The absolute best solution to the need to (legally) copy a DVD to video tape is to use a DVD player which allows the Macrovision protection to be turned off. DVD players, unlike VCR's, must generate the Macrovision signal during playback since it cannot be encoded digitally on the DVD (it is an analog scheme). A DVD simply includes a "copy protection" bit, and if it is set "on" then the DVD player will add Macrovision to the converted analog video output.

Check out the APEX AD600A DVD player, sold at Circuit City for only $170. Among other unique abilities, it can be programmed to ignore a DVD's copy protection bit and output without Macrovision at all times. This allows a copy to be made which is as close to the original as possible, since no outboard Macrovision "cleaner" or other post-processing is required. Other features of the APEX include (believe it or not): multi-region, PAL or NTSC output, PAL to NTSC (or vice-verse) conversion, reads DVD - VCD - SVCD - CD - CDR - CDRW, plays MP3 files burned to CDR/W (open, closed, or multisession), karaoke w/two microphone inputs, playback control can be turned off to access DVD chapters in "raw" mode, component - svideo - composite video outputs, analog and coaxial digital audio outputs, plus a whole lot more. Actually quite unbelievable for $170! Looks kind of cheap, but mine has held up well so far, and the Macrovision feature alone is worth the price.