home recording questions.

[George D]

I have kept my old vcrs, not because I cant get a new one cheaper, but because it is best to have that to use to transcribe my tapes.

I will probably have to get them repaired which Im sure will cost an arm and a leg, but if it helps me track my programs properly, its worth doing.

[Jon Preddle]

I still have VHS recordings I made on my first VCR in 1982 - and they all play perfectly fine on another machine.

I think the answer to ensuring longevity is the method by which you store them, namely out of sunlight or heat, in a closed box away from dust and moisture.

[Ross Mann]

Hmmm, I only found out that my old tapes were like that after I'd already turfed the VCR (Grrrr.)
A friend of mine likes to "tinker" with that sort of thing and told me (back in the day) that he could have fixed it for me for virtually nothing at all!! He still to this day has a shed full of old video players of various types (no tapes with anything worth mentioning on them) old TVs,Stereos etc. he never chucks anything! His wife loves it when he comes home with a boot full of "old rubbish" he's quite literally salvaged from the tip! Lol. As for storage I went to (and still do) alot of trouble and expense buying proper dust covers and shelving for all of my video tapes, LP's ,CD's etc.

[Rob Moss]

Jan 11, 2012 0:42:42 GMT Jon Preddle said:

I still have VHS recordings I made on my first VCR in 1982 - and they all play perfectly fine on another machine.

I think the answer to ensuring longevity is the method by which you store them, namely out of sunlight or heat, in a closed box away from dust and moisture.

Of course, the fact that tapes and VCRs were much better made in 1982 than in recent years has something to do with longevity. I have a 1981 recording of The Three Doctors, and the picture quality of it was always stunning. When I bought the BBC Video, it was like watching it through a net curtain.

[Ross Mann]

Jan 11, 2012 11:54:45 GMT Rob Moss said:

Jan 11, 2012 0:42:42 GMT Jon Preddle said:

I still have VHS recordings I made on my first VCR in 1982 - and they all play perfectly fine on another machine.

I think the answer to ensuring longevity is the method by which you store them, namely out of sunlight or heat, in a closed box away from dust and moisture.

Of course, the fact that tapes and VCRs were much better made in 1982 than in recent years has something to do with longevity. I have a 1981 recording of The Three Doctors, and the picture quality of it was always stunning. When I bought the BBC Video, it was like watching it through a net curtain.

I had the same problem with "Revenge of the Cybermen", "Terror of the Zygons" and "The Happiness Patrol" ROTC looked grainy and dark at best, and it was the re released version from 99/00!!

[Richard Marple]

From the letters page of DWM the QC on BBC videos seemed quite variable.

I can't remember having any problems with any I bought, though my 4 head VHS machine with auto tracking seemed to cope with almost tape.

[Jim Exley]

I remember there being several gripes about the variable quality of duplication in the sell-through VHS editions, but I can only remember having to exchange one that was actually faulty - 'Logopolis' - because on the first copy I got, there was a very noticeable and unpleasant fluctuation in the pitch of the sound throughout.
I got it wrong with 'The Dominators' though, I returned that particular VHS thinking all the line flashes were due to poor quality duplication stock, then noticed the same on the replacement copy and eventually figured out it was the master material at fault!