gig@ritcv.UUCP (Gordon Goodman) (10/28/85)
Now that I'm getting ready to purchase a VCR, I've been trying to educate myself about the myriad options available. Perhaps people on the net who are more knowledgeable could help me: 1. Of what value are "hifi" and "stereo" capabilities in a deck a)currently and b)in the foreseeable future? How do these capabilities jibe with the current programs that I've noticed are broadcast in stereo this fall? (few that I'd care to see let alone hear in stereo but who knows...) 2. Any recommendations about portable VCRs (any Magnavox 1040 of the portable VCR world out there?) available at a good price? With goodies? 3. Any recommendations for sources of VCRs by mail? I'd like to order from outside NY State and save some sales tax. 4. I noticed that Consumers Report's article on VCRs in September mentioned recording up to 8 hours of music on a hifi deck. Sounds like a great way to put together a truly fine day of music for oneself. Anyone try this? 5. What is the relationship between hifi and stereo on these decks? Are there hifi decks that are not stereo? In the old days, these terms meant entirely different things but... Sorry for so many questions but the articles I've read are a bit bewildering and vague. Thanks for any help you can provide. Gordon Goodman @ Rochester Institute of Technology
rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (10/30/85)
[] Many questions, few answers. Hi-Fi includes stereo at very high sound quality - occesional movies may actually have mono sound, but it will still be very high quality (i.e., wide band, low noise and distortion). "stereo" sound was a VHS quick fix to get around the Beta 1.5 year advantage on "hi-fi". Stereo puts two stereo tracks where there was only one low quality track before, so it is low-fi (i.e., narrow band, high noise and dis- tortion). If you appreciate good sound you will really appreciate a HI-FI VCR. VHS had a hard time getting them to work, but I think they work very well by now. As a stand alone recorder, in theory Hi-Fi VCRs should be super - as good as very expensive reel-to-reel - and nearly as good as CD's. However, in practice, some have reported trouble in recording certain types of sounds. In any event, I have heard nothing but praise for the hi-fi units when recording or playing video tapes. I have had my Beta-hi-fi for over a year now and its still like , wow! -- "It's the thought, if any, that counts!" Dick Grantges hound!rfg
brown@nicmad.UUCP (11/01/85)
In article <8979@ritcv.UUCP> gig@ritcv.UUCP (Gordon Goodman) writes: >Now that I'm getting ready to purchase a VCR, I've been trying to educate >myself about the myriad options available. Perhaps people on the net who are >more knowledgeable could help me: I'll try and answer things that I know about: > 1. Of what value are "hifi" and "stereo" capabilities in a deck > a)currently and b)in the foreseeable future? How do these capabilities > jibe with the current programs that I've noticed are broadcast in stereo > this fall? (few that I'd care to see let alone hear in stereo but > who knows...) The 'value' is the massive improvement in the sound quality. The currently and forseeable future are about the same. There won't really be any improvement until the digital video recording method comes down in price. It is now being done, but at a very high price. I am assuming that when digital video recording arrives, digital audio will go along with it. A 'stereo' or 'Hi-Fi' deck has nothing to do with the current programs that are in stereo, UNLESS the VCR also has MTS decoding. Just because the VCR may be Hi-Fi or stereo (as in Dolby Stereo, linear track), has nothing to do with what comes over the air. It MUST have MTS decoding to be able to record TV stereo directly. If you have an outboard MTS decoder, then putting the VCR in simulcast mode will allow recording of stereo TV sound. The Hi-Fi sound best shows itself when Hi-Fi stereo tapes are purchased or rented. More so when they are digitally duplicated, ie, the master tape for the sound is a digital tape, slaved to the video tape deck. Tapes like '2010', 'Empire Strikes Back' are two examples of tapes duplicated with digital tapes. Stereo TV does not sound as good as Hi-Fi duplicated tapes, even when the normal audio tracks of the 1" B or C tape decks are used. There is still the normal video buzz that gets through. > 5. What is the relationship between hifi and stereo on these decks? Are > there hifi decks that are not stereo? In the old days, these terms > meant entirely different things but... In the world of VCRs, Hi-Fi means high fidelity stereo recording. There are VCRs that are stereo without being Hi-Fi. These are the VHS Dolby Stero decks. Most Hi-Fi decks made now have dropped the Dolby stereo track, ie, they have reverted back to the linear mono track. So, readers, if you have a Dolby stereo deck, be sure the Hi-Fi deck you purchase has Dolby Stereo, or your old tapes will come out in mono. All Hi-Fi video decks are stereo, period. Hope this helps a little bit. BTW, your questions should probably have gone into net.video as well. -- Mr. Video {seismo!uwvax!|!decvax|!ihnp4}!nicmad!brown
brown@nicmad.UUCP (11/01/85)
In article <1449@hound.UUCP> rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) writes: > "stereo" sound was a >VHS quick fix to get around the Beta 1.5 year advantage on "hi-fi". Sorry, VHS Dolby stero was out BEFORE Beta Hi-Fi. I believe that Beta Hi-Fi was the Beta answer to stereo. I had a VHS Dolby stero soon after they were out. One of the things I would mention to people was that my deck had stereo and they couldn't buy a Beta stereo deck. I am a VHS fan, but I will admit that because of Beta Hi-Fi, VHS has Hi-Fi. Just as a side note, Beta Hi-Fi didn't appear right away on PAL machines. Why, for the very reason they said that VHS Hi-Fi couldn't be done the way it is done on Beta, ie, the two FM sub-carriers mixed in with the video. Guess what method Sony is using on PAL Beta Hi-Fi units? Yep, the VHS method. Separate heads for the Hi-Fi. -- Mr. Video {seismo!uwvax!|!decvax|!ihnp4}!nicmad!brown