Can i record videos onto dvd's using a dvd recorder?

Question

i had a dvd recorder for christmas and was wondering if there was a way of recording things i have taped on a video recorder on dvd's using my dvd recorder.

Answer 1

Yes, you should be able to connect the AV output from your video recorder into the AV input of your DVD recorder, and then set the DVD recorder so that it records from the AV input.

If you are in Europe, connection will probably be via SCART cable; otherwise it will probably be via 3 x RCA phono cables - one for composite video (the yellow plug) and two for stereo audio (the red and white plugs).

One thing to bear in mind if copying from a pre-recorded video tape onto DVD is Macrovision. This is a signal that is added to the blanking lines at the top of the video picture (the bit that is usually chopped off at the top when you watch the video on TV) that is designed to confuse the automatic gain control on the video input of whatever you are copying on to, to mess up the picture quality on your copy (as a somewhat primitive anti-copying measure); it's possible to get around it using a special box that strips out the Macrovision signal (e.g. there used to be one called the Macromaster). However, you'll find that using such a device is illegal, especially in the USA, where they brought in the ludicrously draconian DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act)!

Thankfully, anything you have taped off the TV that plays OK on your VCR will not have Macrovision, so should copy OK anyway.