Easily back-up DVR recordings to DVD.
Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
The satellite and cable DVR (Digital Video Recorder) has forced videocassette recorders into obsolescence thanks to the ease with which recordings can be made and played back. However -- unlike tapes -- recordings cannot be easily archived, while copy-protected pay-TV broadcasts cannot be exported at all. You can copy unencrypted television and video recordings much more easily; simply back them up to disc by connecting the DVR to a DVD recorder using good-quality analog video and audio cables and re-record your movies in real time.
Step 1
Switch on the TV and DVD recorder and check that the TV is receiving video and audio output signals by inserting and playing a pre-recorded disc.
Step 2
Insert the yellow, red and white RCA plugs into the color-coded "Output" sockets at the rear of the DVR, using the "S-Video" cable in place of the yellow RCA, if you have one. Connect the plugs at the other end of the cable to the recorder's "Input" sockets and press "Play" to confirm that the TV is monitoring the output of the DVD recorder properly.
Step 3
Select the DVR movie track to be copied and press "Play." Using the DVD recorder's remote control, select the "Input" option corresponding to the connections you have made; this will normally be "L1," "L2" or "Line In." The DVR's video and audio playback will loop through to the TV set.
Step 4
Format a blank disc in the DVD recorder. When you are ready to record, select the "Rec Pause" or "Record Standby" mode. Press the DVR's "Play" button again and simultaneously start the DVD recording.
Step 5
Stop when the recording is complete and replay it to ensure that the picture and sound quality is satisfactory. Change its recording mode settings and repeat the process if required.
Tip
- If you are unsure about which DVD compression setting to apply, make a test recording using a re-writable disc.
References
Photo Credits
- Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
