HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: helfman@aero.org (Robert S. Helfman)
Newsgroups: rec.video,ca.general
Subject: Re: Why buy anywhere else but FedCo?  (Medium/High-end video, at least)
Date: 16 Nov 1992 06:34:31 GMT
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
Distribution: ca
NNTP-Posting-Host: aerospace.aero.org
Keywords: FedCo

In article <1992Nov14.225445.15091@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov> earle@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov (Greg Earle - Gainfully Unemployed) writes:
>I am embarrassed to admit that I have lived in California for over 16 years,
>and until recently remained completely clueless about the FedCo phenomenon.
>
>It appears that if you are either a full-time student, or can prove that
>you work for the Govt. somehow (Federal, State, or Local; or at a school/
>college/university) and have a photo i.d. to prove it, you can get in on this
>FedCo scam.  (-:

It's hardly a scam. Fedco was founded by 800 postal employees in 1954.
I joined in 1957. They were so small, they just had a storefront on
Slauson in L.A. where they had a catalog service. You picked out what you
wanted and came back to get it when it arrived. 

They now have over 3 million members. The membership requirements also
allow for employees of non-profit corporations, companies which do
the great majority of their business with government (Hughes, TRW, etc.),
as well as hospitals.

The one important thing to remember about Fedco is that it is owned
by its members. There are no stockholders. Unlike Price Club (owned
by a someone named Price, no lie), the old Gemco (owned by Lucky
Stores), and all the other 'clubs', Fedco is a genuine non-profit
corporation. I always tell people that the only profit they make
is all those zillions of inner-city kids who work there. 

One of the reasons that Fedco doesn't keep opening new stores on
every block is that they have a strict rule that new stores will
not be financed - they pay CASH for their new stores. They refuse
to take on any debt. That makes the store unusually resilient against
recessions.

>
any positive/negative opinions or
>experiences with FedCo's?
>

I live near the La Cienega store. I do almost ALL my shopping there.
I occasionally buy grocery items at a Lucky nearer my house, but that's
only for the things that Fedco doesn't carry - which is damn little, believe
me.

Every cost comparison done independently has shown that Fedco's prices
beat everyone else, on average. Sure you can do better on some specific
item, but if you shop there all the time, you save a bundle.

During the 18 days that the La Cienega store was being cleaned up and
remodeled after the riot looting, I HAD to shop elsewhere. It was a rude
shock to see how expensive toiletries were, for example. Lucky charged
$3.27 for the same deodorant that was $2.47 at Fedco.

Big-ticket items like big-screen TV's might be $100 cheaper at Fedco.
Their markups are never as big as household items.

I'm a pretty strong believer, as you can see. Nine years of weekly
shopping proved the point for me, over and over again.
 
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: daniel@fuchsia.uchicago.edu (Daniel Fu)
Subject: Video cables for longer distances?
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 11:29:34 GMT

Are there composite video cables (~100-150 ft.) commercially available
for sale?  If not, what is the best medium for transmitting a composite
signal over 100 feet?  Coaxial?

Dan
____________________________________
Daniel Fu
              daniel@cs.uchicago.edu
Newsgroups: rec.video,rec.arts.tv,rec.video.production
From: kimnach@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (GREG KIMNACH)
Subject: Re: Great Simpsons Quote from 11/3/92 episode
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 18 Nov 1992 16:40 EST  

In article <BxxGDu.4Bt@mail.boi.hp.com>, riyadth@boi.hp.com (Riyadth Al-Kazily) writes...
>In article <4439@vidiot.UUCP> brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) writes:
>>In another of Sony's blunders, they used the name BetaCam more than once.  The
>>first product was a home consumer camcorder, that recorded in the Beta format.
>>It never did good and died.  In Sony's wisdom, the name got used again for a
>>professional product that used Beta-like tape, but wasn't in the home Beta
>>format.  The tape only lasted 20 minutes, was a different formulation, and
>>separated the luminance and chrominance & recorded them on separate video
>>tracks.
> 
>Wasn't the consumer camcorder line called BetaMovie?  I'm pretty sure that
>I remember it that way, but I could be wrong.  I certainly don't remember
>BetaCam associated with any consumer model equipment.

Yes, it was refered to as BetaMovie.  That's what my Beta camcorder has 
written on it and in the manual.  Now, my ED camcorder is called an ED-cam.

But this was another example of misinformation and a means of belittling 
the format, its supporters, and Sony.

Greg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                         ED-Beta: Simply THE BEST!
"ED Beta is simply the best consumer videotape format available."
                                     --VIDEO Magazime, Nov. 1992, page 30.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: kimnach@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (GREG KIMNACH)
Subject: Re: Why you _need_ Widescreen....
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 17 Nov 1992 15:54 EST  

In article <11009@baird.cs.strath.ac.uk>, amcalind@cs.strath.ac.uk (Anthony McAlinden IE91) writes...
>In an earlier message, tony.camara@canrem.com (tony camara), prattles on
>and basically asks :
> 
>Why would you want widescreen?
> 
>He goes on to say that he just bought a 52 inch TV, and wants to use ALL of
>the picture area. In fact, he's just defeated his own argument, for on a
>TV that size, he'll really get the effect.
> 
>I don't have time to mess about attempting ASCII graphics showing why
>releasing in the original aspect ratio is a GOOD THING, so maybe
>somebody else could.
> 
>The question is, when this guy sees a movie in a cinema, does he complain
>when its a non 4:3 format.... If so, maybe he ought to stick to olden
>day Academy Ratio (which you still won't see in full, fullscreen....)
> 
>Tony.
> 
>- A Panavision fan, and proud....

While the ASCII demo on the bb would be insightfull, it probably wouldn't 
convince many die-hard "I want the entire tube filled with something" 
viewers that LB is the way to view most movies.  What I suggest is for them 
to rent a P&S and LB version of the same movie (Star Wars, for example), 
and toggle between the two.  They'll convert.... 

Greg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                         ED-Beta: Simply THE BEST!
"ED Beta is simply the best consumer videotape format available."
                                     --VIDEO Magazime, Nov. 1992, page 30.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: danwood@netcom.com (Daniel J Wood)
Subject: Yothu Yindi Concert available in US?
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 21:58:16 GMT

In Europe, I saw a PAL-format videotape of a concert by Yothu Yindi
(an Australian Aborigine rock band). Of course, this doesn't work
in the USA.

Has anybody seen, or know where to find, a tape or laserdisc of this concert
in NTSC format for US viewing?

Thanks---
Dan Wood, danwood@netcom.com
From: kimnach@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (GREG KIMNACH)
Subject: Re: Converting VHS tapes to S-VHS tapes
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Distribution: usa
Date: 19 Nov 1992 11:02 EST  

In article <1992Nov19.013535.28583@eng.umd.edu>, whitefox@eng.umd.edu (M.S. Pope) writes...
> 
>I just bought a S-VHS vcr a month ago, but I haven't used the
>S-VHS recording mode much because the tapes for that mode are so 
>expensive.  However, a friend showed me how to drill a hole on
>the bottom of a high-grade VHS tape to "converts" it to a
>S-VHS tape.  It seems to work well, and I can't tell a difference
>between the one tape I drilled and a regular S-VHS tape.  However,
>before I go crazy and start drilling every tape in sight, I was
>wondering why I am able to converts a VHS tape.  Also, I wonder
>whether it is actually safe for my vcr to record or play on these
>ex-VHS tapes.  Does anyone know the answer?

  While the quality of a true S-VHS tape is supposedly better than that of 
the best standard grade tapes, they are both oxide formulations.  So it is 
safe to drill a "recognition hole"--but you should use a good quality oxide 
tape (Fuji Pro, for example), not a $0.99 no name cheap-o.  
  One thing you must be carefull of though: make sure that no plastic shavings 
fall into the case because this can damage the tape (so what) or the vcr 
(not so good).  Otherwise, it's perfectly safe and acceptable.

Greg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                         ED-Beta: Simply THE BEST!
"ED Beta is simply the best consumer videotape format available."
                                     --VIDEO Magazime, Nov. 1992, page 30.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: wallace@titan.trl.OZ.AU (Glenn Wallace)
Subject: Re: Pausing a damn LaserDisc player! or TRYING to!
Organization: Telecom Research Labs, Melbourne, Australia
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 19:26:01 GMT

batman@amigans.gen.nz (Kerry Emerson) writes:

>Are there any LaserDisc players out there in the wide wide world which 
>actually PAUSE withOUT just bringing up a blank screen?  I recently 
>(about 1 week ago) purchased `Terminator 2' on LaserDisc.  Now this movie 
>is INCREDIBLE on LaserDisc, and as I have just bought DCTV for my Amiga, 
>I wish to capture some of those brilliant morphing sequences and save 
>them in 8million colours and create a really cool animation, but out of 
>the 3 different LaserDisc players I have seen (of different makes), none 
>of them pause the movie with the image still on the screen like a normal 
>video.  Why is this?  Is this to stop pirates or something, or is it 
>impossible to freeze a LaserDisc period?

As Maxwell Smart would say: two possibilities -

1) You have a CLV copy of T2. The CLV format squeezes more fields on to
the disc by storing more on the outer tracks, like a macintosh floppy.
This makes it hard for a player to repeat one field/frame... they never
start in the same place and the length is different.....

If you have a player with digital field store, like the Pioneer
3080/3090 (3380/3390) you can do this on CLV discs. It grabs the field
as it comes past and remembers it.

Either you need to spend more money and buy a player like this or spend
more money and get the T2 box set... oh but they're not available any
more (sorry).

2) You have the CAV copy of T2 and you are pressing the pause button
instead of the "frame step" button. On, for example, a CLD-1450, the
pause button causes a nice blank screen and the word "pause", i.e.
"thanks Dilbert, I paused".

The single frame advance/rewind buttons on the remote will cause the
image to stop, and the player to repeat (freeze) the CAV field/frame
you're currently on. A 'perfect' freeze frame.

====

And now for FREE ADVERTISING! ha fooled you all!

Any Brisbane or Australian viewers wishing to buy a Pioneer CLD-1450
player (which plays PAL *and* NTSC LDs, CDs etc on a PAL monitor)
call me on (07) 837-7126 (W), or (07) 849-4429 (H). I have one I need to
dispose of (going overseas) so make me an offer!

[flames to /dev/lp0!]

Cheers

Glenn

Net: g.wallace@trl.oz.au | Well the escape plan is under way... Seattle
RealTime: Glenn Wallace  | is the destination. I have food, maps, clothing,
Work: --- Classified --- | and a compass. The X Committee has approved it,
      (to be announced)  | all I have to do is scale the compound wall.
From: lazlo@triton.unm.edu (Lazlo Nibble)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: Re: Why you _need_ Widescreen....
Date: 18 Nov 92 06:10:21 GMT
Organization: Usenet Power Elite: Crush-The-Innocent-Newbies Strike Team

kimnach@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (GREG KIMNACH) writes:

> While the ASCII demo on the bb would be insightfull, it probably
> wouldn't  convince many die-hard "I want the entire tube filled with
> something"  viewers that LB is the way to view most movies. 

I invite anyone who loves movies to sit through the P&S videocassette
transfer of 'Silverado',  as I had to last night.  Thanks to the cropping,
The lead baddie *isn't even on screen for the final gunfight*.  If anyone
can tell me that they enjoy that more than seeing the whole picture as it
was shot, I give up.  

I've seen letterbox demos that show the LB version of an arbitrary
widescreen scene on the bottom half of the video screen and the cropped
version on the top half.  It's a lot harder to convince yourself that
you're not missing anything important after seeing that.

--
Lazlo (lazlo@triton.unm.edu)
From: "eric walker" <eric.walker@channel1.com>
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: why you _need_ widesc
Date: 22 Nov 92 23:57:43 EST
Reply-To: "eric walker" <eric.walker@channel1.com>
Distribution: rec
Organization: Channel 1 Communications

GK>>I don't have time to mess about attempting ASCII graphics showing why
GK>>releasing in the original aspect ratio is a GOOD THING, so maybe
GK>>somebody else could.

Here is why a movie screen will not fit on a TV screen:

       -----------===============================-----------
      |          |                               |          |
      |          |                               |          |
      |          |                               |          |
      | <--------|--------  MOVIE SCREEN  -------|--------> |
      |          |                               |          |
      |          | <========  TV SCREEN  ======> |          |
      |          |                               |          |
      |          |                               |          |
       -----------===============================-----------

So letterboxing fits the whole movie screen onto the TV screen,
like this:

                  ===============================
UNUSED SPACE --->|_______________________________|
                 |                               |
TV SCREEN ======>|                               |
                 | <------- MOVIE SCREEN ------> |
                 |                               |
                 |                               |
                 |_______________________________|
UNUSED SPACE --->|                               |
                  ===============================

     The whole picture is smaller, and at the top and bottom of the TV
screen there are black bars where there is no picture; it's just unused
space.  But nevertheless, you still get the entire picture onto the TV
screen, and you don't lose any of it.
     The reason why letterboxing is not used is because the
companies believe that people will feel "cheated" if they see the black
bars at the top and bottom of the screen.  Actually, the people ARE being
cheated now, because between 15% to 45% of the screen is GONE when a
movie is transferred to video in a non-letterboxed format.

     For some excellent VHS examples of letterboxing, try renting these
movies on home video:

     THE COLOR PURPLE.
     LAWRENCE OF ARABIA.  (The special widescreen edition.)
     MANHATTAN.
     2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.  (The new video release, with the Star Child
          on the tape cover.)
     IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD.  (The new restored edition.)
     INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE.  (The special Super VHS
          edition.)
     SPARTACUS.  (The new restored edition.)
     APOCALYPSE NOW.  (The new widescreen edition.)

     Don't watch them on cable!
---
  SLMR 2.1a  Spaceballs the Tagline!
--
Channel 1 (R)   Cambridge, MA

Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: kimp@rpi.edu (Phil Kim)
Subject: Digital capacity on LD?
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 06:16:04 GMT

If LDs were purely digital, how much data could it store?  I know that
CDs store about 680MB (for CD-ROMs anyway).
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: jhc819@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (chung jason ho yong)
Subject: Re: "Dances with Wolves" Extended Video
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 15:34:46 GMT

How does it compare to the 3 hour version seen in the states?  More specifically,
did you enjoy it more than the theatrical release version?


Jason
From: batman@amigans.gen.nz (Kerry Emerson)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: Re: Re: Pausing a damn LaserDisc player! or TRYING to! __(FINAL)__
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 12:23:15 GMT+1
Organization: Wanganui Amigans, Wanganui, New Zealand

I would just like to thank ALL the people who whote about how to pause a 
LaserDisc.  My MailBox has literally been over-flowing with mail about 
this subject.  I have had about 9 mail per day (just on that) and after 
Bob Niland's VERY comprehensive mails, I think I know why I can't pause 
the LaserDisc.
                                                          - Thanx.

--                                                                    
     Kerry Emerson.  User: `Darknight Si'  UUCP: Batman@amigans.gen.nz
      Co-SysOp of Silent Imperium: +64 06 3471763 2400bps (24 HOURS)  
     Home:  19B Somerset Road, Wanganui, New Zealand. +64 06 3446499. 
                        **** Quote of the Week ****
    #@(*&98%743987b43987b4(BDOB#bd976obdOIY(s*B(*987ndd(&N$#(&NIY#iuyPD
    P$#!P*$Up843dp83n4yd23o4od&B COOPER b4obd7B&O*&#BD*&OT#*&NT$DDO#d2b
    (&BP(!&(NP#(&N THE OWLS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM @!^BBT@!)*)@!*$2t186
    OI&BTo8b7^37b3oBO#@&TBOS*B#ESO&@*&WSO&T*N@O*&TNNNS)#)U_)M@_-m@32(*Y
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: Stephen Jonke <jonke@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: Re: Pausing a damn LaserDisc player! or TRYING to!
X-Xxmessage-Id: <A731471F0F025C5D@joe.gsfc.nasa.gov>
X-Xxdate: Thu, 19 Nov 92 18:29:03 GMT
Organization: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d12
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 18:29:06 GMT

In article <BxxLr4.E7s@fc.hp.com> Bob Niland, rjn@FC.HP.COM writes:
>Not trying to defend Pioneer, but what do you do on the Sony if you WANT
>to suspend CAV play and have a blank screen?

Well, you've got me there.  What I want to know is how can I (on either brand)
press "play", but instead of playing, have the player put large, deep
scratches in the disc -- I've always wanted it to do this (especially when
watching anything with Barbara Streisand in it), but I guess I'll have to wait
for Emerson to get in the business.

Steve
------------------------
jonke@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov
------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: denton@ssd.comm.mot.com (Perry Denton)
Subject: Re: Hot Laserdisc News! -Disney -Image etc.
Organization: Motorola LMPS
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 18:44:24 GMT
Keywords: n

In article <1992Nov23.064217.25154@uhura.neoucom.edu> wlrc@uhura.neoucom.edu (William R. Cruce) writes:
>
>=============================================================================
>SCARFACE (Pacino - 1983)
>------------------------
>   MCA will release "SCARFACE" (1983) in the Letterbox format.  Also
>"RAISING CAIN" letterboxed as well.  The release date for both is Jan 27.
>Prices: $39.95 for "Scarface" and  $34.95 for "Raising Cain".
>
>=============================================================================

I have seen the write-up for Scarface in the latest "Laser Disc Event" that
I pick up free at the video store. (Actually most of the info given seems
to be taken from there, the info on Mary Poppins and 20,000 Leagues says that
the info is unconfirmed and is to be taken with a grain of salt).

Here what it says on Scarface (which is definitely coming out in Jan):

$39.98 - 2 Hrs 50 Min - R - 3 Sides
Letterboxed (2.35:1 Aspect Radio of the 35 mm anamorphic theatrical prints)
Color, Digital, Dolby Surround Sound, CX Encoded
Chapter Stops, theatrical trailer


I was hoping since it was taking so long for the widescreen version to come
out, that they would release an "uncut" version.  I remember when this movie
first came out, the director was forced to cut some violent scenes out of the
movie to get it down to an "R" rating.

Classic movie, in the same sad way "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" was.

Perry
-- 
Perry Denton
Motorola, Inc.
Schaumburg, Illinois
Internet: denton@ssd.comm.mot.com       Phone: (708) 576-4479
From: koreth@spud.Hyperion.COM (Steven Grimm)
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
Subject: Re: _SOLARIS_ on LD
Date: 21 Nov 1992 14:49:45 -0800
Organization: Hyperion, Mountain View, CA, USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: spud.hyperion.com

Does anyone know if it will have better subtitles than the version shown on
PBS?  I nearly turned that version off because the subtitling was so annoying;
at times it seemed like only every third spoken line was subtitled.  This made
several conversations just about impossible for me to follow.

The movie is well-made, but if the subtitling has remained as awful as it was
in the PBS version, I wouldn't recommend it to people who don't speak Russian.

-Steve
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: kenh@world.std.com (Ken Hancock)
Subject: Re: Pausing a damn LaserDisc player! or TRYING to!
Organization: Isle Systems - Waltham, MA
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 23:22:21 GMT

In article <1992Nov18.203413.24770@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov> Stephen Jonke <jonke@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov> writes:
>That's one thing I don't like about Pioneer players -- my Sony MDP-333
>actually still frames when you hit pause (if it's a CAV disc -- no CLV effects
>on the 333.)  It's completely counter intuitive that you MUST press frame step
>to get a still picture.  There's nothing worse then a bad user interface --
>now if only Sony would work on their remotes!

I'm always amazed at the poor UI on remotes.  My Toshiba, for example
won't go out of pause mode by hitting play.  You're forced to hit pause
again.  *sigh*

Ken

-- 
Ken Hancock             | INTERNET: kenh@world.std.com 
Isle Systems            | Compuserve: >INTERNET: kenh@world.std.com
Macintosh Consulting    | AOL: KHancock 
                        | Disclaimer: My opinions are mine,
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases
From: baldwin@frodo.colorado.edu (Dan "Viper" Baldwin)
Subject: Re: Why you _need_ Widescreen....
Organization: Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 18:12:37 GMT

In article <1992Nov21.233704.10199@odin.corp.sgi.com>, archer@elysium.esd.sgi.com (Archer Sully) writes:
|> In <JgcLuB5w165w@jybox.jyu.fi> otto@jybox.jyu.fi (Otto J. Makela) writes:
|> 
|> *amberle@staff.tc.umn.edu (Amberle S Ferrian) writes:
|> *
|> *> Wants to use all of the picture area on his 52" monster TV when the P&S crops
|> *> half the area anyway, huh?  How 'bout running Back to the Future in LB and 
|> *> P&S--you know, the scene when Biff hits George on the head:  "Hello, McFly?"
|> *
|> *What about Kurosawa's KAGEMUSHA -- near the beginning there is the scene where
|> *the general, his doppelganger and the general's aide are sitting around using
|> *all of the available letterbox to produce a nice balanced and serene scene.
|> *In P&S this scene has a manic-like quality with "talking noses" most of the
|> *time and the picture constantly panning left and right to try to catch the
|> *actor who is talking at that moment.  Truly miserable.
|> *
|> 
|> There's are worse examples in "Dersu Uzala", also from Kurosawa.
|> 
|> Why is it that only people with poor taste seem to be able to afford 52"
|> screens?
|> 
> -- archer

That is total bullshit archer, I have a 53" screen and I definitly prefer
letterbox, whats your problem ?

Dan
Newsgroups: rec.video.releases