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Post by tnwaltz on Mar 11, 2008 20:25:33 GMT -5
Hello, My husband has a question that I cannot answer. (Cool, huh guys?!!) Is there anything that would prevent him from recording an HBO movie onto a DVD just like we've always done with VHS tapes? All I know is to assume that the DVD player would have to have "write" capability in addition to it's regular read function. Ours is a cheapy and only "reads".
So, it can be done, right? And, is that all we would need in order to do this?
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Post by 502blue on Mar 12, 2008 10:11:06 GMT -5
Depends on how much TV recording you are planning on doing. I don't do alot, but I had alot of VHS tapes I wanted to transfer to DVD. So I just purchased a DVDR/RW dual VHS. This way I could put in my VHS tape and do one touch recording to DVD. It also allows me to do edits, but you can just as easy do those on your computer later. Since I don't do alot of TV recording, this is just like a VCR. Set up time, channel. etc. Now, if you really want to spend the money (around 400.00) and plan on recording alot of shows or a full season. I would suggest a DVD/HDD. This is a DVD recorder, player, etc, that also has a built in hard drive. This way you can record straight to hard drive and save till later, or edit and burn to DVD at the same time. The DVD/HDD are the big future, and they are getting cheaper. Do a consumer report, etc search on the web to find the best deal, product.
The ONLY thing I can imagine you might have a problem with, is I do remember, with Digital programs, write protects can be built in with over the air signals. Not sure who or how many programs are like that, and I think it was just going to be the "paid" programs that were goind to start doing so. I will have to google and see .
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Post by tnwaltz on Mar 12, 2008 12:09:15 GMT -5
Thanks. I just can't see why they'd begin to regulate DVD for what we always did for free with VHS.
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Post by bret on Mar 12, 2008 12:42:34 GMT -5
Most VHS movies had copy-protection on them (usually Macrovision) to prevent making dupes. Some VCRs were better than others at copying these tapes since the Macrovision degraded the signal to where it would still be watchable, but any additional signal loss (via copying) would make them look garbled. Of course, there were also many devices for disabling the copy-protection, or so I've heard.
You shouldn't have any trouble recording onto DVDs on the fly if you have the correct equipment. I'm about to make some DVDs of the final season of The Wire which I have saved on my DVR.
The previous year's shows are available on Netflix and can be rented & copied ..... or so I've heard.
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Post by 502blue on Mar 13, 2008 10:54:23 GMT -5
Ok, found what I had remembered. New digital signals, and new DVD recorders, players etc have now been "treated" with a copy write protection called MacroVision.( which is what Bret was talking about) It has now been brought into the digital age. What this does is keep people from recording any shows with this protection to a DVD. I do know, since VCRs don't have this software included, or older DVD burners, this is why you can still record. Both the signal transmitter and receiver have to have the macrovision. BUT if you try to copy that same show from the VHS to the DVD (with macrovision) It will not let you. Or like Bret said, if it is included into a VHS tape, you aren't suppose to be able to record to DVD. Remember, as long as their is money to be made, they will make it harder for us to copy anything. Box set of old sitcoms, etc are a small fortune to them, why would they want us to be able to copy programming when all they have to do is induce marcrovision into the signal and our copy days are over. They are also working on a system for the TivO and DVR systems. This would be, if you recorded a show to watch later, you get the once watch out of it and it will self erase. Nice huh? Here is the list of the Companies using macrovision. Now, what I don't know, is which shows from this companies are set up with the anti copy signal: DirecTV ComCast Time Warner Dish Network Bell Canada On Demand Movies Pay Per View (PPV) Playboy TV Networks Music TV NFL Network HBO HBO2 Showtime Starz Fox HBO Sport Premium Movies Cinemax Toon Disney ESPN If you want to read more about it, here is a site which sells a "go around" product which will allow you to copy these programs how you like: www.xdimax.com/grex/grex.html#TVGI remembered about this from researching my HDTV years ago and the components I wanted to purchase. Damn, I have a good memory.
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Post by tnwaltz on Mar 13, 2008 11:56:37 GMT -5
Thanks, both of you.
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Post by wildman67 on Jun 24, 2008 16:28:01 GMT -5
Waltz, earlier this year. I had a quite a few vhs tapes and I burned them on to DVD without much trouble. Only found a handful of movies that can't be copied. With the help of 502, I was able to make my dvd-r/ vcr into a multi-regional player. There are a few movies that get released overseas that they don't over here.
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