but i need to go from DVD to VHS
simplest/quickest way(s) to do this - gimme your top three, plz. if there are that many.

12/7/2005 9:07:25 PM

My DVD/VCR combo can do that. Assuming what you're copying doesn't have copy protection.

12/7/2005 9:09:18 PM

it probably will

(it's a DVD i haven't even gotten my hands on yet, but it's going to happen. it's just not optional)


[Edited on December 7, 2005 at 9:12 PM. Reason : .]

12/7/2005 9:11:32 PM

Just curious, who needs to see a video that doesn't have access to a dvd player? I'm trying to figure out why someone would need this and can't think of anything

[Edited on December 7, 2005 at 9:39 PM. Reason : .]

12/7/2005 9:38:32 PM

Quote :

"Just curious, who needs to see a video that doesn't have access to a dvd player? I'm trying to figure out why someone would need this and can't think of anything"

she's in africa

12/7/2005 9:47:40 PM

hook up DVD output to VCR input and press record

12/7/2005 10:01:19 PM

^ that won't work because of macrovision

i know it's a bit roundabout, but to get past the copy protection, rip the dvd using dvdshrink, that will get you a copy with no encryption. Now you can either use tv-out if you have that option and record it to a vcr, or burn the new, unencrypted dvd to a dvd-r and copy it to a vhs using a regular dvd player hooked to a vcr

[Edited on December 8, 2005 at 8:42 AM. Reason : .]

12/8/2005 8:42:32 AM

^^ that's the way.

12/8/2005 8:54:27 AM

What format does that part of Africa use? NTSC? PAL? Secam? Something else? If it's not NTSC, you're out of luck without buying some expensive hardware.

http://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/video_formats.htm

[Edited on December 8, 2005 at 9:04 AM. Reason : add link]

12/8/2005 9:00:47 AM

Quote :

"^ that won't work because of macrovision"

and the lack of a VCR at my place, and a VCR and DVD at the same place at my parent's place.
i mentioned this to mom, and she's all, "oh, angela can watch DVDs on her laptop!"
"well, do you know why she asked for VHS?"
"no"
my guess is she wants to VHS so her roommates can watch it with her. i may just see if their TV has inputs for ta video out cable.
so maybe a new issue - will a dell bought here play a ripped DVD? angela isn't very computer saavy, and gets ~40 minutes of internet a week, so if she's gonna need any software, i'll burn it, but it can't be something that relies on an internet connection, WMP-style.

and....for whatever reason, i didn't pay attn to the fact that this isn't going to be released until january. it's not that far off, but at least this isn't the pressing issue i thought it was.

^PAL. will it really make a difference?

[Edited on December 8, 2005 at 9:08 AM. Reason : .]

12/8/2005 9:08:00 AM

so for the hassle of converting DVD to VHS, and the cost of shipping a stack (assuming more than 1 here) of VHS to africa, couldn't you just buy a $35 DVD player from wal-mart and send that to her? Apparently they have a TV already, right?

12/8/2005 9:35:37 AM

PAL, yes. One is 60Hz the other is 50Hz. A PAL player cannot sync to an NTSC video and vice-versa, unless it has a built-in scan converter.

12/8/2005 9:36:26 AM

Quote :

"so for the hassle of converting DVD to VHS, and the cost of shipping a stack (assuming more than 1 here) of VHS to africa, couldn't you just buy a $35 DVD player from wal-mart and send that to her? Apparently they have a TV already, right?"

one or two VHS cassettes is what we're talking about.

we could buy a $35 DVD player and ship it, but
- shipping will be more than the DVD player
- there's no guarantee that the player will work by the time it gets to her
- there's no guarantee that the player will even get to her
- she hasn't moved there permanently (yet); she comes back in august of 2007
- we're sending her xmas presents over in february (i think that's when) in the luggage of a friend going to visit
http://pe.usps.gov/text/Imm/immicl/immiclhk_017.html

12/8/2005 9:43:59 AM

vhs tapes aint gonna work in africa. unless you send her a NTSC vcr as well.

Send her the DVD, let her play it on the laptop. It's not like multiple people can look at a tv screen any easier than a laptop screen.

Or do as I did and buy a portable dvd player, put the dvd in it, and ship the whole thing. It will cost less than 30 bucks to ship (I shipped one to japan for 32 bucks).

12/8/2005 6:06:59 PM

Record the DVD on to a Hi8 tape, then copy that to a VHS tape.

12/8/2005 6:27:30 PM

Since this is apparently something you bought rather than made yourself since you are concerned about copy-protection, why not just order the DVD from a foreign retailer and have it shipped to her? It will be in PAL format as long as you order form the right place. Also, assuming its not available overseas yet, I have a DVD player that does PAL->NTSC conversion...do they not have NTSC->PAL conversion players? What is the DVD you want to send her?

12/9/2005 3:56:35 AM

Just sending an NTSC VHS or DVD player won't cut it either. The African TV will expect PAL. You have to do one of:

- NTSC DVD to PAL VHS to PAL TV (DVD outputs PAL and VHS can record PAL, most standard US VCRs cannot)
- NTSC DVD to PAL VHS to PAL TV (DVD outputs NTSC and VHS recorder can scan-convert to PAL)
- NTSC DVD to NTSC VHS to PAL TV (assuming she has a VHS deck that can scan-convert NTSC to PAL)
- NTSC DVD to NTSC TV (you send her both a DVD and a TV, or a portable DVD player with screen, and she has the voltage converters to use the foreign gear)

or like someone said, just buy the video in PAL if at all possible. Finding the gear to do this is a pain.

12/9/2005 8:37:20 AM

http://www.ruby-electronics.com/store_item/Aitech_PC_TV_Web_Cable

maybe something like this but with pal output rather than ntsc?

12/9/2005 10:07:17 AM

BUY HER A GOD DAMNED $35 DVD PLAYER AND PUT IT WITH THE DVDS TO SHIP. IT WILL BE CHEAPER THAN THE WEIGHT OF 10+ VHS TAPES

12/9/2005 3:04:28 PM

Quote :

"BUY HER A GOD DAMNED $35 DVD PLAYER AND PUT IT WITH THE DVDS TO SHIP. IT WILL BE CHEAPER THAN THE WEIGHT OF 10+ VHS TAPES"

That might be possible, but it's not that easy. I don't know what the power standards are in Africa, but I tend to doubt that it's 110V 60Hz two-polarized-plugs and a ground. You'd probably need an adapter or a DVD player that can deal with multiple power types.

Secondly, if her TV is PAL, then I don't think an NTSC player would be compatible. And, if she has to use a PAL player, then an NTSC disk would certainly not work. At best, you'd get horizontal tearing on the screen, and it would look like crap (if she had a PAL TV, NTSC player, and NTSC DVD. Even then, I doubt it would really work).

Thirdly, if somehow all of this works out, be sure to remove the region restriction on the disk by making the DVD copies with DVDshrink and making it "region free".

Overall, this little project has lots of room for failure due to format differences. I would suggest you send her money to buy a DVD player from a local store near her, and then download the DVDs for her in PAL format or something. Or buy her the DVDs in PAL format (although I don't even know how to do that. I've never had to).

Or buy her and her friends plane tickets to your place so they can sit around and watch the movies with you. Twice as fun, half as hard, but a bajillion times more expensive.

I think most of this has been covered, but apparently some folks just can't seem to take it all in.

12/9/2005 6:19:37 PM

Quote :

"Since this is apparently something you bought rather than made yourself since you are concerned about copy-protection, why not just order the DVD from a foreign retailer and have it shipped to her?"

since i was under a very mistaken impression that i had until february to do this, i am gonna end up taking this route.

^^reading is very hard, isn't it?

12/10/2005 4:51:21 PM

africa isn't all poor..

[Edited on December 10, 2005 at 6:25 PM. Reason : the girl has a laptop, she can't have power that shitty]

12/10/2005 6:25:02 PM

i know a way i could do this in like 15 minutes and then come back like 2 hours later and be done

[Edited on December 10, 2005 at 6:57 PM. Reason : .]

12/10/2005 6:56:45 PM

tv out on a video card run into the input of a vcr. no macrovision that way

12/10/2005 7:20:18 PM

yeah macrovision is a bia, i had that shit on a vcr a long time ago when i use to double tape

12/10/2005 7:59:24 PM