Recommendations for DVD/HDD/VHS recorder - UK

Looking for something to get old VHS tapes into modern format. I currently have a 32" Panasonic TV and an old Humax 9200T which copes nicely with standard TV programmes - can record two whilst I watch third from TV tuner. I don't have a DVD player connected to the TV and I would like Freeview+HD but I'm not sure if this is available on any models.

Looking at this - Panasonic DMR-EX99VEBK, but it is a bit expensive and hasn't all the features I want and I will look at other makes. Perhaps I should go for separates or other combinations?

Any suggestions? Thanks.

Perhaps those old VHS tapes are long dead for most on this forum?

Hi there

Any modern DVD recorder will accept standard video in together with left / right channel. Scart input might also work.

Choose a DVD recorder that records to BOTH DISKS and DVD's if you want to record to DVD. I believe the better one's now can record direct to a USB device too -- if you can find one of those go for it.

Now to convert your VHS tapes - you'll have to do this in "Real Time". Just play them and send the output to the new DVD recorder -- then the choice is yours on whether to have the material on DVD's, HDD's or the HDD of the new DVD recorder.

Panasonic tend to be one of the best as you can store the DVD output in a variety of formats including DVD-RAM -- which is fine for FAST copying later.

I'm afraid that since the VHS stuff is Analog you'll have to do the transformation in REAL time.

Incidentally another way to get this stuff straight to your computer is to get one of those TV-Senders -- the quality is 100% for your VHS stuff. Simply feed the signal into a video capture device on your PC and record the video / audio on to your PC.

Ensure that you don't have a 2.2GHZ wifi router operating while you do the transmission as it will interfere with the 2.2 / 2.4 ghz signal the video sender uses -- although later video senders work on 5GHZ -- more expensive though. (Just disable Wireless while transmitting via the Video sender).

When I'm in the UK I often use this method to copy SKY Movies to my computer -- doing it this way also removes any "record protection" from the source signal and the quality is MORE than good enough - certainly when watching even on a 17 inch laptop.

Cheers
jimbo

Thanks jimbo, as I don't have a working VHS player at the moment I'm not sure whether to go for a separate VHS player and DVD/HDD player or a combined player. Separates might be the better option since once transferred the VHS will see little use.