Art and I decided to convert a bunch of our VHS family tapes to a DVD. After all these years, technology has created what I needed! We bought this JVC DVD Video Recorder/Video Cassette Recorder Combo. Happily, we found that the recorder did indeed convert one of our VHS tapes to DVD form. Unfortunately, my computer and Blu-ray Player will not recognize it. You can only play it on the original machine. Therefore, I cannot make copies for the kids.
I sent an e-mail to JVC and asked them if there is a way to allow my computer to see the DVDs I make. I'll be waiting to hear what they say.
Granted, these DVDs would only be for us because NOBODY will want to sit through 8 hours of our trip to France, especially the part where we forgot to turn off the camcorder and recorded several minutes of cobbled road.
Oooooopsies!
Art just read the manual and has ruefully said there's a military accronym for this. RTFM (Read The F..... Manual)! He just did and discovered that the JVC recorder REQUIRES you to FINALIZE the disk as a last step before your computer or DVD player can read it.
Ummmm... so it's working fine now... The picture quality is not fabulous, but it's enough if you go with the highest setting.
Let's see. I think I've got about 40 VHS home movies to digitalize to DVDs. I hope they're not too painful to watch. I think there's also several hours of the kids swimming back and forth during their swim meets. THAT should be loads of fun! Maybe I should play it at the next cousins party.
Kidding....
Kay, you have become such a techology guru!! Good for you and Art!! YAY!! It is so good that you are preserving the past!
ReplyDeleteWoops! My husband never ever gets to know how things work beyond the very basic because he never reads instructions; he relies on me to work things that we both need to use. But I haven't yet worked out how to record videos to DVDs; apparently our DVD player can do that if it's linked to the video player. And we've got several videos of the boys' school plays that we'd like to convert. So I guess it will be down to me to work it out.
ReplyDeleteExcellent, Kay :-)
ReplyDeleteyou can always edit and probably need to with some program. Mac has Imovie so you just get the most interesting clips and make a collage of your movies maybe on different topics. How creative and fun!
ReplyDeleteWe have a Sony Recorder-VCR, but the VCR portion of the machine does not show high quality resolution, so we don't use it, anymore.
ReplyDeleteInstead, David bought a JVC SUPER VCR separate from a Sony DVD Recorder. Two machines. The picture quality on the DVD is now excellent.
So, the 2-in-1 machine you have is not as sharp as the 2 separate Super VCR and DVD Recorder we now use.
You really are on top of things making your family memories into books and DVDs....way to go Kay....
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh when I read this post Kay...As Dennis was playing with the DVD on our blue ray and then on the computer; he seemed perplexed as to why it wouldn't play. I casually looked over to him and asked, "Did they finalize the disk?"
ReplyDeleteI figured the process would be the same as when I would do Shawn's CD's....see? even sometimes us non-techies can come up with a solution...even if by accident. heheeh
Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteWhat will you do with the VHS tapes?
Do they stay or go?
that sounds like a good machine, Kay. I'm waiting for things to get even easier. Glad you figured out about the 'finalizing'.
ReplyDeleteWhew. I'm relieved. We don't have any old movies. We've never owned a video recorder, and didn't have them growing up. So I don't have to figure out how to do that!
ReplyDeleteI do have lots of short digital videos that we've taken with our cameras since our grandchildren were born. They are stored on DVDs already.
RTFM (Read The F..... Manual)! Love it Kay. I never do this. What a great idea and personally I love a bit of cobbled road. The grandchildren are going to love watching all these one day. Trust me!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Always read the manual!
ReplyDeleteWe have had a combi dvd/video for years and I have been meaning to copy them all. I don't normally make New Year's resolutions but I think I'll make an exception for this one.
Thanks for the reminder.
RTFM...I love it. In my case. most of the time, I have to have someone else do that for me. I am logically challenged, and product manuals usually are too technical. Your posts always make me smile, Kay. You go right ahead and show those swimming races at the next cousins' party!! Too funny!
ReplyDeleteNo worries. Ed's cousin did the same thing you did...converted everything from tape to DVD and never checked them. It wasn't until they gave us a copy of one that the problem was discovered.
ReplyDeleteThats great news ! Another project successfully accomplished.Right after birth of Gauri( my daughter)
ReplyDelete,we got all our cassettes converted to vcds by a professional .
The Hubby has been working on that little hobby for some time now. Not sure if he is finished yet. Makes me cry sometimes to watch my little girls, especially with my mother!
ReplyDeleteWe've got to do this, too. Thanks for all the info. Oh, and our tapes are full of blurry dance recitals. :<)
ReplyDeleteROFL!!
ReplyDeleteI tried to return my camcorder for the same reason -- and was told about the finalizing step too. We're not the only ones, I guess!