HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: djb@ukc.ac.uk (David Barnes)
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite
Subject: N3 and RTL-4 on Astra
Date: 8 Jan 93 10:32:46 GMT
Distribution: eunet
Organization: Computing Lab, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.

As a new user of Astra, I have a couple of questions about the availability
of programs on N3 and RTL-4.  Sometimes N3 displays a teletext page rather
than a programme.  On Thursday evening, for instance, I think that this
appeared instead of a Walter Matthau film.  Sometimes RTL-4 is scrambled,
on Thursday the Oprah Winfrey show wasn't in the clear, for instance.

Can someone tell me why these stations do this, and whether they operate a
consistent policy, so that it is possible to predict what will be unavailable?

David
From: ralph.buttigieg@f635.n713.z3.fido.zeta.org.au (Ralph Buttigieg)
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite
Subject: Aussie TVRO FAQ
Organization: Fidonet. Gate admin is fido@socs.uts.edu.au
Date: 03 Jan 93 08:33:08 GMT

I know there is a very good TVRO FAQ which is sometimes uploaded on this
echo. However, its was somewhat lacking information on the Australasian
scene. Does anyone know of such a FAQ list? If not I will try to organise
one.

ta
Ralph

--- Maximus 2.01wb
 * Origin: Vulcan's World-Sydney Australia 02 635-1204 (3:713/635)
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite
From: terneus@controls.ccd.harris.com (Bill Terneus)
Subject: Need Actuator Arm
Originator: terneus@rs2
Organization: Harris Controls
Distribution: USA
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 18:33:42 GMT


Keywords:Need actuator arm 

I am in need of an actuator arm. I am looking for a good used one at a
resonable price or a place that may sell wholesale. My present arm is 
STS 24 inch big barrel. I have heard that the Saginaw or the Von Wieese are 
the best. Any information please reply.


Thanks 

     Bill
From: mxy4@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael Yeager)
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite
Subject: AMY FISHER VIDEO WANTED
Date: 11 Jan 1993 20:30:14 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
Reply-To: mxy4@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael Yeager)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc5.ins.cwru.edu


I am looking for the Amy Fisher video and I am 
willing to pay for it. E-mail me all relevent 
information. Thanks.
-Mike
-- 
Michael E. Yeager		|Beeper: 216-634-0381
P. O. Box 181110		|Days  : 216-368-3463
Cleveland Hts, OH 44118		|Home  : 216-229-7367
BCCI - This bank would bribe GOD!
From: rkobenter@galaxy.gov.bc.ca
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: <None>
Date: 7 Jan 93 11:30:29 -0800
Organization: BC Systems Corporation

re: NTSC->SECAM/PAL Inline conversion

The only way I know of is to buy the SHARP WDC1 vcr or equivalent
($1440 US at Ghandi in Chicago) which allows you to input the NTSC
(or PAL or SECAM B/G) and output in a different norm. But why? If
you have the SHARP you'd probably do the conversion by inputting the NTSC
signal and recording via the SHARP WDC1 onto SECAM and then take the SECAM tape
with you.. non?

Sorry.


rwkobent@bcsc02.gov.bc.ca
victoria bc canada
---------------------------------------------------but this is Victoria, its
                                                             - 7 oC Celsuis!
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: GENESIS ON VIDEO
From: operator@fri.cri.nz
Date: 11 Jan 93 14:46:43 +1300
Organization: New Zealand Forest Research Institute

Hi

Can anyone tell me has GENESIS put out a video on "We cant dance".  I have
not seen it in NZ and would like to know if it is available on video.
Thanks in advance.

Replies direct to me please.

OPERATOR@REMOF.FRI.CRI.NZ

Cheers, Lyn Wykes
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: pka@engin.umich.edu (Payman Khalili)
Subject: Re: Problem with new SONY SLV-696HF
Date: Fri, 08 Jan 93 03:03:44 EST
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor

In article <xc!3zap@rpi.edu> spinaa@rpi.edu (Matt Garretson) writes:
>Basically, I'm pretty pleased with the VCR, except for two things. I was 
>wondering if anyone else has had similar problems with the 696:
>
>1) When playing a tape with a Hifi audio track, there is an annoying click
>   that happens every so often (on the order of once every 2 minutes) during
>   which one of the channels (usually the left) seems to drop out. The
>   disturbance lasts only about 1/2 a second each time, but it's still
>   annoying. It happens with every tape, so I doubt it's just dropouts on
>   the tape.

Yes!  I have the exact same problem.  I posted a very similar question some
time ago on the net.  All the responses which I got indicated that there 
is a problem with the auto tracking.  I tried to do the tracking manually
and it seems to eliminate/reduce the problem.  

Other people who owned other (non-Sony) VCRs mentioned that they had similar
problems.  

I was also told that this happens with pre-recorded (mass produced) tapes.  
The audio and video heads on the duplicating machine may be slightly out 
of line and thus cause the problem.  Apparently, the auto-tracking on the 
Sony 696 adjusts for optimal video and thus the sound problems.  Manual 
tracking allows you to select a tracking for best audio+video.

Running tapes recorded on other HIFI VCRs on my 696, I did not encounter
the sound problems.  Thus, I know that my 696's heads are aligned ok
(w.r.t. the other VCR at least).  

Anyways, I'm still not perfectly convinced and want to take it in to 
check the head alignment before the warranty is up.

>
>2) The picture seems to roll more often when playing tapes than with other
>   VCRs I've seen. It doesn't happen that often; I was just wondering if
>   if might be a peculiarity with the auto tracking system.
>

I've never had this problem, however!  I've never had the picture roll
at all!  I'd take the VCR in before the warranty runs out!

>Luckily, it's still under manufacturer's warranty (measly 3 months), but I
>don't relish having to go through the hassle/expense of sending the thing
>to one of the few Sony service centers.

Keep me posted if you find out anything else!

-Payman

Newsgroups: rec.video,rec.photo,rec.arts.books
From: fuller@athena.cs.uga.edu (James P. H. Fuller)
Subject: Re: Photo CD
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 02:23:10 GMT

CUNY/Spartacus <I18BC@CUNYVM.BITNET> writes:

>>Digital (mostly magnetic) media seems to go out of fashion very fast.
>>Have you tried to read a 7-channel tape lately? A punched tape?
>>Can we be certain that somebody a hundred years from now can read a
>>PhotoCD?
>
>Sorry Per,
>      But you ought to know better than that being a computer person.
>If its digital, it can be transfered to many different digital mediums.
>Just like transfering an old text file from a 160k 5 1/4 floppy
>to a 2.88mb  3 1/2 floppy.   Or uploading my floppy file to 3380
>mainframe diskpack or digital tape.  etc etc etc...etc
>
>The resolution argument I understand, but this?


    Sure, it *could* be transferred, but what if nobody bothers to transfer
it until all the devices that can read it are junked?  I happen to have a
recording of my grandfather's voice that I can't play.  It's a *wire*
recording.  Right, like a tape recorder only the stuff on the reels is a
strand of wire.  Dates from early 1940s, I think.  You got anything that
will read this?  Or consider the contortions I had to go through when I
recently wanted to get a file from a 140K Apple II disk, circa 1980, onto
my 486.  Locate ancient Apple, blow off cobwebs, clean and lubricate disk II
drive (whoopee, it still works!), locate vendor of serial port cards for
ancient Apple (whoopee, one or two still exist), rig up null modem, ftp
Apple II kermit and Unix C-kermit from Columbia to my work host, transfer 
both to 486 via zmodem, compile C-kermit for SysV, get Apple kermit *to* 
the Apple *without* a comm program to receive it (a nice trick), get it
working, dream up a gettydefs entry for 486 serial port to the Apple, start
Apple kermit, log into Unix from Apple, invoke C-kermit server, shoot file
over.  It took almost a week of evenings just to teleport this old file
forward a mere 13 years.  

    I'd like very much to play with some of the IMMENSE amount of data that
has been generated by satellites and other space probes over the years but
I can't because almost all of it is archived offline on reels of tape that
nobody is EVER going to bother to transcribe onto more recent media.  It
might as well never have been collected.

    I've bellowed the following in this forum before:  COMPUTERS ARE NOT A
SUBSTITUTE FOR BOOKS.  If you want to be sure some archive is readable a
hundred (let alone a thousand) years hence, you better make sure it's written
on something that's human-readable *without* any doodads or technical infra-
structure.

                                                  -- jf



| James P. H. Fuller, research director        Soil/Water Biology Laboratory |
|                                              Institute of Ecology          |
| work: fuller@athena.cs.uga.edu               University of Georgia         |
| home: (crom2 rejoins the bitstream one day)  Athens, GA U.S.A.             |
|             Every woman adores a Fascist.  -- Sylvia Plath                 |


Newsgroups: rec.video
From: djed@decvax.DEC.COM (David Jedlinsky UEG/Shells and Utilities)
Subject: Re: Baseband to MTS
Reply-To: djed@decvax.DEC.COM (David Jedlinsky UEG/Shells and Utilities)
Organization: Ultrix Engineering Group
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 17:04:59 GMT

In article <1993Jan8.023457.1019@seas.smu.edu>, dleon@seas.smu.edu (David Leon) writes:
|> Does anyone know of a device that will allow me to plug in baseband
|> video and stereo audio in one side and spit out an MTS encoded a/v
|> signal via coax on the other side?

Radio Shack sells a wired transmitter, which takes a cable input (most cable
channels), another RF input (channel 3 or 4), and a baseband video & stereo
audio input.  It then puts the RF input onto UHF channel 13 or 14, and the
baseband video & stereo audio onto another UHF channel.  The audio is MTS
encoded.  This resulting output is then send to three coax outputs, for use
throughout your house.

This is overkill for what you want, but it's the only device I know of that
encodes video and *stereo* audio onto an RF channel.  Most RF modulators are
mono only.

|> 
|> David
|> 

-Dave
opus@athena.mit.edu
From: rao@kodak.com (Arun Rao)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Camcorder for recording external video?
Keywords: camcorder, Panasonic, viewfinder
Date: 11 Jan 93 13:33:10 GMT
Reply-To: rao@kodak.com (Arun Rao)
Organization: Image Processing Algorithms Laboratory, Eastman Kodak Co.


	I was looking through the owner's manual of my Panasonic NV-MS1EG
	camcorder, and I noticed that the (optional) character generator is
	supposed to plug into the same socket that the viewfinder does.

	Could this be a way of recording external video signals using the
	camcorder (in other words, using the camcorder as a VCR)?  As far as
	I know, the camcorder has no other provision for doing this.  The
	reason I ask is that my VCR does not have insert-editing capability
	(no flying erase head), so I thought I could use the camcorder
	instead ....


	Any ideas on why this would/would not work?

	-Arun
 


-- 
Arun Rao
Senior Research Scientist
Recognition & Information Processing Group
Eastman Kodak Company
Rochester, NY 14650-1816
From: kimd@gizmo.usc.edu (Kim Daugherty)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: VCR+ -- I'm convinced to get one
Date: 5 Jan 1993 07:31:48 -0800
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: gizmo.usc.edu


So I'm convinced there is a good reason to get one (we have many power
outages).  Where can I get one for cheaper than the $49.95 I've seen in 
every store?  Anybody have a mail order source?

-- 
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Kim Daugherty                   | PhD program in Computer Science   |
| kimd@gizmo.usc.edu              | University of Southern California |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: stud1b53@bnr.ca (Anshu Prasad)
Subject: Re: Best, cheapest HI-FI VHS recorder
Keywords: recorder, HI-FI, cheapest
Reply-To: stud1b53@bnr.ca 
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 93 19:13:41 GMT

In article <C0MoMD.BH5@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, jhc819@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (chung jason ho yong) writes:
|> I'm shopping for a VHS video cassette recorder.  My requirements are that
|> it have decent picture, good sound, and have automatic head cleaning.
|> 
|> As you can see, I'm not going for any frills.  Pretty much a low end HI FI
|> system (four heads would be nice, too).
|> 
|> Can someone suggest any models?  Samsung, Panasonic 4250?, etc...?
|> 

  I recently picked up a Mitsubishi U56.  After considerable research,
I found Mitsubishi (both the U56 and the U67) to be exceptional machines
at very reasonable prices.  I considered Sony, JVC, Panasonic, RCA, Hitachi,
Samsung, Sanyo and Proscan before deciding on the Mits.  So far, I've been
extremely pleased with both the audio and video quality of the unit
(though, admittedly, I've only used it for about 20 hours).  I got mine for
$395 CDN ($308 US) though I've been told that it isn't that cheap south of
the border.

-- 
   __ ___  
  /\ \ \ \  Anshu Prasad                        stud1b53@bnr.ca
 /--\ \/_/  Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
/_/  \_\    All opinions are my own, not my employer's, BNR Ltd
From: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: Need info on macrovision
Date: 11 Jan 93 02:44:33 GMT
Reply-To: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Organization: Vidiot's Hangout

In article <4902@copper.Denver.Colorado.EDU> imoss@copper.denver.colorado.edu (Ira David Moss) writes:
<
<      Macrovison works by working with the sync tip.  If you look at Macrovision
<on a scope, the sycn tip falls and then rises again about every 10 seconds.  

Sorry, but this is incorrect.  The normal horizontal sync pulses are not
affected.  During the VBI, extra horizontal sync pulses are added during the
normal image portion of the line.

<   All consumer VCR's something called automastic gain control AGC, it's always
<on, and when your VCR's AGC tries to lock onto the tip, it can't because it
<varies,  industial machines have the option of turning the AGC off, so that
<they may record Macrovision, other than that the only way to strip it is 
<through a processor

Sorry, changing the size of the added horizontal sync pulses has nothing to
do with how Macrovision works.

Not only are there added horizontal sync pulses, but immediately after the
rising edge of the added pulse the signal is sent to peak white.  VHS AGC
works by checking the size of the horizontal sync pulse to the back porch.
When going directly from sync tip to peak white, the AGC circuit is fooled
into thinking that the signal level is too large.  The level of the white
signal is varied so that people don't reset the AGC circuit.

I've heard that newer versions of Macrovision do change the level of the
added pulses, but as explained above, there is more to it.
-- 
      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: gt7257c@prism.gatech.EDU (Jose R. Perez)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Inexpensive Hi-Fi VCRs
Date: 9 Jan 93 21:05:10 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology


  I am currently looking for a Hi-Fi VCR. I don't need any editing functions,
but the picture quality is extremely important. I know Sony and Mitsubishi are 
highly recommended, but I was hoping to find something cheaper but with more
than decent picture quality.

Any recommendations will be highly appreciated.
-- 
*Jose R. Perez           |--" Really???" - Dr. Joel Fleishmann                *
*Internet:               |--"NBC... the HAPPY network!!" - Dave               *
*gt7257c@prism.gatech.edu|                                                    *
*********************"There can be only one!!"- Conner McLeod *****************
Newsgroups: rec.video,misc.consumers
From: mdh@mlb.semi.harris.com (Mark Hanson)
Subject: Re: Tape rewinder (Re: Tape snapped at beginning of tape)
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 22:32:13 GMT
Distribution: na
Reply-To: mdh@mlb.semi.harris.com (Mark Hanson)
Organization: Harris Semiconductor, Melbourne, Fl.

In article <C0HuDw.6qy@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, acheng@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Albert
Cheng) writes:
|> 
|> In article <4715@vidiot.UUCP>, brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) writes:
|> >Another hint.  Don't use those stupid tape rewinders.
|> 
|> I have heard recommendation of using the rewinder instead the VCR to
|> rewind tapes.  The reason is to reduce wear on my expensive VCR head
|> mechanism.  Are there better brands of tape rewinders or are they
|> all tape eaters?

I have had two and they both snapped my tapes.
The second one claimed to sense the end of the tape and slow down (Bull Shit).
One was a Solidex.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Hanson
Go Gators, Go Bills (Not all us Bills fans are loud woofing Assholes!!!)
============================================================================
Harris Semiconductor             Internet:   mdh@mlb.semi.harris.com
PO Box 883 MS 62B-022            Work Phone: (407) 724-7572
Melbourne, Fla. 32902
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: hr@spica.astro.uiuc.edu (Harold Ravlin)
Subject: Winter CES??
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 23:05:44 GMT

Did anyone make it to the Winter CES? In particular, I'd like to know
if Proton has announced any new televisions.

hr

--
Harold Ravlin, hr@spica.astro.uiuc.edu
U. of Illinois, Dept of Astronomy
From: hamachi@adobe.com (Gordon Hamachi)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: How to Fix a Sony TV Remote and Save $60
Date: 4 Jan 93 22:54:22 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated

Over the holidays I learned an easy way to fix a common fault with Sony TV  
remote controls.  It took me half an hour and cost nothing except time.  This  
compares quite favorably with buying a new unit from Sony for > $60!

Disclaimer:  This worked for me but may not work for you.  Don't do it unless  
you take full responsibility for your own actions.

My Sony TV remote control had slowly developed a degenerative problem where the  
Channel-Down and Volume-Down buttons stopped working.  My parents had a similar  
problem, but in addition, the entire left column of buttons stopped working.

The first challenge was figuring out how to open the unit.  Various models are  
put together in different ways, so your mileage may vary.

To disassemble mine I remove the battery compartment cover and the batteries.   
At the back/bottom of the case there is a plastic tab-and-slot fastener that  
can be pried apart.  Now a long plastic finger (from the bottom half of the  
case) is sticking up in the air.  Next, use a small pocket knife and carefully  
pry along the edges between the top and bottom halves of the plastic case.  Do  
not try to pry up the metal cover--it is glued onto the top half of the case,  
and you'll only end up bending it.  There are two small nubs on each side of  
the case, between the battery compartment and the front of the unit.  Once you  
unhook them, the case pops open.  Be careful not to leave a scar in the soft  
plastic.

What you see is a single-sided PC board with one DIP.  At the front of the PC  
board is a clear LED that generates the IR signals that control the TV.  Pull  
the PC board out to reveal a one-piece rubber mat that contains all of the  
buttons on the remote.  When you press a button, the rubber mat around the  
button collapses and the bottom of the button completes the circuit by bridging  
two contact pads on the PC board.  As the mat collapses, it gives that nice  
clicking sensation.  Pretty cheap and simple to build.

The problem with this design is that the bottom of the rubber button is just  
some painted-on black conducting stuff that wears off over time.  Eventually it  
fails to make the connection, and the button stops working.

The fix is easy.  I have some tape that is sticky on one side and has  
conducting foil on the other side.  I cut little pieces of the conducting foil  
and stuck them onto the bottoms of all of the buttons non-functioning buttons.   
When I put the remote control back together, all the buttons worked as good as  
new.

The conducting tape I used is intended for sensing the end of tape on  
autoreverse open reel tape decks.  I imagine you could use any conducting foil  
and a little glue and get the same results.
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: chou@cs.washington.edu (Pai Hsiang Chou)
Subject: Re: Dumb Q:  Can Surround Sound be Recorded?
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 93 05:09:53 GMT

In article <29126@oasys.dt.navy.mil> smennitt@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Stuart Mennitt) writes:
>
>    I have a 2 year old Sharp MTS stereo HiFi VCR.  I recently got
>a Kenwood ProLogic receiver and some surround speakers.  The surround
>performance is evident when watching encoded cable TV and playing encoded
>rented movies.
>    I've recorded encoded movies off cable, but when played back the
>surround was absent.  Is my VCR just passing the encoded signal through
>to the receiver in the first cases?  Are stereo HiFi VCRs incapable
>of *recording* surround sound encoding?  Am I asking to many stupid
>questions?


I am not sure if this is the case with you, but
it happened to me once.

Make sure your VCR's audio recording mode is set to
"Stereo" (not "Mono" or "MTS").

If your VCR records in stereo then it records the
surround information also.

Pai
Xref: sparky rec.video:15622 misc.consumers:21724
From: patil@hal.COM (Tarang Patil)
Newsgroups: rec.video,misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Tape rewinder (Re: Tape snapped at beginning of tape)
Date: 8 Jan 93 17:25:38 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: HAL Computer Systems, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: mozart.hal.com

In article <1993Jan7.232957.17334@mtu.edu>, bwcarlso@mtu.edu (Brent Carlson) writes:
|> karr@cs.cornell.edu (David Karr) writes:
|> >In article <C0HuDw.6qy@news.cso.uiuc.edu> acheng@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Albert Cheng) writes:
|> >>I have heard recommendation of using the rewinder instead the VCR to
|> >>rewind tapes.  The reason is to reduce wear on my expensive VCR head
|> >>mechanism.
|> >
|> >My impression is the heads will be nowhere near the tape when you
|> >rewind it.  I thought the reason was supposed to be to save wear on
|> >other parts, e.g. motors.
|> >
|> >
|> In some VCRs the tape is in contact with the heads anytime the tape is
|> in the machine, including during rewinding and fast-forward.  I have done
|> repairs on a few VCRs and only 2 of them did not have the tape in
|> contact with the heads during rewinding.


Also, it seems that when the tape is in the machine, the tape is wound around
the head in direct contact and spinning against the heads.  Doesn't this wear
down the heads.  The Sony 696HF pulls the tape away from the heads during
hyper-speed rewind, but when one sticks the tape in the tape is wound around
the drum.  I think the best way to preserve the heads is to have no tape in
the machine at any time that the tape is not playing.
Newsgroups: rec.video,rec.video.production