Need a faster format converter

Bill Myrick · Post by **Bill Myrick** » 11 Jan 2010 1:45 pm

I have copied some vhs tapes over to DVD's on my house dvd/vhs player and am trying to make a copy of them on my computer. They need to be converted to AVI and I have downloaded Magic DVD ripper which will do it but very slow --takes as long to convert an hour and 20 minute DVD as it did to record it !! ( one hour and twenty minutes )
What can do it faster ? Thanks.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 11 Jan 2010 2:37 pm

Nothing, really. In order to convert from the analog source (VHS) to the digital destination (DVD) the program has to play the actual tape at regular speed.

Bill Myrick · Post by **Bill Myrick** » 11 Jan 2010 2:58 pm

I'm sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I have already converted the vhs to dvd. Now what I want to do is put the dvd disc into my computer and make a copy of it and it needs to convert to AVI format so the copy from my computer will play in a DVD player. I have downloaded a program called Magic DVD ripper and it will do it but takes forever. I was hoping there was a faster converter program available.

Brian Kurlychek · Post by **Brian Kurlychek** » 11 Jan 2010 3:10 pm

Converting can take a long time depending on how fast your processor is and how much memory you have. As far as I know this is normal.

For me to convert a one and a half hour movie from capture to Mpeg-2 it can take up to 2 or 3 hours for the movie to convert on my Mac G4 with Dual Gig processors.

Bob Estes · Post by **Bob Estes** » 11 Jan 2010 4:19 pm

Bill, one solution would be to get a standalone dvd-cd duplicator. Once you have created the dvd just duplicate it. These units will dupe at 16x-20x. You can get units that dupe from 1 to 9 at a time.

Bill Myrick · Post by **Bill Myrick** » 12 Jan 2010 3:55 am

Bob : That would have been my next question. I have a cd duplicator here that I use to reproduce cd copies of our church services to mail to shut ins. It will make seven copies of an hour long service every 3 to 4 minutes. I have been seeing the dvd duplicators on ebay that look just like it and since I'm only doing the dvd's for my own use I would probably only need one or two copies ever so a smaller and less expensive one would suffice.
It seems odd to me that I can make the copy from VHS to dvd in my machine and that copy will play in any dvd players I've tried but somehow the computer won't copy it without going through the time consuming process.
Thanks, guys, I appreciate the input. Bill.

Brian Kurlychek · Post by **Brian Kurlychek** » 13 Jan 2010 4:55 am

Copying vs Converting: if you are simply copying an already mastered disc you can burn it in a matter of minutes using one of the duplicators you mentioned. If you are coverting formats the process will always take longer.

Bill Myrick · Post by **Bill Myrick** » 13 Jan 2010 6:19 am

Well the copy from VHS to DVD that I run on my recorder will play on any dvd player but I want a second copy of it and when I simply run a copy on my computer, it comes out in a weird "folders" type file and will not play on a dvd player. In order to copy it on my computer it has to be converted to an AVI format and that's what kills the time.
Anyway, I have ordered a Pioneer DVD/CD duplicator which should copy the DVD in 5 to 8 minutes. Thanks again, everybody. Bill.

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 13 Jan 2010 6:22 am

Try this one ,it's free and fast
http://www.koyotesoft.com/indexEn.html

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 13 Jan 2010 6:50 am

Bill on reading your post again it look like you do not have the codec to play dvd's on your comptuer, go here and download this...
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/XP_Codec_Pack.htm