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Info: Preserving VHS on DVDs?

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I would like to capture my '95 Faces tapes to preserve on a DVD but I don’t know how to do that. I’ve tried various methods but none of them could get past the copy protection. Anyone know how this can be done?

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Copy protection? I’d put some scotch on the bottom-left hole like in here:

btw, what are you going to use for the conversion? I’d like to convert VHSs myself, but so far I could only afford an analogue-to-digital converter (which sometimes makes the audio randomly disappear 😄 )

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Use a method that is not affected by copy protection, e.g. certain PC capture cards ignore it, or alternatively get a Macrovision remover (i.e. video stabiliser) device and insert in your capture chain.

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I don’t know anything about that protection, but mpeg2/dvdr is really not ideal for preserving anything, though it is of course a convenient format if your DVD player works well with dvdr discs.

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 (Edited)

John Doom said:

Copy protection? I’d put some scotch on the bottom-left hole like in here:

btw, what are you going to use for the conversion? I’d like to convert VHSs myself, but so far I could only afford an analogue-to-digital converter (which sometimes makes the audio randomly disappear 😄 )

Taping over the write-protect tab does not disable the Macrovision signal that is recorded on the tape!

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honestech vhs to dvd, personally converted more macrovision protected tapes than i can count and waaaay cheaper than a full frame timebase corrector.

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What “methods” have you tried? The great thing about VHS is, if you do lose a tad of PQ, you probably arent going to notice it since the source is so crappy.

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Well, forgive me for being a noob or whatever but my “methods” amounted to this; a relative of mine gave me a device to convert home videos to dvds and that worked fine. I tried it on my Star Wars tapes and the copy protection blocked me from being able to convert it.

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Ive never really tried transferring store bought VHS to digital. Everything Ive done, like you have, is home movies. I was lucky enough to have an old Sony Digital 8 cam-corder that allows for video bypass to my computer to perform my transfers. Ill see if I can find a store bought with protection and see if it works. Are you using one of those simple plug and play converters?

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I was using one of those yeah. It was a while ago and I don’t even know where it is now. I just figured I’d ask on here for future reference.

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i have heared that “some” of those converters have hidden options to Hack them into ignoring the copy protection, but having never used that particular type of converter i wouldnt know much about that trick.