HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: otto@jybox.jyu.fi (Otto J. Makela)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: Stupid Answer Time (Was: Stupid Question Time)
Date: Mon, 05 Oct 92 01:20:38 EDT
Organization: Jyvaskyla Electronic Mailbox

brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) writes:

> BTW, the letter that I posted earlier to Television Broadcasting will be
> printed in a future edition.  I got a call from them today.  They will be
> showing the letter to Macrovision and also printing their response.  It will
> be another couple of months.

(Tried mailing, vidiot.uucp is unknown here in reindeer country...)

Let us know what they reply, as getting this magazine here is a bit
difficult (and also pretty futile, as it handles the North American
situation).  Looking forward to hearing the MacroVision people's
answers...

   /* * * Otto J. Makela <otto@jybox.jyu.fi> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
  /* Phone: +358 41 613 847, BBS: +358 41 211 562 (V.32bis/USR-HST,24h/d) */
 /* Mail: Kauppakatu 1B18/SF-40100 Jyvaskyla/Finland, ICBM: 62.14N25.44E */
/* * * Computers Rule 01001111 01001011 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
From: dhukill@esprit.prime.com (Dave Hukill x4056 5-1)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Video Equipment for Sale
Date: 2 Oct 92 13:42:31 GMT
Distribution: usa

What: RCA VR625HF

Description: HiFi Stereo VHS VCR

Major Features: HQ Picture, 4-Heads, Flying-Erase Head, Audio/Video Dubbing,
Cable-Compatible/Automatic 155-Channel Tuning, MTS/SAP capable.

Purchased: January, 1990

Reason for selling: Just upgraded to SVHS.

Price: $300/BO

Comments: Original documentation included. This is a great VCR for someone
who has a camcorder, and wants to do some simple editing.


Please contact Dave at (617) 275-1800 x4056, (603) 424-5897 (evenings), or
via e-mail: dhukill@esprit.prime.com


Dave Hukill <dhukill@esprit.prime.com>
From: gold@imp.sim.es.com (Bruce Gold)
Subject: Re: easy dubbing question (copy protection problem)
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp., Salt Lake City, UT
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 16:50:08 GMT

The following message was posted to "rec.video,alt.3d" no doubt because someone
composed their message using some older message header as a starting point.  It is
important to pay attention to both "Newsgroups:" and "Distribution:" to make sure
your posting goes where you intend but not elsewhere.  For example, I am
posting this message to the rec.video news group with world distribution. 
How do you do it?  There are so many news reading programs, I can't give you 
detailed instructions of how to use yours.  But I'm confident each person can
either figure it out or find help from nearby manual or friend.  The reason I am
consuming bandwidth for this is that three layers of intelligent posters
neglected the issue.  So there are probably thousands who should be made aware.
-- 
				Bruce Gold
				   Utah
Article: 1133 of alt.3d
Xref: javelin.sim.es.com alt.3d:1133 rec.video:19929
From: z_dickeydh@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: alt.3d,rec.video
Subject: Re: easy dubbing question (copy protection problem)
Date: 1 Oct 92 23:50:18 CST
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <1992Sep23.195939.14888@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>, reno@cps.msu.edu (Gerald L Jr Reno) writes:
> In article <19qa7nINNfeb@gap.caltech.edu> allen@cco.caltech.edu (Scott R. Allen) writes:
>>Hi -
>>
>>I am sure that this is a really easy question and I checked through
>>the subjects already posted to find an answer but was not successful
>>so I'll post this anyway:
>>
>>I have two VCRs, both fairly new.  I rent lots of tapes and duplicate
>>them so I can watch them later, then I copy over them. (really)  
>>The problem I have is that on some rented tapes that I dup I get
>>a copy where the color sort of fades in and then fades out --- it
>>will be great for about 10 seconds then it will change and the color
>>will be rotten for about 10 seconds, then good then bad etc.  
>>
>>Someone has suggested that I need some sort of signal amplifier for
>>the video signal.  Can anyone explain further?  Also, I tried 
>>connecting the video out to the video in instead of the rf to rf
>>and it didn't seem to make any difference.
>>
>>thanks in advance...
>>Scott
>>allen@cco.caltech.edu
>>
>>
> 
> What you are experiencing is called COPY PROTECTION. The video
> companies deliberately reduce the quality of the rental tape, so
> that we cannot do precisely what you describe. I think that is
> rather rude and capitalistic of the people who exist merely to
> entertain us, as opposed to making a profit.
> 
> A signal amplifier is rumored to be of help; I don't know, I've
> never tried it. I have seen them on sale in mail order catalogs
> ("edit your home movies without loss of quality") like DAMARK;
> try asking in your local Radio Shack.
> 
> And read the FBI warning in the front of your videotapes
> sometime. Question: Does anyone know of anyone being prosecuted
> for keeping a pirate video collection?
> 
> Jerry Reno (Desperately in need of a new VCR) reno@cps.msu.edu


Radio shack does sell what you are lookingfor.  Its called a dubbing processor
and sells for $25.  Also make sure your video heads arn't in need of cleaning. Radio sh


Newsgroups: rec.video
From: strike@steam.rome.ny.us (Strikemaster)
Subject: Thanks
Organization: Iron Horse InfoSys
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 01:45:57 GMT
Keywords: Cables

To those on the 'Net who responded to the message(s) about cabling in a RF
rich environment, my thanks.  Several people, including Selden Ball and
"Vidiot", had some insightful commentary on what appears to be a solvable
problem.


Again, many thanks...



-- 
      Timothy B. Bowser; Sysadmin,       | strike@steam.rome.ny.us or try
    Chip Socketer & Tape Twiddler of     |    batcomputer!steam!strike
   The Iron Horse Information Service    |--------------------------------
----> "Advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo." <----
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: kimp@nuge106.its.rpi.edu (Phil Kim)
Subject: Sony MDP-405?
Reply-To: kimp@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.
Distribution: rec
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 22:16:07 GMT

I heard that Sony is replacing MDP-333 with MPD-405.  In fact, one of the stores I visited told me that MDP-405 carries the same price tag as MDP-333.  Anybody knows the differences between 405 and 333?
From: killeen@spcvxb.spc.edu (Jeff Killeen)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: SONY VHS VCR model numbers - FWIW...
Date: 28 Sep 92 00:28:28 GMT
Organization: SPC Community Access System

FYI - From the VISCA/Vbox compatiblity guide...

The following is a list of Sony VHS VCR's with LANC.  Frankly I haven't heard 
of most of these...

	SLV-R5
	SLV-676
	SLV-757
	SLV-P30HF
	SLV-50
	SLV-70HF

-- 

Jeff Killeen - DECUS NLC Chair | Email:killeen@eisner.decus.org

DECUS is the user group for folks interested Digital Equipment style computing.
The NLC is the national council for DECUS's Local User Groups - come join us!
From: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: Distortion with rented videos
Date: 30 Sep 92 05:49:57 GMT
Reply-To: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Organization: Vidiot's Hangout

In article <1992Sep29.144907.23249@tc.fluke.COM> strong@tc.fluke.COM (Norm Strong) writes:
<In article <4148@vidiot.UUCP> brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) writes:
<}In article <1992Sep22.015800.11043@newshost.unh.edu> tcw@kepler.unh.edu (Timothy C Webb) writes:
<}<In article <BuwLp4.36F@unccsun.uncc.edu> krgorden@unccsun.uncc.edu (Kirk Ruel Gorden) writes:
<}<>   Two weeks ago I bought a four head RCA VCR from Sears.  It works 
<}<>perfectly, even on my 20 year old RCA TV.  However, rented tapes always
<}<>seem to produce a bad picture.  Specifically, the top part of the
<}<>picture is distorted, sometimes badly.
<}<>   
<}<>   This does not happen with tapes I record and play back, just rented
<}<>tapes.  Adjusting the TV or VCR tracking has no effect.
<}<
<}<   I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the problem is
<}<with the TV, not the VCR. You mention that it is twenty years old, and it is
<}<not uncommon to see videotape distortion (especially at the top, as you say) on
<}<older TV sets.
<}
<}It is the Macrovision signal on the tape that is affecting the TV.  My TV isn't
<}that old and it flags as well.
<
<It's not Macrovision.  I had EXACTLY the same problem with my 20 year
<old RCA Colortrak set.  I had this problem in 1984, long before the
<invention of Macrovision.  It was due to a different copy protection
<scheme called Copyguard.  The lack of sufficient vertical sync signal
<from the tape caused problems at the beginning of the field.  
<
<The problem went away the second I bought a new TV set with digital
<countdown vertical sync.  

Notice the original poster says rental tapes.  Only rental tapes give him
problems.  What do rental tapes have in common....Macrovision.

Enough said.
-- 
      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: bp@cs.brown.edu (Boris Putanec)
Subject: A/B switch question
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Brown University
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 21:37:21 GMT


I am trying to figure out some way of removing the annoyance of trying
to record premium channels--which need a converter box or
descrambler--while enabling channel surfing on the TV at the same
time. My current plan is the following:

1. Split the incoming cable
2. Feed one split into the converter box
3. Feed the other into my custom switch (described below)
4. Take the converter out and feed it to my custom switch
5. Plug the out leads of my switch into the RF inputs of both the TV
   and VCR

The custom switch looks like the following in position "A":

Antenna	--------------
=======>|\          /|=======> To TV
	| ---------- |
	|      	     |
Conver	| ---------- |
=======>|/          \|=======> To VCR
	--------------

And like this in position "B" (note that the X is not an actually
connection, just a way of representing the switched position):

Antenna	--------------
=======>|\     	    /|=======> To TV
        | \ /------- |
	|  X   	     |
Convert	| / \------- |
=======>|/          \|=======> To VCR
	--------------

Now, if I am not crazy, the custom switch is nothing but a passthrough
with a switch in the middle. Before I try and build this thing, should
I watch out for anything? Do I have to worry about shielding, etc? I
am no hardware junkie, I would buy something like this in a second
except none of the TV Repair, VCR Sales, etc places I called had heard
of such a switch.

Given such a device, I would only need to switch the VCR onto the
Converter box if I wanted to tape a premium channel (and being able to
view all non-premium channels on the TV while the recording took
place). Have I missed anything? 

Thanks.

boris
From: cpm@clyde.clearpoint.com (Chris Martel)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: New LD user
Date: 6 Oct 92 18:56:42 GMT
Reply-To: cpm
Distribution: na
Organization: Clearpoint Research Corp, Hopkinton MA 01748



A friend of mine has lent me his LD player for awhile. I have been renting
LD's from a local video store and was looking for a good place to purchase
laser discs. I noticed their has been a lot of discusion of different mail
order houses. Could someone possibly email a list of reputable mail order
houses(Sight 'n Sound, Ken Cranes, etc) including a phone number or address 
so I can get a catalog. 

Also, if anyone knows any stores in the Boston/Metrowest area that carries
a good selection of Laser discs it would be appreciated.

Thanks in Advance!


Chris Martel			cpm@clyde.clearpoint.com
Clearpoint Research		cpm@cpoint.UUCP
From: jonke@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov (Stephen Jonke)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: List your laserdisc titles
Date: 5 Oct 92 22:28:08 GMT
Organization: NASA GSFC

I have the followings on CAV:
  1. Blade Runner - Criterion Collection Widescreen

And the followings are CLV on letterbox:
  1. Conan the Barbarian - Widescreen
  2. Excalibar - Widescreen

Well, you've got to start small, right?

Steve
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: tlai@cs.toronto.edu (Tony Wen Hsun Lai)
Subject: Re: Looking for discussions of HDTV
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
Date: 26 Sep 92 17:15:00 GMT

In article <1992Sep25.161825.2830@lotus.com> jleuper@lotus.com (Jim Leuper) writes:
>I'm interested in locating newsgroups that would be discussing issues related
>to high-def television, e.g. emerging standards, technical discussions, etc.
>Has that been going on in rec.video, or is there a more likely place to watch?
>(I didn't see any HDTV-specific groups, but I might have missed them)

There aren't any HDTV-specific groups.  rec.video has the occasional thread
on HDTV, but you'd probably be better off creating a new group, say,
comp.std.video.  An advantage of such a group is that you could also
discuss multimedia and still image systems.
From: bunner@vms.macc.wisc.edu (Dana A. Bunner)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Beauty & The Beast
Date: 5 Oct 92 21:36:32 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin Academic Computing Center

I heard that Disney was releasing Beauty and the Beast on videotape on
October 30th.  Does anyone know if a simultaneous release on LD is 
in the works?
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: fontana@iguana.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mark Fontana)
Subject: Re: HiFi vs Dolby Stereo
Organization: The Ohio State University Dept. of Computer and Info. Science
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 20:20:40 GMT

 umcarls9@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Charles Carlson) writes:

>If the stereo VCR uses two skinny audio tracks in the same place as a
>mono VCR uses its one, then how does a stereo VCR reproduce the sound
>a mono VCR makes and vice versa?

This isn't so hard to understand.  It's just like an audio cassette deck.
With a cheapo portable cassette recorder, the tape is divided into
2 tracks (1 per side).  The full width of each track is recorded with
a single signal.  Stereo cassettes divide each of the two tracks in half,
for a total of 4 tracks (2 each side).  If you play such a tape in a stereo
deck, the signal levels will (ideally) be the same on both stereo channels.

If you play a stereo tape on a mono deck, the head (reading only one wide
track) picks up both channels and they're essentially mixed together.
There aren't any advantages to exchanging tapes between stereo and mono
equipment, but they're basically "compatible".

>Also, if the Hi-Fi VCRs use the tape for audio as you described above, then
>how does my old RCA Dolby stereo VCR pick up the stereo effects of Hi-Fi
>tapes? (Unless commercial tapes are recorded in both Hi-Fi and stereo?)

They are.  Consumer Hi-Fi VCR's record both Hi-Fi and linear audio tracks 
so tapes will be compatible with non-HiFi VCR's.  (I think it would be
nice if I could use the HiFi tracks for my main audio channels and the
linear tracks for SMPTE timecode, commentary, etc.  I don't think there
are any consumer-level VCR's that support this.)


>I know I have heard stereo effects on my RCA such as in a movie when a 
>car goes past, it will fade in one side, and out the other.

Cool!  :-)  Now hook up a Dolby Surround decoder (or poor-man's surround,
as described in the Surround FAQ) and you'll hear the car go from
front to back as well!

>I also have a Sony SLV-595HF Hi-Fi VHS.  I was hoping to do some dubbing
>of Hi-Fi tapes such as playing them on the RCA and recording them on the
>Sony.

It's probably not a good idea to discuss copying prerecorded tapes on
the net.  You never know who reads these postings.  (If you meant your
own personal recordings, pardon me.)

>I realize I will loose quite a lot of sound quality, but I was
>hoping I would atleast maintain the stereo effects, but from my interpretation
>of your above explanation, it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to.

You can do this and not lose the stereo separation.  The sound quality
won't be much WORSE after recording on to HiFi.

Linear stereo VCRs give variable performance and stereo separation,
depending on how accurately the audio head is tracking those two narrow
channels.  Also, the sound often bleeds between channels, making the
older linear VCRs rather poor for surround.

HiFi audio is a pretty big improvement.  Most noticeably, you'll hear
a much greater dynamic range and virtually no flutter.


Mark
Newsgroups: rec.video
From: tlai@cs.toronto.edu (Tony Wen Hsun Lai)
Subject: Re: HDTV Myths (again) - don't believe the hype
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
Date: 6 Oct 92 21:47:50 GMT

In article <1992Oct6.190054.15059@news.media.mit.edu> wave@waits.media.mit.edu (Michael B. Johnson) writes:
[stuff deleted]
>The Audience Research group here at the Media Lab did a great study a 
>few years back which I participated in (just as a subject, not as  a
>researcher)....  but my opinion was that the ShowScan was great (although
>still not as "great" as I would have expected, oddly) and the HiVision
>and NTSC were indistinguishable, but certainly way down from the ShowScan.

What do you mean by HiVision?  Compressed or uncompressed HDTV?  What
sizes were the HDTV and NTSC monitors?  The real point of HDTV is not
resolution, but viewing distance and size -- with HDTV, one can increase
the screen area by a factor of 5 over a conventional set, or sit twice
as close, without sacrificing image quality.

Also, due to limitations of current CRT technology, the CRT HDTV monitors
intended for "home" use can't display full HDTV resolution.

>When you compare really clean NTSC with really clean HiVision, the main 
>difference is the aspect ratio, not the resolution.  This crowd especially,
>with an overwhelming population consisting of laser disc owners (arguably
>the best that NTSC can do), would, I think, be rather underwhelmed by the
>current state of HDTV.

What do you mean by clean NTSC?  Studio quality NTSC?  NTSC under optimal
broadcast conditions?  SuperNTSC, ClearVision, or some other EDTV system?

The most serious problem with HDTV is the display technology.  The
equipment required to display large, bright, high resolution images is
very expensive, and an EDTV system is nearly as good as HDTV for smaller
displays.

>James Millick writes
[stuff deleted]
>> 	How many times do we have to hear this myth. HDTV *DOES NOT*, by 
>> any stretch of the imagination, even begin to equal 35mm film. To 
>> quote Jim Cameron 
>> 
>> JC: [HDTV is] about half as good as 35mm film. It's about half the
>> resolution of a release print, right now, comparing the print to an
>> 1125 line HDTV system. To approach film resolution, you need somewhere
>> in the neighborhood of about 3000 lines, somewhere between 2000 and 
>> 3000 lines, depending on a lot of factors... such as how critical 
>> you are.

But, in a typical theater, the vertical resolution is reduced by judder of
the film projector, no?
From: daver@felix.filenet.com (Dave Richards)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: 3D proposal for the under-construction HDTV standard
Date: 2 Oct 92 22:48:00 GMT
Reply-To: daver@fritz.filenet.com (Dave Richards)
Organization: Costa Mesa, CA

In article <T90534AM.92Sep26134409@cs1.sfc.keio.ac.jp> t90534am@sfc.keio.ac.jp (Akira Mito) writes:
> According to the research of relation between refresh rate
>and effects on human, video/movie of low refresh rate (around 30)
>and super high refresh rate (around 100) gave the testee fatigue.
>This research concluded that it's comfortable for human to watch
>video around 60 FPS.

I'd like to read those research results.  The research done by the Showscan
Corp. showed eye fatigue at lower frame rates, but little perceived improve-
ment above 60 fr/s.  They chose 60Hz for that reason, NOT because too high a
rate is bad.  There's an article in the current SMPTE Journal that proposes
a frame rate of 72Hz for original photograpy.  It's a simple matter to extract
every third frame for a 24Hz film, and the conversions to NTSC and PAL TV are
are supposed to be simplified as well.  But I don't expect to see any producer
try this any time soon.

> And, back to the HDTV standard, if the transmission speed
>and uncompressing speed were out of the problem, why don't you
>take 60 FPS?

Exactly.  But the transmission speed and uncompressing speed ARE
a big part of the problem.  Why do you dismiss them?  Fiber optic
distribution would eliminate both problems, but what about the
home VCR?  A VCR to record and play at those data rates would be
an expen$ive machine, and a two-hour tape would be huge.

Note that a couple of the proposed HDTV systems under test ARE based on
a 60Hz non-interlaced frame, but the vertical resolutions are NOT double
NTSC like the others.  They are only about 700-something scan lines.

Dave
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Help Save My Sony 27" TV
From: gutierrez@mdcbbs.com
Date: 6 Oct 92 07:52:59 GMT
Organization: Electronic Data Systems, Unigraphics Division, Cypress CA
Nntp-Posting-User: gutierrez


In 1983, I bought my first large screen TV -- a 27" Sony [KV2749RS] Hi-Fi
and Stereo.  It had nice sound, nice pictures, etc.  Late last year,
however, the colors suddenly became predominantly green and red.  I called
a repairman who, for $45 consultation alone, told me that the Sony's colors
were `shot' and that it can no longer get fixed.  He suggested a new picture
tube which will cost me roughly $500 (his estimate for the tube alone).

Of course, I wnt out and got a second opinion from another tv repairman.  
This time, I was told that for $75 he can open up my console and find out
if he can look into the `board' and tell me whether it can still be `saved'
with minor adjustments.  He didn't give me a very good percentage insofar
as success rate is concerned.  So I politely told him that I'll think it
over first.

For right now, I haven't yet decided on what I should do about my Sony.  I
have another tv working (a 40" Pioneer Projection Monitor) so I can still
watch what I wanted to watch.  However, I liked my Sony so much that I
dot`t want to `junk' it just yet.  First of all, it was the last of its
kind -- a genuine wood console with built in speakers on two sides and one
at the center.  Secondly, it'ss resolution and sound were the best I've
seen and heard before the colors got `shot'.  The sound, however, remains
great as ever.

My question is:  Is there anybody out there who can tell me if I can still
`save' my Sony, other than buying a new picture tube, OR should I even 
spend any $$$ for a 9-year old console tv?

All responses will be appreciated (by me and my Sony both!)

Dante

Newsgroups: rec.video
From: msr@kepler.unh.edu (Mathew S Reno)
Subject: Address
Organization: University of New Hampshire  -  Durham, NH
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 22:27:28 GMT

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone knows if this is the correct address for Mitsubishi:
5757 Plaza Drive
Cypress, CA  90630
The address is from 1985 so I'm not sure if it is up to date. Also, would this
be the right address to ask for a part for my VCR, if not what would be the
correct one.

Thanks
Matt
-- 
********************************************************************************
**Matt Reno               **                                                  **
**msr@kepler.unh.edu      **                Life over...                      **
**MSR_CS611@unhh.unh.edu  **                               Moe                **
********************************************************************************
From: simecekss@rcwusr.bp.com
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Wanted: Monitor Suggestions
Date: 1 Oct 92 14:00:42 -0500
Organization: BP Research, Cleveland, OH (USA)

I just purchased a Sony SLV 595 HF and I'm now looking for a monitor.
My cable company scrambles almost all my channels so I am considering
a monitor without a receiver.  The signal from the monitor will come 
from the VCR.  I would like to get a 35" tube display.  Could anyone
offer me any suggestions? 

Thanks in advance,
			Scott

| Bitnet : ADMSS916@KSUVXA                                             |
| Internet : SIMECEKS@RCWCL1.DNET.BP.COM                               |