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Are you a digital pack rat? We here at PC Magazine tend to capture the moment and let it live on and on and on…and on. I'm sure you have your moments, too. How do you save them for posterity?
As people increasingly turn to digital cameras, camcorders and DVD media, VCRs more frequently sit on shelves collecting dust, waiting on stand by for that occasional walk down memory lane. Whereas a few years ago it was confusing and time consuming to convert VHS tapes to DVDs, this year has seen some great products that are easy to use (as in one-button simple) and don't even require a PC. Don't put off preserving your memories much longer, check out the Sony DVDirect VRD-VC20.
If you need to make a lot of CD or DVD copies, whether a music compilation of your favorite songs to be given out as party favors or a DVD slideshow of special photos, the Aleratec DVD Copy Cruiser can do it in no time flat. It, too, doesn't require a PC and has LightScribe technology built in, so you can quickly and cleanly label your disks and stay organized.
If you're a PVR junkie and simply must record every episode of your favorite show, not to mention your wife's and kid's shows as well, you might want to invest in an external hard drive—one with lots of space, like the Seagate External Hard Drive (400 GB). You can safely save every episode and back it up to the hard drive for later viewing or safekeeping. This will help offload all of your digital medium and ensure that your PC continues to work like it should without getting too bogged down.
Let your precious memories—and coveted B-sides, season one of Lost, and 20-minute home movie of that sunset from somewhere—live on forever.
In this roundup:
Aleratec DVD/CD Copy Cruiser Pro LS
The Aleratec DVD/CD Copy Cruiser Pro LS integrates a disc duplicator and disc printer in one dedicated unit.
Sony DVDirect VRD-VC20
Do you desperately want to move those VHS tapes or camcorder clips over to DVD? Sony DVDirect VRD-VC20 ($299 direct) lets you accomplish both of these chores without the need to connect to a computer.
Seagate External Hard Drive (400 GB)
Seagate has a storage solution for all you digital pack rats out there. The 400GB Seagate External Hard Drive ($399 list) offers a copious reserve of disk space that lets you store and back up your video files, digital photos, music, and more.