Worse, the included software crashed repeatedly. The alternative, which copies video to your hard drive first and then burns it to disc, performed better, but resulting A/V quality was by far the worst we’ve seen: Video was blown out and there was a loud hum in the background of the audio track. The direct-to-DVD mode produced video so unwatchably garbled that we had to abort the transfer midway through. Connect one end to your VCR and the other to your PC (by USB), and you should be ready to make video transfers. Jonathan Snyder/WiredThis little silver brick tries so hard to dump video from your VHS tapes to DVD, but it’s really not up to the task.

Most expensive option, plus you're actually buying a new VCR in 2008. DVDs must be manually finalized, an option buried deep in the setup menu. _TIRED: _Exceptionally complex, even in supposed 'direct dubbing' mode. Also records direct to DVD from broadcast or other external sources. No PC required, just a TV to watch while you dub. _WIRED: _Best quality of any DVD dubbing device we reviewed. Soccer moms won't get to touch up their title screens with cute graphics: You get no title menus on completed discs. No audio output while you preview your transfer. Fine transfer quality with no noticeable flaws. _WIRED: _USB and FireWire input jacks plus memory-card slots let you burn straight from camcorder or memory card (you can even make photo CDs). For the plug-and-play set, this is unquestionably the VHS-transfer solution to get.

Of course, with no PC connection there's no way to edit movies: This is only for bulk transfers that don't need a lot of touching up. You don't even need a TV: The DVDirect has a 2.5-inch LCD right on the device so you can preview what you're recording. Just connect the RCA composite cables to your tape deck's A/V out jacks, insert a blank DVD, and hit record. Jonathan Snyder/WiredDoes granny need to transfer some VHS to DVD? Get her Sony’s machine - it’s the easiest unit we tested.

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