Transferring VHS to DVD

[Larry Cook]

I'd love to transfer my family home videos from VHS to DVD.  The services I've 
seen charge $20-$50 for transferring a 2 hour tape to DVD.  Since I've got 
15-20 tapes, I figure I might as well invest the money in my own equipment.

Can anyone give me their experiences with doing this on Linux and what h/w and 
s/w is needed?  Or point me to any good material on the topic?

Or am I better off just buying a standalone (as in stereo home entertainment 
component) DVD-player/recorder?  They seem to start at around $400.

Thanks,
Larry