i have hundreds of vhs that are 6-8 hours per tape, and i am converting them to dvd at a 1 dvd per 1 tape ratio. my concern is with quality. i had a vhs/dvd-in-one recording unit, but it gave me a/v sync problems, so i returned it, and was recommended to go through the computer with this process. i already have the capability to capture vhs video and burn it to dvd on my computer. my question: why is it that when recording EP/SLP mode with a standalone dvd recording unit plugged into the television, that i can fit about 6 hours on a single layer disc at pretty decent quality; but recording/burning in EP/SLP mode through the computer produces a poorer-quality disc with less content? it doesn't make sense to me!
Answer: The hardware solution uses a dedicated MPEG2 hardware encoder and is already maximized. Your software solution is based upon many variables and is further complicated by the varying quality of capturing/encoding software. It can be done, but you just have to know exactly what you're doing. All-in-one software solutions usually yield very mediocre results.
okay fair enough. i'm not using an all-in-one media suite to back up my vhs to dvd, as i'm using hauppauge to capture and ulead (which isn't very good burning quality from what i can tell) or nero (which is giving me burn errors) to burn. what program would you recommend to capture, and what program would you recommend that i can author a dvd with, allowing me to insert chapter breaks? also, do you know what the deal is with the a/v sync problem with the vhs/dvd-in-one recording unit? it is a samsung dvd-vr330.