Since my PIO 640 HDD is constantly near capacity, I was thinking about getting another cheap DVDR to offload some of the stuff, keep it stored there, and then when I was ready to watch, move it back to my 640.

So I had a couple of questions:

Is there any way to high speed copy directly to the 2nd DVDR, or would I have to use a RW disc as intermediary?

And secondly, if I do choose the route of recording from my 640 to the 2nd machine, and then recording back from the 2nd machine to my 640 to view, will that degrade the recording very much? How about if the original was SP, then I recorded the 2nd in XP... would that keep the final copy in more or less good quality?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Why don't you just off load from your Pio's hard drive to a disc on the same machine?

Why don't you just off load from your Pio's hard drive to a disc on the same machine?

Hi,

Did you mean just to offload to dvds, and then just watch the dvds? Because then I'd have lots of dvds floating around, and I'd prefer the convenience of having everything in one place... ie, another HDD.

bobbyslav is right, just do a high-speed copy of your files to DVD-RW in VR mode. That way you can high-speed copy the titles back to the hard drive later. I do this all the time for long-term timeshifting. Buying a bunch of DVD-RW discs is probably going to be cheaper than a DVD recorder, particularly one with a hard drive.

There's no way to copy machine-to-machine without using a disc. That means you'll have to do it using an S-Video or component connection. You will loose a little quality, more so if you do it twice (once in each direction). But "quality" is very subjective and you're really the only person who can say whether the result will be acceptable or not.

If you do buy a second recorder, there's a chance that it won't be able to high-speed copy even VR-mode discs to it's hard drive unless it's also a Pioneer. The manufacturers seem to be a little fussy on what they'll accept from a disc. So if you're depending on this try to find out (perhaps from members here) whether this works before you spend your money.

Did you mean just to offload to dvds, and then just watch the dvds? Because then I'd have lots of dvds floating around, and I'd prefer the convenience of having everything in one place... ie, another HDD.If you put all of your timeshifting DVDs into a DVD wallet (one of those little binders that holds 48 or 64 DVDs) then it would take less space than another DVD recorder... ;)

Since my PIO 640 HDD is constantly near capacity, I was thinking about getting another cheap DVDR to offload some of the stuff, keep it stored there, and then when I was ready to watch, move it back to my 640.

So I had a couple of questions:

Is there any way to high speed copy directly to the 2nd DVDR, or would I have to use a RW disc as intermediary?

And secondly, if I do choose the route of recording from my 640 to the 2nd machine, and then recording back from the 2nd machine to my 640 to view, will that degrade the recording very much? How about if the original was SP, then I recorded the 2nd in XP... would that keep the final copy in more or less good quality?

Thanks for any suggestions.

If you don't mind using a PC, you can offload some programs temporarily to the PC (making sure you are able to bring them back on the 640 with high speed copies)

If it's a short term off-load, you could record new programs to DVDs (or even VHS) instead of the HDD while you go through the HDD programs to free up space. [I've done this when my DVR ran out of disk]... Similarly you could get rent a month-to-month DVR (if using cable) and use it as a buffer until you free up enough space on the 640.

But if your off-loading is not short term, then I don't have any new suggestions, other than what has been said above.

Thanks everyone.... I was kind of hoping to have an excuse to get that Pio 650 :D but it sounds like I might lose too much PQ if I record back and forth. I suppose I'll have to get a stock of RW's.

I really want that 650 - with it's nice big fat HD :)

If only I could justify it :(

Hi,

Did you mean just to offload to dvds, and then just watch the dvds? Because then I'd have lots of dvds floating around, and I'd prefer the convenience of having everything in one place... ie, another HDD.

If you just want to use the recorders hard drive to store the programs for conveniences of play back, maybe a media hard drive player would be the way to go for you.

These as really just a hard disk drive in an external enclosure, but with a built in media player software and hook ups for a TV.

First you hook on the drive to a computer using USB port and just copy the DVD disks you record from the DVD recorder to the media player hard drive with no quality loss because this is just a simple file transfer/copy just like copying the files to a computers hard drive (because this is what you are doing).

After copying the programs you want over to the media players drive you take it to your TV, hook it up to it and play back the shows from the media player drive right to the TV. Depending on the hard drive size you use you can record like 40 to 80 disks over to the media drive for easy play back anytime.

You can get one with 720p output for HD recordings too, if you access to such.

Here is example of one such media player hard drives
http://inoi.com/English/HV355.asp

If you just want to use the recorders hard drive to store the programs for conveniences of play back, maybe a media hard drive player would be the way to go for you.

These as really just a hard disk drive in an external enclosure, but with a built in media player software and hook ups for a TV.

First you hook on the drive to a computer using USB port and just copy the DVD disks you record from the DVD recorder to the media player hard drive with no quality loss because this is just a simple file transfer/copy just like copying the files to a computers hard drive (because this is what you are doing).

After copying the programs you want over to the media players drive you take it to your TV, hook it up to it and play back the shows from the media player drive right to the TV. Depending on the hard drive size you use you can record like 40 to 80 disks over to the media drive for easy play back anytime.

You can get one with 720p output for HD recordings too, if you access to such.

Here is example of one such media player hard drives
http://inoi.com/English/HV355.asp


Thanks Falco, I've saved the link. Looks like an interesting solution, I'll have to think about it. The only thing I'm not sure about will be the constant movement of dvd's back and forth... reminds me of when we had to carry floppies around to transfer data between pc's.

Well, I couldn't resist that BestBuy sale over the weekend, and got me one of those 650's :) :) :)

That means you'll have to do it using an S-Video or component connection. You will loose a little quality, more so if you do it twice (once in each direction).

I was thinking about this, and I see that others who have for example a TIVO and want to move some shows from TIVO to a DVDR, they will have the same issue won't they? I mean, won't they lose a little PQ during that 2nd record?

(By 2nd record, I mean from the TIVO to the DVDR.)

A couple other questions....

Does anyone think there would be any heat issues if I stacked the 640 on top of the 650? My cabinet is not that big. Or maybe if I put 4 little posts on each corner, to provide maybe an inch clearance between the units. Any thoughts?

Also, is there a way to use either the 640 or the 650 remote to operate both machines? How would each unit know whom I was addressing? :confused:


One happy camper :D

A couple other questions....

Does anyone think there would be any heat issues if I stacked the 640 on top of the 650? My cabinet is not that big. Or maybe if I put 4 little posts on each corner, to provide maybe an inch clearance between the units. Any thoughts?

Also, is there a way to use either the 640 or the 650 remote to operate both machines? How would each unit know whom I was addressing? :confused:

Stacking one Pioneer on top of another is fine...they don't run hot. Adding longer feet is always a good idea.

I know the 640 remote code can be changed if it interferes with the 650. Go to Initial Setup > Options > Remote Control Code and set the 640 to Recorder 2 (or 3, default is 1).

On the remote, Press and HOLD the RETURN button and the 2 (or 3, same as rec.) button at least 5 seconds, or until you see the display change on the 640.

Well, I couldn't resist that BestBuy sale over the weekend, and got me one of those 650's :) :) :)

I was thinking about this, and I see that others who have for example a TIVO and want to move some shows from TIVO to a DVDR, they will have the same issue won't they? I mean, won't they lose a little PQ during that 2nd record?

(By 2nd record, I mean from the TIVO to the DVDR.)

A couple other questions....

Does anyone think there would be any heat issues if I stacked the 640 on top of the 650? I don't understand why you are concerned with transferring recordings between the units? You have 2 recorders stacked. Just split the source input into both recorders and output them both to your TV (or use an A/V switcher if your TV does not have enough inputs). Now you can use both recorders independently -- make the new 650 with it's empty HDD your primary recorder as you watch and empty the 640. Now you can record 2 different shows at the same time if there are conflicts.

If you fill up both the 650 and 640 HDD's then shame on you, it's time to use the delete button.

This is not an answer for the OP based on the type of hardware currently engaged but for reference sake it is possible to move content from one DVD recorder to another digitally without burning a disc. You just need the right DVD recorders.

The Toshiba XS series has two models with ethernet connections. The XS54 and the XS55. You can hook both models up to a home network and transfer recorded content between the two machines. The transfer is fast and efficient. You can also stream video from one machine to another for viewing. When looking in the content manager (menu for HDD content) the HDDs for all connected machines appear. So you have acces to all content on any machine on the network. You can also edit content on one machine from another machine as well as edit from any PC on the network via a browser. In my case Firefox.

I posted this a while back about some of the networking capabilities using a single machine. With two (or more) XS54/55s on the network the capabilities expand to offer even more flexibility:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9936640&&#post9936640

It is pretty slick. But again you need the right hardware.

Is Toshiba still going to be in the DVD recorder game in the US?

Not sure. I was disappointed to see the discontinuation of the XS series line of recorders. Toshiba seems to have done what other top tier DVD recorder manufacturers (Japanese) have done - gone low end. Toshiba's top of the line 2007 model is a VCR/DVD combo unit. I do not expect to see anything like the Toshiba XS series again. In the USA "ease of use" seems to be paramount. The XS series is not easy.

I was able to purchase XS54/55 units cheap in the middle of the ATSC/QAM tuner hype of a few months ago. So I'm good to go. If anybody is interested in what these machines can do they are occasionally available but they are getting harder and harder to find.

I don't understand why you are concerned with transferring recordings between the units? You have 2 recorders stacked. Just split the source input into both recorders and output them both to your TV (or use an A/V switcher if your TV does not have enough inputs). Now you can use both recorders independently -- make the new 650 with it's empty HDD your primary recorder as you watch and empty the 640. Now you can record 2 different shows at the same time if there are conflicts.

If you fill up both the 650 and 640 HDD's then shame on you, it's time to use the delete button.

Curiousity, mainly. I've seen PQ mentioned a few times when posters discussed recording and re-recording, but I was wondering if the same concept was true when moving from something like TIVO to a DVDR.

You're right, if I fill both of them, I should die of embarassment :eek:
But at least I'll have a vast choice of eye-candy :D

To address some of the points mentioned above:

To transfer shows between the 640 and 650, your best best is to burn a VR-mode disc using high speed copy on one machine, put the disc in the other machine and then high-speed copy to it's HDD. I know for sure this works with VR-mode DVD-RW disks between my 533/633 and 640 machines, I assume it will work for the 650 as well. For transfers from a cable DVR or TIVO, you'd be stuck with an analogue transfer using S-Video or composite, and yes this would loose little quality. But if the recorders were made at faster recording speeds (ie, more toward XP than SLP) you may not be able to see the difference.

For the remotes, you need to set one machine to "Recorder 1" and the other machine to "Recorder 2" as described by wabjxo above. You'd normally then set one remote to control "Recorder 1" and the other to control "Recorder 2". I suppose you could use just one remote and switch it back and forth, but it seems like it would be more trouble than it's worth.

hy! i'm new here, and i realy need help. i have a hv355 (made by ARGOSY). internal hdd it's a western digital 300 GB. the big problem is my internal hdd die 2 days ago. i put another hdd inside the enclosure, but i can't use to connect on tv. i think that i need that software who decode and play the movie. someone who can help me? thx !

If you just want to use the recorders hard drive to store the programs for conveniences of play back, maybe a media hard drive player would be the way to go for you.

These as really just a hard disk drive in an external enclosure, but with a built in media player software and hook ups for a TV.

There's also the Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player (and probably similar units) which does not have a built-in hard disk. Instead, you hook up an external USB2 hard disk, which can be a USB-powered unit like the WD Passport models that don't use an external power supply. I got mine for about $100 at Best Buy. Of course, you have to add the cost of a hard disk, but you can easily swap disks so you're not limited by the capacity of a built-in disk.

And you need a computer and suitable software for transferring programs to the hard disk. I have a Mac, so I use the following procedure:

1. Record the program onto a DVD-RW using the DVD recorder.

2. On my Mac, use (free) MPEG Streamclip software to extract the program from the DVD-RW and save it as a MPEG2 file on a USB hard disk. (No re-encoding necessary, so no loss of picture quality)

3. Plug the USB disk into the WD TV, navigate to the file using on-screen menus, and play it.

I think this is a nice solution for long-term archiving, because you can arrange the program files in folders any way you like, and you can easily make backups by copying to another hard disk, or by burning DVDs on the computer. Or you can burn the originals on the DVD recorder to DVD-Rs instead of DVD-RWs and keep those as backups.