I have just bought a generic dvd recorder and am searching for another way to get more than 4 one hr programs onto a dvd- disk. I know with my computer I have a program dvd shrink which lowers the quality of the program/movie thus allowing me to fit more on the disk. Is there any way I can do that with my dvd recorder. Do rw disks come bigger than 120minutes worth of recording time?

You won't like the quality.

I have just bought a generic dvd recorder and am searching for another way to get more than 4 one hr programs onto a dvd- disk. I know with my computer I have a program dvd shrink which lowers the quality of the program/movie thus allowing me to fit more on the disk. Is there any way I can do that with my dvd recorder. Do rw disks come bigger than 120minutes worth of recording time?

When I bought my first Panasonic recorder in 2005 I was awed that I could record eight hours of programming on a DVD. Then, when it came to watching the recordings I found the color recordings to be unwatchable and black and white recordings that left much to be desired.

It wasn't long before I changed the EP default setting to six hours per DVD. This was satisfactory for some black and white recordings but color recordings were still unwatchable.

Then I "moved up" to four hours per DVD for both black and white and color material. For material of special merit I use the two hour per DVD "speed." Panasonic also has Flexible Recording that fits or fills a recording of specific duration to a blank or partially filled disc for the best picture quality based upon the vacant space on a DVD. When using Flexible Recording I try to keep the total disc contents below or very little more than four hours of material. This seems to be satisfactory for me. For recordings that have fast action some folks find four hours per disc provides unsatisfactory results. Those folks may prefer filling a DVD using the one or two hour per disc "speeds" or equivalent Flexible Recording durations. (I'm not into sports or fast action material so this is of little concern to me.)

I also own (Funai-manufactured) Philips and Magnavox HDD/DVD recorders that offer fixed recording "speeds" of one hour, two hours, 2.5 hours, three hours and longer recording durations. For my purposes I've settled upon the two, 2.5 and three hour "speeds" as Funai picture quality suffers with the longer duration "speeds"

I have just bought a generic dvd recorder and am searching for another way to get more than 4 one hr programs onto a dvd- disk. I know with my computer I have a program dvd shrink which lowers the quality of the program/movie thus allowing me to fit more on the disk. Is there any way I can do that with my dvd recorder. Do rw disks come bigger than 120minutes worth of recording time?
What is the make and model of your "generic" dvd recorder? I assume it is not white with big black lettering saying "DVD RECORDER" on the side. It can make a difference.

As others have said, four hours per disk is about the max you can expect before digital artifacts make the picture unpleasant to unwatchable. The disks are less than $0.30 each. Compare that to the historical cost of a video tape and I think you will see that DVDs are very economical at four hours per disk.

If you are just needing more time per event, or you cannt be there to swap out disks as ofter as you need to, then you should return the recorder you have and get a model with a hard drive. Yes, it will be more expensive, but it will do what you need.

I concur that the quality may not be acceptable at 4 hrs or more, at least on a single sided disc. My Panasonics look pretty good up to 3 hrs and I'll use 4 hrs in a pinch. As DigaDo mentioned the 4 hr mode looks OK if there is no fast action. This is on the Panasonics because they use full resolution up to the 4 hr LP mode. But they have to cut back on the bitrate, which in turn causes pixelation in fast motion scenes. Your recorder may behave differently.

All single sided discs have the same capacity. You either have to slow down the recording speed on your DVDR or compress the data on your PC.

There are +R DL (double layer) discs, with almost twice the recording capacity of SL discs, but using two SL discs is somewhat cheaper than using one DL disc. If those one hour recordings are TV programs with commercials, if you cut out the commercials, you may be able to get three shows on one SL disc, in SP (2 hrs. per DVD). If that doesn't quite fit, try cutting out the redundant intro from the second two programs, and they will probably fit. Or, recording the same things in LP (4 hrs. per DVD) will give you 6 eps per disc. If part of your reluctance is how much space the discs take up in cases, both CD sized, and DVD cases are available that will hold 2, 4, or more discs.

If part of your reluctance is how much space the discs take up in cases, both CD sized, and DVD cases are available that will hold 2, 4, or more discs.

I keep my DVDs in "wallets" that hold 320 discs, see this an the next page:

http://www.shop4tech.com/z/CD_DVD_Wallets/1_97_284/

At the moment my home-recorded DVD archive has around 4,600 discs.

Yeah, I know the wallets are popular. But, I prefer standard thickness CD polycases, with a clear sleeve to hold a cover. I like to be able to browse my collection, with titles visible on the edge. There are a few special collections I have that I keep in the clear plastic 3 ring binder sheets, that hold 8 DVDs each, and put exactly how many sheets I need in a binder. I probably have about 1/3 as many discs as you do.

I keep my DVDs in "wallets" that hold 320 discs, see this an the next page:

http://www.shop4tech.com/z/CD_DVD_Wallets/1_97_284/

At the moment my home-recorded DVD archive has around 4,600 discs.
I've got so many disk around and stashed everywhere that I should probably do something similar. You can't read whats on the disk in the slim cases unless you print out labels that are hard to get templates for and never seem to fit right.
I've been also thinking about those aluminum cases they sell but the big wallets probably are cheaper.
I also have a list I made up in Open Office that I can add my dvd movie collection to that automatically numbers and alphabetizes my collection
and I need to do the same with all the captures...:cool:

I've got so many disk around and stashed everywhere that I should probably do something similar. You can't read whats on the disk in the slim cases unless you print out labels that are hard to get templates for and never seem to fit right.
I've been also thinking about those aluminum cases they sell but the big wallets probably are cheaper.
I also have a list I made up in Open Office that I can add my dvd movie collection to that automatically numbers and alphabetizes my collection
and I need to do the same with all the captures...:cool:


DVD case inserts can be found online for most movies. If you print them out 10.5" wide they fit slimline cases and the title just fits on the edge of the case. For other programs I sometimes do a frame capture & use it for the front cover. I size it accordingly & add a vertical title near the left edge so when printed the title lines up with the case edge (hopefully). The back is left blank.

I don't have near the quantity of what a lot of people here have. Some time ago I thought the slimline cases would solve my storage issues. But now I'm going to have to look into some kind of wallet storage.

I bought one of the "suitcases" that holds 600 DVDs but that's way to heavy, I only put 400 in it so if I get another one it will be the 400 size. The big wallets sound good.

:eek:Wow 600, now that would be heavy. Personally I like the 96 cases that hold 2 discs per side vertically(4 discs per page). At times I can get them for $5 and just holding 96 they are much easier to handle.
Microcenter also sells 40 holders for $1.99 but they tend to fill up awfully quick. IMO the holders that hold 4/side or 8/page get too cumbersome to flip the page but to each his own.

This is one of those classic questions to which the only realistic response, for all practical purposes, is "no, sorry, you're not gonna like the answer".

There was and is a complete total disconnect between electronics mfrs and consumers when it comes to DVD recorders. The mfrs were desperate to unload DVD recorders, so they fudged and allowed consumers to think they work like VHS, only better. Consumers bought the recorders, of course always the least expensive ones they could find, and were horribly disappointed to discover DVD is tedious to use, awkward or impossible to edit, and can't fit more than two hours on a disc without looking like crap. The recorders got returned to the store, the mfrs lost their shirts, and the cycle repeated from 2003 until today when so many mfrs have lost money trying to pitch DVD recorders that they've almost all gone leaving no more good choices in the USA marketplace.

The hard truth that no one wants to hear is that DVD is the evil spawn of the satanic computer age. It is not remotely a replacement for idiot-proof analog VHS: you can't be clumsy or sloppy using it, and you sure as hell are not going to get away with four hours on a disc, never mind six or eight, using todays ruthless flat-screen televisions. Getting the most out of DVD basically requires a computer, or a properly-equipped DVD/hard drive recorder. This is what kills DVD for consumers: they got spoiled by VCRs dropping down to $99, and mfrs have done a terrible job explaining why a $99 DVD recorder is a non-starter. VHS is a simple analog system that has been in use since 1979, no computer is involved, the media is inherently eraseable-copyable-editable: a decent recorder could be sold for $99. DVD is exceedingly complex by comparison, is inherently hostile to changes or erasures or edits being made directly on the media (yes, that includes RW which is a pathetic joke played on consumers), it is still a very new product not selling in the billions, and getting any enjoyment out of it really does require a much more expensive recorder design. Without a hard drive, DVD recorders are practically useless. But USA consumers, not understanding how DVD really works, reject the $400 DVD/hard drive machines in favor of cheap $99 DVD/VHS combo recorders that end up collecting dust in their homes (if they don't return them to the store).

A DVD/HDD recorder is really just a single-purpose dedicated computer that makes using DVD practical. It combines a computer brain, editing software, hard drive storage, and DVD burner in a small convenient box that connects to your TV and lets you pretend its a VCR. That's why it costs $250-400 instead of $99. What do you get for the extra money? Everything you want from DVD but don't get for $99, thats what. With a DVD/HDD recorder, everything gets recorded to the hard drive first. The hard drive works almost exactly like a VHS tape, except it has a 40 hour running time at the SP speed. You can timer-record around the clock and still not ever run out of space. Once all the programs are on there, it is really easy to cut out the commercials, and since you do that BEFORE making the DVD, you don't lose any quality or waste any space on the DVD with those commercials. Burning the final DVD takes just ten minutes, then you can erase the recording from the hard drive. Voila- no more expensive RW media is necessary.

With the higher-end recorders, you could also choose an exact in-between recording speed that would fit (4) commercial-free one-hour shows onto a single-layer DVD at very good quality (its amazing how much space is wasted by commercials: they're 35% of the program!) The hard drive also allows cutting, pasting and moving around of scenes, adding chapter marks wherever you want, picking a thumbnail image for the show menu, etc. Its also great for TV show marathons or long sports broadcasts: since the hard drive holds 40 hours at high quality, you can record a 4 1/2 hour football game easily. When the games over, cut out the commercials, divide the game into two equal segments, and burn two DVDs (or one 3-hr DVD). You can do this faster than I can type it, using a remote control while lounging on your sofa.

None of this is possible with an under-$200 DVD-only recorder. The best you can manage is a kludgy two-step where you take the DVD from the recorder, copy it into your computer, do your edits there and then burn a second, final disc. But thats just simple editing: a DVD/hard drive recorder still has the advantage for maximizing DVD space/quality by pre-editing of commercials, and the advantage of extended recording times at higher-quality speeds prior to burning the DVD. Unfortunately mfrs have never explained this properly to consumers, the better units didn't sell in the USA at all, so now we can no longer buy DVD/HDD recorders in stores. The last really good ones were the 2008-series Pioneer 460 (available from Canadian eBay stores for about $300) and the Panasonic EH-67 ($400 from USA import dealers). Since these were not made specifically for the USA they do not have digital ATSC tuners, but they work just fine with cable/satellite or if you attach an ATSC converter. There is ONE last USA-specific DVD/HDD recorder still left, the Magnavox H2160 available from Wal*Mart online (and possibly from Target next month). It runs $260, includes the new ATSC tuning system, but does not have the variable "fit the show without commercials onto a DVD" feature. It does have 2.5 hour and 3 hour speeds, which are almost as handy, so its still quite a bargain at the price.

Anyone who is dissatisfied with their current DVD-only recorder should look into one of these DVD/HDD models, they are the only designs that provide full-featured use of DVD recording. If your current recorder is new enough that you can still return it to the store, get your money back and apply it to one of the three models mentioned. Otherwise, try and save your pennies until you can afford to replace your current machine. There really isn't any other option: the DVD format "is what it it is".

DVD case inserts can be found online for most movies. If you print them out 10.5" wide they fit slimline cases and the title just fits on the edge of the case. For other programs I sometimes do a frame capture & use it for the front cover. I size it accordingly & add a vertical title near the left edge so when printed the title lines up with the case edge (hopefully). The back is left blank.

For CD sized cases, I like to go to www.allmovie.com. I look up the film, and click on the cast page, and print. This includes the title, the whole cast, director, running time, and a thumbnail of the DVD or VHS cover, if it has been released. But, plenty of films I save haven't been released, and their info is there too. Then, I trim the printout, so the title goes on the edge. Occasionally, I will print out the synopsis too. This gives me loads of info not available on the standard covers, and gives me info for unreleased films.