| Author |
Message |
chicagofan
Guest
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 Posted:
Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:22 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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Mark Arya wrote:
| Quote: | chicagofan <me7@privacy.net> wrote: <snip
Has anyone here, had a good experience with JVC, Sony or Toshiba combos?
I haven't seen many Mitsubishi's around to read about or form an
opinion on. Any opinions will be appreciated.
A VCR/DVD Recorder is the best route to take these days if you have a
large collection of VHS that you wish to access, IMO. This will give you
the option to easily transfer them to 'DVD-R' discs if you ever wish to
save any of them from their inevitable demise(assuming they aren't
macrovision protected). Naturally a unit like this will be far more
expensive than an S-VHS deck, but it's the most pratical solution to
your problem. Check out this link from the google archives. This article
was posted recently to the a.v.vcr and should help you decide if a
VCR/DVD Recorder combo is the way to go and what particular unit you
should go with. <Note that a VCR/DVD Recorder combo unit is entirely
different than a VCR/DVD player combo.
http://tinyurl.com/4jqtl
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Thanks, Mark. Believe it or not, I get Pogue's Circuit columns from the
NY Times regularly, and I read that column, and noted his choice of JVC.
So after your recommendation, I went in search of a possibly good
recorder, with *good reviews*, and found the same dissatisfaction with
consumers, even with the higher priced recorders... so I am still on the
fence about what to do. However, I do appreciate your advice.
bj
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GMAN
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Feb 25, 2005 6:01 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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In article <3874uuF5mfaceU1@individual.net>, chicagofan <me7@privacy.net> wrote:
| Quote: | GMAN wrote:
In article <384ds7F5hurhsU1@individual.net>, chicagofan <me7@privacy.net
wrote:
b wrote:
Faced with this situation, I suggest looking around locally for people
selling off decent hi fi vcrs as they upgrade to TiVo or dvd-r, there
are sure to be bargains to be had and they will doubtless outlive the
new junk.
-Ben
That fits with the impression I have been getting, after reading online
for a few weeks, and just discovering this newsgroup yesterday.
The Mitsubishi I have, was a high end [$1100, right after they came
out]; would it make any sense to try to repair it? The problem is, it
has a tape inside and won't eject. There's a clacking sound, but
nothing happens.
Thanks for your response, Ben.
bj
Tell us the model number and we can help out. it may be a less than $12 fix.
It is a HS-430UR Mitsubishi VCR.
BTW, I am a non-technical, over the hill grandmother, but I do have
average intelligence... and might be able to handle a repair if the
parts,etc., are obvious. :)
Thanks for any advice, under these circumstances.
bj
Unfortunately the two places i frequent for info and parts didnt list any |
parts for that model.
http://www.fixer.com/dbase/mits/index.html
http://www.studiosoundelectronics.com/mitsubishi.htm |
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chicagofan
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:07 pm Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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GMAN wrote:
| Quote: | In article <3874uuF5mfaceU1@individual.net>, chicagofan <me7@privacy.net> wrote:
GMAN wrote:
In article <384ds7F5hurhsU1@individual.net>, chicagofan <me7@privacy.net
b wrote:
Faced with this situation, I suggest looking around locally for people
selling off decent hi fi vcrs as they upgrade to TiVo or dvd-r, there
are sure to be bargains to be had and they will doubtless outlive the
new junk.
That fits with the impression I have been getting, after reading online
for a few weeks, and just discovering this newsgroup yesterday.
The Mitsubishi I have, was a high end [$1100, right after they came
out]; would it make any sense to try to repair it? The problem is, it
has a tape inside and won't eject. There's a clacking sound, but
nothing happens.
Tell us the model number and we can help out. it may be a less than $12 fix.
It is a HS-430UR Mitsubishi VCR.
BTW, I am a non-technical, over the hill grandmother, but I do have
average intelligence... and might be able to handle a repair if the
parts,etc., are obvious. :)
Unfortunately the two places i frequent for info and parts didnt list any
parts for that model.
http://www.fixer.com/dbase/mits/index.html
http://www.studiosoundelectronics.com/mitsubishi.htm
|
Thanks so much, for trying. Perhaps that model was too reliable, and
there wasn't enough demand for replacement parts. I know it certainly
lasted a long time for me, and in that 20 yrs., I never had to re-set
the clock, except when I moved. Do they even put batteries in them
anymore? :)
Thanks again, GMAN for the links and time spent checking this out. May I
ask what you suspected might be wrong with it?
bj |
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Guest
|
| Posted:
Fri Feb 25, 2005 10:53 pm Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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I bought my latest VCR 3 months ago, a Panasonic purchased from Costco for
$60. It's as good a VCR as any I've ever owned, and has features I thought
were gone forever, such as Return to Zero. It rewinds as quickly as the
Mitsubishi I bought a year ago, and has picture quality close to S-VHS.
What's not to like? I record all the TV we watch, using one of the 5 VCRs
we have for that purpose, and watch on a 6th VCR, chosen for that purpose
because my wife knows how to operate it.
Every one of the 6 VCRs cost less than $100. We have a GE, Sony, Panasonic,
Mitsubishi and 2 Toshibas (one upstairs in the bedroom.) We have 120 blank
tapes, numbered consecutively, that we use to store the product of our VCRs.
8 tapes are 210 minute, 32 are 180, 8 are 160, 8 are 130, and the balance
are 120 minute.
Will we ever go to DVD? No doubt about it. My plan is to replace the first
ailing VCR with a DVD recorder. It's my hope that the market will have
matured by that time, and I won't have to choose between DVD-RAM, DVD-RW or
DVD+RW. As things stand right now, DVD is an expensive and inconvenient
way to time shift television shows.
Cheers,
Norm Strong |
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GMAN
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Feb 28, 2005 3:59 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
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In article <3890q1F5mj94fU1@individual.net>, chicagofan <me7@privacy.net> wrote:
| Quote: | GMAN wrote:
In article <3874uuF5mfaceU1@individual.net>, chicagofan <me7@privacy.net
wrote:
GMAN wrote:
In article <384ds7F5hurhsU1@individual.net>, chicagofan <me7@privacy.net
b wrote:
Faced with this situation, I suggest looking around locally for people
selling off decent hi fi vcrs as they upgrade to TiVo or dvd-r, there
are sure to be bargains to be had and they will doubtless outlive the
new junk.
That fits with the impression I have been getting, after reading online
for a few weeks, and just discovering this newsgroup yesterday.
The Mitsubishi I have, was a high end [$1100, right after they came
out]; would it make any sense to try to repair it? The problem is, it
has a tape inside and won't eject. There's a clacking sound, but
nothing happens.
Tell us the model number and we can help out. it may be a less than $12
fix.
It is a HS-430UR Mitsubishi VCR.
BTW, I am a non-technical, over the hill grandmother, but I do have
average intelligence... and might be able to handle a repair if the
parts,etc., are obvious. :)
Unfortunately the two places i frequent for info and parts didnt list any
parts for that model.
http://www.fixer.com/dbase/mits/index.html
http://www.studiosoundelectronics.com/mitsubishi.htm
Thanks so much, for trying. Perhaps that model was too reliable, and
there wasn't enough demand for replacement parts. I know it certainly
lasted a long time for me, and in that 20 yrs., I never had to re-set
the clock, except when I moved. Do they even put batteries in them
anymore? :)
Thanks again, GMAN for the links and time spent checking this out. May I
ask what you suspected might be wrong with it?
bj
|
Wel on the bottom of the capstan motor there is a small plastic pulley that
can crack on alot of the mitsubishi units. If it cracks the belt slips and it
causes loading and other issues.
Its worth a look to take the bottom panel off the unit and see if its cracked. |
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chicagofan
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Mar 02, 2005 4:47 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? |
|
|
GMAN wrote:
| Quote: | In article <3890q1F5mj94fU1@individual.net>, chicagofan <me7@privacy.net> wrote:
GMAN wrote:
In article <3874uuF5mfaceU1@individual.net>, chicagofan <me7@privacy.net
wrote:
GMAN wrote:
In article <384ds7F5hurhsU1@individual.net>, chicagofan <me7@privacy.net
b wrote:
Faced with this situation, I suggest looking around locally for people
selling off decent hi fi vcrs as they upgrade to TiVo or dvd-r, there
are sure to be bargains to be had and they will doubtless outlive the
new junk.
That fits with the impression I have been getting, after reading online
for a few weeks, and just discovering this newsgroup yesterday.
The Mitsubishi I have, was a high end [$1100, right after they came
out]; would it make any sense to try to repair it? The problem is, it
has a tape inside and won't eject. There's a clacking sound, but
nothing happens.
Tell us the model number and we can help out. it may be a less than $12
fix.
It is a HS-430UR Mitsubishi VCR.
BTW, I am a non-technical, over the hill grandmother, but I do have
average intelligence... and might be able to handle a repair if the
parts,etc., are obvious. :)
Unfortunately the two places i frequent for info and parts didnt list any
parts for that model.
http://www.fixer.com/dbase/mits/index.html
http://www.studiosoundelectronics.com/mitsubishi.htm
Thanks so much, for trying. Perhaps that model was too reliable, and
there wasn't enough demand for replacement parts. I know it certainly
lasted a long time for me, and in that 20 yrs., I never had to re-set
the clock, except when I moved. Do they even put batteries in them
anymore? :)
Thanks again, GMAN for the links and time spent checking this out. May I
ask what you suspected might be wrong with it?
bj
Wel on the bottom of the capstan motor there is a small plastic pulley that
can crack on alot of the mitsubishi units. If it cracks the belt slips and it
causes loading and other issues.
Its worth a look to take the bottom panel off the unit and see if its cracked.
|
Thanks, GMAN... for all of your help!
bj |
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Bill Woods
Guest
|
| Posted:
Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:05 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? - DVD instead? |
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On Wed 23 Feb 2005 04:58:42, Mark Arya wrote:
<news:markaya-E4F725.22584222022005@news.uswest.net>
| Quote: | The VCR has been replaced by TIVO like DVR devices. I will
never tape a show again unless its for a family member
Indeed. A Tivo(or similar device) is a simpler, SMARTER, more
effecient way to record. I'm dumbfounded by the number of people
who would still rather use a clunky, dumb, unreliable VCR to
record off the tv in this digital world we live in. The only
practical use a VCR has over a hard drive based recorder is
archiving and frankly, a DVD recorder is much better for
archiving anyway. Not only will the discs use up a fraction of
the shelf space bulky tapes would, but they'll likely last
longer and stand up to repeated viewings over the years..
--
|
Apart from basic brands like LiteOn and Daewoo, DVD-R costs £200 or
more. And the format wars are not over yet.
A good VCR is under £100.
As for PVR's - the Humax PVR8000T is about £160 at a good discount.
And a 3 hour VCR tape is under £1 and a blank DVD is very approx 60p.
---
DVD-R seems expensive. |
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Mark Arya
Guest
|
| Posted:
Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:32 am Post subject:
Re: Worth buying a VCR now? - DVD instead? |
|
|
In article <960DC220B12EB51D7E@130.133.1.4>,
Bill Woods <woods_b@emercom.com> wrote:
| Quote: |
Apart from basic brands like LiteOn and Daewoo, DVD-R costs £200 or
more. And the format wars are not over yet.
|
You mean a DVD recorder is $200 or more. DVD-R is recordable software,
not hardware. And you know what, VCRs cost close to $3000 smackers when
they first came out! And a good VCR was close to or above $200 up until
the mid 1990s or so. To be honest, VCR prices didn't plumit until DVD
players hit the market and took off like wildfire. And I bet my left
testicle you've spent at least a grand on various VCRs over the years,
as most of us have. But heaven forbid you spend a couple hundred bucks
on a DVD recorder..
| Quote: | A good VCR is under £100.
|
Those VCRs are ANYTHING but good. Finding a new VCR that's also good is
nearly impossible these days. They're all made out of garbage parts and
held together by Elmers glue. They'll last no more than 6 months to a
year, depending on how often they're used. The only way to get a good
VCR now is to find a working vintage one from a pawn shop, flea market
or eBay.
| Quote: | As for PVR's - the Humax PVR8000T is about £160 at a good discount.
|
You get what you pay for. Tivo's and similar devices cost that much for
a reason. A VCR was an acceptable way to time shift back in 1983 when
nothing else was available. But take a look at your calendar. This is
2005. Things have changed.
BTW, I'm not saying you should toss out your VCR for a DVD recorder. By
all means, keep your VCR(s) around and use it to view tapes you've
accumulated over the years or even use it to record off of a second
television in your home. JUST don't be a scrooge and get that ignorant
"DVD recorder too expensive! Tarzan stick with VCR forever!" mind set.
| Quote: | And a 3 hour VCR tape is under £1 and a blank DVD is very approx 60p.
---
DVD-R seems expensive.
|
Seems expensive by comparison. Blank tapes were more expensive than
DVD-R's just 15 years ago, but did you complain? No, of course not. Why
do you expect new technology to be as affordable as technology that's
been around since the 1970s? Be realistic man.
--
Mark
"Will the highways on the internet become more few?" - George W. Bonehead |
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b
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:50 am Post subject:
Re: wtd - TV/VCR combi |
|
|
Jem wrote:
| Quote: | Our local Sainsbury's had one for under £50 but I can't remember the
make.
Might be worth popping in.
"Dee" <djhatukpcdotnet> wrote in message
news:423fae84$0$16026$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
Just a cheap portable for the bedroom, nothing fancy. anyone seen
any
bargains?
|
Thse units tend to be cheaply made junk, not uncommon for them to fail
within 18 months with normal usage. especially the vcr mechanics and
power supplies. often sharing a single tuner for both tv and vcr - as
such, you have to view what you're taping. You're getting corners cut
to fit 2 cheaply made chasis into one unit, put on sale for the same or
less than the price of a tv or vcr alone - remember in electronics, you
dont get something for nothing!
Often if one section fails, the rest of the unit shuts down so you lose
both.
verdict: avoid. You''ll get more flexibility and quality by buying 2
separate units instead.
regards, Ben |
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Edwin
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Mar 29, 2005 5:45 am Post subject:
Re: wtd - TV/VCR combi |
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|
b [reverend_rogers@yahoo.com] said
| Quote: |
Jem wrote:
Our local Sainsbury's had one for under £50 but I can't remember the
make.
Might be worth popping in.
"Dee" <djhatukpcdotnet> wrote in message
news:423fae84$0$16026$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
Just a cheap portable for the bedroom, nothing fancy. anyone seen
any
bargains?
Thse units tend to be cheaply made junk, not uncommon for them to fail
within 18 months with normal usage. especially the vcr mechanics and
power supplies. often sharing a single tuner for both tv and vcr - as
such, you have to view what you're taping. You're getting corners cut
to fit 2 cheaply made chasis into one unit, put on sale for the same or
less than the price of a tv or vcr alone - remember in electronics, you
dont get something for nothing!
Often if one section fails, the rest of the unit shuts down so you lose
both.
verdict: avoid. You''ll get more flexibility and quality by buying 2
separate units instead.
|
It depends on what you want it for and a cheap combi for the bedroom is
a good solution for many people.
They are neat and compact, and of course by definition, cheap. They will
probably only have light usage, and even if you cannot record something
different to what you are watching, the requirement to do that is
probably rare on a unit that is most likely being purchased for viewing
rather than recording. |
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Mort Middleman
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Apr 03, 2005 2:11 pm Post subject:
Re: Why VHS is still better than DVD |
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Well said, my friend. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If
you're buying, buy DVD, if you're renting, rent VHS. (I've never had
a problem with a NEW prerecorded disk.) However, there are few VHS
tapes for rent in BallBuster and other stores. For home recording, as
you indicated, tape is much more convenient.
On Sun, 03 Apr 2005 08:58:24 GMT, "VHS Loyalist"
<loyalist@loyalist.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Why VHS is still better than DVD, after all these years!
VHS is reliable. Nuff said.
VHS is simply VHS, with no compatibility problems. If it's marked VHS, it
plays in all VHS players. Simple as that. Doesn't matter if it's Di$ney or
not.
VHS has no regions either.
VHS never skips, freezes, or "layer changes". It's smooth as silk.
VHS plays even if a few molecules on the medium are out of place. Not so
with DVDs. Even CDs are far more fault tolerant than DVDs.
VHS has no equivalent of "disk rot".
VHS tapes last long enough. I know it's not forever, but I don't expect
forever. Some of my 25 years old tapes are still good - unlike the
factory-reject disks foisted on the public, half of which never work from
the start. DVDs are their own worst advertisement.
VHS players don't go bad and/or format-obsolete every 6 months or so.
VHS is a mature technology that took only 1-2 years to mature. CDs took
about 4 years. DVDs? I'll believe it when I see it. I say they have as
much future as 8-track tapes.
VHS needs no special equipment to record or copy, just a VCR and tape.
Perhaps that is why it strikes fear into the hearts of hollywood plutocrats.
VHS can be enjoyed if you're a real person with ordinary luck. You don't
have to be Gladstone Gander, Teela Brown, or Ferris Bueller.
VHS may not be as good a theoretical medium as DVD (or for that matter, good
old Laserdisc) but it is practical. Maybe it was because VHS was designed
by engineers not retarded corporate heirs who could use some time in a
class-action labor camp.
CDs work, why can't DVDs? The answer is that DVDs came out in an era with
no manufacturing standards, quality control, or service ethic - only media
monopoly greed.
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John Russell
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Apr 03, 2005 3:22 pm Post subject:
Re: Why VHS is still better than DVD |
|
|
"Mort Middleman" <mortmid@att.net> wrote in message
news:q2gv415u28tstknqoslqgg7t8dmcsn71kr@4ax.com...
| Quote: | Well said, my friend. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If
you're buying, buy DVD, if you're renting, rent VHS. (I've never had
a problem with a NEW prerecorded disk.) However, there are few VHS
tapes for rent in BallBuster and other stores. For home recording, as
you indicated, tape is much more convenient.
|
Untill you've had a "random access" recorder and then you realise how
"inconviennent" sequencial tape is.
With a random access recorder, be it DVD-RAM or hard disk I can:-
Watch one recording whilst making another.
Watch a recording before it's finished recording.
Pause live TV to answer the door or phone. |
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Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Apr 05, 2005 5:24 am Post subject:
Re: Why VHS is still better than DVD |
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|
tube stereo equipment from the 50`s and 60`s is far better than the
shrill, tinny, hollow , dry sound of modern transistors. VHS on a small
screen is the choice for manageable large scale recording. |
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Mark Arya
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Apr 05, 2005 8:00 am Post subject:
Re: Why VHS is still better than DVD |
|
|
In article <q2gv415u28tstknqoslqgg7t8dmcsn71kr@4ax.com>,
Mort Middleman <mortmid@att.net> wrote:
| Quote: | Well said, my friend. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If
you're buying, buy DVD, if you're renting, rent VHS.
|
Netflix says you couldn't be more wrong and they've got over a billion
dollars in revenue to prove it. I've rented over a thousand DVDs over
the last 5 years and I've experienced nothing but VERY MINOR problems
with a small handfull of them(maybe 10 or so tops). I inspect all of my
rental DVDs for finger print smudges and what not before sticking them
in the player and clean them if necessary. They then nearly always play
flawessly from beginning to end. I SWEAR ON MY LIFE BY THIS. Now VHS
rentals on the other hand are entirely different story. I tried renting
VHS for a bit in the early 1990s before giving up on them. Time after
time the tracking would go completely wonky on the tapes. Most of them
were nearly unwatchable because of the horribly faded picture, color
bleeding, awful chroma luminance and constant drop outs. I even rented a
few that were completely erased because the previous renter stuck them
ontop of a fucking speaker or something. The ugliest image I've ever
seen displayed on a television monitor in my entire life was a tape that
had been rented over 80 times. It was the most ugly, pathetic looking
thing I had ever seen on tv set. VHS is a horrible rental format.
Actually it's just a horrible format in general. They can stick that
FRAGILE magnetic tape inside a solid steel shell if they want. It still
isn't going to protect the tape inside from taking a SEVERE beating from
all the renters VCRs(which vary in quality GREATLY).
BTW, no one besides a few hole in the wall mom & pop shops even rent VHS
anymore. Get a clue.
--
Mark
"Will the highways on the internet become more few?" - George W. Bonehead |
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GMAN
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Apr 05, 2005 7:09 pm Post subject:
Re: Why VHS is still better than DVD |
|
|
In article <meo4e.897446$Xk.13150@pd7tw3no>, "Jay Stewart" <brewclanNOSPAM@shaw.ca> wrote:
| Quote: | "VHS Loyalist" <loyalist@loyalist.com> wrote in message
news:QeO3e.162604$fc4.88636@edtnps89...
Why VHS is still better than DVD, after all these years!
VHS is reliable. Nuff said.
VHS is simply VHS, with no compatibility problems. If it's marked VHS, it
plays in all VHS players. Simple as that. Doesn't matter if it's Di$ney
or
not.
clip
Query:
Why are all of you, those who are normally intelligent posters, responding
to this obvious troll?
Well it livened up an all but dead alt.video.vcr newsgroup. |
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