Oct. 14--What: Ion VCR 2 PC video conversion system.

Features: Lets you copy videos from VHS tapes directly to your PC, saving the video footage as . mpg files. Has RCA audio/video inputs to archive from external sources like video cameras. VCR has auto tracking, variable speed slow-motion, playback and rewind. Connects to Windows XP and Vista via a USB 2.0 port. Software helps burn videos to a DVD. Software also exports video to iPod or PSP format.

Retail price: $199.99.

Ups: It's a piece of cake to set up. All you need is a USB cord to connect it with the computer. And you can set the software to automatically stop recording in a certain amount of time, so you don't have to sit there for the transfer. The software lets you take multiple video clips you've saved and make them into a DVD -- just as long as your computer can burn DVDs.

Downs: The software is, well, kind of lame. When you're paying $200 for something, you wish the developers spent more time with the software.

For example, when you use the installation CD, the font for the installation instructions is small and hard to read.

Secondly, it doesn't do much. It saves the converted files to your computer; it doesn't edit video. Now it does let you cut unwanted footage from a video when you are using the software to burn a DVD (such as if you wanted to cut the ends of the video off because you recorded static). But it doesn't actually edit the video file saved to your computer.

So if you want to get snazzy, you'll need to use another editing program.

Bottom line: It's not always easy to set up your computer to record from your VCR or television. So if you're not tech savvy, you'll like this. It's a hassle-free way to preserve your family's VHS movies on your computer and burn them to a DVD.

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