Need help buying a laptop for VHS video work
 

Hello,

I'm looking for some suggestions on buying a hopefully somewhat cheap laptop that I can put VHS videos onto it, so I can put those onto DVD, as well video edit/copy, etc. I also want it to have the biggest possible screen. The one I have now is 19", I believe.

Any suggestions?

Your current one is 17", the max size you can find for laptops. I remember it. To this day, I think it was a good one :)

I've seen quite a few of them for around $400 in Woot in the last year. Woot has always been one of the places to get the best prices on laptops (new and refurb), especially now that Geeks.com is closed. Are you in a hurry? If not, watch Woot.com everyday for the next month.

If not Woot, then Amazon.com, Buy.com and TigerDirect.com are some of the best places.

If you want the best possible screen, then find a model with IPS technology. Those cost more, but are worth it. There's not many models, and I think all are 15-16", but they exist. If you're doing video work, then IPS is really a must. Otherwise, you're just guessing at what it looks like by the time you view it on a TV.

Yeah, my current one is good, but lately the screen has totally messed up. It's now become a blueish type color, and it only goes back to normal if I practically shut the lid. I talked to a guy in my city who does computer repairs, and he said it'll cost around $100 to fix, so I figured for that, I might as well just get a new one, even though I don't really want to.

I've never heard of Woot, or IPS technology, so I'll have to take a look into them. Thanks

Which one of these would you say is the best?

http://www.walmart.com/browse/comput...&LargerLaptops

1. Always get Intel graphics -- never ATI or nVidia if you can avoid it. ATI is passable, nVidia is a huge no-no for laptops (infamous overheating).
2. Never Celeron.
3. Always IPS if you can afford it. Or at least non-shiny screens.

I'd look at either:
- http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acer-Gray-...e-Pre/34643925
- http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lenovo-Bla...s-8.1/35496132
- http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acer-Gray-...e-Pre/34643928

Pretty sure Acer is not shiny. But not 100% positive.
The Lenovo specs are better (i3, 6GB), but not sure about screen, and about $100 more.
The second Acer may be a winner -- i5, 6gb, probably matte (not shiny).

Wasn't able to buy at that time, but do you think this is a good one?

AMD Quad-Core A6-6310 Accelerated Processor with AMD Radeon, 8GB memory. 750GB hard drive, 17.3" screen

Features

• Features 17.3" diagonal widescreen TruBrite(r) TFT (Thin Film Transistor) display.
• AMD A6-6310 Processor. Handles the demands of today's complex software.
• This laptop come with 8GB of memory to run your most demanding programs so you can work efficiently.
• A 750GB hard drive holds thousands of songs, photos, files and documents.
• Wireless-N (802.11b/g/n) for cable-free networking. Access wireless networks to share files, surf the Web and exchange email.
• Use the HDMI port to view videos and photos on your HDTV. (HDMI cable sold separately.)
• Features front camera/webcam. Great for keeping in touch via video and voice messaging.
• Includes USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports for fast data transfers.
• Memory card reader for file transfers made fast and easy. Transfer your digital photos, music and other files from Secure Digital (SD, SDHC, SDXC) and MultiMediaCard (MMC) memory cards.
• Enjoy your favorite music and movies with the integrated speakers.
• Up to 3 hours of battery life. Battery life will vary depending on the product configuration, product model, applications loaded on the product, power management setting of the product, and the product features used by the customer. As with all batteries, the maximum capacity of this battery will decrease with time and usage.
• Features Microsoft(r) Windows(r) 8.1 operating system.

For buying new laptops, it's probably as good as you'll get on a budget.

It's a real shame that this series of laptops from 2012 was not continued: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...5UTBFDVDKCTBMX
The IPS displays were excellent. You can do real video work away from the studio/home/office.

Do you think this laptop would be good for video work? Mostly just copying DVDs..the one that I asked you about, I mean

What did you end up buying, if anything?

Since this thread, I've seen some nice Acer systems for about $1k. Those same types of specs (IPS) use to run $1.5k+, so that's a hefty price drop in the tech. In a few more years, hopefully IPS will become the norm.