Shall I buy separate VHS and PVR/DVD players?

[admin_exported]

I am new to this forum and I had a quick search through existing threads but could not find this precise question answered, certainly not in recent months, so would welcome advice from all you knowledgeable people.

My old (10yrs+) VCR packed up recently and I still have some films and home-recorded VHS tapes, the contents of which I would like to either transfer to DVD or hard disk or continue watching from the tapes. Am I best advised to buy a good DVD recorder/player (with or without HDD) and a cheapish separate, "disposable" VCR (if you can still buy them?) which I then get rid of? Or shall I buy a combi VHS/DVD player/recorder? From my research, I see Panasonic do some very good combis with VHS. But I also realise no, or very few, other manufacturers are even bothering to produce anything with VHS now so are any machines with VHS just useless technology to own? I imagine the transfer process would be much easier with an all-in-one?

All advice most welcome.

 

[John Duncan]

Keep them separate. I bought a top-notch three head VCR from eBay for about 40 quid, which can serve its purpose until you're done with it, leaving you free to buy a proper disc player (which a combi will not be, generalising).

 

[Anonymous]

That was quick. Thank you so much. That's given me a new idea (ebay) already.

Assuming you have already done transfers, what cables/connectors would you suggest to link the equipment?

(Sorry, you can tell I'm new to this ... but I learn quickly!)

 

[John Duncan]

I've done some to hard disk using scart to scart, but given the quality of VHS, any connection would do, even the yellow composite one with red and white for sound.

 

[Anonymous]

Great. Thanks for tips.