Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: S-VHS cassette recorders
Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2025 15:02:22 -0700
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 50
Message-ID: <vlevhg$17pd4$1@dont-email.me>
References: <vleek4$1326q$1@dont-email.me> <vlefpu$14nme$1@dont-email.me>
 <vlenm8$1326q$2@dont-email.me>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Injection-Date: Sun, 05 Jan 2025 23:02:24 +0100 (CET)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="9186b9a1091d6b6335c0d53ad0269604";
	logging-data="1303972"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org";	posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1/FJKGWqArE2B9wneZGs0R6"
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; Win64; x64; rv:102.0) Gecko/20100101
 Thunderbird/102.2.2
Cancel-Lock: sha1:lr8QETtOC2ngsuecRQtSNjFeczM=
Content-Language: en-US
In-Reply-To: <vlenm8$1326q$2@dont-email.me>
Bytes: 3662

On 1/5/2025 12:48 PM, Jeff Layman wrote:
> Might be interesting to see what's around at boot fairs - VHS tapes are often 
> almost given away.

You may find that what's ON the tape is not what the label indicates!  :>

We stopped accepting VCR tapes as donations because, often, folks would
overwrite the original content -- often with "home videos" of "dubious"
intent...

> I've got to get a decent SCART cable as the old one came apart in my hands. I 
> can use component (phono connectors) as well. But S-VHS recorders predate HDMI, 
> and my newest (4-years old) Panasonic TV has only HDMI and component input. An 
> older TV has SCART, component, and a 4-pin s-video input. I'm pretty sure that 
> I no longer have a 4-pin cable! It seems that the older TV can also use the 
> SCART input to detect S-VHS if the recorder generates a signal on pin 15. It 
> probably did that, but I always used to connect via a 4-pin s-video cable with 
> a much older CRT TV.

You will do better with component (not composite) than S-Video.

> That HR-S5000EK stopped recording around 1998 and I replaced it with a new JVC 
> HR-S8600EK. I also brought that down from the loft and it worked perfectly 
> after I removed a cassette I'd left in it! It jammed up a bit when I first 
> turned it on, but I eventually got it out. As far as I remember that machine 
> was still recording well when I replaced it with a Panasonic DVD-RAM DMR55E 
> recorder (also analogue only; no HDMI).

I'm still using a JVC HR-S9911U for "tape-to-digital" transfers.
    <https://support.jvc.com/consumer/product.jsp?modelId=MODL026935>
No value for OTA broadcasts.  I don't think you can even set the *time*
on it, nowadays!

I've also got a Mitsubishi "industrial" (medical) VCR.  Both keep
avoiding the scrap heap -- despite the fact that I've not had to
transfer any tape to digital in recent years (but, you KNOW that
once I toss them, there will be a genuine NEED!  :< )

> As you say, any rubber used must have been of exceptional quality as both 
> machines have survived 12+ years in the loft with temperatures cycling from 0 
> to 40°C or more. By the way, I paid £699 for that ex-demo recorder in 1991 - 
> the price for a new one was £999!

There are many "old fashioned" electronics stores that still sell tapes.
One, here, has managed to come up with a replacement for damn near any
belt I've had to replace -- as long as I could bring the old/stretched/broken
belt in with me for comparison!