[net.audio] Sears/Toshiba Beta Hi-Fi VCR review

wilson@inteloc.UUCP (11/23/83)

I have watched patiently over the years as prices fell and VCR's grew
new features, but the advent of Beta hi-fi finally pushed me over the
edge.  Last month I broke down and bought one, a Sears ProFormance
unit (the model number exceeds my capacity to memorize random digits).

This little jewel is a (thinly) disguised Toshiba VS36. I've really owned
two of them so far.  The first worked fine in every respect except that
the sensor for the wireless remote control refused to work beyond a five
foot radius.  This was cheerfully exchanged for the second, whose infrared
eye is so sensitive I can even bounce the signal off my cathedral ceiling.
It set me back $999, exactly what its Toshiba cousin runs in local stores.
You could beat this price via mail order, but my experience with
the first unit reminded me that it's easier to get service from a local
dealer than from a voice on an 800 number.

The video performance is good.  In taping off the air, there is little or
no apparent difference between Beta II (3 hour) and Beta III (4 1/2 hour)
speeds, so that switch now lives on Beta III.  As you would expect from a
four-head machine, the special effects are exceptional.  The double-speed
mode with sound is a gas for skipping over the boring parts.  Picture
quality in freeze frame is excellent.  Copy-protected tapes don't seem to
bother it, unlike the cheapie recorders I used to rent from the corner
video store.

Now for the reason I bought it, the sound.  I hooked it up to my stereo
and played the only two tapes the corner video store had that are clearly
marked as Beta hi-fi, "Flashdance" and "Fleetwood Mac in Concert."  The
first was a real disappointment.  The musical numbers seemed to be mixed
for old-style "theater" speakers with boomy bass and tizzy highs; they
didn't sound at all right on my system.  The dialogue was noisy and the
stereo perspective was inconsistent.  I guess the movie studios are going
to have to invest in PCM recorders if they want to get the sound quality
up to snuff.  In the meantime, I may have to buy that equalizer.

"Fleetwood Mac" was a different story:  deep bass, the kind my transmission
line subwoofers love, with clean highs and no audible tape hiss. In sum:
sound quality at least as good as an "audiophile" LP, with no snap,
crackle, or pop, and no threat of feedback. All this and Christine McVie in
living color, too.  Expensive audio-only cassette decks are hereby declared
obsolete (are you listening, Nakamichi?).

I haven't tried making my own audio-only tapes yet.  This may present a bit
of problem, since there are no input level controls or meters.  The dynamic
range should be wide enough to handle FM simulcasts or dubbing from records
without any problems, but we shall see.

In sum:  I like it.  My wife likes it.  She gets to watch "St. Elsewhere"
now without falling asleep.  The styling is compact and clean enough so
that she will allow it in our living room.  This is a win for Toshiba/Sears
over the Sony SL-5200, which looks as if it was designed by Astro Boy. The
Sony 2700 is much nicer than the 5200, but for $1400 list it should be.

I'd like to get reviews of other pre-recorded Beta hi-fi cassettes.
What is available now?  Are they all clearly labeled as such, as VHS stereo
tapes seem to be, or are there some "sleepers" out there?

Andy Wilson
... tektronix!ogcvax!inteloa!wilson