Newbie needs help copying VHS to DVD

[peaches4]

We have a Pioneer DVR810H with Tivo. Am trying to make back-up copies of my Disney VHS tapes since we only have 1 working VCR in the house, and 3 DVD players. Keep getting the message about "copyright protections". How can we get around this? We aren't making copies to sell, we are just trying to get the videos we bought and paid for into a format that we can watch. Surely there is a way! Help please! :eek:

[petew]

A company called Sima make various products designed to enhance the quality of a video signal when making legal backup copies. One such device is on sale at Circuit City:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sima-GoDVD-Digital-Video-Duplicator-CT-200-/sem/rpsm/oid/126264/catOid/-12885/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

[peaches4]

Thank you! I didn't think I was doing anything illegal and knew there must be a way! You helped alot! God bless you in 2006!

[ZeoTiVo]

Thank you! I didn't think I was doing anything illegal and knew there must be a way! You helped alot! God bless you in 2006!

Not that it is any big deal to me if you move your tapes onto new media, but you should know that what you are doing - breaking the copy protection flags on the VHS movies by stripping the VBI bits off with the device petew suggested is indeed illegal under the law. I post this mainly just to keep clarity about what current copyright laws are like and what fair use rights people do not have. Undfer the DMCA law alone, breaking a copy protection scheme by any means is illegal and you have no legal fair use of those tapes other than to play them in a VCR until they fall apart.

I almost posted to poke a little fun at PeteW and the very studied description of the device to indentify a legitimate use of the device so the device itself is not illegal. ;)


if you think your should have teh fair use legally of moving from VHS to DVD on your own then write your gov. reps. and let them know.