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#1
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the mold to other tapes you might be playing? Just an idea. I tape shows off my analog cable feed for later viewing, several hours a week, using a JVC model HR-A591U. Last edited by electroking; 03-28-2010 at 09:43 PM. Reason: corrected spelling |
#2
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Yes but doing that isnt any better nowadays! (Recording off ANALOGUE cable feed) because the stuff THEY ARE SENDING IS SENT IN DIGI (Just converted to ANALOGUE for the ANA tier so its not much better unfortunetly)
An in the 80s and before,IT WAS MUCH MORE "ANALOGUE" RECORDING OFF TV! (Cable,etc) |
#3
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The tapes that remained in the house look as good as they did when new. There were a few tapes that, somehow or another, made their way to the basement and they developed that white mold. I didn't even try to save them as I was afraid they might gunk up my machine.
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#4
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I still do, and joke that the show "Hoarders" will come when it comes to the point I'm buried under VHS tapes. I still have VCR's hooked to all my main TV's. A Sony SLV-690HF is in L/R. A Sony SLV-N71 is in B/R, and I have a Toshiba VHS/DVD Combo in my "office" room. The Sony's are fine. The Toshiba will play and record ANY tape, but if I take a tape over to a friends, the tapes recorded on it, does NOT play well in other machines. Also, if it's run over 3 hours, the motor starts getting weird.
I have machines horded in the basement in case my main ones go out. I'll still pick some up at thrift stores as long as they are Stereo and come with the original remote. I have some higer end Panasonics and I noticed that they do not play ANY tapes well recorded on other machines. Doesn't matter what model, they all do that, so I don't use them. I keep my eye out for Sony or RCA decks, as they seem to be the best. I still have the first VCR I bought. A 2 head mono RCA purchased in 92 for $249.00. It still works, but you always had to insert the tape "just right" from day 1. I'll have to admit I tape less and less now. I just got DVR, and man.... MUCH easier. Blank tapes are getting more expensive, and seem to be of an inferior quality. I have hundreds of movies and series recorded, so will probably never be without a VCR. |
#5
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I have NEVER given up on VHS taping! I just don't trust recordable DVD-Rs to still function after 27 years, as my 3 oldest VHS tapes still do(Maxell). Of course I have a pair of Pioneer DVD recorders for transfers, & I always tell friends who want me to do transfers to hold onto your original tapes, "just in case". I became a tape-a-holic in 1984, using an RCA VJP-900(convertible), which I still have. Then came a VKP-925 in 1985, still got it. Got a stereo hi-fi RCA VLP-950HF in 1986. This one could PLAY hi-fi tapes, or record in stereo thru the aux in jacks but had a MONO tuner in it. Great machine, did double duty taping off cable & for family home videos using my 1984 RCA Small Wonder-yep, still got it.
I have 3 Mitsubishi hi-fi VCRS here, 2001-2004 models. In between these "eras" I had a 1994 Panasonic, which at 4 years old wouldn't load tapes & would just quit & turn off. Then in 1995 I got a pair of RCA 603HFs, really good hi-fi VCRs. Gave one to a friend, kept the other. Also got a nice JVC that year, still tapes off of TCM for me every week I liked them better than the competition as just by looking inside them you can see a much larger loading motor to pull the VHS tape into it-that's gotta be a good sign. I am a vintage movie buff, & will BUY DVDs(pressed) without hesitation, but for my own archive(1,000 tapes plus) I will use VHS tape til good ones are no longer made. And stay away from TDK VHS tapes, now made in China. ALL 4 of the ones I tried to use for the Obama inauguration clogged heads on 3 machines! Sony, Fuji, & Maxell still seem good-made in either Mexico or Korea. And if you run out of new, buy old stock from the Goodwill, still wrapped! I found 35 unwrapped Scotch-3M Pro VHS blanks at a buck a piece last year. You bet I bought 'em all up at once!
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"Take time to deliberate. But when the moment for action arrives, stop thinking and go in!"-Andrew Jackson |
Audiokarma |
#6
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Yup. I use VHS daily to tape shows for the family. I have my DTV converter connected to the line inputs, and I am presently putting the right cables and adapters together to try to play S-VHS video from my computer and have it recorded on the VCR.
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Tom |
#7
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The question is: How long will we be able to buy good quality VHS tapes at retail stores? Around here, wal-mart and rat shack are the only two places that I've found that still stock VHS tapes. IIRC, RS has TDK and WM has Sony. WM used to carry Durabrand, as well; but, I think they are down to Sony now.
And, none of the newer tapes feel as heavy as the old ones did. Back in the '80's and '90's, I could pick up tapes at just about any store in town. Back then, I mainly used Scotch, Maxell, TDK, BASF, Fuji, and Memorex. I remember the Memorex tapes coming in hard plastic storage cases. It probably won't be too much longer before we are forced to either buy NOS tapes from wherever we can find them or buy used tapes and record over them. Like has already been said, I don't put a lot of trust in DVD's lasting for 20+ years like my VHS tapes. |
#8
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While I quit buying new tapes, I tend to judge quality by the picture stability on my worse machine at the slower speed. For that I found that Fujifilm HQ tapes still available believe it or not at Hanaford supermarket for $7.99 t-160 3 pack. Target has Sont HQ T-160 8 pack for $18.00 and Sont T-120 4 pack for $6.99 I also found that lots of people who sell lots (Lots as in 10, 20, 30 tapes) of tapes on ebay have for the most part only used them once or twice, are pretty good quality and even the old off brand tapes work very well. I guess Sony and Fuji either had good quality, or were manufacturers for other branded tapes, and these two actually "make" the stuff.??? Anyway those two brands seem to be in most stores. Sears has some off brand I don't remember the name. Iff you look around near the bottom of the shelf between the moth balls and esso motor oil you can still find VHS tapes in yer town. Funny thing also seems the really old stuff came in so many different lengths. I got 100 minute, 130 minute, 145 minute, 170, 180, I even got a buncha MGM Studio Grade T-120's Neato package, nothing special but they do weigh a bunch more than the FUji's and Sony's. And if you type in blank VHS tapes into Google there are lots of mail order places to get them at less than walmart prices for new ones. Buy.com and others.
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Yes you can call me "Squirrel boy" Last edited by Username1; 04-04-2010 at 03:28 AM. Reason: clarify |
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Last edited by Ed in Tx; 04-04-2010 at 08:57 AM. |
#10
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Fuji ROCKS! and the JVC s-VHS ET machines have about 1/4" wider video bandwidth for recording than standard VHS and the "ET" means you can use non S-VHS tapes in the unit and get almost all of the advantages of the "S", but on a regular tape. We have only one plane jane Magnavox Hi-Fi plastic VCR that comes close to the picture quality of our JVC S-VHS ET machines. And a plus to those JVC S-VHS machines is that they seem to have a super ultra supreme tracking system that we can play tapes recorded on any of our VCR's on, and they are stable and free of lines etc. Until the S-Vhs we had a Magnavox, Bon-Sonic, and another Philips/Magnavox. Each had really good pictures at slow speed, but the tape had to be played only on the machine it was recorded on. I think the Bon-Sonic, which has a really good picture, when you open the hood to do a tune up you can see its only got 2 heads but the front cover says 4 head. But to make up for it, the machine has a built in tape head cleaner and the front cover, and instruction manual don't say anything about it. Anyway all these plastic vcr's all come from the same automated factory just a different assembly line. Good for $7.00 at garage sales. I'm always a sucker for a $7.00 garage sale vcr. The squirrel finds 'em for me early in the morning so I don't have to drive around all day following signs.
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Yes you can call me "Squirrel boy" |
Audiokarma |
#11
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I still use VHS. We have a Toshiba combo from 2003, the DVD does not work but the VHS tape does, I had to fix it once though. It is on the main set, the 1982 Zenith. For DVD's, my friend gave me a Blu-Ray player, I hook it into the Line 2 inputs of the Toshiba combo. I have a Maggie VHS/DVD combo in my room and I have an old Samsung VCR, an old RCA VCR and a Hatachi from 1986.
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Mom (1938 - 2013) - RIP, I miss you Spunky, (1999 - 2016) - RIP, pretty girl! Rascal, (2007 - 2021) RIP, miss you very much |
#12
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I have had so many DVD recorders die on me, I may go back to my JVC SR-V10U decks. They are the best I have ever seen for playback with it's TBC/DNR playback.
And I still have one of the digital decks RPM1200 describes and still working. It is a RCA with freeze/posterization, etc. It cost me a bundle in the late 80's.
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“Once you eliminate the impossible...whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Sherlock Holmes. |
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2 Sony decks here. One is circa 1994, recall it being very high end for it's time 4 head hi-fi stereo 'flying erase-head' for editing and APC button.
Other is a 1999-ish Malaysian 4 head hi-fi stereo... both work well. |
#14
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Has anyone out here noticed that the VCR is alive and well. I see most mass-retail stores these days still offer new VCRs from several brands. Sure, they are bundled with DVD players, and they no longer have tuners (a cheap way of dealing with the mandate that devices with tuners be digital-ready), but the VCR lives!
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#15
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__________________
Tom |
Audiokarma |
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