Digital to analogue for VCR recording?

[jayclay]

Hi - I need help with converting a digital signal to analogue for VCR recording. If anyone has set up an old VCR to record from a digital cable signal can you please tell me how you did it?
I'm assuming I will some sort of signal converter. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
Please be kind - I'm not a videophile - just someone who wants to record old movies from TV like I used to back in the day.
Thanks very much.

[Formica]

You just need to buy one of these digital-to-analog converters, then record from the RF or RCA connector output in back:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006JJ3PE4...ogi&th=1&psc=1

[latreche34]

There is only one problem with that, The aspect ratio. Modern TV programs are 16/9 wide and your VCR is 4/3, you will have to make a sacrifice between cutting the sides off and record in full screen mode or record in letter box with black bars on top and bottom and the resolution will be very low like 130 lines vertically. You will be better off with a modern digital DVR.

[jayclay]

Thanks for the responses, they we're very helpful.
I'm trying to end up with something I can physically remove from one device and use it in another - thumb drive type of thing. Looks like it's back to the drawing board!

Would the same problem exist in a DVR to DVD transfer?

[Formica]

DVR's capture more detailed picture information to begin with than VHS. The DVR also captures the full 16:9 aspect ratio of a broadcast and plays it back in that format. A DVD that you burn from one of these recordings would retain those qualities.

More specifically, are you saying that you are looking for a way to transfer programming from the the types of DVRs that store information on a hard drive, but force you to watch that content only from the same device?

[latreche34]

DVD will not retain quality, TV programs are HD and DVD is SD, Even in widescreen mode DVD is only 720x480i stretched to fill in the 16/9 frame.

[Formica]

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

DVD will not retain quality, TV programs are HD and DVD is SD, Even in widescreen mode DVD is only 720x480i stretched to fill in the 16/9 frame.

I meant that it retains the aspect ratios.

[jayclay]

Thanks for the info and yes, I would like to be able to burn a DVD or even make a VHS copy from the DVR.
I now have somewhere to start my search - hopefully I'll figure something out. Thanks again, much appreciated!

[kingbean]

I was looking into similar for myself last year. I never ended up making a purchase, but devices such as this - aimed at gamers/streamers - seemed like they would do the job:

https://www.avermedia.com/us/product-detail/GC513
https://www.avermedia.com/us/product-detail/C875

The GC513 has HDMI input only, C875 also has component. HDMI may have protection if you're taping cable.
These particular models have a "PC Free" mode meaning they record straight to an SD/microSD card, which in theory you could pop into any other device and play back the mp4 files.

May or may not be what you're after, but might be worth taking a look at.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayclay

Thanks for the info and yes, I would like to be able to burn a DVD or even make a VHS copy from the DVR.
I now have somewhere to start my search - hopefully I'll figure something out. Thanks again, much appreciated!

You're trying to do two completely divergent things here:
- record digital to a VCR
- transfer from analog VCR to burn DVDs

What do you mean by "DVR"?
People (ab)use that term to describe things that are actually not DVRs.

Do you have programs saved on an actual DVR, can play on demand on TV?
But you want to record a copy to VHS?
And maybe DVD? This gets complicated, because the DVR likely stored anti-copy. For the DVR>DVD, you'll need a Grex. For the DVR>VHS, it gets more murky, Grex may not work. Grex is craptastic when analog is source or destination, screws with the luma gain.

[jayclay]

Like I said - I don't know anything about this stuff. I'm simply trying to record old movies from TCM like I used to years ago. I'll most likely just buy one of the gadgets used to convert a digital signal to an analogue signal and go from there.
Thanks.