N1500 / N1700 VCR Tapes

[Dave Woodley]

A fair quantity of N1500/N1700 tapes have come into my possession and I haven't got any way of seeing what's on them.

The labels have been crossed out so many times, I'm not quite sure which bit of writing is the valid one! Some of the writing has dates like 1979 and 1981 etc.

I've been looking on eBay for a cheap machine but the only one I've seen in recent days is an extortionate £400.

Question 1- Could there be anything of any worth on these things?

Question 2 - If so, does anyone have a VCR who would be willing to look through 40 tapes?


P.S. Could an Admin PLEASE remove the block on Pipex IPs? Every time I come here, it says I have been banned. I am having to use some dodgy anonymiser site to get into the forum. As I understand it, the problem with a particular troll occured several years ago, so surely it's time to get rid of this stupid IP block?

[hartley967]

If its from an N1500 you might have something valuable? Likewise with the TV companies first use of videotape, the tapes very expensive, so they just kept being wiped and reused. So who knows what you have got there?

The bad news

The same tape cartridge is used on both N1500 (1973-77) and the N1700 (1977 -1979)

However the two types of machines, N1500 series and the N1700series are different and will not play each other's tapes, so from visually looking at the cartridge there is no way of telling which machine it is has been recorded on.
N1500s could only record for up to an hour so tapes from that era will be labeled VC30 minute VC45 or VC60
Tapes from the N1700 era will be labeled LVC 60 or 120 or 150 or 180 minutes.. but of course could have been recorded on either machine


The Gamble which machine to get?

if you reckon you have domestically recorded off air items, then go for an N1700 series machine.
if you think you have corporate/college or film studio/TV station recorded items then go for an N1500 series machine.

btw the machine you want in the N1500 series is the N1502, all the teething troubles were sorted out by the time of this number.

PS.If you have any 'Scotch' brand tapes, leave them till last to play as they are usually very bad oxide shedders and wil clog up the machine.

also The N1500/1700 when set up correctly with good tape is capable of superb quality , superior to both VHS and Betamax.

hope that is of help

[Rob Moss]

Get in touch with Kaleidoscope - I recently gave Chris Perry a fully working N1502 and I think they may have replay facilities for N1700 tapes too.

[LanceM]

Yes, I would recommend getting in touch with Chris Perry as Rob Moss suggested. Plus, with the addition of the N1502 unit ( which would be perfect for looking over your tapes ) would work out very well. They normally state that they will reimburse you for shipping and handling costs, sometimes transfers are also made available by the group. Hope this was of some assistance. Hope there is some missing stuff there ! Only time will tell.

Cheers, Lance.