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Newbie questions: record to DVD-R like to VCR?
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Posted by: Indiana627

Hello,

I'm thinking of getting a Directv Tivo reciever, but have a couple questions first:

1) I believe you can save a Tivo recorded show to a VCR tape for permanent storage. What if I have a DVD recorded instead of a VCR. Can I save a Tivo recorded show to my DVD recorded? (I don't have a DVD recorded yet, but it will be my next purchase after a Directv Tivo and I just want to plan ahead a little.)

2) I know you can watch one show and record another with Tivo. But if you change the non-recording channel, will that effect the channel you're recording? For example: The West Wing and The Amazing Race are both on from 9-10 on Wed nights. If I tell Tivo to tape Amazing Race and I watch West Wing, will anything happen if during the commercials of West Wing I change the channel to check the hockey score or something?

Some of this probably seems a little stupid, but I just want to make sure I know what I'm getting. Thanks for the info.

Posted by: Chris Gerhard

Yes you can record a TiVo recorded program to a DVD using a DVD recorder. No the recording will not be affected, you can change the channel on the tuner not being used for a recording without affecting the tuner being used. Go ahead and get the D-TiVo your concerns are covered. You won't fully understand all the benefits until you get one.

Chris

Posted by: Quantu5

I tried taking the video/audio outputs of the DirecTivo and using the video/audio inputs on my computer to make a recording but that takes way too much time (avi to mpeg, mpeg to vcd/dvd). If I bought a DVD recorder, how long does it take to record a 1 hour show. After "Saving to VCR" is complete, how much more time is needed for a DVD to be available to test/use?

Also, any recommendations on reasonably priced (and this is a relative statement) DVD recorders.

-Q

Posted by: old7

quote:
Originally posted by Indiana627
1) I believe you can save a Tivo recorded show to a VCR tape for permanent storage. What if I have a DVD recorded instead of a VCR. Can I save a Tivo recorded show to my DVD recorded? (I don't have a DVD recorded yet, but it will be my next purchase after a Directv Tivo and I just want to plan ahead a little.)

Yes, you can save to a DVD recorder, just like a VCR.

quote:
2) I know you can watch one show and record another with Tivo. But if you change the non-recording channel, will that effect the channel you're recording? For example: The West Wing and The Amazing Race are both on from 9-10 on Wed nights. If I tell Tivo to tape Amazing Race and I watch West Wing, will anything happen if during the commercials of West Wing I change the channel to check the hockey score or something?

DirecTivos have two tuners, you can watch Wing and record The Amazing Race and during the commercials check the hockey scores. If you try to change a channel that is currently being recorded it will warn you and remind you that you are record and verify that you want to stop recording to change channels.

As a side note, there is a 30 minute buffer for live TV. If you change between West wing and the hockey game, while recording The Amazing Race, this buffer will be cleared after every channel change.

Jump in the water is fine.

Old7

Posted by: old7

quote:
Originally posted by Quantu5
If I bought a DVD recorder, how long does it take to record a 1 hour show. After "Saving to VCR" is complete, how much more time is needed for a DVD to be available to test/use?

It takes an hour to save an hour of video to DVD. There is no way to speed it up. There may be a few minutes to "finalize" the DVD after the recording is done. There is no way to play at double-speed and record at double speed, but it doesn't take any longer either.

Old7

Posted by: stevel

Heh heh.. No "finalize" if you're using DVD+RW! Maybe 15 seconds to update the title screen...

Posted by: MVT

What are some good quality basic DVD burners that could be plugged into a Tivo (series 1) to record on and about how much are we looking at to buy them?

Posted by: byrd

quote:
Originally posted by old7
DirecTivos have two tuners, you can watch Wing and record The Amazing Race and during the commercials check the hockey scores. If you try to change a channel that is currently being recorded it will warn you and remind you that you are record and verify that you want to stop recording to change channels.

Hmmm.... Call me crazy, but this isn't what I have experienced on my SAT-T60. If I'm watching a show that is currently being recorded, and I try to change the channel, I get no warning. Tivo knows that it is recording, and automatically switches over to the tunner that in NOT recording anything and flips through the channels there. If I press the record the record button again it will then bring up the the prompt to ask if you want to stop or continue recording.

Either way, Indiana627, your concerns are covered! :up:

Posted by: qwertyasd

quote:
Originally posted by byrd
Hmmm.... Call me crazy, but this isn't what I have experienced on my SAT-T60. If I'm watching a show that is currently being recorded, and I try to change the channel, I get no warning. Tivo knows that it is recording, and automatically switches over to the tunner that in NOT recording anything and flips through the channels there. If I press the record the record button again it will then bring up the the prompt to ask if you want to stop or continue recording.

Either way, Indiana627, your concerns are covered! :up:

Are you using the save to VCR feature or just recording directly from the normal viewing function?

Posted by: stevel

quote:
Originally posted by MVT
What are some good quality basic DVD burners that could be plugged into a Tivo (series 1) to record on and about how much are we looking at to buy them?

Philips DVDR985 is $600 or so, depending on where you buy. There's a new DVDR80 replacement model, but it's not yet in stores (as far as I know). Expect to spend between $600 and $900 for a standalone DVD recorder (which also serves as a DVD player, naturally.)

For maximum compatibility and ease of editing later, I recommend a model that records on DVD+RW discs. Note the "plus". DVD-RW (minus) is an alternate rewriteable format that is less compatible with regular DVD players. DVD-RAM is a third format which is incompatible with most DVD players. Nowadays, recorders in all three camps also record on write-once discs (DVD+R or DVD-R) which are generally compatible, but don't allow reuse or revision.

Sony has announced a standalone recorder that supports both the +RW and -RW formats - this might be a good choice once it becomes available.

Posted by: Robert Spalding

this is DVD+RW FUD.

DVD-RW is the only one that is an official standard.

Posted by: guins

quote:
Originally posted by Quantu5
I tried taking the video/audio outputs of the DirecTivo and using the video/audio inputs on my computer to make a recording but that takes way too much time (avi to mpeg, mpeg to vcd/dvd). If I bought a DVD recorder, how long does it take to record a 1 hour show. After "Saving to VCR" is complete, how much more time is needed for a DVD to be available to test/use?

Also, any recommendations on reasonably priced (and this is a relative statement) DVD recorders.

-Q

Why does it take so long to record to DVD on a PC? Why would it be any slower than using a standalone DVD recorder? Can't it record straight to the disc?

I want DVD-R to save my TiVo recordings of sporting events...mainly football games. Does ONE DVD have the capacity to hold a FOUR hour football game?

Posted by: byrd

quote:
Originally posted by qwertyasd
Are you using the save to VCR feature or just recording directly from the normal viewing function?

I'm just recording directly from the normal viewing function. I actually tried this again yesterday while watching the Superbowl since I was recording the game anyway. While the game was recording, I could change the channel at anytime, and Tivo would simply switch over to the other tunner (while the first tunner continued to record). To get back to the Superbowl again, I would just have to press the down arrow or "Live TV" button to switch back to the tunner that was being recorded.

Posted by: Quantu5

quote:
Originally posted by guins
Why does it take so long to record to DVD on a PC? Why would it be any slower than using a standalone DVD recorder? Can't it record straight to the disc?

I want DVD-R to save my TiVo recordings of sporting events...mainly football games. Does ONE DVD have the capacity to hold a FOUR hour football game?

As for why it takes so long, here is what I have to do:

1. Use "Save to VCR" feature on Tivo and capture the show on to the computer in AVI format. For a 1 hour show, this takes 1 hour.
2. At this point, I have 3 or 4 AVI files (due to 2G file size limilation on winblows) that have to converted into MPEG. This takes about 45 minutes.
3. The MPEGs need to be merged into one MPEG file. 5 minutes maybe.
4. Using Nero, I then can burn the MPEG to a VCD (conversion) required. This takes about 45 minutes (most of this time is for the conversion, not burning the CD).

So in other works, it takes a lot of time. Maybe someone has some suggestions on how to reduce all the processing/conversion time.

-Q

Posted by: mjitkop

Quantu5:
When you make a VCD, what is the resolution? 640x480? 720x480, other? What is the resolution of your video capture in the first place?
What does it look like on the TV screen compared to a VHS? Slightly lower, equal or better quality?

Posted by: theguru1974

quote:
Originally posted by guins
Why does it take so long to record to DVD on a PC? Why would it be any slower than using a standalone DVD recorder? Can't it record straight to the disc?

I want DVD-R to save my TiVo recordings of sporting events...mainly football games. Does ONE DVD have the capacity to hold a FOUR hour football game?

Quins: My friend has a Panasonic DVD recorder that lets you store 1, 2, 4 or 6 hours on a DVD, depending on the compression level. 1 hour looks superb naturally, but 2 looks just as good. 4 is kind of pushing it .....and 6 looks awful. Personally, when I plan on getting one, I'll use 2 hours when I can and 4 if I really need to.

- Eric

Posted by: mjitkop

^^ bump ^^ ;)

Posted by: stevel

VCD is approximately VHS quality. The resolution is closer to 320x240.

My Philips DVD recorder has 1, 2, 2.5, 3, 4 and 6 hour modes.

Posted by: mjitkop

Thanks stevel. :)

320x240 seems to be a very low resolution to me because when I play some 320x240 videos in full screen on my computer, it is not really good.

Is there something different between a full screen on a computer and TV screen? Why would it look better on a TV screen than on a computer in full screen mode for the same resolution of 320x240?

Posted by: dss56

the format that most home dvd players recognize it the dvd-r/rw this will most likley be the format to use for all future recordings to assure that they will play on all home dvd players.
i have a panasonic dmr-hs2= dvd-r and dvd ram records at 2-4-6 hr lengths and has a 40 gig hd to record without burning to dvd. also have a pioneer drv 9000 industrial dvd recorder dvd-r/rw only 2hrs of dvd recording. also just purchased the new tivo series 2 80 gig recorder with lifetime sub. also have samsung dvd/s-vhs player.

all are set up to record off my direct tv satellite.I can make dvd to dvd, vhs/s-vhs to dvd, 8mm-hi8mm to dvd and the old 8mm to dvd. also can record copy protected dvd with no problems to dvd. i have no problems with this all set up,picture quality is great with the mile or so cables to to hook all this up.

but dont forget dvd-r/rw will be the format for all and most home dvd players.

Posted by: aaron.s

Bob, All:

Although the DVD+RW format is not "accepted" by the DVD forum, if you do some research on the internet, you will find that DVD+R discs have passed DVD-R as the most "compatible" format. DVD+R discs are able to be read in more (and older) players than even DVD-R.

Don't get me wrong - I have and still use BOTH formats. I have a Philips DVD+RW/+R stand-alone recorder in my home theater, a Sony DRU-500a DVD-RW/-R and DVD+RW/+R PC recorder, a Pioneer A04 in my iMac.

I've been authoring DVD's on the PC for almost 2 years now (paid $1000 for the first Pioneer A03 drive). I have almost entirely switched over to the +R/+RW format now for speed, compatability and convenience.

The +RW format is a truly random access/erase format. Unlike -RW, you can erase indivdual files/video programs off a +RW disc. On the Philips stand-alone I can erase ANY individually recorded video program - even if it's at the begining of the disc.... not possible on -RW stand alone recorders. Once I read and learned about the +RW format, I knew if would be the best format for stand-alone recording of video content.

As for the -RAM format -- it's only truly usefull for PC's and will never gain wide-spread acceptance in the stand-alone recorder arena since SO FEW dvd players read -RAM discs. Although +RW discs can "only" be re-recorded 1,000 times (-RAM is 10,000 I believe) at least a good number of +RW discs can be read by dvd players.

Quite a few new manufacturers will be introducing their DVD+RW/+R video recorders this year. In the future, I think you'll find "universal" recorders, able to handle both formats will be most prevalent, since the consumer won't have to worry about which format to go with.

Just one person's view & opinion after 2 years of first hand experience.

Aaron

Posted by: BadAstronaut

quote:
Originally posted by Quantu5
2. At this point, I have 3 or 4 AVI files (due to 2G file size limilation on winblows) that have to converted into MPEG. This takes about 45 minutes.
...
4. Using Nero, I then can burn the MPEG to a VCD (conversion) required. This takes about 45 minutes (most of this time is for the conversion, not burning the CD).

This seems a bit suspicious to me. If you have already converted your AVIs into MPEGs (in step 2), then there shouldn't be any further conversion necessary in step 4 when Nero is burning the VCD. Are you capturing your AVIs at proper VCD resolution (352x240?)