DVD recording XP or SP?

[Stereomaniac]

I have a VHS tape I need to dub to DVD -R. It is an older tape that I can not get on DVD and is not copy protected. It was recorded in EP mode.

I have borrowed a Panasonic DMR-ES40V and I am ready to burn my first DVD. I am not sure which mode to use XP(1 hour) or SP(2 hour). I want to make a archive quality copy(or as close as you can get with VHS in EP mode) In theory XP mode is best, but is it needed to dub VHS without lossing quality? Others have said it might be too good and amplify the limitations and flaws in the original VHS tape. I have the disk and can go either way...

I only have the one tape and I want to do it right. What do you guys think, XP or SP and why? Thanks.

[N. Abstentia]

If the tape is 1 hour or less, use XP.

If it's over 1 hour you'll have to use SP.

You're thinking too much :)

[Stereomaniac]

If the tape is 1 hour or less, use XP.

If it's over 1 hour you'll have to use SP.

You're thinking too much :)

I understand the time factor. My question was more about differences in the quality of the recording. When recording VHS to DVD is there a significant improvement in quality by using XP mode or is SP just as good? SP must do some more aggressive compression of the programming, but can you see the difference when dubbing VHS to DVD?

It is actually two VHS tapes about 45 minutes apiece in EP mode. So I could easily put each part on a seperate DVD in XP mode. I am just wondering if you guys think its worth it...
Why they didn't just record it on one tape in SP mode I will never understand unless it was a 'marketing' thing to increase percieved value. Ha.

[N. Abstentia]

Well the DVD recorder does not care what mode the VHS tape is, and it does not care what the picture quality is like. The DVD recorder will see it digitally no matter what so if you use anything other than the 1 hour mode it will compress it to make it fit. Basically the 1 hour mode will preserve the tape as is, the longer modes will compress it a little bit.

Why not use some RW's and record a little bit each way and see if the 2 hour mode looks okay?

[GMichael]

I understand the time factor. My question was more about differences in the quality of the recording. When recording VHS to DVD is there a significant improvement in quality by using XP mode or is SP just as good? SP must do some more aggressive compression of the programming, but can you see the difference when dubbing VHS to DVD?

It is actually two VHS tapes about 45 minutes apiece in EP mode. So I could easily put each part on a seperate DVD in XP mode. I am just wondering if you guys think its worth it...
Why they didn't just record it on one tape in SP mode I will never understand unless it was a 'marketing' thing to increase percieved value. Ha.

There won't be a huge difference between XP & SP when the source is a VHS. But why not get all the quality you can. If the tape is less than an hour use XP. if it's between 1 to 2 hours use SP. If it's over 2 hours use whatever you need to make it fit.

In your case I would put both 45 minute VHS's onto one DVD at SP. You won't be able to tell the difference and it will be easier to watch.

The VHS tape quality is no where near the DVD quality.

[Stereomaniac]

There won't be a huge difference between XP & SP when the source is a VHS. But why not get all the quality you can. If the tape is less than an hour use XP. if it's between 1 to 2 hours use SP. If it's over 2 hours use whatever you need to make it fit.

In your case I would put both 45 minute VHS's onto one DVD at SP. You won't be able to tell the difference and it will be easier to watch.

The VHS tape quality is no where near the DVD quality.

Thanks. I may play with it a little. I guess given the limitations of the VHS picture quality I am hearing that it would be hard to tell the difference between a XP and SP recording. On some other sites I have read were people don't see any difference at all when recording non-DVD or non-high quality sources (VHS, regular broadcast, etc.). I could see were it would matter on a DVD-to-DVD dub.

[nightflier]

The VHS tape quality is no where near the DVD quality.

More specifically, you won't squeeze a better picture out of using XP. If the time is not an issue, you should use SP. XP is comparable to S-VHS quality, and I don't think from what you're saying, the tape is of that quality.

Also, if someone suggested that you would be emphasizing the bad quality elements by using XP, that is physically not possible. The quality of the movie, regardless of how low the compression (i.e. the better the quality) will be the same as the VHS source. That is, you'll have exactly what you started with.

The only way that one could "improve" the video is with a process that was designed to do this, like with software that can smooth out the jaggies, for example. In reality, you wouldn't actually be improving the image, but it would appear better. There are also programs that can add-in color and/or pixel spacing. Of course than you would be adding data to the digital content, thus increasing its size.

But the Panasonic DMR-ES40V isn't designed to do any of this. It also has some fairly draconian copyright scheme that will prevent any "unauthorized" copying, so make sure it will allow you to do what you want it to do. There is a hack floating around on the Internet that will disable this, but then you'd also be, ahem, breaking the law, violating a commandment, promoting deviance, furthering terrorism, and whatever else they you want to believe....

My suggestion is to use a rewritable DVD-RAM disk if you have one (the DMR-ES40V included a free one in the box). This model won't take DVR+/-RW, so you have to use their own format if you want rewritability. This will allow you to see what the resulting movie will look like and try different copressions. When you find one that you like, burn it to DVD-R. Of course, with DVD-R prices as low as they are, I'm not recommending that anyone purchase a $12 DVD-RAM disk, either.

[Stereomaniac]

I made two recordings. One in SP the other in XP and the XP is definately better. I did a blind test with a friend and they picked the XP version immediately as well. The image is much smoother, less grainy, and it gets rid of sparkley video noise around graphics and high-contrast edges. The SP is watchable, but not up to par with the XP. I think SP is probably a usable mode, but with lower quality source material (old VHS) I think it struggles to digitize all the flaws in a pleasing way.

Thanks for all your help.

[Stereomaniac]

It also has some fairly draconian copyright scheme that will prevent any "unauthorized" copying, so make sure it will allow you to do what you want it to do. There is a hack floating around on the Internet that will disable this, but then you'd also be, ahem, breaking the law, violating a commandment, promoting deviance, furthering terrorism, and whatever else they you want to believe....

Boy you aren't kidding...I tryed to copy some S-VHS videos I made and the Panasonic comes back and says the material is copy protected! It's my stuff!

I also tried some S-VHS ET recordings that I made and got the same result.

I tried a variety of cables and connections including using the JVC S-VHS I made the recordings on and had no luck. I called Panasonic and they said there was nothing they could do...I am either going to look into the hack or take the unit back. This is ridiculous.

[GMichael]

It also has some fairly draconian copyright scheme that will prevent any "unauthorized" copying, so make sure it will allow you to do what you want it to do. There is a hack floating around on the Internet that will disable this, but then you'd also be, ahem, breaking the law, violating a commandment, promoting deviance, furthering terrorism, and whatever else they you want to believe....

Boy you aren't kidding...I tryed to copy some S-VHS videos I made and the Panasonic comes back and says the material is copy protected! It's my stuff!

I also tried some S-VHS ET recordings that I made and got the same result.

I tried a variety of cables and connections including using the JVC S-VHS I made the recordings on and had no luck. I called Panasonic and they said there was nothing they could do...I am either going to look into the hack or take the unit back. This is ridiculous.

I'm not very happy about this copywrite crap either. I just want to make one copy of my music on DVD's to a CD to play in the car. But nooooooooooooo not happening.

[nightflier]

I'm glad the XP version is of higher quality. I didn't have the same experience, but maybe I was working with some pretty bad quality VHS's.

One way around the copy protection is to hook your VHS recorder straight into your computer provided the latter has an s-video input and recording software (USB/S-Vid units are about $80 at most computer stores). Most software titles are less strict about copy protection when using S-Video inputs, because they presume that you're not copying DVD's anyhow.

Of course, that was what you bought the DVD recorder for...

[Kvickr]

I have been lurking in this forum because I was interested to buying a Panasonic DMR-ES40V. I have many VHS tapes that were made in the 1980s by a local video store. (These tapes are of old Super8 movies.) Would this be a problem with the "copyright rules.?"

Kathy