From: vemuri@informix.com (Sudhakar Vemuri)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Multi-System VCR..Help !!!
Date: 15 Nov 92 22:36:57 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <1992Nov12.213742.5811@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> raman@aeshna.zko.dec.com (Rajesh Raman) writes:
>Hi Folks,
>
>I am planning to buy a Multi System VCR (especially which can
>playback/record NTSC and PAL (Indian) system)...Could anyone who
>has experience with this help me with this..specifically I need
>to know :
>
>	1) Which brand to buy ?
>	2) How much does it cost (approx.) ?
>	3) What special features that I may get or should look for ?
>	4) What features that I may have to sacrifice to get more
>		than one system..
>	5) I would prefer a stereo VCR if such is available..
>
>thanks in advance,
>-/Rajesh Raman
>
>-- 
>--------------
>
>  Rajesh Raman, ZKO3-2/S11, Digital Equipment Corp., Nashua, NH 03060

The following is picked up from misc.consumers. Hope it answers some of 
your questions and gives other netters who may need similar VCRs.
Some stuff is removed to save the bandwidth.

The article was originally posted by amc@berlioz.nsc.com (Andy McLean)


There seems to be 4 "classes" of machines (and probably others):

1) Units which will play tapes recorded with any (NTSC/PAL/SECAM)
   recording format any output a TV signal in the SAME FORMAT.
   Useful if all you want to do is not trash your VCR when you
   move country.  Most will also accept different input formats
   but again will only record in that SAME FORMAT.

2) As 1) BUT the TV output can be in another format to the tape.
   i.e. they convert at the OUTPUT. Useful to play PAL tapes with
   your NTSC TV for example.

3) As 2) BUT also provides a VIDEO signal suitable for input to
   another VCR.  This is useful as a 2 video approach to converting
   tape formats e.g. play your NTSC tape with this VCR set to
   PAL output, use it as the input to a PAL-only VCR and then send
   your tape to relatives in the UK!!

4) Units which allow you to input, record and output in any format
   and in any combination. e.g. input from a NTSC camcorder, record
   in SECAM and then play-back on a PAL TV!

There are also other units which have no tuner i.e. they can't record
from the TV/Cable signal.

Glossary
--------

"Multi-system" usually applies to 1). Most VCR's I have come across
fall into this category.  They can be bought cheaply (from US$250
if you shop around but they are usually based on a no-frills
"engine" and are the most limited in their use.

"Multi-converter" or "Multi-system converter" can apply to 2), 3) or 4)
but unfortunately these terms seem to mean different things to 
different manufacturers and can be VERY misleading. I am only aware
of a handful of VCR's in these categories.  Price range US$700- ??
depending on the features.

"Professional converters" are really intended for video shops
specialising in converting tape formats.  I don't know too much about
them cause they're out of my price range ($US1500- ??).

Specific Products
-----------------

As for specific VCR recommendations I can only summarize what I
have received from (dis)satisifed users:

If money is no object (~US$1500), the PANASONIC AG-W1 seems to be the
safest buy.  It falls into Class 4) as defined above and I 
have been told that it offers LP, Hi-Fi Stereo, S-VHS playback
i.e. all the bells and whistles we have come to expect.  A number
of users have EMAILed with glowing reports about this product -
except the price !

INSTANT REPLAY is based in Florida and produces a range of videos
in the above classifications.  I haven't heard from anyone who has
used one of their VCR's so I can't comment further.

The AIWA products are the most confusing.  They seem to be aimed at
the consumer market  with a product for everyone!  The most
commonly quoted products are the HV-MG300 (anything from
US$600-US$800) and the HV-M100 (about US$100 less) which appears to
be the same machine but without the tuner or timer facility.

-- 
Sudhakar Vemuri  (vemuri@informix.com)