What did you shoot and capture on? If DV, then printing to tape and dubbing from a DV master is your best bet, since you will have minimized recompression and encoding.

I've had good luck using an S-VHS deck in VHS mode to make the VHS dubs. Use the S-Video connection to get a higher quality transfer.

Have you or anyone else know of any reputable yet low cost professional duplicator? I am considering this to be the best option (I dont' have to make the copies:) ) if the price is right. I don't want to lose too much profit.
Thanks,
Ben

The best way would be to make a MiniDV master from the Vegas timeline then go from a DV deck with component outputs into a VHS deck with Component Inputs, that will give you the least amount of degredation. It also wouln't hurt to use a TBC in the middle.

And to answer your second question, if you are looking for a good duplicator try out www.vipdubs.com it is a company that I work for in Madison Wisconsin and we are well known in the area for providing short run high quality VHS dubs with a quick turnaround.

I shot the film with a sony dcr-trv27, which is a dv camcorder. I am still relitively new to the vhs thing. Do you mean print to a dv tape and then with the dv tape in my camcorder, connect it to my vcr and press play on the camcorder and record on my vcr? sorry if this is a real newbie question. I figured out the dvd stuff very quickly, but this vhs stuff is much different. Go figure.
Thanks for the help,
Ben
p.s. my vcr is one of those dvd/vcr made by samsung (dvd-v1000 I think)

Print to DV tape often also goes through the camera to the analogue outputs which as composite video can go to your Samsung VHS+DVD machine. If you don't have outputs enabled when you are receiving DV from your PC, either because there are no outputs or because it just doesn't, then you can go to tape first, rewind then go out to VHS. This of course adds wear to your precious camera (via DV tape).

A timebase corrector without proc-amp controls will only add noise. DV generations are timebase accurate where you have no external sync capability in your deck, which you don't. External proc-amp controls can help with non-standard levels, which I'd recommend using the NTSC clamping filter to overcome in Vegas.

Going via SVIDEO or component (neither an option on your Samsung I'd wager) makes up for the cable, but the signal on VHS is composite anyway so if folk can see the difference, then they have poor cabling and/or a poorly engineered VCR.

The best way to be sure that you are doing good business by providing VHS at your set price is to subjectively test your work. A reputable duplicator will have a sample of their output on VHS for you to compare.

Don't expect much more than 6 months use of your Samsung if you are doing regular runs of these transfers.
The way DVD players are going, next year you'll be getting one free with every blank DVD-R you buy ;) .

I never do any duping if there are more than 5 or so prints required, myself.

Can recommend :
Allied Vaughn
____________________________________________

Work: 800-323-0281

Address: 7951 Computer Avenue
Minnepolis, MN 55435

For a couple of bucks each (generally under $3 depending on tape length) they do everything, you don't waste time, or brutalize your machinery.

v.

I am no video professional, just a hobbiest. Captured some old family movies off of VHS and 8mm with the Canopus ADVC1394 and Vegas. Scanned a couple hundred photographs and imported into Vegas. Layed down some sentimental songs using Vegas. Produced a VCD. Dubbed the VCD to a new Sony VHS machine and a Maxell tape. Distributed copies to 10 family members. All were very, very impressed. Most had tears in their eyes by the end of the video which easily blurs any graininess (ha ha).

Moral of the story. Take 23 minutes and dub the DVD to a VHS tape a see for yourself.
You may think its worth what you are charging for the taped version.