This is a follow-on to my earlier post: Advice on VHS to DVD dubbing: dual deck or separate VCR and DVD Recorder? .
I have decided after all not to get a VCR/DVDR combo to facilitate dubbing from my existing VHS tapes. Most of my tapes are in EP, and therefor when dubbing I should play them back on the machine they were recorded on, if possible, to avoid tracking issues. Plus, once I've finished archiving old VHS tapes (which I intend to do merely to be able to get rid of the old tapes to save on storage space), I don't really anticipate needing to make new VHS recordings, so getting a combo deck just seems silly. I had originally thought it would be better to get a combo deck in order to be able to do "one touch dubbing" and I thought that this would be easier with a combo deck: just stick both the VHS tape and the DVD blank in, and forget it. But now I realize I'm going to need to be involved to decide where titles begin and end when dubbing from tapes that have multiple titles, so I might as well dub from my existing Mitsubishi VCR.
Now my big question is whether to get a recorder that has a built-in hard drive.
Now, I know what I don't need a HD for: given that I plan to use a DVD recorder ONLY to archive pre-existing recordings (either recordings I have already made on my TiVo or dubs from VHS tape), I will NOT not be recording onto DVD directly off the air (like a VCR): that's what I have my TiVo for. Nor do I want to use a DVD recorder as a DVR; in fact, I will probably not hook the thing up to RF in or to my cable box at all. I don't care about having any EPG or to be able to do timed recordings. The only EPG I want to use is the one that my TiVo has.
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So then the question is whether having a Hard Drive is worthwhile if I'm only using this recorder to dub from existing recordings. I gather that it will certainly be more *flexible* to be able to record onto the hard drive and then archive those recordings to blank disc. I don't anticipate doing any major editing: for instance editing out commercials or anything like that.
I guess I just want a better idea of what the disadvantages would be of not having a hard drive.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
I have decided after all not to get a VCR/DVDR combo to facilitate dubbing from my existing VHS tapes. Most of my tapes are in EP, and therefor when dubbing I should play them back on the machine they were recorded on, if possible, to avoid tracking issues. Plus, once I've finished archiving old VHS tapes (which I intend to do merely to be able to get rid of the old tapes to save on storage space), I don't really anticipate needing to make new VHS recordings, so getting a combo deck just seems silly. I had originally thought it would be better to get a combo deck in order to be able to do "one touch dubbing" and I thought that this would be easier with a combo deck: just stick both the VHS tape and the DVD blank in, and forget it. But now I realize I'm going to need to be involved to decide where titles begin and end when dubbing from tapes that have multiple titles, so I might as well dub from my existing Mitsubishi VCR.
Now my big question is whether to get a recorder that has a built-in hard drive.
Now, I know what I don't need a HD for: given that I plan to use a DVD recorder ONLY to archive pre-existing recordings (either recordings I have already made on my TiVo or dubs from VHS tape), I will NOT not be recording onto DVD directly off the air (like a VCR): that's what I have my TiVo for. Nor do I want to use a DVD recorder as a DVR; in fact, I will probably not hook the thing up to RF in or to my cable box at all. I don't care about having any EPG or to be able to do timed recordings. The only EPG I want to use is the one that my TiVo has.
So then the question is whether having a Hard Drive is worthwhile if I'm only using this recorder to dub from existing recordings. I gather that it will certainly be more *flexible* to be able to record onto the hard drive and then archive those recordings to blank disc. I don't anticipate doing any major editing: for instance editing out commercials or anything like that.
I guess I just want a better idea of what the disadvantages would be of not having a hard drive.
Thanks in advance for any advice!