lionel@orphan.DEC (Steve Lionel) (07/18/84)
[I tried sending this out earlier, but it seems to have been lost.] ucbvax!upstill wanted opinions on the Proton monitors and on a Beta Hi-Fi unit with MPX out and 2X sound. As for the Proton, their equipment has been consistently rated the best. I have the 600M 19" monitor and have never seen a clearer, sharper picture. I was able to do a side-by-side comparison of the Proton against the NEC 19" monitor, both being fed with identical inputs from a Pioneer LaserDisc. The differences were quite noticeable; the Proton had deeper blacks, more detail, crisper colors. The NEC seemed muddy by comparison. The company is apparently quite reliable, (and so is the equipment according to my dealer). Proton also makes a series of FM tuners and receiver that are among the worlds best performers, all at reasonable cost. If you can afford the Proton, it makes no sense to look at anything else. The 600M monitor is $650, the 619 receiver is $850 (locally). The tuner in the 619 is supposedly the same as in their separat tuner, but the 619 lacks VIR circuitry. I run my 600M with the VIR off and get better color, so you aren't missing much. I also like the Proton's feature of sensing a video input. It has a standby mode where it turns on when a video signal is present, and turns off when it goes away (after about 4 minutes). This means that I never have to touch controls on the monitor; I can do everything by remote control with my VCR (and remote-control Sony STR-VX550 receiver). As for Beta Hi-Fi units, you should insist on an MPX out jack. Are you sure that the Sony 2710 doesn't have 2X with sound? This feature requires that you recorded with Beta Hi-Fi, so trying it out on a non-Hi-Fi tape won't tell you. You might also look for Sony's new SL-HFR30 and SL-HF300 VCRs. Neither of these is very fancy, but I do think that the HF300 has 2X with sound and MPX out. Without an MPX out jack you won't be able to decode stereo broadcasts. Note also that the chart and text in Video Review contained many inaccuracies, especially when discussing units with MPX out. Steve Lionel ARPA: lionel%orphan.DEC@decwrl.ARPA UUCP: decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-orphan!lionel MCI: Steve Lionel (177-0623)