In shopping for a DVD burner, I've found nothing one can just go into a
store and buy that advertises itself as region-free, and have no idea
which if any could be converted to such and how to do so.

Some are advertised online as region-free, but I have no idea of any
guide as to which brands and companies are most reliable.

What I want to be able to do is both burn DVDs and receive them, from
people not only in North America but England and possibly South Africa
as well. I would need capability for those regions at least. Also,
any DVD burner I purchase has to take videotape as I want to transfer
old home movies on videotape to DVD format.

So my first question is:

1. Could anyone offer advice on brands and suppliers of the most
reasonable and reliable machines for this?

The other question concerns making the DVDs themselves. I've shot a
bunch of footage on 8mm videotape and would like to edit the best of it
together into DVDs for people, I haven't decided how many yet.

So my second question is:

2. Could I edit one version of my tapes either onto VHS tape or onto a
DVD, then burn that version onto however many DVDs I need? Or, for the
sake of clarity, must I make EVERY copy directly from the 8mm, meaning
rewinding and editing the footage for EACH copy?

Thanks for any advice; I am truly lost here.

Cori

On 27 Oct 2005 12:02:02 -0700, cmashieldscapting@hotmail.com wrote:

You can use hacked firmware. The Nec 3540 can be made region free.

Check out the thread on CDFreaks:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=86

Liggy & Dees version is popular:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=150385

http://liggydee.cdfreaks.com/page/3540/



--

If you build a man a fire and he will be warm for a day. If you
set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.

Burned dvds are region free, only commerical dvds have region coding....YOu
still will have to deal with the PAL/NTSC video differences..North America
and Japan use NTSC, the rest of the world uses PAL, although for playback on
a PC monitor, NTSC/PAL is irrelevent, but playback on a regular dvd player
connected to a tv could pose a problem...


<cmashieldscapting@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1130436891.839049.177680@g49g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

From: "Biz" <spam...@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 00:26:26 GMT

Burned dvds are region free, only commerical dvds have region
coding....YOu
still will have to deal with the PAL/NTSC video differences..North
America
and Japan use NTSC, the rest of the world uses PAL, although for
playback on
a PC monitor, NTSC/PAL is irrelevent, but playback on a regular dvd
player
connected to a tv could pose a problem...

You mean I could play them there foreign DVDs on my PC and not have to
buy a fancy machine to play 'em? What about DVDs I burn? Can the
foreigners play them on a DVD player connected to their TV, or only on
a PC? Thanks.

Cori

On Fri, 28 Oct 2005 21:33:07 +1300, GraB <grab@whatever.co.nz> wrote:

Recommended brands of burner: NEC 3540.

Use LD1.W7 firmware.

See CDFreaks for details.

--

If you build a man a fire and he will be warm for a day. If you
set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.

"Bob" <spam@uce.gov> wrote in message
news:4361eea0.236312265@news-server.houston.rr.com...
As you can see, Bob is an NEC-nut. There is alot of support for Pioneer and
Benq though.

On Fri, 28 Oct 2005 11:44:48 +0100, "Atropos"
<davewhite122000Nowdontbesillylads@yahoo.com> wrote:

Actually not. I am merely expressing the consensus I have gathered
over the past several months from the "experts". However it appears
that the Benq 1640 is coming on strong so it deserves my attention
too.

The single thing that sold me on the 3540 was the broad support it
has. DVD burners are just coming out of infancy, and their past has
been a miserable experience for most people. I like it when misery has
company.

I see that the support for the Benq 1640 is growing solidly. But I do
not see it for the Pioneer in the computer burner area. However
Pioneer has always been the top line unit for DVDRs, as I understand
it. I suspect that Pioneer rebrands some second rate OEM product when
it comes to burners.


--

If you build a man a fire and he will be warm for a day. If you
set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.

Wow, thanks for all the answers and I will certainly check out this
forum http://club.cdfreaks.com/ before buying anything.

Cori

The DVD burner advice was most welcome.

Does anyone know of a similar site which might rate cell phones? I go
into Wal-Mart and there's like 20 kinds, and for all I know maybe all
of them are crap and I should buy something else, somewhere else.
Don't even know where to start but really need to! And then there's
the matter of subscribing to a service! I really need help!

Thanks.

Cori

Part 2 of my DVD burner question (before buying anything):

I have a Macintosh G4, presumably with DVD burning capabilities (though
I've not burned so much as a CD on it yet).

1. What is this device that can channel video pictures through the
computer? Is it called a capture card? Where to get one and what are
the best brands?

2. Does this device have audio/video in/out jacks like a VCR does? If
so, I could presumably connect my video camera directly to it and go
straight from 8 mm to DVD without the intermediate step of videotape?

AND NOW FOR THE MILLION-DOLLAR QUESTION:

If I want a whole bunch of copies of the same thing, is there a way to
edit ONE DVD the way I want it, then duplicate THAT DVD any number of
times using the computer I already have? Or do I gotta either buy
ANOTHER DVD burner, or edit the tape over and over and over with EACH
DVD?

Thanks, experts.

Cori