bothner@CSL-Vax.ARPA (Per Bothner) (09/19/84)
After graduating in a few years, I will probably return to Norway.
I decided that it might be a good idea to build up a tape library
of shows I'm unlikely to see there (partly for my friends and family).
And since Norway (like most of Europe) uses PAL and 50Hz power,
I will need some kind of dual-system VCR & TV to show them.
This is one consideration in the VHS/Beta debate I haven't seen mentioned.
Beta has been recommended to me, since Sony makes multi-standard hardware.
Since I'm still a poor graduate student, I will probably buy something
cheap here, and get the fancy stuff later, when things may have changed.
Does anyone have comments?
--Per Bothner
ARPA: Bothner@score UUCP: ...!{decwrl,ucbvax}!shasta!bothnerkeithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) (09/22/84)
VHS decks also exist that are dual format (PAL & NTSC etc.) and
may actually be cheaper if they don't have the name SONY on them.
However, having a dual format deck of EITHER type dosen't mean you
can play PAL tapes on an NTSC television or vice versa. A dual format
T.V. will be necessary. You also will not be able to give (or copy)
tapes in the wrong format to friends who have single format decks.
Personally I detest this multiple-format situation. I live in L.A. and
don't plan to move to Europe, but I'd love to see tapes of stuff from
European T.V.. In order to do so, I'd have to buy European or multiple
format VCR and T.V. which I can't really justify. Come to think of it
though, Japan is NTSC.... I wonder how I might locate a Japanese
pen-pal (video-pal?) that we might trade tapes? Unfortunately I don't
speak Japanese, but music videos might be interesting anyway. I'm sick
of the mindless tripe called American T.V..
Keith Doyle
{ucbvax,decvax}!trwrb!cadovax!keithd