How to Use a DVD Recorder with a Hard Drive

A DVD recorder with a hard drive gives you the flexibility to record custom DVDs with content from multiple sources. Video can be downloaded into the DVD recorder hard drive from a VCR, DVD player, camcorder, television, cable box, satellite box or computer hard drive. The various videos can then be edited, combined and compiled any way you want before being recorded onto a DVD. The hard drive also gives you the option to make DVD recordings at high speed.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• DVD Recorder with hard drive
• Blank DVDs
• Input devices
• Cables

1. Attach video source devices to your DVD recorder with hard drive. These sources can be a video camera, video player, computer or television broadcast. Plug cables from the outputs of the video source device into the input of the DVD recorder with hard drive.

2. Play the video on the source device while you record on the DVD recorder hard drive. Make sure to select "hard drive" or "HDD" on the DVD recorder. You must download your video to the hard drive in real time, but you can make a copy later at high speed.

3. Label each downloaded video. DVD recorders with hard drives allow you to type in titles for all entries. Be sure to use names you recognize easily. You may want to categorize them by date, subject or priority. Clean up the downloaded video any way you want. You can remove segments, consolidate segments, and create chapters.

4. Choose the video segments for your DVD. You can select as many as you want off your hard drive and record them in any order. You can also select the video quality of the DVD. The higher the quality, the less you can fit on each DVD. The standard setting is 2 hours of video on a DVD.

5. Buy blank DVDs in the format appropriate for your DVD recorder with hard drive. There are 2 formats: DVD+ and DVD-. They are not interchangeable. Look in your DVD recorder's instruction manual to find out which one your machine takes.

6. Record the DVD. Place the appropriate format DVD in the DVD recorder, give it a title and then press "Record DVD." The hard drive allows you to do this at high speed. A 2-hour DVD can be recorded in 10 to 15 minutes. This makes recording multiple copies of the same DVD quick and easy.

7. Remember to finish the newly recorded DVD. This step is essential if you want to play the DVD on any other DVD player. Select "Finish DVD" and choose a menu template. The DVD recorder will then finish the DVD in about 1 minute. The copy is now complete.

References

• Copy Old Video .com