Converting VHSs to DVD has got me frustrated.

I had bought a stand alone Sony DVD recorder some 3-4 Yrs back but did not quite use it, until now. Now that I try to convert some VHSs to DVD, I'm getting just 5-10% success rate.

Sony DVD recorder records on DVD discs fine and can play them on that machine, no problem. But, to make a DVD playable on other machines, one has to "Finalize" the disc. This is where the problem seems to be. I can Finalize a disc but it plays on some machines only. Sometimes, on none. Even if it plays on my PC DVD player, try to copy it using DVD Fab or Nero and still no guarantee that it'll produce a playable disc, if it copies at all. I've wasted 95% of the discs and they fail at different stages. Sometimes, not playable, sometimes fail while ripping, sometimes fail while burning and sometimes I get a DVD that plays on some machines only. Of course one option is to copy directly on DVDs which gives a better success rate (50%), but that's too much to ask for from a failing VHS, if I want to make 2-3 DVD copies.

I wonder where the problem might be ?? Have no issues backing up original DVDs, though.

Has anyone else come across this problem ??

I haven't come across this problem before, but having said that, I haven't really tested the discs on multiple DVD players (mainly the PS3).

I don't know if this would make any difference, but you could try copying directly onto a DVD-RW, and then backing the disc up? Does the Sony DVD recorder put some sort of protection on when burning the disc, making it hard to back up?

There is a thread here which discusses issues with Sony DVD recorders, maybe this will be of some help?

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/what-happen ... ewire.html

Thanks Bhaskar. What's in the Forum, the link that you gave, is exactly what's happening to me. In the forum they talk of 2-3 coasters (& no success) but I made more than 20 coasters. Finally, I did get at least one working and copyable disc for all 3 segments that I was trying to copy. In one of the instances, I just used the VOB Files and the remainder of the files I borrowed from some other generic DVD. This basically worked fine but the generic files that I used was for an anamorphic disc and hence I got squashed picture anamorphic DVD. But, no big deal as I know how to play it with proper aspect ratio.

Another factor that might have been giving me trouble was that 16X Verbatim DVD-Rs that I picked up my PC was giving me an option to burn them at 20X for some (not all) of the discs. This is the first time my PC player or others were exposed to this new generation of DVD-Rs that old players may not be compatible with. For long time my players were OK with up to 8X DVD-Rs and only recently started working OK with 16X. 16X, 20X must have been an issue in some of the failuyres, there sure were other factors too.

BTW, one of the messages that got on Sony DVD recorder was that it's copy protected program. Garbage VHS quality but none the less it must have had micro-protection signal on it. Anyway, the VHS was all crumpled and almost dead and it was important for me to preserve it on to new media.

I am in the midst of a similar program of converting VHS to DVD, mainly so I can bin the VHS and make some space in the house! I have a VHS/DVD recorder in one unit, with an HDD included, so I am recording the VHS to the HDD, editing where necessary, then burning onto DVD - this was how I did the New Delhi Times disc (screenshots available here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12595).

Unfortunately I have a whole load of unlabelled VHS which is making the process take a lot longer!

The way I do VHS to DVD:

- use a DVD recorder that writes straight to disc (cut the HDD middle man)
- Do not STOP your recording, and then add another recording title on the disc. PAUSE if you have to
- use DVD Shrink or similar software with this disc to divide your titles or edit them and then encode to new VIDEO_TS file.
- Burn this final edited VIDEO_TS file as DVD-Video to disc.
- Works on all players

Don't know if the above is of use - just thought I'd share it.

Hi all

I have been doing the same - but working with someone else to convert VHS to DVD. He is using a computer to capture VHS - then fixes picture issues (sometime going frame by frame to correct VHS artifacts). Results have been impressive.

I have a lot of rare movies so it is great to preserve these in the best quality possible. DVD recorders aren't always the best way to go as to really get the best from a VHS picture and remove some of the rubbish that comes along with VHS -(e.g. fix and Pal->NTSC issues, fix the frame rate (i.e. issues with Pal 4% speed-up)) a computer is needed to restore the image and also add selectable subtitles if the original source does not have subtitles.

So far these are the movies that I have got converted:

Achhut Kanya (1936) Selectable subtitles

Babul (1950) Subtitles burned into video (hardsubbed)

Choo Mantar (1958) A Pakistani Noor Jehan film. Subtitles burned into video (hardsubbed)

Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960) Subtitles burned into video (hardsubbed)

Dupatta (1952) A Pakistani Noor Jehan film. Subtitles burned into video (hardsubbed)

Kismet (1943) Subtitles burned into video (hardsubbed)

Koel (1959) A Pakistani Noor Jehan film. Subtitles burned into video (hardsubbed)

Mirza Sahiban (1947) Selectable subtitles

Pukar (1939) Subtitles burned into video (hardsubbed)

Raj Nartaki (1941) In English with Hindi songs hardsubbed

Sikandar (1941) Selectable subtitles

Also 10 discs worth of the Channel 4 (UK) Movie Mahal series (a few episodes are missing - can't locate the tapes) and 1 DVD of the Channel 4 "Songs and Memories" show.

Request to Zulmies - please don't trash your VHS - I will happily take them from you and will pay for postage!!! Especially if the movie is one that is rare and not available on DVD.

I will be sending a bunch of discs to Rana and Zoron once I have most of my tapes converted (yes there are more to come) - so if you want any of these let me know and I will send them to you.

Unfortunately Muz, I don't have any skills to clean up the video! Otherwise I do have a Hauppauge HD PVR to be able to capture to my comp.

Can you post some screenshots to show us the sorts of results you are achieving?

Oops! Sorry Muz, (I remember now), had forgotten that you asked for my VHS list. I'll make a list or just scan my handwritten list and will send you. Unfortunately, in the VHS days, I never cared for B/W films. Still, there might be some old color VHSs that you might be interested in. I'm sure there must be some B/W VHSs too.

BTW, how long is your Sikander VHS/ DVD. As you might have noticed from my post in Shemaroo thread, Shemaroo Sikander DVD is heavily cut.

Hi Rana

No problem. We have had more than enough to keep us busy!

Actually I missed a few titles - Madhumati, Chaudhvin ka Chand, Milan Ki Raat (Sharmila Tagore) and a few others also have been converted.


Sikandar has a running time of 141 mins (no Pal speed-up) and is from an Esquire VHS print. Unfortunately it is a second generation VHS print from a tape that was damaged so the quality isn't as good as it could be - but looking at the source and then the end result it is impressive.


Bhaskar - I can post some screenshots soon (not at home at the moment) but in the meantime to give you an idea I am posting a couple of youtube clips from a few of the movies.

Milan Ki Raat


Chaudhvin ka Chand


Choomantar


The actual DVDs look way better than the youtube compressed versions ... but it will hopefully give you a rough idea of the quality.

So again - any old movies (color or b/w) that you want to get rid of - please consider sending me some details. If nothing else I can try to get you a DVD of the movie in the best quality achievable. Cost for this is nothing ... just an effort to preserve movies that otherwise are getting neglected.