bmw@aesat.UUCP (Bruce Walker) (11/08/84)
[Articles are packed by weight; contents may settle during shipping]
It seems to me that some recent off-hand article titles and the results of some
tests in the November '84 issue of Audio are at odds as to the reasonableness
of "VHS-HiFi". The prevailing net-opinion seems to be that VHS-HiFi is not
worth the effort (on the part of the manufacturers) or money (on the part of
the consumers). However, from the Audio article, I get the distinct impression
that all five units tested (JVC, Panasonic, RCA etc.) were, on average, better
than the average (and some higher-end) cassette decks at audio reproduction.
Now, I'm in the market for a replacement for my 8 year old Teac 360S cassette
deck. As well, I would like to "get into" video, so I am also looking at
VCR's. Since the cassette deck was relatively hi-end when purchased, I figure
I am looking at Nak's (or similar) in the $500 to $600 (Canadian bucks) range
to get something of comparable quality (perhaps I'm dreaming). At the same
time, VCR's in the $600 to $700 range seem to have all the features I require.
Why should I not spend $1100 or so on a VHS-HiFi unit instead?
Let's hear some objective noises pro &/| con on this question. What makes
BETA-HiFi the "only" system? I'd prefer NOT to be subjected to the "Audio's
writing quality has gone to the dogs, therefore their arguments don't count"
type of response. (Please?)
BTW, Beta won't do for me (unfortunately) as 80% of (locally) available rental
tapes are VHS, and all of my aquaintances who have VCRs run VHS.
Bruce Walker {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!aesat!bmwfigmo@tymix.UUCP (Lynn Gold) (12/03/84)
> Why should I not spend $1100 or so on a VHS-HiFi unit instead? > Several reasons: 1. VHS Hi-Fi is NOT compatible with VHS Stereo. This means that you won't be able to do anything with your friends' tapes or rental tapes other than look at the boxes. 2. VHS blank tapes are more expensive than Beta tapes. Therefore, you'd be spending more money for the same outcome. 3. There have been problems with producing (duplicating) VHS Hi Fi tapes; this is why you will find so few of them in your video stores. > BTW, Beta won't do for me (unfortunately) as 80% of (locally) available rental > tapes are VHS, and all of my aquaintances who have VCRs run VHS. > > > Bruce Walker {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!aesat!bmw MY suggestion is to get a standard VHS Stereo unit so you can rent and share with your friends, and to either get another cassette deck or get a cheap Beta Hi-Fi deck (or BOTH). I own a Beta Hi-Fi and two standard Beta decks and have been quite pleased. I should also note, though, that in the SF Bay Area, it is just as easy to get Beta tapes as it is VHS tapes. If you want to exchange tapes with a friend who has a VHS recorder, you can bring the two together and hook them up and copy away (the voice of experience is talking here). --Lynn Gold Tymnet, Inc. [The following views are not necessarily those of Tymnet, Inc.]
rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (12/04/84)
[] Much as I love my Beta Hi-Fi, and much as I would like to believe that Beta Hi-Fi is superior to VHS Hi-Fi, I cannot believe that VHS Hi-Fi is incompatible with plain old VHS stereo. Surely the VHS Hi-Fi units would at least play VHS stereo in mono. "It's the thought, if any, that counts." Dick Grantges hound!rfg -- "It's the thought, if any, that counts." Dick Grantges hound!rfg
pmr@drutx.UUCP (Rastocny) (12/04/84)
To set a few things straight: 1) VHS stereo and VHS HiFi decks are downwardly compatible. That is, VHS stereo decks play VHS mono, and VHS HiFi decks play VHS stereo and mono. 2) Both formats have comparable HiFi specs to those of professional quality 30ips reel to reel analog tape recorders. Both HiFi Beta and VHS formats are essentially identical in audio performance. 3) The video bandwidth of BOTH formats approaches 2MHz, terrible by today's standards for video monitors that already have bandwidths of 4MHz and better. (What consumer deck regardless of format can boast 0dB at just 2MHz? Most measure -6dB or worse at this point.) 4) The reason that there are few VHS HiFi tapes is because of the age of this format, not the type of format. VHS HiFi is new and manufacturers respond cautiously to new innovations. (It has taken over two years for audio Compact Disc player titles to reach the 2,000 plus mark with a large percentage of these being released in just the past 6 months.) Yours for higher fidelity, Phil Rastocny AT&T-ISL ihnp4!drutx!pmr
andrew@orca.UUCP (Andrew Klossner) (12/04/84)
[]
"1. VHS Hi-Fi is NOT compatible with VHS Stereo. This means
that you won't be able to do anything with your friends' tapes
or rental tapes other than look at the boxes."
When VHS Hi-Fi was first announced, the pundits claimed that this would
be true. Turns out it's not; there are units on the market which
handle both VHS Hi-Fi and existing VHS stereo. It's just a matter of
planting a stereo head instead of a mono head for the conventional
soundtrack, which has to be placed anyway. No technical problems, just
the marketing trade-off; the stereo head costs a little more.
"2. VHS blank tapes are more expensive than Beta tapes.
Therefore, you'd be spending more money for the same outcome."
But VHS blank tapes are longer than Beta tapes. You have to buy six
five-hour Beta tapes to equate with five six-hour VHS tapes.
"3. There have been problems with producing (duplicating) VHS
Hi Fi tapes; this is why you will find so few of them in your
video stores."
Nonsense. The reason you find so few VHS Hi-Fi tapes is that VHS Hi-Fi
hasn't been out as long as Beta Hi-Fi. But they're ramping up as fast
as did Beta when introduced.
-- Andrew Klossner (decvax!tektronix!orca!andrew) [UUCP]
(orca!andrew.tektronix@csnet-relay) [ARPA]bmw@aesat.UUCP (Bruce Walker) (12/05/84)
[Articles are packed by weight; contents may settle during shipping] > Much as I love my Beta Hi-Fi, and much as I would like to believe > that Beta Hi-Fi is superior to VHS Hi-Fi, I cannot believe that > VHS Hi-Fi is incompatible with plain old VHS stereo. Surely the > VHS Hi-Fi units would at least play VHS stereo in mono. > > "It's the thought, if any, that counts." Dick Grantges hound!rfg You are correct: all the VHS Hi-Fi units I have investigated include a head to pick up the older format Stereo Dolby sound track and play it alone or optionally mix it with the Hi-Fi tracks. Bruce Walker {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!aesat!bmw
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (12/07/84)
> 1. VHS Hi-Fi is NOT compatible with VHS Stereo. This means that you won't > be able to do anything with your friends' tapes or rental tapes other than > look at the boxes. Do you mean to tell me that VHS Hi-Fi will not play Non-VHS Hi-Fi tapes. sounds like a waste to me.
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (12/07/84)
> [] > > "1. VHS Hi-Fi is NOT compatible with VHS Stereo. This means > that you won't be able to do anything with your friends' tapes > or rental tapes other than look at the boxes." > > When VHS Hi-Fi was first announced, the pundits claimed that this would > be true. Turns out it's not; there are units on the market which > handle both VHS Hi-Fi and existing VHS stereo. It's just a matter of > planting a stereo head instead of a mono head for the conventional > soundtrack, which has to be placed anyway. No technical problems, just > the marketing trade-off; the stereo head costs a little more. > It wasn't the problem of reading the soundtrack. Beta-Hi-Fi enthusiests were claiming that there wasn't room enough in the VHS video signal space to put the audio part without moving some of the video around making them incompatible with non-hi-fi tapes. Evidently this has been resolved. -Ron
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (12/07/84)
> 2) Both formats have comparable HiFi specs to those of professional quality > 30ips reel to reel analog tape recorders. Both HiFi Beta and VHS formats > are essentially identical in audio performance. Actually, the vid hifi is superior. If you mean 30 ips, 1/4 inch half-track stereo the S/N figures are about 33db. Of course, you have the same problem as you do with CD's. Most of the video media will probably not be recorded with anything better than 15 ips/half track anyway. -Ron
rdp@pthya.UUCP ( R Perlman) (12/10/84)
<>
>> "VHS-HI will not play VHS Stereo tapes..."
NOT TRUE!!
On the Canon (Matsushita) portable (not a full featured machine,
but it is HiFi) VHS Stereo tapes play. They only play in Mono,
BUT, they do play!!
--
Richard Perlman pthya!rdp aka {pstsfa|pbhya}!star!richard
{ihnp4,ucbvax,cbosgd,decwrl,amd,fortune,zehntel}!dual!pthya!rdp
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