outgoing VHS signal into the "INCOMING" spot on the DVD Recorder.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

What if I have a dual machine? I have a VHS/DVD player/recorder ... can I still use the VHS side while recording on the DVD part?

Oh, shoot, that doesn't matter, I forgot ... I can't access on my compute the stuff I record from my DVD recorder. I recorded all those episodes f Star Trek Enterprise, and I can't even watch them on my computer, :sad:.

There's got to be a way I can do this, arrggghhh!

[UnkHiram]

Can you watch the DVD's I sent you on your computer?

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

They start on my computer, but then they freeze. I have to watch them on my daughter's DVD player. They don't play on our living room DVD player, my son's DVD player, or the player we had in our bedroom. We can only watch them on my daughter's DVD player for some reason.

[UnkHiram]

Now thats just flat out weird, then it wont help for me to offer to transfer them for you cause you couldnt use them.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Thanks anyway, Unk. I'm sure I'll figure it out somehow.

Maybe Doc or Rhino will have some suggestions.

[Wolfcounsel]

Check this one out, Home:

http://askbobrankin.com/convert_vhs_to_dvd.html

[DoctorDoom]

If DVDs are not "finalized" after being recorded, they usually play back only on the recording machine or an identical one. Finalizing locks the data in place and makes the DVD platform-agnostic. The downside to finalizing is that nothing more can be added to the disk, but in the overwhelming majority of cases, that's not an issue.

Try inserting one of the Trek DVDs into the original recorder and then look in the disk menus for an option to finalize it. If you can do it, it wasn't done.

The one exception:

Finalization

Unlike other rewritable DVD formats, DVD+RW does not require finalization. A DVD+RW disc is always immediately compatible with read-only equipment such as DVD-Video players when it is taken out of the recorder. As a result, a DVD+RW can always be edited or new recordings can be added to it, without the need for erasing existing recordings. Other rewritable DVD formats require you manually to finalize the disc before it can be played on other equipment, and a finalized disc cannot be recorded on anymore unless existing recordings are completely erased. Finalization is required for these formats in order to comply with the read-only specification. When a disc that needs to be finalized is still in its so-called "unfinalized" state, it cannot be played on other equipment. When the disc is finalized however, no changes can be made to it anymore.DVD Format Definition (http://stream.uen.org/medsol/dvd/pages/dvd_format_DVDformats.html#011)

Many DVD recorders don't offer DVD+R/RW support.

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Re inputting VHS tapes to a computer, there are "video capture" adapters (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=1428) that do it.

This is a typical one from that page.

The Plextor ConvertX PX-AV200U Digital Video Converter makes it fun and easy for users to connect a camcorder, VCR, TV, or DVD to a PC and work with video. The ConvertX captures full quality, full screen video, perfect for making DVDs, Video CDs, or converting video files to tranfer to your favorite mobile video device.Plextor ConvertX PX-AV200U USB 2.0 Digital Video Converter (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3116651&CatId=1428)

http://images.tigerdirect.com/skuimages/large/P67-1302-main.jpg

It also has an S-Video input for connecting to camcorders or video sources with that output type. Connecting cables may come with it, but the local Radio Shack will have them if they don't.

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As for a combo VCR-DVD deck, if the video source for the recording is not the other half of the unit, you can probably use the idle section separately. The owner's manual will tell you that.