Tech: Video/DVD

Subject: Tech: Video/DVD
From: greg stephens
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 03:49 PM

Expect the answerr to this is obvious, but I dont understand modern technolgy. Everybody seems to be watching things on DVD nowadays, ot video. Can you buy a domestic machine to convert things on video to DVD, like everybody copied their old cassettes onto CDs?

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 03:54 PM

You can... but why you'd want to is beyond me... Other than archiving 'special' vids like weddings or whatever... And there are conversion 'shops' that'll take care fo that kinda stuff....

Movie DVD as so cheap these days, that it's really not worth the hassle...

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From: artbrooks
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 03:55 PM

It can be done, and here is one that Consumer Reports said was OK. But beware, there isn't universal agreement on the technology yet, and you may end up with the equivalent of a Betamax or 8-track. They are also still pretty pricy. Me, I'm gonna wait a while yet.

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From: greg stephens
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 03:57 PM

Well I have stuff on video I might like to send to friends in places where they use a different video system. So, if everyone is going to change to DVD, maybe I should copy straight to DVD? I just want to find out if (a) I can buy a cheap machine to do it, like a CD burner, or (b) will there be a shop round the corner who will do it for me?

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 04:15 PM

If they're on a different VHS code, then they are most likley on a different DVD code as well, so you won't be able to convert for them at home... You'll have to take it to a pro, and make sure you tell them that you're convirting it for a 'foreigner'

And well, with the recent release of EVD, DVDs days might be numbered already....

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From: greg stephens
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 04:57 PM

Clinto: I didnt realise there were different kinds of DVDs. would this apply to UK and USA,say. Or how about Canada?

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 05:05 PM

North America is region one... that much I know...

UK DVDs won't play in North American players

(Unless you have a 'region free' player... they can be got, and I hear they are WELL worth the extra $$)

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From: okthen
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 05:23 PM

Greg, the different kinds of DVD refer to movies, N.America is region 1 europe is region 2 which only seems to matter now for DVD rewriters installed in your computer. However, American TV operates on NTSC and UK on PAL the difference is the number of lines displayed on the TV screen, it seems you can play NTSC format on Pal systems but not vice versa. If you backup your video tapes it won't improve the quality of the image and if you want to send DVDs to America they will have to be recorded in NTSC format.
I've been recording in dvd for a while (and I'm still learning)for instance, I recorded the Bert Jansch prog. on BBC 4 TV last night so that came through the digital set top box, connected to the computer using PCTVPRO (TV card) the 1 hour prog. used 2.16 gigabytes of memory and to put that onto DVD ( via NERO, with the extra £20 DVD authoring software plugin) will take about 2 1/2 hours.
If your thinking of buying the all in one DVD recorder standalone (non computer) I think you can get them starting from £150 but don't know if you can vary the NTSC/PAL standard.
Hope this makes sense.

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From: okthen
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 05:33 PM

PS Most dvd players are region free these days but if you have one that is "locked" to a certain region then is a good place to look. I'm pretty sure no-one here would dream of contravening copyright to copy shop bought DVD films onto video tape so they wont need to disable the macrovision protection incorporated in most DVD players.
Home recorded DVDs are region free by the way, regions are Hollywood's way of making sure cheap DVDs in some parts of the world can't be played in other, more expensive, parts of the world.

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From: okthen
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 05:35 PM

PPS, the link didn't work, 2nd try here

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From: greg stephens
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 07:12 PM

Well, this is a lot more complicated than I thought(life often is). I'll have to think about all this, thanks for the info everybody. I wish they had a world government to make sure all the machines were the same (perhaps that nice Mr Bush could impose a bit of standardisation while he's sorting out the other little discrepancies in systems of government).

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 22 Nov 03 - 08:12 PM

Mr Bush is the LAST person I want doing ANYTHING globally...

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From:
Date: 23 Nov 03 - 05:12 PM

Besides the Region Codes business, there ARE different types of recordable media. First though, as far as machines available to consumers for VHS and DVD, there are some, pricey, but they are available. However, they only PLAY DVDs, and not record them. They do record on VHS tapes.

Now, a computer can do the recording of the DVDs, but you will have to ascertain if ALL of them, once recorded will work on DVD players for consumers. Remember the problems with CD-R and CD-R/W. DVDs are even more confusing. They have DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM (perhaps even DVD+RAM). Not all drives can record all of the various formats.

Personally, I would recommend waiting a couple more years to see what shakes out.

Subject: RE: Tech: Video/DVD
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 05 Sep 04 - 12:19 PM

Refresh (current enquiry)

Nigel