videohead: to get a one-user EDV-9500 with the remote and tapes for $300 is probably the best Beta deal I've ever seen on eBay. Unbelievable!!

$20 bux gets you 4 great Sony Video cameras...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3858473682

HVC-2500, HVC-2800, BMC-110 and a CCD-G5 cameral.

Now for someone near Germany and wanting PAL this is even better.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5734004581

For a non-Pal unit it was a great buy.

eBay - what a place. For $225, you can buy your choice of any of Sony's bottom-of-the barrel models from SL-2305 to the -2406 from a borderline sociopath who thinks "under the hood" pictures speak volumes about a VCR's quality.

For $75 more, you can buy one of these. Occasionally. Grrr.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5736466107

I have quite a few of the hard storage cases, also many 3M library hard cases, for sale.

http://www.absolutebeta.com/Beta%20Accessories.htm

At 59¢ a piece for old AMRAY plastic storage boxes it's at least the one thing on his site that won't slime you price-wise...

Olive: I hope those storage cases are available somewhere else, because the guy at AbsoluteBeta is worse than most of the snails.

Absolute Beta.com @ http://www.absolutebeta.com sells used beta storage cases.

IT'S MY TIME TO QUIT BETA. I'm old. I've been a beta user since my first Sony 70 in 1984 and now it's clean out time. That means FOR SALE my working Sony 70 with remote and a spare Sony 70 for parts, TWO working Sony 400's with remotes, an NEC 734E with remote and manual that needs TLC and a Sanyo 4650 that works fine except it eats tape on EJECT.

Add to these about 250 beta tapes , 30 prerecordeed commercial movies and top it off with a SONY BMC-100 working recorder with battery pack and charger.

eMail me. ALL REASONABLE OFFERS CONSIDERED

Hi,

Wondering if anyone has a link to where I might find storage cases forbeta tapes. I'm trying to find the cardboard sleeve with window type,although the windowless type would be acceptable. I'm in the US.

BMC-660 with the weather jacket.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3856068643

Find the useless accessory included with this VCR-4400 in this picture...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5736110578

There was a docking cradle you stuck both the ACP-220 and an NP-1 in that would transfer power from the ACP-220 to the NP-1.

http://uk.geocities.com/olive_e_thomas/olive_thomas_pix/ED-Cam.txt

Here's a piccy of an ED Betamie with the ACP-420 and docking cradle.

No need for confusion. I just mis-named the brick thingie. The AC-220 is the separate, outboard power unit you could use to power the tape deck instead of using the tuner, and it also doubled as a battery charger. That's the model # in the United States anyway. I checked the manual for the SL-2000 and it makes no reference to that power brick though. Here is a link to an image of a ACP-420 "brick," model # and all. I'd be interested to know why it is labeled as a "battery charger" as well as an AC Power Pack. How could this thing charge batteries?

http://www.maplebacon.com/sbbs/files/122.JPG

It's a safe link. It's just the file dump section of a message board.

Olive: I was originally talking about the VMC-220 adapter, but I was confused by videohead's last post, where he referred to the adaptor, and then linked to a picture showing a SL-2000 with the power brick.

Yeah that's the one with the ACP-220 power brick. I believe Sony still makes those power bricks for their Betacam line. I've seen 4 model numbers floating around ACP-110, 150, 220 and ACP-420. They can also charge a battery when mated with a charging stand. You put the pack into one slot and the battery in the other.

I'd thought you were talking about the VMC-220A A/V adapter...

I can't think of any reason why a DVD recorder would not be able to accept a Beta VCR's output as a Beta VCR was designed to be played on the same TVs as VHS machines. Over the years I've run a Betamax's signal through VHS decks, broadcast equipment, through a computer with A/V inputs and our through own DVD recorder with no problems.

Only problem you might have is with very old rental tapes encoded with "Stop Copy" protection but since you're concerned mainly with saving old family videos that wouldn't be an issue.

Olive: The SL-2000 that your friend snapped up...does it have that power brick you were talking about?

Ken: a video signal is a video signal. run the video OUT of the Beta to the video IN to the DVD burner, and everything will be fine. There is almost nothing that a VHS machine can do that a Beta can't do, and I don't know how this misinformation gets propagated.

I would like to convert my Beta tapes to DVDs. These are all home movies from the late 80's. I fear that I may be too late.

Any tips, or products, that work well to run the Beta machine into a DVD burner? Not sure how to do this but I have been told that today's DVD burners don't accept the Beta input?, just VHS, is that true?

also, where can I pick up a beta tape rewinder so the machine does not get the wear and tear

also, is there a good general maintenance book on how to clean one of these?

thank you

happy holidays

Ken

Ha ha! I'd shown that to a friend because his SL-2000 was pretty much dead. He ended up snapping it up tut-sweet...

Anyone know if Tony's Beta page is still around at a new address?

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Pines/7556/betapage.html

Bringing up Yahoo's 404 page right now...

Doh.. Forgot to put the model no in.Its a Sony SL-C9E

Best regards

Emil J

Hi thereI own this great great Betamax machine, but it have developed an little nasty problem. And im alittle worried about it. When the machine is "cold" and you press play or record. The drum spins up normally. But its making an awfull, like a turbine high pitched noise. And its changes charecter. After 2-3 min. The noise is gone and it sounds normal. But the playback/recording picture is just fine. No noise or streaks or what so ever. What can it be? Bearings?Whats "funny" is: When you stopped watching a tape. And you shut the machine off, and 1-2 min after: you press play. Drum spins up. But sounds like you put your finger on it. And then it goes away. What could that be?

Best regards

Emil J. - Denmark

VMC-220 for SL-2000:

I had a crack at this one and decided to wait until morning to buy it, figuring it would still be there. Totally boneheaded plan. Someone else scooped it up.

This is like the second one I've seen on eBay in 4 years, and I could have had it for $42 delivered.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=5735044001&rd=1

To above - I got this translation from the Babelfish.

WAVES BY FA WANTED TO KNOW IF SOMEBODY CAN SEND BY MAIL The MANUAL To ME OF FILMADORA BETAMAX BMC 220 I AM OF PERU And THAT DOES MUCH LACK To ME The Q HAPPENS IS Q NOT AS TO USE IT ANY Q CHAU CAN...

The BMC 110 manual is available online. It covers almost all the operations of a BMC-220 except for the BMC-220's autofocus feature which the 110 didn't have.

http://www.docs.sony.com/release/BMC110.PDF

This is what a VMC-220A looks like...

http://uk.geocities.com/dasimperator/more_betamax_sitepix/VMC-220A.jpg

(if you get a denial from Geocities just refresh the page a couple times).

Basically a breakout adapter that lets you run A/V in and out of the multiconnector bus. Allows you to select between the camera and a line in source. It shows up on eBay from time to time - most often bundled with an SL-2000 VCR outfit.

OLAS POR FA QUISIERA SABER SI ALGUIEN ME PUEDE MANDAR POR MAIL EL MANUAL DE LA FILMADORA BETAMAX BMC 220 SOY DE PERU Y ESO ME HACE MUCHA FALTA LO Q PASA ES Q NO SE COMO USARLA CUALQUIERA Q PUEDA CHAU,...

Olive: I'd like to hear more about the VCM-220 you spoke of: what exactly does it do, how much does it weigh, and can you still find them somewhere? Thanks!

The video tapes have been in my closet, not near any components to my stereo or tv. Could humidity or just not playing them over a period of time cause damage to the tapes? Some of them were fairly expensive video tapes, it doesn't seem to matter though, they all do the same thing. I have probably 100 tapes or so. Also, I have tried to run the tapes fastforward and then rewind them every so often.

Re: blank spots every rotation. That tape may have had a close encounter of the magnetic kind. I just realized while posting this that my (VHS mono) Monty Python tape drawer is just above the magnetic door catch on my AV stand. Dumb, dumb. Every time that drawer opens, all the tapes get dragged past that magnet and a wooden shelf won't protect them. Remember it is moving through a magnetic field that causes tape change, not the amount of time motionless next to the magnet. Worst place to put any tape is on top of a TV - many models run a powerful degauss every time they are turned on in order to maintain picture quality.

Re: doors... I think what Mr. Betamax really meant was that if it still had the door, he felt justified in adding yet another 25% onto the price! On my SL-HFT7 there are two light bulbs that stay on if the door is missing or opened.

A missing door on Sanyo decks often means the AFT switch doesn't get enabled which means tuner signals don't stay locked and can drift.

Sanyo (and Sears) VCRs like the 4010/20/27 and the toploading 3900/4000/4400 series (and a bunch of others) locate the AFT on/off button - actually a little jumper-like nubbin that (assuming you didn't lose it) you have to put on the AFT-ON pin - on the flip-down door.

Doors: I look at all the reasons that I have accumulated, use, repair and maintain a number of Beta units, why I go through all the trouble to service a huge collection of high maintenance videotapes and why I collect and study service manuals, advertisements, repair books, the history of Beta and the like, and not a one of those reasons is consistent with me finding it acceptable to look under my TV and see a grotesque array of buttons and knobs that the people who conceived, designed and built the unit thought visually distracting enough to to require a door to cover them. YMMV.

According to mrbetamax.com, a missing door devalues a machine by 25%. I forget exactly where in his sprawling site the chart is located so I can't link it. But I tend to agree with that.

SL-T800ME on offer in the UK - currently at 6£ 50

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5735811056

Thanx for the reply, Would the speed of the tape as it goes around have anything to do with it? The blank spot is on every rotation of the tape. It makes it hard to watch the video. when the blank spot comes around is when the sound drags. Do you think it could be the tape player. Like i said. it never occured on my Zenith player. My Zenith player was a monster, it was very heavy and there was so much more to it. When I play any of my recordings from my video camera is when I have this problem. I'm not really sure what to do. Thank you

Videohead, what is wrong with missing the front control panel door? Sure sometimes the VCR doesn't look quite as good, but it still works fine (if there's nothing else wrong with it). I got an SL-HF300 that is missing the front panel door AND the little knob for the headphone volume control, but it only cost me $2 and it works perfectly.

By the way, from my own observations anyway, Beta Hi-Fi decks that are not SuperBeta (including the SL-HF300 ) CANNOT play back SuperBeta tapes. When I play SuperBeta recorded tapes on the SL-HF300 there is definitely much more noise and interference in the picture than when playing them on a SuperBeta machine. Non-SuperBeta recorded tapes play back perfectly on the SL-HF300.

Sony playback: if by "blank spots" you mean the screen goes completely black in playback from time to time but not in cue or review, that's usually a sign of a major problem - lower drum or something equally pricey. As for the sound "warble," get hold of a factory-recorded movie and try it out. If you observe the same problem, then it may be an audio head or control head problem. If you do not observe the same problem in the factory recorded tape, then the sound problem in the other tapes is probably the tapes themselves.

If you decide to get another Beta machine, I suggest a Sony SL-HF300. Very reliable, very durable. Make sure the one you buy is not missing the front control panel door or you will regret it. And whatever you do, don't grab an SL-23XX or -24XX "with test tape" for $225. While you can find some worse deals than that on Beta machines on eBay, there aren't many.

Oh, brother...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=5734417346&rd=1

Best non-Sony (whether or not "non-Sony" means not made by Sony or simply not carrying a Sony nameplate), again, is that Toshiba V-S36 with the original remote. It has superb tape handling and mechanics as well as first-rate special effects and features that were well ahead of their time. The same is actually true for the Toshiba V8500T. Outstanding special effects and probably the coolest wired remote you'll ever see.

I agree about the comment about the reliability of Sanyos too (and the idler tire qualification!). If only they had put a smidge more quality into the video section of those units, they would be real contenders.

Hey everybody, In 79' I got a beta movie camera along with a Zenith top loading beta tape recorder/player. I taped a lot with it, my wedding, kid's birthdays, etc. The picture and sound were great, I liked it better than any VHS tapes I saw played back. My Zenith player stopped working years ago and I couldn't find a technician to repair it. A little while after that my sister gave me their sony front loading player so I would still be able to watch my tapes. (she hopped on the VHS bandwagon) For some reason my tapes never played as well on that as they did on my Zenith player. The Zenith was a heavier machine but the tapes were going off track or somthing, that's why i needed a different machine. When i play my tapes on the Sony Machine, music along with the tape seems to drag. Also there's a blank spot that goes around on it. I never had this problem with the Zenith player. On fast forward there aren't any blank spots, I realize it's going faster but still it looks good with no problems, but when it goes regular speed the blank spots come back along with the tape drag. My question is, could it be the tape player. If it isn't is there any way to fix or at least minimize the blank spaces and speed the tape up so it doesn't drag. I'd hate to lose some of those older recordings. If anybody can help I'd appreciate it. Thank you, Rick

The Sanyo VCR-6400 that I picked up at Goodwill last week has a problem: Sometimes (only with some tapes) it will read a BII tape as being BIII (causing the playback to appear in perpetual slow-motion on the TV screen). I had run a head cleaner tape before testing it out. Could the control track head still be dirty, or perhaps wearing out? Or is there something else that is causing the problem? The problem only appears with certain tapes, but those tapes play back fine on my other machines.

Best non SuperBeta machines IMO are the SL-HF500 and the Toshiba V-S36C (see my above post on that unit). For the 500, you could just as easily argue the 2710, 2700 or even the 300. All of these models can play SuperBeta recorded tapes quite well, and are solid performers in all respects. The Sony's are better if you play tapes from many sources because of their ability to track a wide range of tapes. For features though, you can't beat the Toshiba. It's a remarkable machine, so long as you have the original remote. It looks great under the TV now too, matching the new DVD players so well.

Andy W: Philips made some VHS Machines that wraps around the head like the beta. Unsure if they still do.

The best non-sony Beta has got to be toshiba for quality (since the 8600 has four heads) yet Sanyo is the best for reliability.. (apart from reel idler) :)

I have an old Super Beta Movie Model BMC-660. It has many features and I am wondering if anyone knows if I can hook this up to my computer and transfer my old videos to DVD without spending a fortune. Thanks for any help.

Best non-Sonys would have to be the Zenith Betas like the VR-9755PT whic is one of the best looking non-Sonys out there...

Todays' Poll:What is the best non-Sony Beta machine? Is it a Toshiba, Sanyo, NEC, or other?

Wega version of the SL-F1 with HVC -3000 camera. Out of Germany and at 50Û this moment...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3856296828

I am a longtime Betaholic and have a number of Betamaxes which aren't working which I thought I'd offer for sale here before just throwing them out. Several of these machines have been serviced by the supposedly top Beta techs in the US, but still have problems. I'd have them fixed, but, alas, I've become convinced that even the guys who are supposedly the best are incapable of fixing Betamaxes properly. So, here's a list of what I'm selling. If you're interested, email me and we can discuss terms. US buyers only, please.

SL-HF900 (four for sale, two with new heads)SL-HF860D (new heads)SL-HF400 (new heads)SL-HF2000 (new heads) SL-HF300

The old toploading Panasonic editor decks at my old video production school had the loading ring design but they were industrial VHS decks. I can only guess it was cheaper to do the M loaders.

http://www.hypernova.co.uk/total_rewind/vhs/H_VS200.htm

Check this out...a VHS that threads like a Betamax! Why weren't more made like this?!

I got the Sony C7 running a couple of weeks ago but it suddenly has a problem.

The whole picture is jumping/juddering from left to right, the sound is OK, I've tried varrious tape of mine and someone elses but all are the same.

Any ideas???

I have a hi spec Betamax VCR and a load of (used) tapes to sell. Is anyone on here interested or can you let me kow where teh best place to advertise it is? I live in London.

Apart from the fact that the RF modulator was on the SL-2000 allowing RF output to a TV, Sony made an adapter (VCM-220) that let you play the SL-2000 without the tuner module.

Sony also made a power brick (ACP-220) that you could slide into the battery well - so you didn't need the tuner moduler or even the AC-220 adaptor/charger (or the AC-700 for that matter). Of course you could also plug it into a DCC-2400 car ciggy plug and watch on the matching KV-4000 mini color TV.

While the SL-2000 wasn't HiFi, Sony did offer the style-matched PCM -F1 digital audio encoder as an optional accessory. Speaking of accessories Sony even offered a Marine Pak kit that let you take your SL-2000 and trinicon camera scuba diving.

You could build a heluva collecting 'career' just gathering up all the accessories...

So many you'd need the CRT-220 carry cart to haul all that stuff around...

Olive: the down side of the SL-2000 (other than not being HiFi) is that I thought both pieces are needed to play tapes.

Andy: You make a good case for that NEC...but what do you think of the NEC VC-N70EU? Some think the 4-head VC-N70EU, which is even more feature-laden than the VC-N65EU (which is a 4-head SuperBeta that can record BIs) is the best NEC. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

How about the NEC VC-739E? It is not SuperBeta, but is Beta hi-fi. It has 4 heads, it can audio dub (with microphone jack and independed line audio in/out jack for the linear track), has three slo-mo speeds, X2 playback with "Chipmunked" sound, headphone jack with volume, and more. I think it may be the most feature-laden non-Sony machine outside of the Pioneer VX-90 which of course was essentially a rebadged SL-HF900.

Boby,

I have heard sometimes you can get a dry joints where the coil wires solder to the board so check and reflow these and see if that fixes the problem. Also check that capstan bearing has not worn so much that the magnet rubs the coils and causes a shorted turn.

Olive, The best non-hifi PAL is the SLC9ES which is the F1s big brother with a stereo tuner.

regards Noel.

My vote for the best non-superbeta is the SL-2000 portable system ( SL-F1 to the rest of the world). It has great styling and a wealth of peripherals were created for it that make it one of the more versatile units out there. While there's no HiFi on the SL-2000, you can redub audio and that's a nice feature.

Dasimperator-Thanks for that link. It still couldn't help me figure out how to program the cable channels properly, though. That thing ( SL-HF300 ) has a messed up tuning control system!

By the way, thanks too for putting a link to my Beta page on your site. Just happened to run across it while I was browsing your links page.

Poll: What do you think is the best NON-Super Beta machine and why? Is it the Sony SL-2700, the Sony SL-2710, or another model?

Hi ......Capstan motor wont move unless a bit push on the safth...HallEffect already replaced and so the Caps..any idea?

Oops! That should've been 'last year' not 'next'. I must've cut a sentence and left a chunk in the worst possible place.

The SL-HF 300 manual is still available from Sony online in PDF format.

http://www.docs.sony.com/release/SLHF300.PDF

My Betamax page @ http://uk.geocities.com/dasimperator/My_Betamax_Page.html has the full hotlinkable list of available PDF manuals in the Links section.

In the short time I was able to get my Sl-HF 750 to record a BIS signal (before the heads gave up the ghost) I found that I was able to play the recording back on my SL-HF 300.

One more thing: I've heard that models that are Beta Hi-Fi, but not SuperBeta (like the SL-5200 or SL-HF300 ), can still play back SuperBeta tapes without any increased noise or quality loss. First, is this true? And second, if it is, does it apply to all SuperBeta tapes (including linear monophonic ones) or just to ones that are also recorded in Beta Hi-Fi?

A question: How do I re-program the preset channels in the tuner of an SL-HF300? I brought my SL-HF300 to school here at UWGB, where we have cable instead of over-the-air broadcast TV. I am trying to delete the preset channels and get it to CATV mode to reset the channels.

Das Imp: You will have to let us know how the VC-N65EU works out. What was the dud that you bought "next" year? Does anyone know model numbers for remotes that will work NEC beta VCRs??

Re: David McGoldrick

Of the four models you list, the Sony SL-HF300, SL-700, SL-HF8600 and a Toshiba V-S36C, I would strongly recommend that if you are going to invest in the repair of just one of them, get the 300 in working order. You will regret having a mono deck (the 700) as your main deck. The V-S36C, in working order, is possibly the best deck you can buy outside of the top 5 or so Sony models, but it is almost useless without the original remote control. I am not aware of any other remote control that operates it, even remotes for other Toshiba Betas. Even if you could find a substitute remote that works, you will lose 2X playback, variable speed in cue/review and slow motion, as well as slow tracking. These are controlled on the V-S36 only by the original remote - no such controls on the machine itself.

From your description of the 860 and the snow, unless cleaning the heads fixes it, you are probably in for a very expensive repair. If you're lucky, it's just the heads, but it can be any number of circuit problems, an upper cylinder or other things. Your local repair shop probably won't be able to fix it anyway, and will have to ship it off to Sony for repairs. Ka - ching.

300's are nearly indestructible, play back SuperBeta tapes with extraordinary quality, track a wide range of recordings from other machines and hold their tracking settings well. They are no-nonsense, high quality recording/playback decks uncluttered with unnecessary features. Being very common units, parts are plentiful.

Hopefully this one will actually work...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5733584663

NEC VC-N65EU "worth $700 on the internet" - "sleeched" for about $77. The one I got next year was a total dud but it came with the outboard MTS processor NEC made for it so if this one is a go I'll at least have the total package.

Well I suppose I'll need an NEC remote...

Just so happens there's a Sanyo 6400 up on E-bay right now. Currently at $51.00 with 3 bids and 4 days left. Mine doesn't have the remote and manual though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=5734381956&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Sony Japan Beta 'time capsule' page!

http://www.sony.co.jp/Fun/capsule/html/video/beta/product01.html

Several pages of Sony Japan Betas.

To Joe

"I'm looking at a system and its quoted "1981 Sears Betavision with BetaScan portable video cassette recorder. Model # is 562.53560050. It has a 7 day timer and handles BII and BIII tapes. It records X-2 and plays back X-1 and X-2. It says Sears on it but I searched the web for it and I think it is actually a Toshiba V-8035 or close to it. This unit comes with a Sears color video/ sound camera model # 934.53811050. Items are in excellent used condition. I plugged it in and everything seems to be working fine"

I saw that listing http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5733406810 and the tape speed capabilites in that are rather confusingly put.

Looking at my collection of Beta images, this looks to be a BII/BIII recorder which would mean it could record and play X-2 and X-3 speeds but wouldn't necessarily be able to handle the X-1 speed. I believe Toshiba (the OEM of this unit) and Sanyo opted to leave out B-1 speed capability in their VCRs.

And yes this is a clone of the Toshiba V-8030T. And yes the outfit would be able to hook up to your TV set and play movies. It's a nice honkin' huge lookin' beast to be considered a 'portable' but it looks like you've got everything you need except a battery and this place seems to have it... http://www.batterybank.com/master/toshiba.html but the battery pictured doesn't look right - should be a squarish brick with a pigtail connector - call to make sure if you opt to get that VCR...

Added a new machine to the collection today. It's a Sanyo VCR-6400, faux wood panel body, "Video Products of the 1984 Olympics" sticker, 4 heads with slow-mo and frame-by-frame advance. Runs, but a little roughly. Will add it to my "fix up and sell on E-bay when I have the time" list. Cost me $25.00 at Goodwill (by comparison, a Sony SL-HF300 cost me $2.00 at a used-electronics flea market). These so-called "thrift stores" aren't quite so thrifty anymore, although I suppose it would've cost a lot more if I'd tried to buy the same model from an E-bay "snail" dealer.

By the way, I wonder why the prevelence of Sanyo Betas at "non E-bay" outlets? Of the Betas I've run across at these thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales et al, 4 have been Sanyo (VCR-4027, 4650, 4400, 6400) to only 2 Sony (SL-5200, SL-HF300 ). Incidentally, I now own all of those except the Sanyo 4400.

Since I'm here I'll do a couple things...

I'm looking at a system and its quoted "1981 Sears Betavision with BetaScan portable video cassette recorder. Model # is 562.53560050. It has a 7 day timer and handles BII and BIII tapes. It records X-2 and plays back X-1 and X-2. It says Sears on it but I searched the web for it and I think it is actually a Toshiba V-8035 or close to it. This unit comes with a Sears color video/ sound camera model # 934.53811050. Items are in excellent used condition. I plugged it in and everything seems to be working fine" So I need to know, because they aren't replying, that it will hook up to the tv to play movies, I presume??

Also, I have a beta vcr that needs fixing. Its problem is It doesn't accept the tapes. You put the tape in and push but the reciver doesn't move when it should take the tape in and thread it up to play. It also needs a gear rail thats cracked so one side is loose.. Soo let me know if anyone has any ideas??? Email me please!!

Thanks, Joe

The output on an SL-2000 without the tuner module is RF channel 3 or 4 US. I do not know if European multisystem equipment will accept US channels 3/4 RF.

With a multibus adapter (as seen on that trips and tips page) you can get A/V in and out. Sony's US version was called the VMC-220A, the Euro version was VMC-330A

Does anyone know where i can get some belt for my Toshiba VCR 8600b?Also back tension hardly ever catches the tape when the tape is inserted.. could this be a spring missing...?

Please email me when u have details..Fanks

Paul

heya all. Sorry, could use a little help again. Got the SL-2000 running and the power problem all sorted! (thanks for that by the way) .. just need to know is the video output on the SL-2000 composite, or is it RF?

what i want to do is put the NTSC video out into a multi-format (NTSC/PAL) UK VCR and watch the betamax tapes thru a UK TV. Is that possible with just the right cables or do i need a NTSC/PAL converter. or would it be easier to try to get my hands on a NTSC Betamax VCR, and if so, does anyone know where i could get one in the UK for cheap!

Thanks!

hello for all

The SL-HF860D that I purchased shows a very snowy screen, from top to bottom. Otherwise, the unit appears to be in very good mechanical condition. In slow motion, some of the snow can be eliminated by adjusting the tracking, but not in play mode. If a good cleaning doesn't do the trick, are the video heads still available? Do I need to replace the upper drum as well or just the heads? The part number that I found for the heads is 882550861. I actually found someone selling that part number for $17.85, but that didn't seem realistic and there was no description. The vendor was Pacific Coast Parts.

Thats brilliant! Thanks!!!

David... This page has SL-F1 spex - should be applicable to SL-2000

http://www.sps-wagner.de/Betamax/SL-F1.html

This page has SL-F1 spex - should be applicable to SL-2000

Can anyone please email me the power supply PIN configuration for the Sony SL-2000. I have the machine, with a tape and the camcorder, but no battery or power supply. If someone could send me the details it would be very much appreciated. I am going to rig up a 5-pin DIN socket from Maplin and a 12V regulated power supply. Thanks!

Mongo strikes again! Glad that's not my poor VCR...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5734036024

Olive, I have quite a few BETACAMSP tapes which I use regularly in betamax decks, being hf950 's, and hf100 's mainly and a few others. Never had any issues, find them if anything ot be hardier than normal tapes. Also have a few BETACAM tapes. I have a few BETACAMSP decks so I regularly mix things up. I have recorded BETACAM onto normal BETAMAX tapes as well, looks OK, seems more prone to dropouts if used one too many times. I guess because of thinner tapes.

As for the rewinders, yes the Sony was supplied with a 6 volt adapter I believe, I just happened to loose mine not long after, and I remember melting an adapter as it was only 1 amp or something and these winders pull allot of current.

If anyone has a VIDIMAGIC projector they would ship to Australia for a fair price please let me know, I am even interested in a non working unit as long as the tube is good. Would make a good piece for the collection seeing's as I collect betamax items and CRT projectors for hobbies. I know from an operational standpoint they throw a very ordinary picture but its just something I would like to have.

Of the batch the SL-HF 860D would probably be the most worthwhile to repair depending on the flaw, followed by the SL-HF300 and the SL-700.

Loading failures are the most fixable if you can root out the cause - usually it's a cracked spindle gear. I've seen it a few times and have spare for it.

Over the past couple of years, I've purchased four Beta VCRs through Ebay, each of which has something wrong, rendering them unusable for the most part. Mainly tracking problems, rewind and forward failures, loading failures, etc. I purchased a Sony SL-HF300, SL-700, SL-HF8600 and a Toshiba V-S36C. Can one (or more) or you knowledgeable folks recommend which unit would provide the best overall service, providing the repairs are relatively minor. I didn't want to go thru the hassle of repairing all four and comparing. In other words, I'll probably start with the best unit. I have already purchased a belt and roller kit for the Toshiba, but it still seems to be dragging quite a bit and I have to adjust the tracking all the way to one side to get a semi-consistent picture. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Looks like it's true...

http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/041122/214/f73o8.html

Monday November 22, 10:55 AM Dixons to stop selling video recorders

LONDON (ShareCast) - The UK's leading electrical chain Dixons (LSE: DXNS.L - news - msgs) ADVERTISEMENT has signed the death warrant of the video recorder with news it is phasing out the appliance by Christmas.

Dixons has already stopped ordering new VCRs and expects to have sold its remaining stock by Christmas, following the boom in demand for DVD players.

Sales of DVD players have grown seven-fold in the last five years and consumers can now pick them up for as little as £25.

Dixons is the only major UK chain so far to announce it will no longer sell VCRs following a dramatic fall in demand since the mid-nineties.

Dixons noted that DVD players were now outselling VCRs by 40 to one.

John Mewett, marketing director at Dixons, said, "We're saying goodbye to one of the most important products in the history of consumer technology."

"We are now entering the digital age and the new DVD technology available represents a step change in picture quality and convenience," Mewett added.

From this post in the Yahoo Groups - Old VTRs page

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oldvtrs/message/1504

I've heard that Dixons a British electronics firm is no longer selling VCRs after their supply runs out. Can this be the end of VHS?

In other news the Thomas family household just acquired a DVD-recorder - which is remarkable considering that mother barely gets enough use out of her Panasonic deck. At least now the Shintom VCR she used to use gets pressed into service as an RF modulator for the DVD-R unit.

I figure in a couple of years I'll eventually break down and get one for myself.

Another thing, Betacam-SP tapes are metal and more abrasive. Could cause premature wear on the precious video heads in regular betamax decks. They can be used an ED-Beta deck, however. Betacam oxide tapes (say just "Betacam" on the shells) can be used in regular decks, but must be recorded first in betamax format.

In either case, Betacam/SP tapes recorded in their native format won't work on any betamax for a least two reasons: faster tape speed (6x BII/~12cm/s) & incompatible recording methods (RGB for Betacam vs. composite for betamax).

I have a SL-F1 that is about to give up the ghost - getting noisy picture. Does anyone know anyone in N London that might help ? I do have the full service manual and a complete drum and guide assy.

Alternatively I would ned to borrow a good machine to transfer about 100 tapes I want to keep to VHS or DVD.

JediBob;

It's not posible to play Betacam SP recordings on a Betamax. Betacam does not play on Betamax or vice versa.

It's also not feasible to record with Betacam SP tapes on a Betamax deck. The record-enable/protect slot is on the other side of the shell bottom with an empty hole where a Betamax's record-tab detector is.

Also the formulation is such that tape come out with an interferance pattern in case you figure on covering up the hole.

What Toshiba model is that? All of the Toshibas I have used thread the tape on insertion, just like the Sonys do.

FYI - I use a Toshiba Beta player as a rewinder as tape does not wraparound the heads like the Sony players do, therefore, hopefully, less wear on heads.

Hi I'm what you call a newbie to here!!

Just wondering if anyone knew much about issues with slc9 & sl35 Sony BetasAre the loading assembly for C9 still available? as the one I've got is kaputt!As for the SL35 it keeps stopping all of the time when playing, rewind or ffwd.You comments would be greatly appreciated!

Here's another scam attempt. Check questions section at the bottom of the listing. Click "more" to read the entire question.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=5733479854&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Yes you can use Betacam SP tape in a betamax as long as its not the digial type,

Is it possible to play the new beta sp tapes in old betamax vcr's?

it's too much trouble making up a bunch of crap. and besides, he links all the images from the paypal.com site so that way it only shows the text from his site and doesn't use bandwidth. should I just keep pinging it?

Wanna have fun and screw with some Paypal scammers bandwidth?

http://202.39.153.220/~james/.cgi-bin/paypal.com/login.htm

Fake Paypal login page. Have fun and make up tons of fake usernames and passwords so the guy will hafta spend years trying to sort out any good ones. If enuff people visit he'll max out his bandwidth allotment...

Olive,

For a rewinder to damage the tape as you describe while its in the cassette it must really have some tension on the reels. Maybe the spools are miss-aligned and the edge of the tape is trying to twist against the side of the spools. I am probably going to have to dedicate one of the old top load machines to rewinding tapes because they have the mechanics to handle that sort of continuous use and they wont stop just because of a little mould or debris being dropped in them. I got a bunch of tapes from a humid climate that I would like to check out but would not try them in my better machines without some severe cleaning.

OOOOH! LV-1901 TV-VCR combo unit!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5732861979

Vidimagic FP-60 outfit complete with projector screen, external amp, manuals and soft carry cases.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5732392402

Currently at $50 US