scott@hou2g.UUCP (Mr. Berry) (01/21/86)
Well, the US Treasury has once again withheld too much money from my paycheck, and I find myself approaching tax time with an embarrassment, so to speak, of riches. The urge to buy the dreaded VCR has come upon me, and this time I can't resist. (Thus I reinforce the notion that the government can be blamed for just about anything.) Anyway, to the matter at hand: I know next to nothing about VCRs. So naturally, I turn to you, gentle people, for advice I promise to follow blindly. :-) First let me say I don't want to spend much money (~ $300 if possible), and don't try to talk me into a HiFi VCR--my stereo sucks and I have no incentive nor desire to get a new one (nor money either). All I really need is something that will allow me to perform delayed viewing, rent the occasional movie, and buy Star Trek episodes :-). I'd like some (limited) flexibility in programing start/stop times, although I'm not too picky--no expensive bells and whistles, please. Oh, and I don't mind paying a little more for reliability and durability. Now to the questions: 1. What difference is there (quality-wise, as well as in operation) between Beta and VHS? Is any quality difference intrinsic to the format, or does it vary solely by manufacturer? What about tape availability (pre-recorded, mostly) 2. Is there any difference between "stereo" and HiFi VCRs? 3. I notice "4-head" models are invariably more expensive than "2-head" models. What is the difference? (explanations along the lines of 'One has 2 more heads' will be cheerfully flushed down the..er..head.) Is this difference REALLY worth the extra bucks? 4. I have cable TV. Do I need a "cable-ready" VCR? What kind of switching arrangement (black box?), if any, will I need to go between TV, taping from TV, playing VCR. Does cable present any problems with watching one channel while taping from another? 5. Which manufacturers (models too, if you're so inclined) do you recommend, keeping in mind my stated requirements? What about tapes? Any kind SIGNIFICANTLY better? Prices? 6. Are there any other questions I *should* be asking? Care to skip the "middle man" and just provide the answers to them? Finally, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE *MAIL* these responses to me. I don't read both groups. I will post a summary if I have sufficient replies and if someone requests it. ========================================= "How is this place run? Is it an anarchy?" "No, I wouldn't say so--it's not that well organized." Scott J. Berry ihnp4!hou2g!scott