Hardly ever see these...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3061353970

You might want to look at that one Sergio...

I'm selling an SL-HF900 (NTSC) http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=3061616982

Hi EveryoneNot strictly for this group but getting desperate, has anyone got the viewfinder pin-out connections for a JVC KY-1900, any help appreciated, also are Sony VO8800 worth going for, are spares still available.

Regards

Andy

Hi........Alllong time no see

Just wondering... did anyone else get a blast of 'mailer daemon's for the .ru suffix today? I got a whole s***load of them in my yahoo mailbox so I'm wondering if the damned .ru-ssians have found this page or something cuz this is about the only place my address is...

Gonna try a new spam screwer upper....

Wonder wonder what what was was wrong wrong with with Boby Boby? ? :) lol!

just kiddin ya'll...

Olive: That type of thing shows up now and again... You could theorhetically block the "Mailer-Daemon" address but then you'd never know if you failed to a particular server... however I've heard of such experiences before so as I generally understand it they do pass eventually.

Can anyone help with a fault on a Sony SL-HF100, Symptoms are as follows,on powering up andinitialising ON the supply reel runs as if tape is being rewound but the take up reel is stationary.After a few moments the supply reel stopsand the Cassette In LED flashes continuously. If eject is pressed the flashing LED stops and the threading motor commences to load an imaginary tape followed by unthreading where after a few transitions the motor starts to labour. This threading/unthreading cycle continues until power OFF is pressed.Any help would be great.

Just some ideas. It could be that the tape detector switch on the reel table is stuck in the closed postition making the machine think there's a tape in there. Could also be carriage mech has gone out of cycle alignment and is tripping some switch.

Thanks for info Olive will check

Two PAL Beta remotes up for bid in one auction...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3062046860

RMT -200 & RMT-210 GBP 4.99£

Sean, I can't decipher your current mail address encryption code, and I have lost my address book to a Netscape disaster. I love Netscape but I can't deny that it does tend to fall over spectacularly about every eighteen months. I am not, however, tempted to let the Gates infestation spread its tendrils into my machine!

I want to call you with apologies about not confirming receipt of the tape, and also about what to do about a shipping cost which was obviously more than you anticipated.

Get back to me direct,Bill Stronach

To Franny, if you're still around,

Are the fancy 950 remotes with the jog/shuttle wheel etc. available in Germany? I would really like to lay hands on one at a reasonable price. Please come back to me direct if you have any info.

Bill Stronach

Here's something that definitely bears testing by anyone who can. Will an American or Japanese remote work with a European or UK deck? I think the multisystem Middle-east decks used their own codes, but the US and Japan NTSC models used standard codes one, two, and three. If Franny could provide a list of functions on the remote, a suitable replacement could be located, since several were made that did many functions, in case the original is not available (My SL-HF-900 would have taken an RMT-143 or something else which I can't remember, but I've got an RMT-424 with it now).

I have the T-50ME with a remote that doesn't work for my NTSC machines...

Here's what PALsite has on the SL-HF 950 remotes...

http://www.palsite.info/r-950.gif

http://www.palsite.info/r-950mk2.gif

The remotes for PAL and NTSC Beta machines are different. Have had several of each and the remotes for all of the PAL ones I have owned do not work the NTSC ones with the exception of the SL_HF 950 which uses the same codes as NTSC code 1. For the most part the rest of them use the same remote- SL 800ME, SL HF 100 & C9 all use the same frequencies, which are a different kind of code which learning remotes were unable to learn. I did notice that pressing any key on a Hitcahi VHS remote will send these units into rewirnd. I have been told that the NTSC remotes use codes on the same frequency while the PAL ones use different frequencies for each command. I also know that my first PAL deck a C7 had a remote which did not work any of the later decks nor vice versa.

Optimistic eBay seller of the week by far...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3062280804

Wants $199 BIN for an AC-220 power supply (that normally goes for less than $20 in not included with a VCR...)

He says he's got other items coming. This should be good...

I bet he breaks up an SL-2000 outfit to try and sell the pieces one by one.

Olive-I got several dozen "Mailer-Daemons" in my inbox on Friday. I wondered what was going on.

I have a beta remote that is acting weird on me. The only functions that work are Power, tv/vtr, channel up, channel down, and play. I took it apart to see if I could find something out, and discovered that when I took the rubber keypad off and used the play button on the keypad to depress the other functions on the electronic board, they work also (rew, ff, stop, 1/5, 1/10). What is weird is that all the keys are rubber and they all look the same and I dont see how rubber pressing down on the board makes the functions work? Any suggestions on a fix? The problem definitely lies within the rubber keypad. thanks

The remote is a RMT-131 for a Sony sl-hfr70

All I can think of to do is to clean the rubber keypad's backing. You could try getting a new remote, just make sure it does all the same stuff. Sony betamax remotes (With a few notable exceptions, fortunately just discussed above) are all the same. A good percentage of 8mm and VHS remotes can control a beta too. The only time you have to worry about these remotes is for decks with unique functions like the SL-HF-860D, SL-HF-1000, EDV-9500, etc, but those decks aren't very common.

Lo, Am looking for Autochanger for C7

Must be in manchester areaPlease email me with details and price

Ta :)

Sounds like the electroconductive paint has worn off on those remotes keys. Luckily you can get such paint to fix laggard old remotes...

http://www.replacementremotes.com/repairkit.htm

A good fix for that cranky remote is to paste on an aluminum foil tape fitted inside to each rubber button that malfunctions. Found that this to be a cheaper and almost permanent fix when the conductive coating wears off.

There's a Japanese page that shows just that method. I suppose it's a workable method if you don't want to pop for the bottle of conductive paint. I'd prefer the conductive paint over the tinfoil method myself.

That remote rubber contact repair page. You'll have to run it by the babelfish...

http://homepage1.nifty.com/Sony/MainTenance/RmtControler/RMT_Controler_001.html

I have a sony SL-7200, w/service manual that the local repair shops refuse to look at. What will happen is: A tape is inserted, and either play or record are pressed, a clunking sound comes from the unit, the buttons pop up, and the standby light comes on. You can depress any of the buttons after this occurs because they will not stay down when pushed. It sounds like a solenoid is causing the error. I had this unit apart before this started happening, I replaced belts, and lubricated the parts. Any sites, or even answers are greatly appreciated.

Re: Remotes. I thought those black dots on the rubber membrane were not just paint, but carbon-impregnated rubber blobs dropped into the contact areas before rest of the rubber goes into the membrane mold. This is what Sharp, Casio, Canon, Fujitsu and many others seem to use on various keyboards. Typically after a dozen years the conductive dots harden so much that they only contact the single highest point of the gold contact area on the circuit board. It then requires great force to deform the surface of the black dot until it contacts enough of the gold to decrease the electrical resistance to the point where it is recognized as a closed switch. I was unaware of using conductive paint on these black blobs, since death of a keyboard was usually no big deal. But for a discontinued Beta remote this is great news. Thanks.

I see I've been using the wrong tool to open delicate plastic cases (and I'm the one with stitches holding my thumb together).

www.replacementremotes.com/images/i-2.jpg

(Attempts to contain laughter due to lateness of local hour)

But seriously, If you've got an older RCA television or any RCA gear, especially stuff with analog remotes, I've got a couple cautions for you. First off, the silver metal remotes for the colortrak sets are easy to deform (especially the metal part) if you try to take it apart. The metal part comes off easily, yet taking it off serves no purpose and you will NEVER get it back on. I've written up a dis-assembly FAQ for that type of remote, and anyone who wants it should request it, it's only a couple K of text. Secondly, many remotes, RCA especially, and even more so the analog (Pre Digital Command Center) stuff is particularly sensitive to flourescent lamps, especially the full spectrum kind. So if you can't get the remote to register, or the device functions irratically, turn off the flourescent lamp. This is always my first test whenever a remote is failing to behave as expected.

Some remote controls with a little unprotected LED poking out the end are very directional. If yours has to be exactly on-axis, just rub that little LED lens lightly with Brasso or Silvo polish to dull the shine a bit. Now you can use it while drunk and still get the job done, although it cuts the maximum effective distance so you can't change your neighbour's channels on him from across the street anymore.

Little kid holding upZenith VR-9800 VCR for bid that's probably at least two or three times as old as she is...

http://i9.ebayimg.com/02/i/00/fb/13/6d_1.JPG

"Everything you see here is included... except the toddler..."

All together now... Awwwwwwwwww!

awwwwwww poor brrrrabyyyy!! LOLOL... I want that little block of a CCD-amie I see!!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3061134395&category=39830

Hmm. When I first looked at this one (just before the auction ended) I thought two things: 1) I bet vcrgary didn't bid on this one because it's not missing a door. Bwa haha. Me so funny. I also thought 2) "that description sounds familiar," distinctive misspellings and weird emphases and all. Guess the author got past this plagiarism long enough to drop a bid in on it.

Sadly, plagarism is a rampant problem on Ebay... Labguy and DasImperator (of OldVTRS) have had pictures and text ripped off so many times... DasImperator even has a section of his page devoted to the different auctions that have used one particular, unassuming picture of an SL-2000... Yeah I've noticed a lot of VCRGary's stuff tends to be in the roughest of shape it can be in and still operate... but in his favor it does tend to operate!

Been getting those mailer-daemon things myself now... I just hope it doens't last long... So I tried a new email thing... anyone who needs to contact me that bad can ask me, the rest of you should have it...

Hi everyone.I was recently clearing out and found an old camcorder which is a betamax one. I'm not familiar with these so if i get any terms wrong i apologise. The model is a Sony Betamovie BMC-200p. I was wondering if any of you could help me and tell me if this is worth keeping, if it would be of any value at all and of any place or site i could find ppl that may be interested in it or if i should just get rid of it. I don't know how popular these things are so if i'm wasting my time i would appreciate it if someone could let me know. Thanks a bunchBtVS

Beat you to this one Sergio! Hee hee!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3063087949

'Europhon' EVR-101 OEM of a Sanyo deck. According to PALsite the German Department store 'Quelle' ordered Betas under their house brand 'Universum'. This must've been another store brand...

Speaking of plagerism...

They stole another item description from Das's page!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2968561666

At least the the sleazes who steal DI's material are using good stuff. When they block and copy verbal sewage - that just confuses me. How many machines have you seen on eBay that are highly sought after by armatures, armuturs and amatuer? <shakes head>.

The one that always gets me is when you see cars for sale and they say that the car "needs restored". I'm sorry, but that doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the seller as a reputable individual... Worst is the people who don't go so far as to capitalize "I"... In an exceedingly brief, personal message I suppose this is OK, but in anything to any sort of group or archive or especially an ad, I certainly can't understand bad grammar.

Hi,

Finally, here! Excused for the delay cause I'm working!Still in stand-by, I make new database with characteristic table and photos all formats. But my computer not still to install antivirus from one month cause CD-RW is slow from hard-disk (I make to modify and to rename sheets and files that are too many long therefore standard Joliet/ISO isn't compatible).

For Olive E ThomasThat remote rubber contact repair page:http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/urltrurl?lp=ja_en&url=http://homepage1.nifty.com/Sony/MainTenance/RmtControler/RMT_Controler_001.htmlAlso photos vcr Sony SL-500ME and Beta Europhon, thank you!

Bye

I imagine more than one grammer teacher's head has exploded from the horrendous spelling and misuse of words on eBay....

Like the ones whose VCRs won't "except" a tape or the ones that called tapes "cartridges" or even "program discs"...

How much does an ED-Beta Cam usually cost?

What happened to my last post.

Someone mustve dupe too much.

Or something wrong with the server.

lol well my EDamie cost me $171,09 lol!!

EXTREMLY BRAND NEW

SONY VIDEO MATRIX FOR SALE

ONLY 2000U$ (1800Eur)

very suitable for PRO.

Have 1 EURO connector as output line(limited model)

All come up with box/User guide/Remote.

Come on this is only one of a kind.!

Well I updated my web site to reflect some changes and now everyone can see one picture of the SL-HF-66. http://uk.geocities.com/redoctober7000/Mypage.html

Splendid page that you've been workin'.Though took some time to load, maybel ADVANTIS too lazy to have such traffic.Keep up rolling Sean, ....Well....,

Nice page Sean! Where'd you get the SLHF66? I like that black/silver two-tone design. I have an SL-2710 but it's the all-silver one. I thought that also came in the same two-tone design, right?

In other news, I've been dumping video to my PC from Beta to make some VCD's for friends from some of the out-of-print and rarity tapes in my prerecorded collection. Due to its compact size, I connected up the Aiwa AV-70 for this purpose. Guess I could just watch tapes, too, if I wanted. hehe

Yeah, I used to have a strange Videodisk player hooked up to my PC. I didn't have any good disks for it so it went away. Now I've just got the lead out and I can use it to test anything I want to without getting to the back of the Mitsubish which is a pain.

The SL-HF-66 came from a fellow in Canada (remarkably, he didn't get any bids on Ebay). I don't know where he got it. He tried to sell me another SL-HF-600, too, but I've got one. The color is quite nice, in fact it's a little bit marbled in appearance on the top and sides. I never thought I'd own a Japanese Home Market unit, never mind one so immaculate. Anyway, yes, the SL-2700 and 2710 did come in a similar color scheme, which was signified by a "B" after the model number.

What type of videodisc? A Selectavision (CED) player? I got one of those, too.

Yes I've got one of those but I was talking about a player for recordable videodisc. Player only, but it played LDs in big caddies, but I only had one and it was borring. Still got a couple players if anyone's interested.

EEEEEEEEEEE! LD Caddy!!!!!!

More or less except you couldn't take the discs out of the caddy, or at least you weren't supposed to ;) ...I'm pretty sure it's standard CAV. Want one? It'll look great in your stack O' stuff, the color is right, Just so long as you wouldn't balk at having some penisonic stuff... BTW Jesse, still interested in the Lasonic Boombox?

lemme C a piccy... i forGEt... is it the one with the busted decks?

Well the main tape drive is shot beyond help but the secnodary (the one that loads like a car stereo) just needs one belt replaced. Everything else works 100% (It has inputs and you can listen to a CD or even MP3s or whatever you want to plug into it.) except the antennae are gone. You can see a somewhat better example here:

http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/boombox/graphics/lasonic-trc931old.jpg

hello:i have a sl-hf950 which will play for 2 seconds (ruffly)can anyone help?as well as does anyone have the original remote for it? i will pay well.

That type of thing might be the Audio/CTL head. Take it to a shop and have them clean it, or do it yourself if you know how, but to be honest expensive decks like a 950 really profit from a professional lube and clean.

I'll be glad to take it off your hands if it's too much trouble....

Well since it cost me nothing, any reasonable trade or token sum will do just fine. You pay shipping but it's not hideously heavy.

Hello ---Sorry to barge in....can someone tell me if all beta vcr's playback Beta I tapes? Or more particularly if the SL-2400 definitly playsback in Beta I?Would appreciate intelligent answer :-)Shelley

I didn't know about http://www.ebayersthatsuck.com

http://www.courttv.com/news/cow/052103_eposse_ctv.html

Virtually all Sony Beta VCRs (except the SL-8600) will offer BI playback capability including the SL-2400.

This applies only to NTSC-capable VCRs. PAL and SECAM Betas only ran with one speed (which was fairly close to the NTSC BII speed).

Hi - just wondering if anyone has an original or copy of the user manual for a Sony SL-8000E VCR?

Am in Australia, but happy to pay copying/postage costs of course.

John

I can transfer your betamax tapes to VHS or DVD ,I also transfer Philips N1500 and V2000 tapes ,All transfers using top quality equipment ,please email me for more details,Used Betamax tapes wanted with late 1970's early 80's recordings .

For sale SL-HF950ES. Shipping worldwide.More information: http://www.marktplaats.nl

Group: Video/camera's/recorders/dvd/accessoires Hoofdmenu SubGroup: Betamax videorecorders/players

HI AGAIN! I'm the guy that found the old beta collection in the old house we bought. OK! I have the collection partially organized and here is what I find:

4 - OLD BETA PLAYERS:SONY SUPER BETAMAX SL-300SONY BETAMAX SL-3030TOSHIBA V-9200TSANYO VCR4400

3 - BETA REWINDERSONE BRAND NEW IN BOX

45 - NEW UNOPENED, FACTORY SEALED MOVIESVARIOUS TITLES

80 - USED MOVIES IN THEIR ORIGINAL BOXESVARIOUS TITLES

MANY HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS, OF "DUPED" OR "RECORDED?"MOVIES CATALOGED FROM THE 30 'S, 40'S, 50'S TO 90'S

I AM GONNA START LISTING THE TITLES OF THE MOVIES SO I CAN PUT THEM ON EBAY? ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS? I AM NOT A BETA PERSON, SO I KNOW ZERO ABOUT BETA....

THANKS!GENO BAIAMONTE

hello!i am willing to do some video repairs for free (it will help me through college)any vhs ,dvd,v2000 and betamax machines. as well as i will take any unwanted machines machine of your hands for some cash (uk only sadly!)fromdaniel collins

Hi I have a samsung multi standards converter, this may sound dumb and i should know probably as a collector but if i transfer the reels from a beta or v2000 tape and put it into the converter would it play any of them as it automatically finds all formats.Does anyone know whether thisd work as i know the betas run either faster or slower but with this finding them automatic will i have any joy especially with the v2000's

cheers

Sorry, but no you definately can't transfer the reels of a Beta tape (and certainly not those of a V2K tape) to another shell for playback in your Samsung. It only converts the various TV broadcast formats (NTSC PAL and SECAM) and not the tape format.

hello!i can get any part for any machine on any format ever made ! and depending onthe part i can fit them! if you wish to purchase a part contact me. i am in the u.k. but i can ship to america all i ask is £1 ontop of theprice on a small item and £3 on any large item.many thanksdaniel collins

YAY!!! I finally got a camera for my Sanyo 7300. It's a nice Sony HVC-2800. The tube in it is still in great shape, very bright, crisp and clear. It came in a nice hard case with two high quality microphones, both with adjustable cardiod patterns. :) This thing does killer macros, too. I held it right up to my computer screen and macroed in on an icon, and it was beautiful. :)

Also, Olive, I got that P/S today. I will see if I can get to putting it in the 300 tomorrow, and hopefully I'll have another Hi-Fi deck. Thanks.

Sean,

Never mind about that cord, I tossed out the little TV that I wanted it for, in a frenzy of cleaning (you would not believe how cluttered it had become here, we took out a huge load of junk on Saturday, and have another to go out tomorrow (Tuesday).)

Installed the power supply in the 300 last night.. the machine does now indeed power up, and if I can get a tape into it, it even plays.

One problem left is, somehow the loading mechanism is 'out of sync'. E.G., one side of the mechanism seems to be one cog out from the other side, so it doesn't bring the two sides up (or down) at the same time. I will need to tear it apart and see if I can sync them back up again, then I will have a working 300.

Thanks, Olive, for providing the supply, it was a perfect fit. :)

Nice to see you back, Brenda, this page was missing bright, intelligent people, it's a shame some of them don't post more often. Anyway, I'll open up the box and take the cord out, and I figgure now I'll have to round up some nice, small things to give you since I do have those SCSI cards and so on, so if there's anything you want or need, let me know... I've got lots of goodies but most of them are probably too big... and yes, no matter how messy, I WOULD believe it.

Those loading mechs can be a pain, Sometimes you can get it back in place at one end or the other. A big help is to take a bad or otherwise near-valueless tape and cut out all the top face, and take out the reels to make a dummy jig that you can put in to get the loading mech to operate without poking a forceps (or your fingers) inside the machinery for those little pins and things you need to trip to make it work...

I FOUND A SL HT7 SONY BETA I KIND OF REMEMBER THESE MACHINES IN THE MID 80S I USED BETA FOR PCM RECORDING ,DOES THIS OR OTHER UNITS HAVE PCM BUILT IN .I USED A STAND ALONE PCM MOST OF THE TIME IS A UNIT LIKE THIS WORTH $575 NOW A DAYS WHO DOES SERVICE, OR SELLS TAPES MY TAPES ARE 20 YEARS OLD ITS BEEN A WHILE I MISS THE FORMAT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3062916845&category=39830

Honest to God, I don't know what to make of people like this. No way to test??

The SL-HF T7 doesn't have a PCM encoder and is really only a middling glorified SL-HF 450 with only a built-in amplifier being it's notable feature. I haven't seen them go on e-bay for much more than a C-note and change. You thinking of selling?

He has tapes in hand but he has "no way of testing it?!?"

And some mook bid 9 times to get the top bid!

THE SLHT7 SONY I FOUND THE GUY WANTS $575 STARTING THINKS ITS WORTH $1000 THANKS FOR TELLING THAT THE UNIT DOES NOT HAVE A BUILT IN PCM THE OWNER KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE UNIT HE IS TRYING TO SELL LIKE USUAL IT HARD TO GET INFO ON ALMOST 20YEAR OLD DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY I HAVE BEEN WONDERING IF ANY BETA CAME WITH BUILT IN PCM LIKE THE HI 8MM EV 3000 I USED A STAND ALONE PCM 701 ES AND A BETA OR S-VHS IN THE 80S I MISS THE FORMAT ALSO ANYONE KNOW THE DIIFERENCE BETWEEN PCM 501 ES AND THE 701 ES

Even funnier on that 4400 is there looks to be an RF cable there too. With Americans averaging probably 5 tvs per household, what else does he need? And yes, even more disturbing is the bid action on that one. Brother.

Sorry... I have no clue about betamax players.:( I just bought a SL-HFR70 betamax player and it only plays my tape on fast forward. The guy I bought it from says it's because I probably put in a tape I and it only plays II & III. Is this true?

It's possible. If you press play and the results look like they're being Fast Forwarded, then it's likely. If you need to press "Fast Forward" to see a picture then you have deeper problems. Try making a recording and see how that works out.

Most Sony VCRs built after the disasterous SL-8600 play BI speed tapes so SL-HFR 70 should to be able to play BI recorded tapes (and probably BIS tapes as well).

Duh... I should have known that... Oh well.

Sounds like the capstan is in free run. Maybe the control head is dirty???

To Eric: The 501 followed the 701, adding error indication lights and OVC control. I have a spare 501....

I'd be interested in that spare 501 if it can run on US current.

Olive, not to burst your bubble, but wouldn't it convert the audio into a PAL signal, not an NTSC signal? Wouldn't you lose whatever info was meant for the extra 100 lines? (That is if it can run on US current at all, I have no idea what would happen if you tried to use it at 50 cycles (even properly powered) connected to 60 cycle equipment...

Not necessarily. Since PCM is an audio signal the PCM encoder would only be sending a series of 1's and 0's not a video signal tuned for any specific system. The compatability issues would occur if I wanted to play a PCM tape encoded on a PAL machine....

But of course I actually HAVE an SL-T50ME PAL/NTSC/SECAM machine!

free audio and vedio chat room by verizon

Wonder Where Franny Wentzel ...is?

THERE IS A PCM 501 ES PAL/SECOM ON E BAY SELLER NUMBER3064291805 SELLER DRUM PERAL ITS WAS AT UNDER $100.00 LAST I LOOKED

Any ideas on where to find a remote control code for an RCA universal remote, that will control a Sony SL-HF300? Or maybe a website that lists control codes for betamax?

Don't even bother. Sony made a brilliant decision to unify their remote codes. Anything with a ß symbol, or a code "1" will work. They're on ebay all the time, or try http://www.replacementremotes.com/

There's a 314 up for auction right now that you can probably get cheap for the 300. Assuming you don't use the tuner, all you need is the most basic Sony B remote you can find - RMT 136, -156 or this -314 will all work just fine (note that of the three, the 314 is the only one without a channel up/down function. The OEM remote for the SL-HF300 is just the basics anyway plus the 14 channel presets - and that inexplicable on/off switch. Also, have a look at this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3063094209&category=15065 . Very similar to the OEM remote for SL-HF2000. It's overkill, but it's cheap.

but it's code 3 fixed. Some VCRs can use it but not all. They have to be able to go into mode 3.

Can anyone in BETA land explain how and why Sony makes up there model numbers the way they do?