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Set top DVD Recorder questions
I’m interested in the idea of bringing on a set top DVD recorder for the small jobs. Instead of sending people to someone else, I can actually make some money on the call saying, “I’ve got some home movies I’d like to transfere to DVD.” Also, I could easily send out screening DVDs instead of screending VHS copies.
But, before I jump into one, I really want to talk to people who’ve used these professionaly.Question:
Which, if any, of the models allow for menu’s and chapters markers? If they burn directly from a VHS, do you have to sit through the whole thing to add chapter markers, or can you do that later?
Most say they can do this with DVD-Ram, but what about +-R disks?
Also, can these recorders handle really bad video? What happens when a client brings in a very poor VHS tape? (aren’t they all?) Does it just gloss over sync loss and torn video?First use for this would be to take many VHS tapes that have 20+ news stories recorded from broadcast on VHS over several months. I’d like to have the stories chapter marked, instead of a new track for each. And I don’t want to use an edit suite to do it.
Hope this all makes sense.All I need is to talk to someone who’s used these, instead of a sales guy at best buy.
Thanks,
BrADPraise to the COW
BrAd Steiner
ImageWorks Media Group -
6 Replies
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That is truly a wise move. I’ve earned my company a significant
amount of extra income each year by offering services to these “consumer” clientel.I’ve used the same recorder since late 2002 with amazing success in
regards to picture quality and reliability.The Panasonic DMR-E30 is what I’ve been using.
I have over 1,000 hours on the laser diode and it’s still
cranking discs out on a daily basis. Amazing.It does basic text menu’s and automates chapter markers every 5.5 minutes.
This cannot be customized unless you record to DVD-RAM, rip/demux the content then re-author it. But that shouldn’t be a problem as you can charge more. -
Forgot to add, this particular model has time base correction
but only on the composite input signal. I’ve had many
unstable vhs and hi8 tapes play rock solid through it. -
Hi
Does anyone know of a set-top dvd recorder that does NOT put its own menu on the dvd.
We want to just hit record on a dvd and have it as a instant-play disc without the client having to look at a nasty graphical menu before they can watch their clip! -
I know what you mean.
Check out the newer panasonic models to find out.
I know at least one of them does.
A client I do dubs for brought me a disc yesterday
that had no menu and I was shocked because I knew
he had made it on his panasonic recorder.He said it was one of the options in the dvd recorder
but he had encoded to the internal hard disc first.He wasn’t sure if it would do no menu’s direct to disc
but he thought it would. -
I’ve found out recently that manuals for most of these products are on-line. You have to dig some, but Panasonic, Sony, and Philips all have manuals. Usually under their support sections. Sometimes the latest greatest products are not up there yet but it’s a great resource.
I’ve found that although you can set chapters on both the panasonic and sony models, they revert to roughly every 5 minutes once you finalize the disk. Philips, which records to +R disks, says nothing about loosing the chapter markers when you finalize in the manual, but I didn’t believe it. I called Philips tech help, and they assured me that the chapter markers will live on past finalize.I’ve heard from several places the excelent quality that Panasonic gives (thanks Borjis too), but I don’t know if Philips recorders match up. Any ideas?
The feature to NOT have a menu would be nice.Praise to the COW
BrAd Steiner
ImageWorks Media Group -
Your welcome Brad. 🙂
I would avoid the philips brand recorders.
I’ve heard nothing but stories of dissapointment
as far as reliability goes. Someone went through
3 units before they finally chose another brand.
Another person sent his unit in for repairs
3 different times and all 3 times it had the
same or a new problem.I have dubbed some discs made by the philips recorders
and I noticed quite a bit of compression “mosquito noise.”I don’t work for panasonic, but I always recommend them
as my unit has lasted many years and never caused me any grief.
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