Beta tapes

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Sun Jan 19, 2003 7:56 pm

it isn't just the quality of the video, those tapes last a real long time. I'm talking dozens of years more than a VHS tape. even though my garfields 9 lives tape is gone for good. My copy of watership down from over 10 years ago looks better than most of the stuff I record off TV. After a few watchigns on the same VCR and the tracking is already crapping out and the movie or show needs to be recarded AGAIN or bought. and that is is I recorded it in SLP, if it was in SP I might just be able to fit 8 eps of law and order onto those 4 VHS tapes you were talking about.

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Sun Jan 19, 2003 7:57 pm

kthulhu wrote:
CaTaClYsM wrote:I'll save money with the beta tapes.
Sure, if you can find some new ones.

which I can it is called Frys Electronics. Same place I go to get myself new record needles.

MistyCaldwell · Post by **MistyCaldwell** » Sun Jan 19, 2003 7:58 pm

They make new ones...but they are intended for broadcast.

But it seems unnecessary I think. It's like needing a lawnmower for your yard but buying a 6 foot tractor and a bushhog for the job.

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Sun Jan 19, 2003 7:58 pm

I know what you're thinking, I shit you not.

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Sun Jan 19, 2003 7:59 pm

MistyCaldwell wrote:They make new ones...but they are intended for broadcast.

But it seems unnecessary I think. It's like needing a lawnmower for your yard but buying a 6 foot tractor and a bushhog for the job.

no, not intended for broadcast, for personal home use, just like VHS tapes.

MistyCaldwell · Post by **MistyCaldwell** » Sun Jan 19, 2003 8:01 pm

I would suggest making vcds out of your vhs tapes. It's practically free and the technology will be around for years. It's also versatile enough if you need to output to something else in the future. Making DVDs would be cheaper still.

And buying a consumer dvd writer and some dvd-r's would still be cheaper than buying a new beta set-up

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Sun Jan 19, 2003 8:11 pm

but when I make the VCD of the VHS tape I've still lost alot of the video quality once I make the transfer, if I did it in SLP then what I am going to end up with is a grainy video with tracking crappy audio and block noise all over the place. I could instead just skip that whole VHS step of yours that I don't know why you put it there. and just copy the stuff right off the TV onto the comp and burn the CD's ep by ep, which I have considered.

oh btw, the beta setup would cost about this much.

Betamax player 70$
Tapes, 3 or 4 each tape
Head cleaner 5 bucks
how much would the DVD writer setup cost?

MistyCaldwell · Post by **MistyCaldwell** » Sun Jan 19, 2003 8:20 pm

CaTaClYsM wrote: I could instead just skip that whole VHS step of yours that I don't know why you put it there.

'Cause you said you had pre-recorded vhs tapes like Garfield's 9 lives.

oh btw, the beta setup would cost about this much.

Betamax player 70$
Tapes, 3 or 4 each tape
Head cleaner 5 bucks
how much would the DVD writer setup cost?

That beta machine isn't going to look as nice as the prosumer product I thought you were talking about, like the auction you posted where you had no idea the digibeta was $10,000. The one you mentioned doesn't look that much more incredible than a high quality vhs player recorder. Now I know what klinky and kthulhu were thinking and they are right.

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Sun Jan 19, 2003 8:29 pm

MistyCaldwell wrote:
CaTaClYsM wrote: I could instead just skip that whole VHS step of yours that I don't know why you put it there.

'Cause you said you had pre-recorded vhs tapes like Garfield's 9 lives.

that is a beta tape, not VHS first of all

and second of all because whenever I record something off of TV I plan to keep it forever, and TIVO would not only cost so much, but I doubt that the HD is going to be able to meet up to my daily recording needs.

NicholasDWolfwood · Post by **NicholasDWolfwood** » Sun Jan 19, 2003 9:50 pm

Get a fooking VHS then.

Betamax is obsolete, Sony announced that about 6 months ago. It's a good format, but cannot live up to today's standards.

For example, my mom has a beta tape of "The Breakfast Club", which she recorded off TV a good 10-12 years ago. It's watchable, but has static on the top and bottom of the screen, etc.

The tape is stored in her video tape cabinet with her other 2-3 dozen tapes. (VHS and Betamax)