HELP! recomend good VHS to DVD player/recorder?

[WoodrowFan]

I am looking for recomendations for a good DVD player/recorder that I can use to save my many old VHS tapes. It looks like most of them can do to job with home videos, but my wife and I have a library of several hundred old scifi movies we bought over the years, and I want to be able to transfer them to DVD as well. Any recommendations?

I'd rather not have to do it through my computer and would much prefer a player/recorded I can use on my TV. (unless, of course, I can only burn old copy-protected VHS tapes to DVD via my computer)

thank you in advance!

on edit: anybody here use the Dimax Red Pro?
http://www.dimax.com.ua/dvd/dvdredpro.shtml

[goddess40]

1. We're looking for one also

the newer VHS might be a problem but the older ones probably don't have protection - or am I full of you know what?

[FormerDittoHead]

2. How I do it, and I'm happy with it...

First off, there are two paths - video capture to your PC and a "set top" DVD recorder.

I have a video capture card in one of my PCs, but let me advise you - ONLY get one with a BUILT-IN MPEG *ENCODER*, otherwise, you're looking at hours, hours, hours and DAYS of software encoding. The "standard" one is the Hauppauge PVR-250, which goes for about $150.00 (the PVR 150 is much cheaper, but audio problems are widely reported).

BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND going right to a set top DVD recorder.

Also, I would STRONGLY recommend getting a unit with a built in hard drive. The non-hard drive models are way cheaper, but are a pain in the ass if you want to cut out unwanted parts, etc.

The hard drive models will allow you to batch record tapes, edit them (the editing capabilities are basic but easy to use) and burn them to DVD's.

I have a Toshiba 80 gig model, which is the same guts as the Panasonic and works like a top.

WARNING - you MUST get something like your Dimax, however....

I can report first hand that the:
Sima CT-2 Video Signal Processor (Amazon) works perfectly for VHS tapes, DVD's (yes! when recording from an external player - copies are perfect) and even pay per view / "on demand" plus the HBO copy protection schemes (all of which effect the Toshibas and Panasonics from recording)