Finally found a functioning Betamax.
 

Picked up this SL-HF300 Sony today for $10, missing the door and the display is really dim but it plays.

Now I can find out if there's anything good on the small collection of home made Beta tapes i have.

Excellent Eric!!!!!!

Does it look as good as VHS does buddy??

I think in most cases, Beta was as good or better than vhs. Just didn't make mainstream. VHS was the standard. I have the Sony SL-HF900 and it looks real good.

Ya I think VHS looks excellent so Im sure Beta looks as good :)

It works okay, some tracking problems that are probably due to the old tapes recorded on a different machine. A good cleaning might help also.

In one of the pictures, looks like the exit tape guide is a bit off. Or like you said maybe the tape.

When I helped someone do a batch of VHS to DVD transfers, I tweaked the tape path alignment of the playback machine to the individual tapes to get the best video quality.

Don't say that to a real Beta aficionado. Dems fightin words! :nono:
Sony's slogan, "Beta is Better". I really have to agree on the lower recording speeds.

Theoretically Beta should have had the edge because of the larger diameter head drum making for longer tracks laid down by the heads moving at a higher velocity than VHS. But in my 25+ years on the bench servicing VCRs I sure saw plenty of examples of either one being very good, or not so good. Some of the JVC VCRs from the 80s were excellent at "EP" speed like the little sideways-loading JVC/Zenith unit discussed in other threads. Some of the later S0ny Betas seemed to sacrifice their picture quality for features and compact design.

Ya I noticed that Eric with tapes recorded on ANOTHER MACHINE -- Sometimes they have issues in another one and its strange....

I find, the last of the Panasonic VHS, VCR's had that problem. If played back on the same machine, it was barely passable. If played back on another machine, forget it. Panasonic VCR's used to be the best.
I realize this thread is about Beta VCR's. My experience is that Beta tapes, recorded on a Sony Beta, seemed to play back on another Sony. :yes:

I always found beta to have much better resolution than VHS, used to mostly use my betas when i needed to record something. Just wish mine was working still, just ran across a big box of Dr who eppisodes on Beta. Have a Sanyo 4500. I think it just needs a belt for the loading mechanism. Anyone know a place to get belts?

Try this:http://www.smcelectronics.com/vcrbltkit.htm

I remember the Sanyo Beta players too. Seems like very few VCR manufacturers played ball with Sony.
I used to have a late 70s Beta, an SL-8600 and anything I recorded on it looked better than VHS IIRC.

If I saw any SLHF-300/400/800/900 I'd jump on it too like Eric did:D

My daily driver Sony SL2710B stilll performs as good or better than my new Toshiba VHS/DVD combo (of course), and my JVC HRD225U will track problem tapes better than the Toshiba as well. That JVC has never needed servicing either (yet)!