4 replies to this topic

[creativejuice]

Unearthing a well-produced ballet DVD at a reasonable price is very much like panning for gold!  You almost need a Web Bloodhound to sniff out the gems from all the over-priced lemons!  I can only comment on finding ballet DVDs from Canada.  I try to buy from Canadian venues because of shipping costs ($3 to $8) per DVD and the cost of failing to sneak a ballet through Canada Customs (add 20 to 40% to price).  So that Swan Lake DVD you thought was a steal at $20 (Canadian dollars), all of sudden shoots up to $39 with shipping and Customs!  Egad!  
My favorite Canadian website is    http://www.amazon.ca...6832136-8115244  

Amazon offers the best value, free shipping (if your order tops $39), and good reviews by Amazon reviewers and customers.  
My least favorite website is  :green:  http://www.chapters....A611C44EDFB1304  :green:
Most of the titles are out of stock, offer just a brief description, and are overpriced.  For example http://www.chapters....40B51A8739A2504

Compared to

http://www.amazon.ca...6832136-8115244

Other sources include ballet companies (often $10 more than priced in stores) and http://www.ebay.ca/ or http://www.ebay.com

In Toronto, you can sometimes find bargains at HMV (especially on Boxing Day) and the World’s Biggest Bookstore (which also carries DVDs).  

Tip #1: Shop, shop, shop, shop AROUND!!!

Of course, the best deal of all is TV!   :grinning: PBS and CBC will show full-length ballets from time to time.  The only problem here is VHS tapes don’t last forever and don’t offer the same quality as DVD.  I can’t afford a DVD recorder.  When I do buy DVD ballets I look for Royal Ballet productions, which have never disappointed.  Be careful when buying abroad.  You want to ensure the format matches yours.  

* Ballet Alert should rename this topic DVDophiles because Videophiles will soon be extinct!  Unfortunately, many ballet companies have yet to make the conversion of offering ballets in DVD format.  I would dearly love to purchase Balanchine ballets but unfortunately they are only available in video format http://www.nycballet...llet/balvid.asp

[Giannina]

Remember laser discs?  I have ballets on laserdiscs and am having a hard time finding some of them on other formats without paying a fortune.  For a while I couldn't find Royal Ballet's "Manon", and now that I have it's very costly.  Even more costly is "Prince of the Pagodas"; for a ballet that generally gets negative reviews it certainly comes at a hefty price.  

Does anyone know of a means of converting laser disc recordings to tapes or DVD's?  Can you go to a VHS/DVD store and have it done?

Giannina

[creativejuice]

Below is a link on how to convert from VHS to DVD:
http://www.post-gaze...829lindich5.asp

Most of the websites I researched charge between $10 to $25 to convert from VHS to DVD: The cost sometimes of a DVD.

http://www.videoscre...CONVERSIONS.htm

Below is information on converting laser discs to DVD:
  
http://www.xpmce.com...c-t7215-f-.html

FYI: I also own The Prince of the Pagodas – only in video format.

[opvidfan]

It is very simple to convert/copy laser disc to DVD. A DVD +R, I have the Philips 985 and will probably get the Sony RDR GX7.  Your DVD R must have RW capabilities as the shorter lengths of the LD means that you have to usually edit and splice onto a RW DVD disc and you cannot do that on R only burners unless you use the hard drive.

The Philips will record whatever signal goes into them.  Either a tuner or external sources, they have 5 different variants of inputs.  They will also copy in PAL, SECAM or NTSC but will not convert from one system to another.

Ray

[creativejuice]

Thanks, I found one Philips 985 priced at about $570 Canadian.  Not too bad.  When dubbing from VHS to DVD, how do you find the quality?  How much is lost in the transfer?