| Author |
Message |
LASERandDVDfan
Guest
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 Posted:
Sat Nov 06, 2004 7:33 am Post subject:
Re: RCA SelectaVision VCR instructions |
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| Quote: | But I can only record from channels 2 to 12. Is that an inherent limitation
of this model (they had only 12 channels in those days?), or is there a way
to get round it?
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Forgot to say.
Check on the VCR, front and back, for a switch with indications like STD, HRC,
or IRC.
If your VCR doesn't have the tuner that I'm thinking of, then it might be cable
ready, but the channels you could access may still be limited.
It almost sounds like the thing is set to ANTENNA mode. - Reinhart
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LASERandDVDfan
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Jan 14, 2005 8:41 am Post subject:
Re: DVD/VCR combo recommendations ... |
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| Quote: | A combo unit also lets you easily and cleanly copy tapes to DVD. I
just cue and pause the tape and when I hit DVD record it starts the
recording and tape at the same time. Onscreen messages (PLAY, etc.)
from the VCR are suppressed too.
|
That is if the DVD/VCR combo has a DVD recorder built in. There are a lot of
combo units that has a DVD player.
And, the problem still exists in that you have 10 pounds of stuff in a 7 pound
package. - Reinhart |
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LASERandDVDfan
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Jan 14, 2005 8:41 am Post subject:
Re: VCRs Being Made Poorly These days |
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| Quote: | I've gotten far more tired trying to
watch a cruddy low resolution VHS tape with it's muddy picture and fuzzy
sound. It seriously takes actual effort to watch VHS. It's so primitive
and low quality you'd think it was invented in the 1800's.
|
I wouldn't go to that extreme.
But, VHS was a product of the 1970s, which by itself can make people cringe.
Although, optical discs were also inventions of the 70s as well as Star Wars.
But, optical discs are here now while VHS is there out. - Reinhart |
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LASERandDVDfan
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Jan 14, 2005 8:41 am Post subject:
Re: VCRs Being Made Poorly These days |
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| Quote: | You are forgetting something-dvds are very sensitive to scratches, and
therefore totally useless for lenting/hiring/renting.The VHS tape
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Yet, DVDs are in extremely popular use in the rental establishment with no
signs of failing.
| Quote: | however,
with its protective flap can last +20 years in rough usage.
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1. Anyone can open the flap and touch the tape.
2. The protective flap does not protect against normal wear-n-tear.
3. The protective flap does not protect against a malfunctioning VCR.
4. The 20+ estimate is under very ideal conditions. The real world can be
something else.
| Quote: | And, according to
medical studies, read here www.spiegel.de
(a german magazine also online) the compressing/lossy algorithm with its
missing information makes you tired, because your brain tries to recover the
missing information with extra efforts.
|
That's a load of hooey. When properly executed (and it usually is done very
well and very often), MPEG2 perceptual does not result in any significant loss
of perceived information.
If you really wanted to be anal about it, then you could also complain the same
thing about VHS since you have half the luma resolution and very low chroma
resolution.
Loss of information is ALWAYS an effect with recording and reproduction
regardless if it's analogue or digital, which is what a lot of people like you
never think about when attempting to make an argument.
I've been using DVDs for well over five years and I never feel tired while
watching.
However, it does help to have a high quality display that is optimally
calibrated, which is the case with my Sony KV-27S66.
Makes my DVDs, LaserDiscs, Beta, CED, and even VHS look real good.
It's especially great with DVD since I can enjoy my widescreen DVDs with
anaorphic enhancement thanks to the hidden 16x9 mode in my Sony.
Of course, that's something the
| Quote: | companies try to hide (to make you throw away your good ol'VCR to get the
'perfect' dvd player).
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DVD isn't perfect. But VHS can't beat it for affordable high resolution
reproduction of your favorite movies and TV shows.
Of course, D-VHS would be better as it does deliver true HD video, but it's way
too expensive with a very small marketshare and hardly any software support.
Now, before you parade D-VHS, note that you presented an argument against
preceptual video encoding as a negative on DVDs, a.k.a. compression, which is
also what's used in D-VHS.
| Quote: | Tzortzakakis Dimitriļs
major in electrical engineering, freelance electrician
|
Electrician, huh? Here's some advice. Try not to make any kind of valid
argument involving audiovisual reproduction without first knowing what you are
talking about.
The only correlation an electrician may have with A/V technology is that A/V
equipment requires electricity. - Reinhart |
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Mark Arya
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Jan 20, 2005 4:12 am Post subject:
Re: VCRs Being Made Poorly These days |
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In article <20050114004347.10976.00000113@mb-m02.aol.com>,
laseranddvdfan@aol.com (LASERandDVDfan) wrote:
| Quote: | I wouldn't go to that extreme.
But, VHS was a product of the 1970s, which by itself can make people cringe.
Although, optical discs were also inventions of the 70s as well as Star Wars.
But, optical discs are here now while VHS is there out. - Reinhart
|
Optical discs were, but DVD's certainly weren't. The technology needed
to create DVD didn't even exist until the 1990s. DVD is far more
advanced than the simplistic optical discs they were experimenting with
in the 1970s. On the other hand, todays VHS is no different than the VHS
from the 1970s. Take away the stereo sound and they're pretty much
identical. |
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Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Jan 20, 2005 5:14 pm Post subject:
Re: VCRs Being Made Poorly These days |
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Mark Arya wrote:
| Quote: | In article <20050114004347.10976.00000113@mb-m02.aol.com>,
laseranddvdfan@aol.com (LASERandDVDfan) wrote:
I wouldn't go to that extreme.
But, VHS was a product of the 1970s, which by itself can make
people cringe.
Although, optical discs were also inventions of the 70s as well as
Star Wars.
But, optical discs are here now while VHS is there out. - Reinhart
Optical discs were, but DVD's certainly weren't. The technology
needed
to create DVD didn't even exist until the 1990s. DVD is far more
advanced than the simplistic optical discs they were experimenting
with
in the 1970s. On the other hand, todays VHS is no different than the
VHS
from the 1970s. Take away the stereo sound and they're pretty much
identical.
|
I see your point, but I wouldn't say they are "pretty much identical",
that's a bit far. The vhs decks of the 70s used crude mechanics,
generally had no freeze frame or pic search, no IR remote control, no
HQ and other signal processing refinements, little in the way of
microprocessor control (which made possible features such as timers,
auto program search and clock setup), PDC, Videoplus/showview, decoder
in and outputs, tape recording speeds, multiple video heads, teletext,
intelligent speed change in timner rec.....
If we are talking about the standard/format's design spec, based on
principles of helical scan recording etc. then of course that standard
is established, but countless refinements have taken place at the
product design level/ user end.
In similar principle to helical scan recording (which is the same then
and now), DVD and Laserdisc have shared principles too : both use
optical pickups and laser technology, and digitize/convert information.
Of course what happens to that signal afterwards has radically changed
as have refinemtns like layering. But the principle behind the idea is
arguably the same. In that respect I see a parallel between DVD and
VHS.
-Ben |
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Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:51 pm Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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AMO wrote:
snip>
| Quote: | VCRs have matured, and you get a lot for your money. A sub-£50
machine
today is like one that was £300+ 5-6 years ago.
AMO
|
Nonsense. It appears you lack the technical background in this field,
as you seem to judge all this on price alone.
The policy of the big manufacturers in these last dying days of the vcr
is to OEM their product out to budget manufacturers like Funai. VCRs
are cheap today because the build quality has dropped into the abyss.
5-6 years ago, things were better in that regard, although in many
manufacturers the decline had already set in by then.
However, I take your point that you get a lot of features for the cash
,such as Nicam stereo, multi head systems, more inputs etc. But you
fail to see that features and price alone do not make for a good vcr.
There is a whole lot of tchnical aspects to all this which you haven't
covered.
This week alone, i have had to repair a Philips (15 mths old) and an
Aiwa (4 years old). Both are a shadow of the product those companies
used to sell, and the failures in the power supplies (latter) and deck
mech (former) were a direct result of shoddy engineering and/or use of
substandard components (inadequate capacitors, a cheapo load motor).
Where do you think the price cut comes from??
The original poster mentioned that they wanted to "avoid rock bottom
units". Sadly, most if not all, new vcrs fall into that category!!
regards, Ben |
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AMO
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:27 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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<reverend_rogers@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1108317101.687071.317520@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Nonsense. It appears you lack the technical background in this field,
as you seem to judge all this on price alone.
The policy of the big manufacturers in these last dying days of the vcr
is to OEM their product out to budget manufacturers like Funai. VCRs
are cheap today because the build quality has dropped into the abyss.
5-6 years ago, things were better in that regard, although in many
manufacturers the decline had already set in by then.
However, I take your point that you get a lot of features for the cash
,such as Nicam stereo, multi head systems, more inputs etc. But you
fail to see that features and price alone do not make for a good vcr.
There is a whole lot of tchnical aspects to all this which you haven't
covered.
This week alone, i have had to repair a Philips (15 mths old) and an
Aiwa (4 years old). Both are a shadow of the product those companies
used to sell, and the failures in the power supplies (latter) and deck
mech (former) were a direct result of shoddy engineering and/or use of
substandard components (inadequate capacitors, a cheapo load motor).
Where do you think the price cut comes from??
The original poster mentioned that they wanted to "avoid rock bottom
units". Sadly, most if not all, new vcrs fall into that category!!
regards, Ben
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
My point is that everything is relative.
I do not wish to reiterate time and time again the same point. You have to
compare like for like. You cannot trash a recommendation for a £50 VCR that
sold for £150-£200 a couple of years before with the argument of low quality
components when you are saying that one should instead buy a DVD Recorder
and say it only costs around £120. For £120, you are getting the bottom end
trash in the DVD Recorder arena. Don't think that you are getting anything
close to the best. For that you are looking at at least the £350 mark.
My point is that given the current state of DVD Recorders, i.e. being
relatively new, they have high depreciation and what people really need is
one with a hard drive, at the moment and for the next few years, it is
definately worth going for a VCR. As stuff on TV is not exactly 6.1 stereo
broadcase material high definition picture, there isn't exactly an argument
for DVD quality. The gains you get for spending the extra £100-£250 at the
moment don't really get you a lot.
AMO
p.s. whats with your postings? Whenever replying to them, they don't
indent. |
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Mozzy
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:56 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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On 13 Feb 2005, wrote:
| Quote: | Nonsense. It appears you lack the technical background in this
field, as you seem to judge all this on price alone.
The policy of the big manufacturers in these last dying days of
the vcr is to OEM their product out to budget manufacturers like
Funai. VCRs are cheap today because the build quality has
dropped into the abyss. 5-6 years ago, things were better in
that regard, although in many manufacturers the decline had
already set in by then.
However, I take your point that you get a lot of features for
the cash ,such as Nicam stereo, multi head systems, more inputs
etc. But you fail to see that features and price alone do not
make for a good vcr. There is a whole lot of tchnical aspects to
all this which you haven't covered.
This week alone, i have had to repair a Philips (15 mths old)
and an Aiwa (4 years old). Both are a shadow of the product
those companies used to sell, and the failures in the power
supplies (latter) and deck mech (former) were a direct result of
shoddy engineering and/or use of substandard components
(inadequate capacitors, a cheapo load motor). Where do you think
the price cut comes from??
The original poster mentioned that they wanted to "avoid rock
bottom units". Sadly, most if not all, new vcrs fall into that
category!!
|
I am the OP. These are very interesting points which you make.
It is sad that the parts are poorly made and/or designed so that they
are almost destined to fail within what would have been a normal
period of working.
It *is* possible to make products cheaper and just as reliable and/or
functional (I don't have the stats but things like wrist watches and
calculators come to mind).
It is a pity that VCRs have not got only cheaper but have also got
nastier. |
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AMO
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Feb 17, 2005 1:31 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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"Mozzy" <dem_d@mail.com> wrote in message
news:95FFCADFA672451A7E@130.133.1.4...
| Quote: | I am the OP. These are very interesting points which you make.
It is sad that the parts are poorly made and/or designed so that they
are almost destined to fail within what would have been a normal
period of working.
It *is* possible to make products cheaper and just as reliable and/or
functional (I don't have the stats but things like wrist watches and
calculators come to mind).
It is a pity that VCRs have not got only cheaper but have also got
nastier.
|
Mozzy, don't take the other person's view to extreme. All things in the
mass produced world work that way.
Cars today aren't built as sturdy as they used to be, but then people don't
want the same car for that amount of time. The same argument applies to
pretty much everything although in the case of houses probably a lot of
people would prefer the old style build.
Some of it is also a matter of perception. The new style PS2 is slim and
sleek. It can be argued to be not as solidly built as the older style PS2.
You can argue that point with the 2 different versions of the MegaDrive.
You could even argue that a laptop can't be that good because it is not as
sturdy as a desktop. But some of these arguments carry no weight
whatsoever.
If you want an item handcrafted from the ground up with care, you're
probably looking at around £1000 or more. You could probably write to Sony
and ask for a custom bespoke VCR crafted by the Engineer of Ultimate VCR
Research, manufactured in the Holy Plant of VCR Production, tested by the
Keen Sighted Couch Potatoe of Visual Appreciation, delivered via by Goddess
of Express and Graceful Deliveries with a thousand birds tooting a song when
she knocks on your door. It may cost you a bomb. But the item is still old
technology that hasn't improved much in the last few years and for the extra
you pay, you're not exactly getting a lot else.
If you spent £500 on a VCR 10 years ago, whilst it might be of slightly
better build, it would not be as good as a VCR purchased for £50 today. A
lot of features would not have existed back then.
Furthermore, the other person is not arguing reasonably. If you had £150 to
spend, you can get a high quality VCR or you can get a 'rock bottom' DVD
Recorder. You have to compare like for like.
Work out how much you spent on your last VCR. If you spend the same amount
on a VCR today, you're gonna get something great. Alternatively, you can
spend £50 on a good price/performance/value VCR I recommend and save
yourself some cash. Or if you really want, buy one for £30-40 rock bottom
and then if it goes wrong, hey, at the end of the day it was only £30-40.
Do you really think that you're going to get anything substantial on a DVD
Recorder with £30-40 in your pocket to spend?
As I said, compare like with like. If you are willing to spend £300+ on a
VCR like people did many years ago when VCRs were a reasonably new
technology, what you'd get today is not rock bottom trash.
AMO |
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Cullen Skink
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Feb 17, 2005 2:18 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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<reverend_rogers@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1108317101.687071.317520@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
This week alone, i have had to repair a Philips (15 mths old) and an
Aiwa (4 years old). Both are a shadow of the product those companies
used to sell, and the failures in the power supplies (latter) and deck
mech (former) were a direct result of shoddy engineering and/or use of
substandard components (inadequate capacitors, a cheapo load motor).
Where do you think the price cut comes from??
<snip>
Any idea what would cause my LG to switch itself off as soon as it powers
up? |
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Guest
|
| Posted:
Thu Feb 17, 2005 3:14 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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AMO wrote:
| Quote: | "Mozzy" <dem_d@mail.com> wrote in message
news:95FFCADFA672451A7E@130.133.1.4...
I am the OP. These are very interesting points which you make.
It is sad that the parts are poorly made and/or designed so that
they
are almost destined to fail within what would have been a normal
period of working.
It *is* possible to make products cheaper and just as reliable
and/or
functional (I don't have the stats but things like wrist watches
and
calculators come to mind).
It is a pity that VCRs have not got only cheaper but have also got
nastier.
Mozzy, don't take the other person's view to extreme. All things in
the
mass produced world work that way.
Cars today aren't built as sturdy as they used to be, but then people
don't
want the same car for that amount of time. The same argument applies
to
pretty much everything although in the case of houses probably a lot
of
people would prefer the old style build.
Some of it is also a matter of perception. The new style PS2 is slim
and
sleek. It can be argued to be not as solidly built as the older
style PS2.
You can argue that point with the 2 different versions of the
MegaDrive.
You could even argue that a laptop can't be that good because it is
not as
sturdy as a desktop. But some of these arguments carry no weight
whatsoever.
|
true. but we're also talking about the longevity and reliability,
design and build quality of the new versus the slightly older vcrs
here, and that argument is certainly valid there.
| Quote: | If you want an item handcrafted from the ground up with care, you're
probably looking at around £1000 or more. You could probably write
to Sony
and ask for a custom bespoke VCR crafted by the Engineer of Ultimate
VCR
Research, manufactured in the Holy Plant of VCR Production, tested by
the
Keen Sighted Couch Potatoe of Visual Appreciation, delivered via by
Goddess
of Express and Graceful Deliveries with a thousand birds tooting a
song when
she knocks on your door. It may cost you a bomb. But the item is
still old
technology that hasn't improved much in the last few years and for
the extra
you pay, you're not exactly getting a lot else.
|
what point are you trying to make here? I suggested that if you want a
decent vcr, it would be better to avoid the new junk and stick with
slightly older units of certain brands. All the extra stuff here is
just wandering off on a tangent. I would advise against inversting in
*any* new vcr , as you are likely to be disappointed, just check the
posts on alt.video.vcr!
| Quote: | If you spent £500 on a VCR 10 years ago, whilst it might be of
slightly
better build, it would not be as good as a VCR purchased for £50
today. A
lot of features would not have existed back then.
|
I have to disagree.
1) *slightly* better?? read a thousand times better! mechanics, power
supply....
2)Features do not mean the same as quality. Don't jump to conclusions.
3) what units are you basing this comparison on? seems like a
meaningless vast generalisation to me.
| Quote: | Furthermore, the other person is not arguing reasonably.
|
And you aren't arguing knowledgeably.
| Quote: | If you had £150 to
spend, you can get a high quality VCR
|
erm...No. These days a high quality vcr is extremely rare, as they're
mostly just farmed out to low end manufacturers and rebadged up.
unless you're talking about used broadcast equipment, there is little
if anything in consumer vcr field of particularly high quality.
| Quote: | or you can get a 'rock bottom' DVD Recorder. You have to compare
like for >like. |
Fair enough. (I never even mentioned the dvd recorders!)
| Quote: | Work out how much you spent on your last VCR. If you spend the same
amount
on a VCR today, you're gonna get something great.
|
No.
| Quote: | Alternatively, you can
spend £50 on a good price/performance/value VCR
|
such as??
| Quote: | I recommend and save
yourself some cash. Or if you really want, buy one for £30-40 rock
bottom
and then if it goes wrong, hey, at the end of the day it was only
£30-40. |
which you'll find yourself spending yet again, when it breaks. But to
be fair, it depends how long you want to keep it, if you just want to
back stuff up to dvd then forget it, you'll probably be okay. But if
you want something to use regularly, last well outside the guarantee
period and as a future means for acccessing your tape collection, i
would not recommend it.
| Quote: | Do you really think that you're going to get anything substantial on
a DVD
Recorder with £30-40 in your pocket to spend?
|
No. But I maintain that you simply won't get a decent vcr for that
price these days, (or even at nearly any price it seems). Such is the
state of the vcr market.
regards, Ben |
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Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Feb 17, 2005 3:20 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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Cullen Skink wrote:
| Quote: | reverend_rogers@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1108317101.687071.317520@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
This week alone, i have had to repair a Philips (15 mths old) and an
Aiwa (4 years old). Both are a shadow of the product those companies
used to sell, and the failures in the power supplies (latter) and
deck
mech (former) were a direct result of shoddy engineering and/or use
of
substandard components (inadequate capacitors, a cheapo load motor).
Where do you think the price cut comes from??
snip
Any idea what would cause my LG to switch itself off as soon as it
powers
up?
|
does it do this with or without a cassette?
if the cassette is inside it could be:
1) broken/slipping loading belt or drive belt (esp.if you hear any
movement/whirring/other odd sound)
2) cassette basket jumped out of timing
3) cassette stuck in mechanism - spillage on tape?
4) mode switch dirty or intermittent - microcontroller receiving
erroneous mech state/position signals
5) power supply or one of its lines is overloaded and unit goes to
protection mode
if no cassette, and/or wont let you insert it:
1) cassette basket out of timing
2) slipping loading belt
3) fault in power supply
take a look at the vcr repair faq at www.repairfaq.org
good luck
Ben |
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AMO
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Feb 17, 2005 3:55 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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|
<reverend_rogers@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1108592074.888329.131800@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
true. but we're also talking about the longevity and reliability,
design and build quality of the new versus the slightly older vcrs
here, and that argument is certainly valid there.
-------------------------------
Not, at the price point of today's VCRs.
-------------------------------
what point are you trying to make here? I suggested that if you want a
decent vcr, it would be better to avoid the new junk and stick with
slightly older units of certain brands. All the extra stuff here is
just wandering off on a tangent. I would advise against inversting in
*any* new vcr , as you are likely to be disappointed, just check the
posts on alt.video.vcr!
--------------------------------
I disagree. I am sure that you believe in what you say, but my
recommendation to the other person is that VCR technology is like any other
technology. Newer models supercede older models. You don't go around
buying cameras, PDAs, computers, in fact any technology related item, going
for older items over new.
I don't know what kind of advice you are giving, but you may as well tell
the other person to go and buy a 286 for his next PC. Sure its more of a
brick and is probably created at a time when PCs are less ruthlessly
mass-produced than they are now and possibly as they are less complex and at
the time used more skilled engineers to put the PC together it is more
'reliable', but its not something to recommend someone to.
There is no way in hell that I would recommend to someone what you are
recommending. The VCR I recommended:
http://ws4.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=SHAR-VCMH705-SIL
is an excellent VCR. It cost £200 a year or so ago and getting it now at
£50 down from £100 at Richer Sounds is a damn good deal.
It was a top of the range model a few years ago that has only had slight
improvements but big price drops. Later editions of this model come
combined with DVD player, but that's besides the point. Bottom line is that
simply because it is cheap does not mean that it is rubbish.
I do not believe that you are in a position to make a such a statement; from
what you have been saying it appears you probably are just going on price
alone.
As for alt.video.vcr, there are many VCRs slagged off, many that are
complimented, many that are discussed in many other ways in much the same
way that other newsgroups do. If anything, just on this newsgroup alone,
there are people pointing out the disadvantages of DVD Recorders, with their
noisy fans and spinning, etc. Take a look.
Yes, there are absolute rock bottom VCRs that can be picked up for just over
£30 in much the same way there are cheap DVD players. And yes, there is a
greater risk with VCRs as they use mechanical moving parts and suffer
problems from tapes being chewed etc. However, that doesn't mean that VCRs,
the item that people have been using for the last 20 years, suddenly becomes
the item which manufactures have difficulty making.
What you're saying is absolute rubbish. VCRs are better today than ever
before. They come with 6 heads for better recording. They come with scart
sockets for better audio/video transmission. They come with advanced
machanisms for winding tapes so that as you get towards the end of the tape
it slows down so as not to put strain on the tape whilst allowing for the
tape to be wound at incredibly fast speeds. They are extremely economical
and tapes these days are so cheap at around 50p / tape last time I bought
some. Quality wise, for stuff recorded off the TV you'd be hardpressed to
tell the difference from a VHS or DVD recording.
You get so much for your £50, it is unreal. And for casual recording, you
really can't beat a decent VCR. In a few years time when DVD Recorders have
come down in price and you get a lot of features for your money and they've
decided on which standard to adhere to and they've overcome noise problems,
then yes, it might be time to stop buying a new VCR. However, today, I'd
buy one without giving it a second thought.
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I have to disagree.
1) *slightly* better?? read a thousand times better! mechanics, power
supply....
2)Features do not mean the same as quality. Don't jump to conclusions.
3) what units are you basing this comparison on? seems like a
meaningless vast generalisation to me.
-------------------------------------------------------
Now I know you're talking absolute rubbish. Name one VCR that was developed
in the last 10 years that is a thousand times better than one I could pick
today! Go for it! I'm not having you giving complete and utter cr*p advice
to bargain hunters on this newsgroup. What you say is completely wrong.
Are you telling me that you're willing to put money on the fact that you
can't get a VCR at the same price today for the same quality of yesterday?
Are you really willing to put money on that?
-----------------------------------------------------------
erm...No. These days a high quality vcr is extremely rare, as they're
mostly just farmed out to low end manufacturers and rebadged up.
unless you're talking about used broadcast equipment, there is little
if anything in consumer vcr field of particularly high quality.
------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah right. So rare you go hunting in antique shops right? ;0)
------------------------------------------------------------
which you'll find yourself spending yet again, when it breaks. But to
be fair, it depends how long you want to keep it, if you just want to
back stuff up to dvd then forget it, you'll probably be okay. But if
you want something to use regularly, last well outside the guarantee
period and as a future means for acccessing your tape collection, i
would not recommend it.
------------------------------------------------------------
VCRs have moving parts and will always have a greater chance of breaking
down because of this, in the same way that cars are mechanical and fall into
the same category. However, to imply that VCRs cannot be built today or
that you cannot buy one of the same quality as yesterday is ridiculous. Why
don't you go on to all the other forums and say the same thing about cars,
PCs, whatever you can think of.
Yes, VCRs do break down. Yes, they have a greater chance of breaking down
as they use mechanical components that are moving parts. However, don't
take things out of context and argue them to extremes. VCRs today are
worthwhile investments whilst you wait for DVD Recorder issues to be ironed
out, become more mainstream and better value. If you're used to one, go get
a replacement. In 3 years time when your next VCR may be knackered,
consider an all-singing all-dancing DVD Recorder with hard drive and lots of
other features for less than £150. Its buying the right technology at the
right time. Unless you really need to keep up with technology and are
embarrassed to have a VCR in your house, it is one of the best investments
you can make given such a low cost.
-----------------------------------------------------------
No. But I maintain that you simply won't get a decent vcr for that
price these days, (or even at nearly any price it seems). Such is the
state of the vcr market.
regards, Ben
------------------------------------------------------------
That's fine. I never said that you'd get a decent VCR for £30-40. My
recommendation was a £50 down from £100 that has been selling for a few
years at previously higher prices (£200 and above), is an extremely good
brand, has a good reliable reputation, and is still being used in the next
generation of VCRs by that company.
For a VCR that sold at £200 and above a year or more ago and has simply come
down in price because VCRs are on the way out and through cheaper production
through large volumes of units already sold and research already having been
paid off, you're getting unbeatable value for money.
This is my last post on this subject.
I'd appreciate it if you'd post so that when people reply, it will indent
your post. There is something wrong with your posting settings.
AMO |
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Julian 'Penny for the guy
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Feb 17, 2005 5:06 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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"Cullen Skink" <news-groups@REMOVETHISTOEMAILntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:37hrlcF5dmj24U1@individual.net...
| Quote: | reverend_rogers@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1108317101.687071.317520@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
This week alone, i have had to repair a Philips (15 mths old) and an
Aiwa (4 years old). Both are a shadow of the product those companies
used to sell, and the failures in the power supplies (latter) and deck
mech (former) were a direct result of shoddy engineering and/or use of
substandard components (inadequate capacitors, a cheapo load motor).
Where do you think the price cut comes from??
snip
Any idea what would cause my LG to switch itself off as soon as it powers
up?
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mine does that, i belive its a short, mine blows fuses |
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