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Old 24-01-2011, 13:42
cnbcwatcher
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They are still around but not as easy to find as other formats , basically because nobody was interested in them except Panasonic.
Some other recorders will play them even if they won't record on them .
But they are useful if you want to edit material and you don't have a hard drive recorder , although they are limited by capacity.
So in some ways I suppose they could be added to the list of technology flops?
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Old 24-01-2011, 15:27
hardylane
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VHS = WVC (worldwide video communication). VHS is great in that I can share my films with anybody without asking what sort of equipment they have. No need to check if they have DVD or can they play it back - VHS is universal. I lend may tapes to friends and VHS just does what it has always done - given easy and reliable entertainment. The passage of time has not dulled that.

I use VHS and the popular Betamax format too and if I went without either I would have missed so many wonderful films it would be sad to think about. I don't have a panel type TV.
Except of course for the analogue NTSC/PAL problems that are far less of an issue in the digital age
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Old 24-01-2011, 18:31
AidanLunn
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VHS = WVC (worldwide video communication). VHS is great in that I can share my films with anybody without asking what sort of equipment they have. No need to check if they have DVD or can they play it back - VHS is universal. I lend may tapes to friends and VHS just does what it has always done - given easy and reliable entertainment. The passage of time has not dulled that.

I use VHS and the popular Betamax format too and if I went without either I would have missed so many wonderful films it would be sad to think about. I don't have a panel type TV.
It's a universal format when most people are giving it up?

Yeah right.

Not only are the PAL/NTSC problems an issue (except later machines, which were usually able to play NTSC tapes on PAL TVs), but the issue of tracking as well. I've had a few tapes recorded on a shitty little Akai in the 90s that will just not play correctly on every other VCR I've owned since, even ones that only have manual tracking!

And recordings recorded on other VCRs and then playing them back on the Akai? Forget it!

I like old technology for the fact that it is old and I love it (I collect VCRs), but come on, DVD and blu-ray are far superior, for all the picture quality, sound quality and universality. And special features. And space.

The only thing I don't like about them is how easily they're damaged.
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Old 24-01-2011, 19:18
cnbcwatcher
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Except of course for the analogue NTSC/PAL problems that are far less of an issue in the digital age
Problems with video recorders? Another thing that used to annoy me was not being able to buy a VHS tape in, say, France and be able to watch it at home. My dad did that once and when he looked at it he found out it was SECAM format and our VCR was only PAL compatible. My friend had a PAL/SECAM VCR though and he watched it there. I don't think it's a problem with DVDs and digital TV though.
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Old 24-01-2011, 20:07
r_mitchell85
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Problems with video recorders? Another thing that used to annoy me was not being able to buy a VHS tape in, say, France and be able to watch it at home. My dad did that once and when he looked at it he found out it was SECAM format and our VCR was only PAL compatible. My friend had a PAL/SECAM VCR though and he watched it there. I don't think it's a problem with DVDs and digital TV though.
but there are various regions of dvd - as you probably know about. you can get multiregion dvd players... but then again you could get pal/secam/nstc video recorders.

there are also various standards for digital tv xmissions around the world, so its not that cut and dry!
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Old 24-01-2011, 21:21
grahamcrowden
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So in some ways I suppose they could be added to the list of technology flops?
Difficult one .
The format is still the rewritable format of choice on Panasonic machines and has been for 10 years at least .

The uncertainty from other manufacturers about supporting the format is mainly because the discs rarely play elsewhere except on the actual recorder , unlike -/+RW which can be recorded on then taken and played on another player.

Panasonic caved in a few years back and added -RW recording too but RAM is very useful if you don't have a hard drive model.
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Old 24-01-2011, 21:48
cnbcwatcher
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but there are various regions of dvd - as you probably know about. you can get multiregion dvd players... but then again you could get pal/secam/nstc video recorders.

there are also various standards for digital tv xmissions around the world, so its not that cut and dry!
I've heard of multiregion DVD but I think our DVD player is Region 2 and all our computers are set to it. I think you can only change the settings 5 times before it sets itself permanently to one region? I'm not sure about digital TV transmissions around the world but I'm sure in most of Europe these days it's fairly universal or are there still different standards even in Europe?
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Old 24-01-2011, 21:50
grahamcrowden
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I've heard of multiregion DVD but I think our DVD player is Region 2 and all our computers are set to it. I think you can only change the settings 5 times before it sets itself permanently to one region? I'm not sure about digital TV transmissions around the world but I'm sure in most of Europe these days it's fairly universal or are there still different standards even in Europe?
Pretty easy to download a program to make your PC drive multiregion.

You regular dvd player can be made multiregion too.
It could cost nothing if you can hack it with the players own remote (depends on the make and model) and even the ones that you can't wont cost much more than a tenner to sort out.

Whats the player?
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Old 24-01-2011, 22:02
cnbcwatcher
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Pretty easy to download a program to make your PC drive multiregion.

You regular dvd player can be made multiregion too.
It could cost nothing if you can hack it with the players own remote (depends on the make and model) and even the ones that you can't wont cost much more than a tenner to sort out.

Whats the player?
Is there a program for Mac DVD drives? The DVD player under the telly I think is a SilverCrest one we got in Lidl in 2004 (which still works fine).
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Old 24-01-2011, 22:09
grahamcrowden
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Is there a program for Mac DVD drives? The DVD player under the telly I think is a SilverCrest one we got in Lidl in 2004 (which still works fine).
Someone with MAC experience will have to tell you that .

Check which model Silvercrest you've got then go here.

http://www.dvddemystifiziert.de/code...lvercrest.html

Do you have a R1 dvd to test out?
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Old 24-01-2011, 22:14
cnbcwatcher
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Someone with MAC experience will have to tell you that .

Check which model Silvercrest you've got then go here.

http://www.dvddemystifiziert.de/code...lvercrest.html
I'll check the model number when I'm downstairs and there's nobody else in the living room.
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Old 24-01-2011, 22:15
cnbcwatcher
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Do you have a R1 dvd to test out?
Sadly no but I could always ask one of my friends.
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Old 24-01-2011, 22:29
captainkremmen
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I've heard of multiregion DVD but I think our DVD player is Region 2 and all our computers are set to it. I think you can only change the settings 5 times before it sets itself permanently to one region? I'm not sure about digital TV transmissions around the world but I'm sure in most of Europe these days it's fairly universal or are there still different standards even in Europe?
Most PC drives can be made multiregion, with the exception of some Matshita Drives. Either with a firmware upgrade or with the use of a small program that decodes on the fly, not sure if such programs are available for the Mac though.

Failing that, DVD drives are so cheap these days I just bought a second drive. One is set to Region 1 and the other to Region 2, both drives cost me a grand total of £30.
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Old 24-01-2011, 22:33
Winston_1
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I'm not sure about digital TV transmissions around the world but I'm sure in most of Europe these days it's fairly universal or are there still different standards even in Europe?
Yes there are. There is DVB-T with MPEG 2, DVB-T with MPEG 4. Then there are HD versions of these. Then there is DVB-T2. Interactivity comes in 3 flavours MHEG, EBU teletext, and MHP.
It's by no means standard.
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Old 25-01-2011, 11:24
cnbcwatcher
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Yes there are. There is DVB-T with MPEG 2, DVB-T with MPEG 4. Then there are HD versions of these. Then there is DVB-T2. Interactivity comes in 3 flavours MHEG, EBU teletext, and MHP.
It's by no means standard.
I presume that applies to satellite/cable as well as terrestrial? I always thought digital TV meant that TV across Europe were more standard
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Old 25-01-2011, 12:02
grahamlthompson
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I presume that applies to satellite/cable as well as terrestrial? I always thought digital TV meant that TV across Europe were more standard
Satellite due to it's international nature is more standard.

DVB-S or DVB-S2, SD mpeg2 compression, HD H264(mpeg4) 1080i at 1440 x 1080 or 1920 x 1080.

As for cable as an example Virgin HD is mpeg2 compressed.

The fancy extras like epg and series/accurate recording are platform dependent. Freesat+ for instance uses mheg5 and Sky a different system. This does not affect basic viewing/recording of material transmitted without encryption (fta - free to air)
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Old 25-01-2011, 12:22
neo_wales
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Thanks to this thread I bought a Sony VHS recorder from my local smack generator, sorry Cash Generator shop for £4.99 Don't need it but for a fiver it was worth it, works 100%.
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Old 25-01-2011, 13:46
cnbcwatcher
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Thanks to this thread I bought a Sony VHS recorder from my local smack generator, sorry Cash Generator shop for £4.99 Don't need it but for a fiver it was worth it, works 100%.
I probably would have bought it too for that price. Discount stuff can be great
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Old 26-01-2011, 12:58
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I haven't used my video recorder since going digital and getting Freeview. We take the start lead out of the tele to use the dvd player. Does the same apply to the VCR? Taking the start lead out of the tele and putting it into the video player?
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Old 26-01-2011, 13:10
r_mitchell85
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I haven't used my video recorder since going digital and getting Freeview. We take the start lead out of the tele to use the dvd player. Does the same apply to the VCR? Taking the start lead out of the tele and putting it into the video player?
Assume youve only got one SCART socket on your tv then?

You can get a switcher box from somewhere like argos to avoid all this plugging in and unplugging.

Alternatively, try plugging the dvd into scart socket 2 on the freeview box. If there is one
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Old 26-01-2011, 14:35
cnbcwatcher
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Assume youve only got one SCART socket on your tv then?

You can get a switcher box from somewhere like argos to avoid all this plugging in and unplugging.

Alternatively, try plugging the dvd into scart socket 2 on the freeview box. If there is one
We had one of those once for our old CRT, I think it was in the days when we had the Bush Internet TV set top box and the telly only had one scart socket.
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Old 26-01-2011, 15:58
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We had one of those once for our old CRT, I think it was in the days when we had the Bush Internet TV set top box and the telly only had one scart socket.

Check when you buy as many of those are only wired up for composite - not the RGB that DVD gives out.
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Old 27-01-2011, 10:00
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Assume youve only got one SCART socket on your tv then?

You can get a switcher box from somewhere like argos to avoid all this plugging in and unplugging.

Alternatively, try plugging the dvd into scart socket 2 on the freeview box. If there is one
Yes I have only one scart socket on my tv. The other thing is. How do you transfer what's on a video on to a dvd?
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Old 27-01-2011, 10:42
bobcar
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Yes I have only one scart socket on my tv. The other thing is. How do you transfer what's on a video on to a dvd?
How many sockets does your Freeview box have? If it has 2 then you don't need to swap cables over or get a switcher for your DVD player.

To record on to DVD you need a DVD recorder - is that what you have?
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Old 28-01-2011, 17:45
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... smack generator, sorry Cash Generator shop ....
ROFL!

For some stuff like old console games you can get some decent bargains. A lot of their other stuff mind you, is really dear, hence my less an occasional visits.
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