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