Do all DVD recorders record your old VHS videos? Silly question probably...

[adamadamum]

I know it's probably something most of you know, but I have never had a DVD recorder, and one of the main reasons I want one is to transfer old videos onto DVD. Of course it would be useful in other ways but that is the main thing I want to do! And also can they then zoom in on the stuff you have recorded?

My budget is small, I am limited to what is in Littlewoods/Kays catalogues.

I have a combined tv and video if it matters.
Thank you!!

Some VHS tapes bought from shops will be copy protected and the DVD recorder will know and refuse to record them.

There may be ways round that, but I never tried them so hopefully someone else has. I think there is supposed to be an adaptor you can put between them to make it work.

If you do succeed I'm afraid the quality will be less than that of the old tape, but yes the DVD player will zoom etc.

Hang on I was slow to take that in. A combined TV and video may not have a place to plug in the DVD recorder in any case. I'd expect the cables joining the two would be buried inside.

I know people who have been in your position who thought it through like this:

'ok the tapes are mine to watch. I paid for them'

'if I did copy them to DVD and got rid of the VHS player it'd be no different'

'so if I forget the tapes and just download all the films that were on them from torrents to my PC and put them on DVD it makes no difference morally. but will be easier and a better result'

I'm not recommending anything. Just saying.

I meant "may not have a place to plug the DVD recorder into the VHS player" to copy from.

Onager, thanks for your advice! It's just actually to record home videos, not bought films or anything. My TV has a spare AV socket at the front. Would that do the trick? thanks!

The scart will be fine for playing the DVDs on the TV later, but you have to hope that if you plug the DVD recorder into the scart it will record what the VHS player is sending to the TV.

It probably will, but unless you have the TV manual or can find it online I don't know how to be sure.
I guess if you could borrow either a DVD recorder or even a VHS recorder you could do a quick test.

I use Littlewoods occasionally (used to be for everything) and you may be able to get one and try it and send it back if it doesn't work out. Be careful though as they have started putting restrictions on that.