raan@hp-pcd.UUCP (raan) (10/11/84)
>> 1) Standard old VCR. This reproduces the audio portion of the tape >> in a mono format. The sound through a good hi-fi system sounds >> pretty good to me. You should notice a lot of tape hiss and weak highs with this system. >> 2) Stereo VCR. This reproduces the audio portion of the tape in a >> stereo format. It's frequency response is about 70-10000 (?) in >> the model I looked at (JVC HR-D225) and has Dolby. The sound >> through a good hi-fi system also sounds pretty good to me. Ditto for this setup. >> 3) Stereo Hi-Fi VCR. What is this beast? Does it also have >> stereo, only with a better frequency response (20-20000)? Is it >> worth the money? (Please don't burn me at the stake.) Is the >> process for recording in stereo better in this type than in the >> non hi-fi unit? You will find that there is NO tape hiss and the highs are much stronger. This system gives you a much better quality of sound, and I think it is definitely worth the money. The stereo is recorded on the video portion of the tape (giving a much higher effective tape speed). All HI-FI units also record on the normal tracks (longitudinal) so they are compatibly with non-HI-FI units. >> Is this the progression that Beta format took also? I am in the >> market for a VCR, and I just don't seem to understand a lot of >> things about this product. Are there any magazines that I should >> look into before buying a unit? Are there any brands that >> I should avoid? Beta followed this progression, except that (ignoring one Marantz machine that never sold in the US) it never went thru the normal stereo stage. There have been good articles about both VHS and BETA HI-FI systems in VIDEO and AUDIO magazines over the last year. VIDEO is supposed to be having a detailed reveiw of both types in their next issue. Raan Young (hp-pcd!raan)