I have had a D-VHS recorder for the last 2-3 years and have built up quite a large collection but with getting both a Blu-ray player (PS3) and HD DVD player (HD-A2) in the next few weeks I'm wondering if I should sell it. The only thing, I have a collection of around 60 D-VHS tapes of many movies from HBO, HDNet, etc. that I don't want to give up. I know there are no stand alone recorders for Blu-ray and HD DVD yet but that there are now PC recorders.

Is there any possible way (with firewire of course) to take video from D-VHS onto a PC, then burn this video onto HD DVD and/or Blu-ray for playback on a player? Once I do the transfer I know I could then sell my D-VHS system.

Next, I have a 169time system but with DirecTV switching to Mpeg 4 now and with time the likelyhood of less mpeg 2 programming unless 169time switches to modifying some type of mpeg 4 receiver (which I have heard they aren't planning at this time) I assume there is no way to record directly from mpeg4 to D-VHS. If I'm right the new HD DVR doesn't have firewire out.

Is it possible though to hook a 169time system directly to a computer bypassing a D-VHS completely meaning that I could record HDTV onto my computer directly from 169time and then burn to blu-ray and/or HD DVD?

It sounds your DVHS recordings are copy-free (they're all from 169time?)
In that case, you can simply play back DVHS tapes to PC, and use TSReader, DVHSTool, CapDVHS etc, then master the resulting files to HD-DVD/BluRay (threads about both topic are in this forum, using ULead Video Studio i think.

yes, they are all from 169time. I will download the programs you suggested. I will read the threads as well. I have a Mac as well but seems Windows is likely the best solution for this.

You might be able to use VirtualDVHS or another tool from the apple firewife SDK to copy the video from DVHS to your Mac. I'm not sure if FinalCut or any other similar apps on the mac can do HD-DVD or BluRay authoring. Or if you can afford them. I think ULead studio is fairly cheap.

Yes, windows is probably easier (and cheaper)
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=667462 is the hd-dvd authoring thread I was referring to. There might be others, that was the first thing I found.

I have had a D-VHS recorder for the last 2-3 years and have built up quite a large collection but with getting both a Blu-ray player (PS3) and HD DVD player (HD-A2) in the next few weeks I'm wondering if I should sell it. The only thing, I have a collection of around 60 D-VHS tapes of many movies from HBO, HDNet, etc. that I don't want to give up. I know there are no stand alone recorders for Blu-ray and HD DVD yet but that there are now PC recorders.

Is there any possible way (with firewire of course) to take video from D-VHS onto a PC, then burn this video onto HD DVD and/or Blu-ray for playback on a player? Once I do the transfer I know I could then sell my D-VHS system.

Next, I have a 169time system but with DirecTV switching to Mpeg 4 now and with time the likelyhood of less mpeg 2 programming unless 169time switches to modifying some type of mpeg 4 receiver (which I have heard they aren't planning at this time) I assume there is no way to record directly from mpeg4 to D-VHS. If I'm right the new HD DVR doesn't have firewire out.

Is it possible though to hook a 169time system directly to a computer bypassing a D-VHS completely meaning that I could record HDTV onto my computer directly from 169time and then burn to blu-ray and/or HD DVD?


Markwco,
I'm in the same boat as you. I just bought a new VAIO AR Notebook with Blu-Ray recorder and a PS3. So I have both Blu-Ray players and recorder. I would like to get all my D-VHS tapes transferred over to Blu-Ray. I'll try the recommendations listed in this post. If you have updates on your recording status, please let me know and post. Thanks.

It sounds your DVHS recordings are copy-free (they're all from 169time?)
In that case, you can simply play back DVHS tapes to PC, and use TSReader, DVHSTool, CapDVHS etc, then master the resulting files to HD-DVD/BluRay (threads about both topic are in this forum, using ULead Video Studio i think.
timecop, is it that simple by playing back a DVHS tape (JVC) via firewire into the PC (using TSReader or CapDVHS, etc)? I've read the post about "Record IEEE 1394 to Windows XP". Most of the tests have been with tuners or STB. It doesn't specifically talk about the procedure for D-VHS deck transfers. Do I follow these steps in this thread.

I have a new Sony AR190G notebook that has a IEEE 1394 port and blu-ray recorder. Do I just plug in my JVC-DVHS into the Sony 1394 port and start capturing using the tools you mentioned above?

I'm kind of new to this transfer stuff and just need some clarification before I start. Thanks. :)

DVHS is way easier. You dont need to install any weird / buggy drivers, you just plug it in and use DVHSTool/CAPDVHS/TSReader and it just works. Most of the 'problems' in the how to capture thread are due to crappy implementation of firewire on STBs.

So yeah, plug in, it should detect AV/C Tape device, and start recording to .TS using your favorite software and then proceed to do whatever needed to author to blueray.

Thanks timecop. That's sound easy enough. Thanks for the help.

It sounds your DVHS recordings are copy-free (they're all from 169time?). In that case, you can simply play back DVHS tapes to PC, and use TSReader, DVHSTool, CapDVHS etc, then master the resulting files to HD-DVD/BluRay (threads about both topic are in this forum, using ULead Video Studio i think.Does that mean that the D-VHS recordings that are copy-once (e.g. movies from HBOHD) CANNOT be mastered off of D-VHS onto HD-DVD/BluRay?

Well, how do you get the copy-onced DVHS into PC in order to master them on blu-ray?

Since they're copy-once they cannot be "played back" to PC as its not a valid 5C receiver,
and if they were recorded from legitimate 'copy once' equipment, the D-VHS copy is marked as 'copy one generation', which would prevent you from copying it to even a valid 5C device (such as firewire-included bluray recorder) as it's already been 'one generation copied'.

However if your equipment can 'copy' D-VHS to another deck (after recording off HBOHD etc) then perhaps the same will work when copying to a blu-ray w/firewire but don't hold your breath.

Well, how do you get the copy-onced DVHS into PC in order to master them on blu-ray?

Since they're copy-once they cannot be "played back" to PC as its not a valid 5C receiver, and if they were recorded from legitimate 'copy once' equipment, the D-VHS copy is marked as 'copy one generation', which would prevent you from copying it to even a valid 5C device (such as firewire-included bluray recorder) as it's already been 'one generation copied'.That is exactly the point of my question and I guess you've just confirmed what I anticipated the answer would be.

In other words, having already created the first-generation D-VHS version of the copy-once content having offloaded from DVR to D-VHS, it will be impossible to copy that content from D-VHS to high def DVD.

So the only possible way to deal with this objective down the road, assuming there are 5C-compliant high def DVD recorders someday available, would be to offload from DVR to those new recorders directly, thus making the first-generation copy (and only copy allowed) to high def DVD rather than to D-VHS. Of course additional first-generation copies can be re-made by again offloading from DVR to DVD/D-VHS as long as you keep the primary content on your DVR and don't delete it. But no further second-generation copies of the first generation copies can be made, as per copy-once 5C protocol.

But for our current HDOHD/SHOHD D-VHS libraries, it appears they are resigned to remain on that one D-VHS tape. Better take care of them.

Yep, exactly.
There was some hope with the EPN bit, but last I checked D-VHS wasn't compliant to that either.

Another situation to deal with is the limited lifespan of a burned HD disc...versus the long life of a D-VHS cassette (properly stored, of course). Therefore, I wouldn't ditch your D-VHS deck, even if you are able to offload all HD content to blank HD discs.

Unless you are A-okay with re-buying all this HD content on 'official' discs...

I have always maintained, that you can almost always get playback devices for content, but the content is what dries up first, in terms of availability.

Another situation to deal with is the limited lifespan of a burned HD disc...versus the long life of a D-VHS cassette (properly stored, of course). Therefore, I wouldn't ditch your D-VHS deck, even if you are able to offload all HD content to blank HD discs.


I did not know that a burned HD disc had a limited lifespan. How long is it?

I did not know that a burned HD disc had a limited lifespan. How long is it?

Likewise, I didn't realize this was an issue. I'd love to know the particulars. I remember early CD stock was a bit 'iffy', but didn't think Blu-ray/HD-DVD-Rs had issues of this kind.

As far as D-VHS to Blu-ray/HD-DVD. I know the OT was about current PC-based solutions due to that fact that the US market won't be seeing set-top recorders anytime soon, but...I'd always thought that I'd be buying a set-top recorder down the line that would be firewire equipped and it would be a simple matter of a iLink dub (copy once allowed). Any reason I should be calling this into question? I'm on the beginning side of building a library of HD on D-VHS and plan on keeping it going for as long as it takes until HD-on-disc becomes anywhere close as 'affordable' and convenient. And I figured when that time came it'd be a fairly simple proceedure to migrate content over to the new medium--maybe I'm wrong?