Video Disc capture and creation help?

[Dr. M. Burek]

> 
> Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2003 18:37:57 -0600
> Message-Id: <p06002006bbb246c562b1@[10.0.0.2]>
> From: "Erica Sadun" <erica at mindspring.com>
> Subject: [MacDV] Re: Video Disc capture and creation help?
> 
> At 7:05 PM -0400 10/14/03, Dr. M. Burek wrote:
> 
>>OK, guys... I got a problem here.
>>
>>I'm trying to capture and otherwise do what I need to to make a 
>>SuperVCD or a DVD from VHS tape. I am trying to capture 1 hour TV 
>>shows to archive to disc, as many of my VHS tapes are now getting to 
>>the age where disintegration of the tape will soon become an issue.
> 
> 
> Advice: Don't archive to disc. Make copies on disc, sure.
> But don't archive. If you want good quality archives 20
> years from now, go to miniDV instead. It's digital and
> you can keep making copies as the tapes age without
> generation loss.
> 
> DVDs? They're so compressed that you're sacrificing
> the future for the coolness of the present.
> 
> -- Erica
> 

Erica,

That may be the case, but you see, these are just TV episodes on VHS at 
EP speed. I'm looking to be able to use them now, and in the future, but 
I'm also trying to keep the costs down, since I have over 500 videotapes 
to go through. MiniDV - while nice, is expensive, both in media and the 
cost of purchasing a camera or a dubbing station or whatever.

Trust me - I did months and months of research on this, before I bought 
a single CD-R or a piece of hardware. Unfortunately, there is little 
online about doing this kind of thing on a Mac (almost all PC), and what 
  does exist is confusing and thin on details.

I thank you for your opinion, but I'm just trying to make some space in 
my house while keeping the costs down. Thanks anyway!

M.