Update on the new DVD recorder

Well, some time has passed - OK, only a few days it seems, but I have had a chance to play around with my new toy. I haven't got everything worked out just yet, but getting there.

I can now copy from video tape to DVD - I also figured out (after the first few DVDs that I'll have to toss and do over again - arrrgh!) that I can adjust the tracking and that will get rid of those little snowy lines at the bottom of the screen. Now I get a clean copy each time.

Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to record from my DVR harddrive, although the box clearly says it has that capability. All I get is a blank screen - yes 2 HOURS of a blank scree, which of course, you don't know until AFTER you've recorded for 2 HOURS *heavy sigh*. I do so miss the days of just putting in a "tape" pressing record and being fairly certain at the end of the process that you'd end up with a clean copy of whatever you were trying to record! Clearly recording on a DVD is muych more technically complicated and requires a lot more steps. FIRST I have to initialize the DVD - which luckily only takes a minute or so. And I think if I buy a different kind of blank, I can skip that step.

Then after the movie is done there is the "finalize" step - took awhile to find THAT menu! This step is supposed to make it so that I can take my recorded DVD to any computer or TV set and be able to play it. So off I go to my Dad's house to show off my new copy. Pop it into the DVD player, ready set - - - (now where is that GO part again???) - - - nothing. OK, maybe we did something wrong. Take it out, check the machine, check the disc - everything seems to be in order. Check the TV to make sure the right input was selected and put it in again. NOTHING! His machine is saying "no disc". Alrighty then, head for the stairs to try to play it on his computer upstairs - once again - - - NOTHING. This is getting more than just a little frustrating. I checked it at home, on BOTH DVD players and everything was fine.

Looks like its time to call the company and find out what is going wrong. There is an (800) number on the box, and it says that they will go through the first copy with you for free - guess I can ask about copying from my DVR harddrive, then sneak in the question about not being able to play it on a different DVD player. The instruction manual says that the finalize step is supposed to allow for playing on any kind of DVD or computer - and if you'll remember back to my first post, the original reason for this purchase was to be able to copy movies from video disc to DVD and send them to my sister in Arizona - so if it won't play on my Dad's machine, what are the chances it will play on my Sister's?

Guess I'll have to send her one and find out - - - and the saga continues - - -