Home Theater

  1. Home
  2. Electronics & Gadgets
  3. Home Theater

Can DVD recorders record audio-only DVDs?

By Robert Silva, About.com

Question: Can DVD recorders record audio-only DVDs?
Answer: DVD recorders typcially cannot record audio-only onto a DVD, a video signal must be present. However, you can record video without audio.

Based on this, one option you have is to record a non-important video-only source as well as your intended audio source. Just plug in any video source to the video input (not the antenna or cable input) and the audio from your the stereo audio inputs from your tape deck or CD player that are associated with the same video input, and you should be OK. Since you aren't concerned about video quality on this, you can record up to six hours of audio on your DVD using the lowest record setting (some DVD recorders now have an 8-hour mode as well).

When you play the DVD back, you don't have to watch the video part Just remember that you can only play a DVD on a DVD player -- your recording will not play on a CD player. The audio recorded on a DVD is encoded into the 2-channel Dolby Digital audio format.

Back To DVD Recorder FAQ Intro Page

More Home Theater Q&A

Explore Home Theater

About.com Special Features

Home Theater

  1. Home
  2. Electronics & Gadgets
  3. Home Theater
  4. DVD/Blu-ray/HD-DVD / LD/VCD
  5. DVD Players/Recorders
  6. DVD Recorder FAQs
  7. Can DVD recorders record audio-only DVDs?

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.