Video Recorder

Alright ...

I've got a huge amount of old VHS/Hi8 tapes I'd like to backup.

I was interested in DVD recorders when they came out, but realized DVD-Rs are far to be a safe source of backups. I'd like to go the hard disk way instead.

I thought of recording everything to DVD format to then rip it to plain AVI afterwards, but that would take way too long.

Nowadays, DVD recorders with HDs are more and more common, and they apparently do record analog video sources directly to HD. However, no matter how hard I look at it, there is no way I can find out in what format.

I would need something that basically directly records to a format I can easily transfer and view later on any PC. Like, you know ... AVI.

Do you guys know for sure of any model that would let me do that ?

If not, any alternative ?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Actual MPG2 files though or directly to all that VOB/SUB stuff ?

And can you actually export those MPG2 files without burning them to video DVD ? Like, by plugging another HD to some USB port ?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Which is the whole point ... ;_;

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Zergrinch

I guess you can try burning it to a rewritable DVD, and rip it from there on your PC to whatever format you desire (using, say, meGUI). This is admittedly a sub-par solution, as you are twice transcoding (analog to digital, compressed to MPEG2, re-compressed to AVI...)

Originally Posted by niki

I thought of recording everything to DVD format to then rip it to plain AVI afterwards, but that would take way too long.

^__^;

Thanks though ~

I've been looking into those obscure brand's multimedia HD recorders, but there seems to still be a lot of problems with them for now ... o well

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?