Record TV shows? Or just buy the DVD release?
 

I've been trying to figure out if its worth it to record TV shows off the TV or just go buy the DVD .

Recording off the TV saves money but takes time and is kind of a pain compared with just buying the DVD's and saving yourself hours of work . Its not really that much work but it still does take some time .

What do you guys think ?

Is it worth it to record them yourself ?

Recording a TV show is never easy. The most common issue is missed episodes -- either your fault, theirs, or weather/news alerts. The release is easier. If your time is money, then self-recorded TV is at least 10x more expensive.

- Only record unreleased shows.
- Only record shows that were released edited/censored/cut, and you want the original version (often because you remember it that way).

Remember to see if shows are released in UK, Germany, Poland or Australia, before deciding that it's unreleased. Don't just look at your local Best Buy or Amazon. The world is bigger than the USA! For examle, my favorite show --- come on, guess -- SMURFS! -- is only released in Australia. It's now out of print (OOP), but there are still ways to get it. Lots of Marvel 80s-90s cartoons are only released in UK. Some rarer shows show up in places like Spain, Germany, Poland, etc -- and yes, they're in English (dual audio discs, ENG as 2nd track in most cases).

Right now, as another example, I'm recording What's Happening Now season 2-3 from DISH. It's not released. But between my recorder, the station, and weather/news, I *still* do not have a complete run. And I started recording it in October! It's only 45 or so episodes, but it's taking long than 9 weeks to get it (5 eps per week aired). I'm hoping not to miss those again, but the odds are against me. Another person is trying to get it as well, so hopefully between the two of us, we'll catch all the episodes. Then we can exchange what we're missing.

Also: DVDs look better, but S-VHS is/was much easier. I'm sometime tempted to throw the DVD recorder against the wall, and break out my JVC 3800 SVHS recording decks and some TDK SVHS tapes I have on hand.

Can you explain why you'd go back to SVHS ? Is it because its easier to just record to a tape and be done with it , rather than all the processes of recording to a computer and then burning DVD's ?

Because some times I think about just recording to VHS again ......but tape costs seem to stop me .

Thanks for those other tips on finding DVD's !

-- merged --

And another problem is Satellite , Direct TV , broadcasts in 16:9 format . All the shows I want are 4:3 , so theres always black bars everywhere . I still use CRT TV's , I want a full 4:3 picture . I think the only way to get that now is with DVD's because TV is just not broadcast in 4:3 anymore .

Oh and wheres the best place to find foreign DVD releases ? EBAY ?

Lots of releases from Australia at JB HiFi. Long shipping times but generally cheaper and more availability. Amazon.de or Amazon.co.uk for German and UK releases respectively.