Computers/TVs/HD/DVR/VHS (How'd that last one get in there?)

[laurierobey]

A few years ago, the_gneech bought me for Christmas a VHS/DVD player/burner so I could transfer our VHS tapes to DVD. Well, it seems not to function very well anymore.

Couple with this the fact that TV signals are switching to digital in February, I've been doing some research (uh-oh).

I'm trying to find out if it's possible and how much it would cost to rig my computer as a DVR (and possibly hook up the VHS for transferring), HDTV receiver, and how much it would cost to do it. I've got a 22" widescreen monitor that is HD signal capable. I've seen many options. What got me thinking about all this is I really don't want to go out and spend 4 digits on a TV that's not even going to last as long as our still-functional analog set. And the fact that I've already got a DVD burner on the computer and a decent-sized monitor capable of processing digital signals...kinda makes me question why I would want to.

Any thoughts?

Comments

[sirfox.livejournal.com]

The only constructive advice i'd give on the computer conversion of VHS -> DVD format is... not to. It's do-able, and if you don't mind rather a lot of artifacts and/or sync issues with sound, it's not un-do-able. My friend craig has been working on just such a setup for a while now, and still isn't fully happy with the results. He's a perfectionist and may have been overblowing the issue, but it's not without complications.

I've got no idea on the computer as DVR/HTDV reciever.

[laurie-robey.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm only transferring stuff I can't get digitally. Otherwise, I just rent it from Netflix, watch it online, or *gasp* buy it!

[sirfox.livejournal.com]

yeah, 99% of the time, it's cheaper in time, money, and hair-not-pulled-out to go that route. Craig's trying to preserve obscure '80s bootlegged subtitled anime, that has never and will never be released over here, the poor guy. He has a wall of the stuff. ow.

[jamesb]

You might get some pointers from the MythTV.org web site.

[laurie-robey.livejournal.com]

Heh, veeeery interesting. Thanks!