Bill and I spent most of this day figuring out how to copy a VHS tape to a DVD recorder. We have a Magnavox dual recorder. Instructions came with it. But, as you probably suspect, it wasn’t easy. I don’t know if it’s me or the instructions. I know most of us older folk have a hard time with the new technology. We probably have a hard time processing all this new information because our heads are full of a lifetime of information. Younger folk have an easier time learning the new technology because their minds are relatively uncluttered. Some might say even say "empty."
Bill used to be an electronics technician with General Electric but he retired 25 years ago. There have been a lot of changes since he retired. He knows circuit boards but not micro chips. He’s pretty good in hooking up the wires but I’m the one who is better at reading instructions and following the steps. Not that it’s easy for me, it isn’t. In fact it’s getting harder and harder. I keep to a minimum the new things I have to learn with my computer and other tech gadgets. I don’t even have an I-pod yet. I don’t plan to get one anytime soon either. I still don't know how to do all the gee gaws on my cell phone either.
So this morning I put an old VHS tape in one side of the machine and a rewritable DVD in the other side. Then I dive into the instruction booklet that came with the Magnavox machine. Right away I can tell the instructions were written by a committee. They’re all over the place. They assume I already have some knowledge (which I don’t.) So I read the instructions and then try to figure out what is logical. At least logical as to how a Chinese would think (since they write most of the instruction booklets.)
Bill was stumped because he was trying to write a title on the DVD before he recorded it. He couldn’t figure out how to do it. I couldn’t either. Then I figured the logical thing would probably be to write the title AFTER the recording. I was right. Bill said that didn't make sense. I told him it doesn't matter, you have to think the way the people who wrote the instruction booklet think.
I started the recording. It was a two hour VHS tape. After two long hours I checked the instruction book again to find out how to title the DVD. First thing I see is the default title already on the DVD which was today’s date. I wanted to erase that so logically I chose “Delete Title.” Well, I deleted the WHOLE DVD. It seems that “Title” is their word for RECORDED DVD. It turns out that I should have EDITED the title. So I had to record another whole two hours. That I did and then I EDITED the title. Job finished. By now Bill wasn’t talking to me. We don’t work well together. Never have. It’s like two guys dancing together. We’re both trying to lead. But we got it done.
We’re going to take a break from recording our VHS tapes to DVD’s for now. But I’m glad I know how to do it now. This is another project for my retirement, to record all of my VHS tapes. I have literally several hundred VHS tapes. Thank God I stopped taking videos years ago and concentrated on taking digital pictures. Now the next project is to transfer all my negatives (and I do have all my negatives since I started taking pictures when I was a kid) and slides to digital format. I have that machine. I haven't even taken its plastic cover off of it yet. I have to give my poor brain a rest before I attack another instruction book again. And when Bill is talking to me again.
Bill used to be an electronics technician with General Electric but he retired 25 years ago. There have been a lot of changes since he retired. He knows circuit boards but not micro chips. He’s pretty good in hooking up the wires but I’m the one who is better at reading instructions and following the steps. Not that it’s easy for me, it isn’t. In fact it’s getting harder and harder. I keep to a minimum the new things I have to learn with my computer and other tech gadgets. I don’t even have an I-pod yet. I don’t plan to get one anytime soon either. I still don't know how to do all the gee gaws on my cell phone either.
So this morning I put an old VHS tape in one side of the machine and a rewritable DVD in the other side. Then I dive into the instruction booklet that came with the Magnavox machine. Right away I can tell the instructions were written by a committee. They’re all over the place. They assume I already have some knowledge (which I don’t.) So I read the instructions and then try to figure out what is logical. At least logical as to how a Chinese would think (since they write most of the instruction booklets.)
Bill was stumped because he was trying to write a title on the DVD before he recorded it. He couldn’t figure out how to do it. I couldn’t either. Then I figured the logical thing would probably be to write the title AFTER the recording. I was right. Bill said that didn't make sense. I told him it doesn't matter, you have to think the way the people who wrote the instruction booklet think.
I started the recording. It was a two hour VHS tape. After two long hours I checked the instruction book again to find out how to title the DVD. First thing I see is the default title already on the DVD which was today’s date. I wanted to erase that so logically I chose “Delete Title.” Well, I deleted the WHOLE DVD. It seems that “Title” is their word for RECORDED DVD. It turns out that I should have EDITED the title. So I had to record another whole two hours. That I did and then I EDITED the title. Job finished. By now Bill wasn’t talking to me. We don’t work well together. Never have. It’s like two guys dancing together. We’re both trying to lead. But we got it done.
We’re going to take a break from recording our VHS tapes to DVD’s for now. But I’m glad I know how to do it now. This is another project for my retirement, to record all of my VHS tapes. I have literally several hundred VHS tapes. Thank God I stopped taking videos years ago and concentrated on taking digital pictures. Now the next project is to transfer all my negatives (and I do have all my negatives since I started taking pictures when I was a kid) and slides to digital format. I have that machine. I haven't even taken its plastic cover off of it yet. I have to give my poor brain a rest before I attack another instruction book again. And when Bill is talking to me again.
