posted on October 17, 2004 05:47:40 PM new
Finally broke down yesterday and bought a DVD recorder. I've been playing with it all weekend and, boy, it is great!!!!!
So far, I have taken two videotapes that I recorded back in 1978 & 1979 and transferred them on to DVDs. These were two of the oldest--and rarest--items in my collection, and I have been worried that they would self-destruct as tapes are wont to do. Neither of them have been aired again since they were first on and have never been commercially released, so I am thrilled to finally be able to keep them safe.
AND while I was out today buying cases tohold the burnt DVDs in, I discovered an incredible printer by Epson that prints directly onto CDs and DVDs! Looks like I'll have to save my shekels to buy myself a special Xmas present.
posted on October 17, 2004 06:03:06 PM new
But then they go and "give" things away!
I am now typing on my new keyboard (yeah!!!), which I just plugged in. I bought it yesterday, too. And I am getting it for free: it cost $11.95, and CompUSA gave me a $6.00 instant rebate, plus a mail-in rebate for $6.00. No more keyboard problems for me! Hopefully...
____________________
"Bad temper is its own scourge. Few things are more bitter than to feel bitter. A man's venom poisons himself more than his victim." --Charles Buxton
posted on October 17, 2004 06:13:55 PM new
Now that's what I call be a very smart shopper. Good for you. Enjoy!! As it sounds like you already are doing.
posted on October 17, 2004 06:41:11 PM new
I bought the Pioneer DVR-510H-S, Dad. It is a stand alone DVD recorder that also has an 80g hard drive. It will record on DVD-R and DVD-RW discs. Also has several operation modes so you can fit varying amounts on a single disc.
I decided to pay more & get the model with a hard drive because it makes it easy to edit out commercials or, as I did on the discs I've already made, edit the beginnings & ends of the recordings to get rid of extraneous material.
For videotape dubbing, I just plugged my VCR into one set of "in" hook-ups and then started it playing after I hit "record" on the new machine.
I've decided to do the same with my remaining laserdiscs--I've been holding on to them & replacing them with DVDs as they become available, but I still have quite a few that still aren't out on DVD...
____________________
"Bad temper is its own scourge. Few things are more bitter than to feel bitter. A man's venom poisons himself more than his victim." --Charles Buxton
posted on October 17, 2004 11:04:36 PM new
Bunni - ERASE THE PRINTER FROM YOUR LIST!!!! They are evil and eat small children. It is such a cool idea isn't it? Just think - all that time and effort and money saved... DOES NOT HAPPEN! First of all, you have to find uncoated non gloss DVDs or the ink will not dry. Lets assume though that have found perfect supplier for those....
BTW - if you decide to ignore my advice - There is a matte white printable made by Princo that works great in the recorders and prints well. Let me know if you want to know who to get them from - I have to find my last receipt from them.....
OK ... back to our original programming..... you have the perfect printable disc and now you have to calibrate the DVD feed and the printer so that your image actually appears on the disk, preferably centered especially when you decide to get real artsy and design full image art. Count on mutzing up at least a half a dozen disks and the related ink every time you you need to do this. Oh and did I mention the 40 minutes of hair pulling frustration?
Better that you use a regular color printer and get some of the really nice transparent labels that are 4 or 6 up on a sheet. Much easier, much less frustrating and in the end, much more cost effective.
As for the recorder- ENJOY and beware - they are addicting!! After finally killing off one I am getting ready to buy my third. I killed a panasonic E-30 after burning nearly 5K hours of video. I still have an E-50 but since I often run two machines side by side dubbing different videos I don't really like the face control selection (can't use a remote when you have two machines that will both react to it) so I am probably going to get another E-30. Advantage is that they are dirt cheap.
BTW - don't ever record in SLP mode. It's pixel hell. Even LP is a stretch and with older video like you mentioned, a big no-no.
If you ever have any questions - Either Classic or Replay (can't remember which right now) over on the EO boards is another Recorder nut.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on October 18, 2004 01:27:47 AM new
Hey, Fenix! Yes, can already see that the recorder is addictive I have several old videotapes lined up to be duped onto DVD at this very moment...love it!
The DVD's I've done so far have been in SP & Fine. I recorded them onto the hard drive using Fine, the best, fastest speed and then onto discs. I am extremely impressed with the picture quality of the DVDs I made, especially considering how old the tapes were! The Pioneer has several speeds: FINE, SP, LP, EP (equivalent to your SLP I think), plus Optimal and several others. You're right, I will be avoiding the slower speeds!
The Best Buy & CompUSA near me both carry the printable DVD's & CDs--there is the matte white one, as well as a copper-metallic version. Seem to be about the same price as regular discs. But I would also be interested in the disc supplier you mentioned!
I'll look into it more, but from what I saw today of the Epson printers, aligning the disc isn't a problem. It has a little tray you lay the disc in and set in a particlar slot that draws the tray in. And it comes with software for your computer that allows you a choice of positions for images.
Edited to remove an unnecessary "h"
____________________
"Bad temper is its own scourge. Few things are more bitter than to feel bitter. A man's venom poisons himself more than his victim." --Charles Buxton
[ edited by bunnicula on Oct 18, 2004 01:30 AM ]
posted on October 18, 2004 09:09:16 AM new
I have... ok, HAD, it really is a piece... the Epson printer you are talking about. It seems really easy. Create your file, put the disk in the tray, hit print and.... OK wait... why is the image half an inch to the right? and a quarter of an inch low? Futz with the original image position on the paper and... hey! this thing is still screwed, apparently it grabs the disk a little differently every time.
Also - don't think that you will be able to use that printer for everday use. I had to baby the hell out of it to get it to print on paper plus I don't know if it was my machine or a glitch of the model but if I left it on all day, it shut itself off and the only way to get it back on was to unplug it and plug it back in.
After 6 months and lord only knows how many wasted disk my hatred for that machine knew no boundaries and I got rid of it.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
I've been playing with it all weekend and, boy, it is great!!!!!
No more keyboard problems for me! Hopefully...