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Technology Bytes
by Francine Brokaw
Dazzle from Pinnacle
The last shipment of VHS tapes were sent out in December, meaning no one is producing them any more. Let’s face it. VHS is obsolete. It has gone the way of Beta and 8 Track. The newest technology is Blue Ray, which is soon to make DVDs obsolete, but that won’t be for several years. In the meantime, to keep up with technology and to make sure your home movies will still be viewable, you should convert them from VHS or whatever other format (High 8, etc,) that they are currently on to DVD. If you happen to have a Blue-ray recorder, then by all means go for that, but since they are fairly new on the market, they are scarce and highly expensive. Most people already have a DVD burner.
The Dazzle DVD Recorder is an incredible little gadget. All you need to convert your videos onto DVD is this unit, a computer with a DVD recorder, a spare USB port, a source (a VHS player, camera, etc.) and either a RCA Video Cable or an S-Video Cable. The cables are not included in the package but are easily located in any technology store. You probably already have them in your house, if you’re into electronics.
The first thing you do is install the software. Then plug the Dazzle unit into your computer and connect it to your source machine and you’re ready to go. That’s all there is to it. Talk about easy!
The next step is to start up the Pinnacle Instant DVD Recorder software and let the wizard guide you through the simple steps. You’ll select the source from which you are converting and then the location of your DVD burner. What’s cool about this software is that it allows you the opportunity to include a menu on your DVD. You can select how long you want each section to be then the program automatically inserts splits up your video while it is burning it. You can also select how you want your menu to look. There are many different styles from which to choose. And you have the opportunity to title your new DVD for a professional finished product.
Now that the wizard has guided you through the few simple steps, all you do next is start the program and start your VHS tape. That’s it. You can view the tape while it is being converted, or you can leave the room, grab a cup of coffee or a sandwich and let the program do its thing. There is nothing more required from you.
I don’t know about you, but I definitely want to convert all of my VHS tapes to DVD. Ultimately, in several years from now we’ll be converting those DVDs to Blue-ray, but for the time being this is the best way to preserve and protect your VHS programs. And who wants to lose their home movies of their summer vacation or their kids’ birthday parties?
The Dazzle is small, light weight, and cute. No doubt about it, this is the easiest way to transfer your outdated VHS tapes to DVDs that can be viewed on any DVD player. I love this little unit. It’s one of the most useful tech gadgets I’ve come across in a long time.
© 2009 Francine Brokaw
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