HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: kuehn@super.org (James T. Kuehn)
Subject: Re: Re: VCR Maintenance Advice Wanted. Head Cleaners Any Good?
Organization: Supercomputing Research Center (Bowie, MD)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1992 02:50:22 GMT

dnadams@nyx.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams) writes:
>ckoch@bbn.com (Carter Koch) writes:
> >Using a rewinder is not going to noticeably save on any wear to your head
> > or rubber parts (idler, capstan belt, etc).  
>
>The idler is directly responsible for driving the tape during FF/RW.
>I'd say it is very reasonable to expect those operations (over time)
>to impart quite a bit of wear on that mechanism.  Two of my very own
>VCRs had the idler tires lose traction and cause lots of problems.
>It is usually a process of gradual deterioration...

It should be pointed out that not all VCRs use idlers or belts to
drive the takeup and supply reels during FF/RW operations: 
some use the reel motors directly, or drive the reels via a gear reduction.
Use of a rewinder for such machines won't "save" anything as reel
motors tend to be quite reliable.  Previous articles have correctly
indicated that the tape is disengaged from the head drum and is not
pressed against the capstan by the pinch roller during FF/RW operations,
except perhaps for Beta's SkipScan mode, which is accessed via FF/RW.

Precisely because rubber parts tend to wear out and lose traction 
as Mr. Adams has indicated, manufacturers have gradually turned 
to designs that avoid use of these parts.  Today, it is quite common
to find VCRs with no rubber belts (though a plastic toothed belt
may be used for loading/unloading operations) and a single rubber part,
the pinch roller, which is often the first part to need replacement.

There are many good reasons to buy and use a rewinder, as Mr. Adams'
experience apparently shows.  However, his response that rewinding/
fast-forwarding "ABSOLUTELY" takes a lot out of the VCR and should
be minimized is an over-generalization.  Similarly, advertiser's
claims that rewinders "save" your VCR from wear and tear should
be considered with proper skepticism.

Jim Kuehn
kuehn@super.org
The author is not associated with the VCR/rewinder
manufacturing or service industry.
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: rjn@FC.HP.COM (Bob Niland)
Subject: Re: Laserdisc vs. VCR
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 18:54:51 GMT
Reply-To: rjn@FC.HP.COM
Organization: Hewlett-Packard/WSY Ft.Collins,CO,USA
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1scd1 PL4

jonke@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov (Stephen Jonke) writes: (on LD vs VCR)

> Before you get your hopes up, my opinion is that although picture quality
> is better in a side by side comparison, it is really not all that
> significant a difference (to me at least.)

On a low-res or mal-adjusted TV, or at viewing distances of 8 picture-
heights or more, the difference is not that great.  On my XBR32, at 4-PH,
the crummy resolution VHS is immediately apparent (and I only watch it when
the program material is critical and there is no other choice of media).

I once accidently time-shifted a broadcast on my S-VHS deck, but in normal
VHS mode.  Even though it was a noisy cable channel, the degraded picture
had me wondering "what's wrong with this tape" within seconds.

Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland      Internet: rjn@FC.HP.COM               3404 East Harmony Road
                CompuServe:  71044,2124               Ft Collins CO 80525-9599

This article represents only the opinion[s] of its author, and is not an
official or unofficial position of, or statement by, the Hewlett-Packard
Company.  The text is provided for informational purposes only.  It is
supplied without warranty of any kind.
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Wanted:  Remote control for JVC VCR model HR-D830U
From: qle@eis.calstate.edu (Quang Le)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 16:46:27 GMT
Distribution: World
Organization: Calif State Univ/Electronic Information Services

The subject says it all.  If you have one, please e-mail me.

Thanks.
From: tominatr@ac.dal.ca
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: PAL LDs work on Sony MDP-333?
Date: 13 Sep 92 08:47:55 -0300
Organization: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

I'm considering buying some Genesis LDs from England.  If these
LDs are PAL, will they work on my Sony MDP-333?

      - Tom N.
From: killeen@spcvxb.spc.edu (Jeff Killeen)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: <None>
Date: 15 Sep 92 02:49:12 GMT
Organization: SPC Community Access System

Back in the early to mid 80's Panasonic produced dockable portable VCR's. These
were the last two piece units produced before Camcorders.  They were sold under
the GE, Panasonic, Quasar, Canon, Olympus, and Elmo brand names.  They are
identifiable by the 5 pin DIN type remote jack on the bottom front left of the
unit.  They are also identifiable by their dock.  The dock sits under the VCR.
The Canon models were the VC40 for the non-HiFi model and the VC50 for the HiFi
model.  If you have one of these type units in good condition I am interested
in it.  $150 for the non-HiFi model and $200 for the HiFi model.  That assumes 
it is good condition with its dock and remote(s).

BTW - I am _not_ interested in the RCA/Hitachi type units.  These were very 
close but were not the same.
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: wonhee@cello.ecn.purdue.edu (Wonhee Sull)
Subject: Information on Video Printers
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 12:23:27 GMT

I am not sure whether "video printer" is the correct term to
describe what I am interested in, but Sony and Canon advertise
their new products which can print any still frame from Camcorders.
I would like to share any experience with these printers,
especially concerning the quality of pictures.
Thanx in advance.
Wonhee
From: WTS@HARVARDA.HARVARD.EDU ("WADE T. SMITH")
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: VIDEOTECH Digest V92 #775
Date: 11 Sep 92 13:56:31 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Internet

RE: Clocks on VCR's.
My JVC gains about 10 seconds every two weeks.

________________________________________________________________
WADE  T. SMITH                   "WAKE UP AND SMELL THE CHAOS!"
WTS@HARVARDA.HARVARD.EDU                  DENNIS MILLER
WADE_SMITH@NOCMSMGW.HARVARD.EDU
________________________________________________________________
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: hunter@oakhill.sps.mot.com (Hunter Scales)
Subject: Re: Best place to mail-order blank tape?
Organization: Motorola Inc., Austin, Texas
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 23:33:10 GMT

alanlb@bethesda.cs.vt.edu (Alan L. Batongbacal) writes:

>Hi there!  I'd appreciate it suggestions as to the best, i.e. less
>expensive, place to buy blank tape, both VHS and Beta.

	Best? Dont know.  I use Tape World, they have always been
	cheap and fast. (hmm, that didnt turn out the way I meant)

	Tape World              1-800-328-8273
-- 
Motorola Semiconductor Inc.             Hunter Scales
Austin, Texas                           hunter@prometheus.sps.mot.com
#include <disclaimer.h>
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: wlrc@uhura.neoucom.edu (William R. Cruce)
Subject: Re: Picture quality of LD(vs VCR)
Organization: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 05:53:11 GMT

In article <183512@pyramid.pyramid.com> echen@sword.eng.pyramid.com (Eric Chen) writes:
>
>  For a normal movie, I found usually there's not much differences in picture
>quality between LD and VCR at all( assuming new copy of video tape and play
>on a $700+ VCR deck). But I had observed several demo disk( those disk that
>shows fragement of scenery like flowers, waterfall, oceans, japenese girls
>dressed in traditional suits...) that showed much much sharper, brighter and
>detailed,colorful pictures on LD. These demo disks are all made by Japen
>to promote their LD players.
>
>  The pictures were just different. Maybe because they offer higher resolution
>then a normal movie disk? I really don't think a normal movie disk has 
>resolution near 320 lines. Buying LD players or Super VHS to watch those <350
>resolution lines materials is a big sad disappointment.

I have noticed that about the demo disks too.  I suspect that they
have an image recorded at the 420+ lines possible on LD.  I have heard
that most LDs are bandwidth limited to something lower than that.

Another problem is the source.  Some LDs are produced from the same
master tape used to produce VHS tapes.  Sometimes not much care goes
into those master tapes because 'you can't tell the difference on VHS.'
LD shows the difference.  LD shows up many flaws.  Film grain for
example.

Keep in mind that your monitor is important.  A high quality monitor
will more readily show the difference between LD and VHS tape.  And a
larger screen will further show up the difference.  You may notice that
no store or manufacturer uses videotape to demo projection TV.

Summary: there are some pretty awful looking LDs out there.  I still
prefer them to VHS tape (though I don't like to pay much for them).
There are quite a few good looking LDs.  None like the demo disks though.

-- 
                 "So many windows, So little time"

Bill Cruce, N.E. Ohio Univ. Coll. of Medicine, Box 95, Rootstown, OH 44272
VOICE: 216-325-2511,  FAX: 216-325-0522,  INTERNET: wlrc@uhura.neoucom.edu
From: larson@loren.net.com (Alan Larson)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: Problem using TR-81 as VCR
Keywords: TR-81
Date: 15 Sep 92 08:43:48 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: none

In article <1992Sep14.235249.6610@das.harvard.edu> chen@speed.uucp (Lilei Chen) writes:
>I own a Sony-TR-81 Hi-8 camcorder.  I seem to have problem using TR-81 as
>VCR.  Copying from TR-81(hi-8) to S-VHS seems to bring almost no quality loss,
>at least not visible.  But when copying from S-VHS to TR-81(hi-8), the quality
>loss is VERY obvious.  There is a lot of noise in video signals.   I am
>wondering if anyone else on the net has encountered such problems with their
>TR-81.   Please post your response or send me to chen@das.harvard.edu.
>Thanks.

  I have noticed similar problems with the Canon H-460.  The video looked
like a poor VHS signal when it had been fed in on the video inputs and
recorded in the camcorder.

  A friend and I measured the bandwidth using multiburst signals from
a test system.  We found that the recorder only had about 3 MHz bandwidth
in Hi8 mode, and 2.5 MHz in 8mm mode.  (This is equivalent to 240 lines
and 200 lines of resolution.)

  My friend reported that he had seen similar results from a V-99 that
he had measured previously.

  My guess (and this is only a guess), is that the camcorders cheat on
the video input, and do not have a good filter to separate the chroma
and luminance information.

  Unfortunately, this does not explain the difference between 8mm and
Hi8.  If the limit were the filter, I would have expected them to be
limited to the same point.  Unless 8mm is really only doing 200 lines,
and Hi8 is limited by the filter, but that doesn't seem quite right,
either.

  Perhaps this is why manufacturers are pretty careful not to put specs
in the manual.  :-(

	Alan
From: kmiller@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (miller kendall w)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Best price on jvc 6800?
Keywords: 6700
Date: 8 Sep 92 13:31:19 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

What's the best price on the net for the JVC 6700 SVHS vcr?  I have read
many things about it, and it sounds like a good machine.  I haven't been
able to find a store in my area that caries it, so I thought I'd post here.


Thanks in advance for any responses.
						--Ken

~r .sig
From: larson@loren.net.com (Alan Larson)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: Rewinders and Wet/Dry cleaners
Date: 11 Sep 92 19:10:42 GMT
Organization: me, myself, and I

In article <11SEP199210503575@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov> kimnach@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (GREG KIMNACH) writes:

- I believe that both of these are necessary for the long and trouble-free
- life of a VCR.  Two of my Betamaxes are about ten-years old: One is a
- mono Sony SL-2400 (?), the other, an Aiwa AV50M/AV50U combo, is a
- first-generation Hi-Fi.  These have _never_ been serviced, but remain in
- excellent working condition and continue to be used often.  (The Aiwa
- has Video and Audio insert editing--alas, no Flying Erase heads!)

- I believe that their longevity can be attributed to the fact that I
- always FF/RW a tape (new or rental) in an external unit before use, and
- that I cleaned the heads every 50Hrs with a wet/dry tape.  At about the
- 200th hour, I would manualy clean the units.  Or maybe they've lasted so
- long because their Beta!

  Well, for comparison, my Panasonic VHS machine is over 12 years old,
and has also never been serviced.  I have cleaned the heads once or
twice, but that was mostly for the guide paths and stationary heads.

  I have never used a rewinder.

  A well-built VHS machine can be quite robust, and treats the tape more
gently than early Beta machines.  They also do quite well in quality of
record/playback.  I would not want to guarantee these statements for
some of the cheap plastic mechanisms on the bottom-end machines.

	Alan
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: rjn@FC.HP.COM (Bob Niland)
Subject: Re: Sped up SW and ESB on CLV?
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 18:18:50 GMT
Reply-To: rjn@FC.HP.COM
Organization: Hewlett-Packard/WSY Ft.Collins,CO,USA
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1scd1 PL4

> kachun@astro.as.arizona.edu (Ka Chun Yu) writes:

> I read in an old issue of _Video Watchdog_ that CBS Fox had sped up their
> CLV issues of Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back to make them fit onto one
> disc, by upping the frame speed from 24 to 25 or 26 fps.  Has CBS Fox
> continued that practice for their CLV's or did they cease?  Are there
> other releases or companies that one should watch out for?

The old cropped CLV editions are time-compressed (which isn't necessarily
done by increasing the frame rate).  The newer widescreen editions are
the full running time (and have an extra side).

Time compression on LD is found less frequently now that disc has position
itself as a "purist" video medium.  

Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland      Internet: rjn@FC.HP.COM               3404 East Harmony Road
                CompuServe:  71044,2124               Ft Collins CO 80525-9599

This article represents only the opinion[s] of its author, and is not an
official or unofficial position of, or statement by, the Hewlett-Packard
Company.  The text is provided for informational purposes only.  It is
supplied without warranty of any kind.
Newsgroups: rec.video

I just thought I'd post something about the Sony NP-77HD batteries.  To use
a well-worn cliche, "They're the greatest thing since sliced bread."
If you're not familiar with this battery here's a brief description:  
the 77HD is basically the same as the 77H battery except that it has a 
"fuel guage".  By pressing a button on the back of the battery, 1 to 5 LEDs
will light up.  Each LED represents 20% of the total charge, ie. 4 LEDs
lit means about 80% of the charge is remaining.  When the battery gets below 
20%, the last LED will start blinking.

If it isn't obvious, knowing how much charge you have remaining takes all the
guess work out.  For example, I used a battery one Saturday and left it 
on the camera.  A few days later, I needed to video something.  By checking
the "fuel gauge" I knew I had more than enough to get the job done.  With the
older style batteries I probably would have charged another battery just
in case.

I suppose this feature could be considered trivial, but I wouldn't give
it up for the world.  The type of video I shoot involves short sequences
of 2-4 minutes so the battery check feature works well for me.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Art Bori                           e-mail: artb@lsid.hp.com
Lake Stevens Instrument Division   Phone:  (206) 335-2441
Hewlett-Packard Co.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: ebe+@pitt.edu (Elmer Beachley)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Pioneer 3070 LD Optical Out
Date: 6 Sep 92 05:12:58 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: ebe@unixd2.cis.pitt.edu



Does anyone know if the optical output on the Pioneer 3070 laser disc
player is S/PDIF format?  I've purused the service manual pretty closely
but this is never mentioned.  The connector is a Toslink one, FWIW.

Elmer Beachley ebe@unixd2.cis.pitt.edu
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: arve@hsr.no (Arve Osmundsen)
Subject: SVHS  tapes
Organization: Rogaland University Centre
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 08:20:40 GMT


Can anyone tell me what brand of tapes they

use for SVHS recordings? Please add some price

examples for 3 or 4 hours tapes.


arve@hsr.no
From: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: How accurate is your VCR's clock?
Date: 11 Sep 92 19:34:14 GMT
Reply-To: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Organization: Vidiot's Hangout

In article <1992Sep10.201304.18646@wuecl.wustl.edu> jab3@cec2.wustl.edu (John Alonzo Breen) writes:
<In article <1992Sep10.182149.3023@tc.cornell.edu> olin@cheme.tn.cornell.edu writes:
<>In article <1992Sep10.180615.14585@wuecl.wustl.edu>, jab3@cec2.wustl.edu (John Alonzo Breen) writes:
<>>I'm curious to find out how accurate the clocks of various VCRs are.
<>
<>I have a Magnavox VCR - the clock has been accurate to approximately one
<>minute every two months ever since I bought it (three years). 
<
<I assume that you're implying that it does drift some though.  I'm
<surprised, because I was under the assumption that they would use the
<60Hz line frequency (at least in the US), which I've been told is
<quite accurate (at least over a 24-hour period).

In order to save parts, the VCR manufacturers appear to have determined that
it would be cheaper to run the clock from a crystal oscillator at all times,
than to put in the stuff to use the line frequency when power existed and to
use a crystal ocillator if the power died.

It does seem pretty stupid, but it how it appears.
-- 
      harvard\                          spool.cs.wisc.edu!astroatc!vidiot!brown
Vidiot  ucbvax!uwvax..........!astroatc!vidiot!brown
      rutgers/            INTERNET:vidiot!brown%astroatc.UUCP@spool.cs.wisc.edu
                                   brown@wi.extrel.com
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: mjkobb@media.mit.edu (Michael J Kobb)
Subject: Two questions - Matrix switcher, Sharp projector
Organization: M.I.T. Media Laboratory
Distribution: rec
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 02:49:02 GMT

Greetings!

  I'm looking to expand my video system a bit in the next year or
so, and I've got two questions:

  1)  I'd like to get a matrix switcher, preferably one that can do
video and audio separately.  I seem to remember that Sony made one
of these (I believe I saw one once), but I don't know model or
prices.  The big problem is that I'd really like one that has
S-video capability, and some form of storable presets would be nice
too.  What am I looking at, pricewise, for an 8x8 unit?

  2)  The big investment will be a projection television.  I don't
have room for one of the big rear-projection models, so I was
looking more towards a front-projection unit.  I've seen the Sony
units, which seemed pretty nice, but like most tube-based systems,
they're out of my price range.  However, the latest Sharp LCD
projector had fairly decent quality (although I admit that being
able to see the gaps between pixels is annoying as hell), and the
price is much closer to correct.  Is this unit made in a
ceiling-mount version?  Where would I find a good price on it?
Comments?  How much does a decent screen cost (say 5-8 feet diagonal)?

Many thanks!  Email me or post, and I'll summarize if I get enough
replies.

--Mike
From: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: Scan lines
Keywords: PTV
Date: 9 Sep 92 20:15:54 GMT
Reply-To: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Organization: Vidiot's Hangout

In article <petec.715987930@splat> petec@splat.dell.com (Pete Cruz) writes:
<As I have been shopping for a PVT (Projection TV) I am confused by lines
<of resolution. Some manufactures like Hitiach claim 900 and Pioneer 
<uses 750. Exactly what the this mean and how does it relate to picture 
<quality. As I understand it a LD player will provide up to 400 while
<television broadcast is around 258 lines.

TV broadcast is 330 lines, not 258.

The higher the horizontal lines of resolution, the sharper an image it is
capable of displaying.  But, if it is fed a signal with only 240 lines of
resolution (VHS, Beta), then that is all you'll see.
-- 
      harvard\                          spool.cs.wisc.edu!astroatc!vidiot!brown
Vidiot  ucbvax!uwvax..........!astroatc!vidiot!brown
      rutgers/            INTERNET:vidiot!brown%astroatc.UUCP@spool.cs.wisc.edu
                                   brown@wi.extrel.com
From: dhs@cs.utexas.edu (Douglas H. Steves)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: The TRUE Anamorphic Ratio, was Re: Coming out of the closet...
Date: 8 Sep 1992 14:15:51 -0500
Organization: U Texas Dept of Computer Sciences, Austin TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: manx.cs.utexas.edu

In article <92Sep08.174640.18976@acs.ucalgary.ca> wowoc@acs.ucalgary.ca (Witold Owoc) writes:
>Three related questions.
>1) Disney's "Fantasia", on the LD jacket says
>   "presented to you in original 1.33 ratio" (or something similar),
>   so which one is true
>   a) filmed in 1.333:1
>   b) filmed in 1.37:1 ratio presented with sides (sligthly) cropped
>   c) filmed in 1.37:1 ratio presented (sligthly) letterboxed

b). Fantasia would have been filmed in what is termed Academy ratio
or format. It is not letterboxed.
(I have not seen any Academy film transferred to video with letterboxing.
Has anyone else?)

>2) What about the newest "Casablanca" on LD ?

b)

>3) What format is 1.66:1 ?
This is the standard format used in England and (maybe) the rest of Europe.
Some of these films get transferred with letterboxing, but I can't think
of any examples off-hand.

Doug
From: JOHNN@TIGER.HSC.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: RE: NTSC to PAL
Date: 14 Sep 92 13:04:55 GMT
Organization: The Internet


Wolf Witt asked about conversion boxes..

	As has already been posted, there are such boxes.  And they are getting less 
expensive and more reliable each year.

	For those who need (?) or want to know more about PAL, see page 16 of the 
September issue of TV TECHNOLOGY.  
		"All You Need to Know About PAL"
		Randy Hoffer
		TV TECHNOLOGY; V.10, No. 9
		pages 16-18

	Also, "Making Frames Out of Thin Air"
		Mario Orazio
		same issue, page 25

	TV Technology is free to the industry but the cover price is $2.00 per 
issue.  Contact them at 703/998-7600. Ask about back issues.

Newsgroups: rec.video