[robjv1]

I would love to see some results from guy, because when it comes to tapes, he sounds more like a medicine show than a doctor.

Are you using a DVD recorder to make your conversions?

I do a lot of wrestling conversions, which require a high-bit rate because of all the fast movements, the lights, the smoke, and the highly detailed and active backgrounds (the crowd). For me, on my JVC DR-M100 recorder, I've found FR80 is the sweet spot, a good balance between bitrate and length of disc. The macroblocking is very minor at worst and I only see if it I'm sitting a foot away from the TV.

Also as a side note -- a good CRT TV is really the best (imo) for viewing VHS quality material, especially from a dubious source. If you can find one used on Craigslist, a Sony XBR-960 or XBR-970 (34") makes a great TV for viewing both HD stuff (they are HD-CRTs) or SD stuff. They are heavy as hell, but have a wonderful picture, I have two of them myself and they put my LCD TV to shame for viewing VHS level material. CRT's have a tendency to hide less than desirable video elements that LCDs can magnify on lower-quality material, especially if it's a very well made CRT. They go on Craigslist for around $200 usually and pop up quite frequently, so look locally in your area.