Best VHS to digital video recorder?
 

With the welcome development of the new ISO buster programs, I began to look through the forums to see how well the best VHS-to-DVRs performed in transferring VHS tapes. I realize the closed path from VHS to digital file leaves no room for TBCs or frame sync devices. So how well did these devices perform compared to any of the work paths (VHS with TBC >> TBC >> good capture card) recommended here by LordSmurf and other experts?

What is considered the best VHS to DVR combo and where does it sit in the capture hierarchy?

By "DVR", do you mean DVD recorders?

Yes, specifically the DVD recorders with a hard drive. Friend of mine without my taste for tech adventure asked me, but I have experience only with a Pioneer DVR-533H.

LSI chipset based units, especially JVC, and for HDD in NTSC look at the DVM600/DVM700.

Thanks so much--cuts through hours of painful research.

But FYI, JVCs can't be read by ISOBuster. The file system is tricky, and he hasn't found a way to reliably read the FS yet.

I would try ISO Buster--but this guy would never touch it!

Also note my advice here is very specific: "best VHS to DVD recorder". The main reasoning is, on these LSI JVCs, due to the VBR encode quality, chroma noise filtering, and DNR. No recorder is perfect. The JVCs have a slight IRE offset, but pretty much all recorders do.

For non-VHS 4x3, the Zoran chipset RCA units are best.

But for 16x9 sources, recorded to 16x9 (but manual re-flagging needed in software), then the Philips 3575/6 (and clones) is the ideal choice.

I finally got the hard-to-find Toshiba unit that I've been hunting for years. not sure where it will fit, or if it'll get new category. Not done testing it. Decent 2nd place choice for some things.

Do you want me to make a guide for this? I actually started, just never finished.

It would be a great addition to the site.