[AidanLunn]

Originally Posted by 2Bdecided

Shame it's less than SD quality and the machines to play them will all be dead soon enough.

I have plenty of home movies on S-VHS, and just hope that my VCRs will last long enough to get them all copied to digital.

Parts are still plentiful for a looooooong time yet. Why do you think I have a 1981 Betamax deck - evidently still working - for collecting old adverts for my YouTube channel? And why some of my other TV collector friends have TV sets from before the war still working - no modifications apart from replacing a broken original with a working original part?

Originally Posted by 2Bdecided

I suppose that fear can be tempered by the fact that, copied or not, I'll never get around to watching them. That's the problem with VHS - you can just keep stacking up all the stuff you never get around to watching! A finite sized HDD means you have to delete it in the end, watched or not. (you could add more HDD capacity, but that's just admitting defeat / obsession / hoarding!)

So it'snot possible to record over something you haven't watched?

Originally Posted by 2Bdecided

but all possible sources today are digital (unless you live in one of the few remaining pre-switch over regions)

. . . which can convert t analogue.

Originally Posted by 2Bdecided

VHS will look shocking on the flatscreen TV you'll have to buy eventually.

Or he can learn the craft of keeping old TVs going. They turn up all the time, especially now, so they can either be restored, used r broken up for spares.

[AidanLunn]

Originally Posted by captainkremmen

Very, very few VHS machines are now being made, only a few from budget manufacturers now seem to be made as it looks like all of the big companies have dropped them, so in that respect as time goes on it's going to get more and more difficult to keep your collection of VHS tapes going.

They're still made in plentiful supply - those VHS/HDD/DVD decks

[gomezz]

Originally Posted by AidanLunn

The tapes are designed to withstand the sort of punishment that the machines give it when it's working properly.

Unfortunately they do not always stand up to the punishment they get when the machine *stops* working properly.

[AidanLunn]

Originally Posted by gomezz

Unfortunately they do not always stand up to the punishment they get when the machine *stops* working properly.

Compared to how pristine the tape may be in other parts of it, 7" worth of scrunched tape is nothing.

[Soundbox]

In 25 years of daily use our family machines never have had a chewed tape. The only faults I have had were a failed capstan motor (Hitachi) and a label coming off the tape causing the loading mechanism to snap (Panasonic). Deaing with other peoples chewed tapes though showed me that it was in most cases a manky pinch roller and dirt in the mechansim. The owners decided to just keep running the machines without any service or cleaning - but that is a choice in itself, like those who run cars into the ground.

Tape really is a tough and reliable medium - if treated with a modicum of care. I think it will come to be appreciated for what it is one day - if not what people wanted it to be.

[Jimmy Connors]

A few years ago I agreed to transfer the entire run of Prisoner Cell Block H from VHS tape to DVD for a friend.

Unfortunately a few of the tapes (there were about 100) were mouldy on the inside. I took a few apart and cleaned them (with good results), but this became quite tiresome.

Another good way was to use an old VCR and fast forward the tape to the end and then rewind it (all the time keeping your fingers crossed it doesn't snap) I found this was OK to play back just the once (which was enough anyway)

It took about 9 months to do the lot, but the results were very good. She bought the best blank discs she could find - so hopefully they will last. The whole set of DVD's have been watched about 4 times now and are still OK.

I actually retired my machine in April once the digital switch-over happened. So now I have to rely on Sky+.

I still have an old Ferguson 3V23 http://www.oldtechnology.net/images/ferguson3v231.jpg in full working order (I checked it a few weeks ago) but it's so old that it doesn't even have a scart socket and I think it records in mono. I have found a collector that wants to buy it. I have the original remote too, but can not find it.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by AidanLunn

They're still made in plentiful supply - those VHS/HDD/DVD decks

Hardly, there are only a small number of manufacturers making them, and only in small quantities.

VHS has been obselete for years.

[rasbo]

I have lots of VHS tapes recorded from the late 80's and early - late 90's from television. I'd love to get them to DVD and put some stuff on youtube, but not sure how.

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by rasbo

I have lots of VHS tapes recorded from the late 80's and early - late 90's from television. I'd love to get them to DVD and put some stuff on youtube, but not sure how.

I'm not sure how either. Is there any way you could connect the VCR to a DVD recorder or your computer and transfer the stuff?

[Simon Rodgers]

Originally Posted by ironjade

OIC. I thought you had some whizzy machine which skipped them.

I heard there was a device coming out which did that sort of thing, but this was over 15 years ago and nothing appeared to come out.

[captainkremmen]

Originally Posted by Simon Rodgers

I heard there was a device coming out which did that sort of thing, but this was over 15 years ago and nothing appeared to come out.

There were reports I remember of a VCR that could identify add breaks and fast forward past them, but it was I believe sunk by lawsuits.

One of the big cable companies in the US recently announced a PVR that could do the same, but guess what, they have also been threatened with legal action.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by captainkremmen

There were reports I remember of a VCR that could identify add breaks and fast forward past them, but it was I believe sunk by lawsuits.

How good could it have been anyway? - there's no way to accurately identify ad-breaks, at least in the UK.

[Simon Rodgers]

Originally Posted by captainkremmen

There were reports I remember of a VCR that could identify add breaks and fast forward past them, but it was I believe sunk by lawsuits.

One of the big cable companies in the US recently announced a PVR that could do the same, but guess what, they have also been threatened with legal action.

Can't blame them really, can you? If people do not watch ad breaks companies will loose money because firms will not advertise and TV companies will sink.

Yes I know people sometimes make a drink or change channel, etc during breaks anyway but there are still some people who will watch them.

My mum used to change channel during ad breaks and miss part of the programme when they had finished. Sometimes the adverts really ARE better than the programmes so it really is best justto watch them and shuit up, IMHO.

[Simon Rodgers]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

How good could it have been anyway? - there's no way to accurately identify ad-breaks, at least in the UK.

With digital technology I guess anything is possible. With analogue recorders there was PDC (Programme Deliverey Control) where a video timer would overrun with a programme if it was still on, if the programme ended early, so would the timer record. So I guess it could have been something like that. They could detct the programme so why not the adverts?

PDC was a pain for me, I recorded the GCSE bitesize revision programme overnight once and there was a broadcasting fault and they had to take it off toi fix the problem. My video stopped recording because it thought the programme had finished!

Mind you how many broadcasting faults happen now? I remember they used to happen all the time but havn'tr seen any recently.

[gomezz]

One happened last night on ITV. Both Channel 4 and Five groups of channels are permanently faulty with running status changes being run strictly by the clock with no heed of actually starts and end of programmes.

[Winston_1]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

How good could it have been anyway? - there's no way to accurately identify ad-breaks, at least in the UK.

Wrong again Nigel.

My local cable company, back in the analogue cable days, used ad insertion equipment whereby they spliced out the national and inserted their own local ads. It was only done on some channels, Sky would not allow it on theirs.
The flag to kick it into action was carried on one of the analogue subcarriers. Ad breaks were a multiple of 30 seconds long and I believe the length of each one was known so the ad insertion equipment could go back to programme.

To be honest it was pretty awful, it crashed in and out disrupting the syncs at changeover, and all VBI insertion including teletext, was lost during these ad breaks.

[Simon Rodgers]

Originally Posted by Winston_1

Wrong again Nigel.

My local cable company, back in the analogue cable days, used ad insertion equipment whereby they spliced out the national and inserted their own local ads. It was only done on some channels, Sky would not allow it on theirs.
The flag to kick it into action was carried on one of the analogue subcarriers. Ad breaks were a multiple of 30 seconds long and I believe the length of each one was known so the ad insertion equipment could go back to programme.

To be honest it was pretty awful, it crashed in and out disrupting the syncs at changeover, and all VBI insertion including teletext, was lost during these ad breaks.

Some channels like Channel 4 and Channel 5 have different regional variations where the only difference is the adverts.

This might explain why the last advert freezes at the end, probably waiting for the other adverts in the other regions to finish before they all continue with the main programme.

Surely it is better for them to have a seperate channel as opposed to interfering with the one channel feed.

[buseng]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

How good could it have been anyway? - there's no way to accurately identify ad-breaks, at least in the UK.

There is, I have a Philips dvd recorder with hard disk. It has something called "smart chapter" where you record or copy a programme on to the hard disk & then put the unit into standby, it then puts chapter marks in at each advert break which you can edit out or hide afterwards. It takes about half hour for one hour of programme to process. Maybe not 100% effective & may miss one or two, but pretty good anyway.

[Orbitalzone]

Originally Posted by buseng

There is, I have a Philips dvd recorder with hard disk. It has something called "smart chapter" where you record or copy a programme on to the hard disk & then put the unit into standby, it then puts chapter marks in at each advert break which you can edit out or hide afterwards. It takes about half hour for one hour of programme to process. Maybe not 100% effective & may miss one or two, but pretty good anyway.

Not quite so easy to do in the context of this thread though which is about VHS decks which technology at the time couldn't likely do such a thing.

[AidanLunn]

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher

I'm not sure how either. Is there any way you could connect the VCR to a DVD recorder or your computer and transfer the stuff?

Several ways.

Like RF, composite cable or SCART.

[AidanLunn]

Originally Posted by Simon Rodgers

I remember they used to happen all the time but havn'tr seen any recently.

Even in the 70s they were fairly rare, it's just that they were unusual, so you remember them better than the programmes that were wrapped around them.

[AidanLunn]

Originally Posted by Winston_1

To be honest it was pretty awful, it crashed in and out disrupting the syncs at changeover, and all VBI insertion including teletext, was lost during these ad breaks.

ITV companies used to do this sometimes in the days of genlock.

[oilman]

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher

I'm not sure how either. Is there any way you could connect the VCR to a DVD recorder or your computer and transfer the stuff?

Most dvd recorders will have scart socket. Connect vcr to dvd recorder with a scart lead. Set dcd to usually av1 or similar
Press play on vcr and record on dvd recorder. Select 4 hr mode. Wait until tape is finished. Finish dvd recording and finalise dvd.

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by oilman

Most dvd recorders will have scart socket. Connect vcr to dvd recorder with a scart lead. Set dcd to usually av1 or similar
Press play on vcr and record on dvd recorder. Select 4 hr mode. Wait until tape is finished. Finish dvd recording and finalise dvd.

Thanks. I'll remember that. I have loads of blank VHS tapes lying around of stuff taped off the TV. If there's anything on them worth keeping I can record it to DVD.

[2Bdecided]

Originally Posted by AidanLunn

Parts are still plentiful for a looooooong time yet. Why do you think I have a 1981 Betamax deck - evidently still working - for collecting old adverts for my YouTube channel? And why some of my other TV collector friends have TV sets from before the war still working - no modifications apart from replacing a broken original with a working original part?

So it'snot possible to record over something you haven't watched?

. . . which can convert t analogue.

Or he can learn the craft of keeping old TVs going. They turn up all the time, especially now, so they can either be restored, used r broken up for spares.

You're talking about a hobby - like vintage cars, or vintage cameras. The obsolescence is part of the joy.

I'm talking about capturing an entire HD series in broadcast quality using a single click on a PVR's remote control. I have the bits that were broadcast with the minimum of fuss. Unless the BBC are going to ship you their HD-CAM master tapes, you're not going to get better. The idea that there's any benefit to recording this content to VHS can only be found in the minds of those who want to tinker with obsolete technology - not in the minds of those who want to watch the TV programmes themselves!

Cheers,
David.