LONG LIVE BETAMAX

Watching Carson Daly's chat show (bacause Kathy Griffin was gonna be on) and he goes into his monologue about living in his dad's apartment while in LA - apparently it's the 'unhip' old-dad bachelor flat that has "the only Betamax left in North America" went through some fluff about wondering if anyone knew what a Betamax was and inquired if anyone wanted it.

Har har... very funny. Suck it Carson Daly.

Hi I have a Sl-HRF50 for sale with the HI-FI Prosesser for any resonable offerThank You

To JWebWhy not either try to fix the vcrs you have or try the sallyann for another

After buying 3 beta VCRs and all damaged in shipping, I am now looking for someone to copy/dub 6 120min beta tapes to VHS. No editing, just a 1 on 1 copy. Can/will anyone here help me? Please email direct. Thanks, Joe

Homer,on the sl5200 can you give me any specifics on performing a tape path alignment?You're right about wasting my time trying to trimpot adjust the unit,because even though the beta 2 pic is clear,I think I've gotten all there is in that area,so it looks likea tape path alignment is appropriate.Thanks for your help,it is much appreciated.Best,Carl S

Olive,

Thanks for extra the tips, I was thinking of how my F1 blew up its power pack. They can either be in charge mode or operate. I have hardly used the camera record only units because I have mostly used an 8mm hifi for movies.

regards Noel

Well Carl, as you seem to be able to get some picture out of your 5200, the heads must be in acceptable shape. Your machine may simply need proper alignment along with a cleanup. You should examine the pinch roller as well to see if it's still in good shape.

Now there is a specific procedure to perform a tape path alignment that could save you lots of time and headaches. The more time you spend blindly trying to make it work, the more chances you have to make a false maneuver and break something.

Also, you are wasting your time trying to align your vcr with its own tapes. Tape path error are reproduced during recording so you get an erroneous reference.

Update on my Sony 5200 with the blinking/static lines problem;I got the movie playingquite well,as in NO blinking and the sound up to par,so I was feeling great when I then attacked the Beta 3 speed,recorded off the tv and actually stopped the blinking anddroaning sound! It also recorded and played back both speeds as if it were new,butwhen I played back a Beta 2 movie,the blinking and poor sound was back! It seems Ican have one or the other speeds playing properly but not both;very frustrating. The picturebehind the blinking is always optimum,however,so I'm not of the thinking that the video heads are on their way out;hope not,anyway,since the machine itself looks great.

Oops! I should read posts more carefully. That was for Devin - not Dave.

And despite what Noel is saying there is nothing wrong with your camera. Even with a 'bad' battery it would still power up. Hooking up to the power brick cuts off the power from the battery - and I just checked that with my BMC-220.

Dave - Until you feed it a Betamax cassette (with the record tab intact), all a Betamovie can do is operate the ejector button. The Betamovies were a record-only camera - and I do mean record only. There was no playback or even rewinding capability.

Basically these were an update of Sony's old-school reel-to-reel 1/2" Video Rover line (though they included a rewinding "armstrong" lever for hand rewinding!) - but with the camera and cassette mechanism in one piece. A marvel of engineering when they came out, they were quickly surpassed by VHS camcorders which did include full transport capability.

Sony never really bothered to counter as they were more interested in 8mm development though they did bring out a line of CCD Beta camcorders including a BIs recorder the BMC-1000.

So to repeat there's nothing wrong with your camera from the symptons you'd given. Try loading a tape and see what happens.

Devin,

If you have the battery in the camera when you connect to supply, being that its faulty it might be causing the supply to cut out due to current overload. Try the camera on the supply with the battery removed.

Hi all. I just bought a Betamovie BMC-220 off of Ebay and it seems to have some kind of a problem powering up. I have the camera connected to an external power source as it's battery is dead (I knew about this when I bid on it). When I connect it to the source, it seems to turn on for a moment, with the caution light flashing, makes a click sound, and then simply goes dead. None of the buttons do anything (including the power button). The motorized tape eject mechanism still functions, though. I've been trying to find a way around this problem, to no avail. Any help would be appreciated.

homer,

It could be that the heads are down as well but it all depends on you judgement of what is happening from what Carl said. I took the blinking to be out of lock picture (it may not have been?) The lines could be bad tracking or comet tailing - don't know. It really needs a service manual alignment first then if that doesn't work check the heads with a head meter. Heads cost too much to replace them as the first option.

regardss Noel

Bought an early 70s Sony U-Matic video player today. Looks like an early Betamax with woodgrain sides and top load. Don't know much about it. Any websites out there that explains U-Matic and gives history info? Thanks, joplinbeta

Noel, I thought Carl was talking about the pots housed in a metal cage behind the mechanical chassis. Well, at any rate you are much more knowledgeable than I am when it comes to beta internals so you must be right. Yet a clogged or broken video head could produce that blinking effect.

Hi,I have a SL-HF600 and it stopped working the other day. I have been using it and when I went to put aWas hoping there might be an easy fix since they are so expensive to fix.ThanksMark

Homer,

I am into PAL not NTSC but the pots labelled 1,2,3 free are likely to be capstan free speed adjustments for B1, B2 and B3 which could affect the linear tracking and are not head amplifier gain settings.

regards Noel

Homer..re my Sony 2415 fast clock; it works! Thanks for the help on resetting the50-60 hz. I guess it wanted a rebooting to 'start over',so as I had said,I unpluggedthe unit for a few minutes,reset it to 60 and replugged it.This am it was the righttime,so thanks again. Best,Carl S

These pots affect the head ampplifier gain. Looks like the heads are worn to the point of needing replacement.

Homer..re the sony 5200,on the circuit board I found 3 adjustment screws labeledrf 1 2 3 free. I put in a tape recorded in beta 2,turned the 2 screw and the blinkingstatic lines virtually disappeared. I also turned the screw labeled 'drum free' and thepicture completely cleared up. This is sort of a trial and error adjustment because Ifound that the 1 and 3 screws also affect the pic and the sound,but the movie nowplays ultra clear.The unit still refuses to play the beta 3 without some blinking but it is beginning to realize that I wont rest until it behaves itself! Incidentally, Ibought this behemoth on 11th st here in NYC recently for....$5 dollars! I also unpluggedmy sony 2415 for a few minutes,set it at 60hz,replugged it and reset the clock last nightand of course forgot to check it this morning! I'll check it this PM. Best..Carl

Paul Roberts,

The sony "arm block assembly, pendulum" part A-6759-074-P is still available in Australia for around $21Aus.

regards Noel

I have a Sony GCS-50 with transport problems. It will play fine, fast forward and rewind fine, but will not cue and review tapes without destroying them. Does anyone have any experience with this deck? I work on Betacam decks frequently and they are adjustable, but this one does not seem to be.

I have a Sony SL-C40 machine which had been in perfect order for 20 years until about a year ago. When you play back a tape (any tape) it makes a sort of ticking noise as it is playing and the picture has maybe three or four lines across the screen. The picture has also has turned from colour to black and white. The audio is perfect. Before I set my father loose on it, can you point me in the direction of which part may be failing on me? I have read through all of the points on the website to try and get an idea, but nothing seems to describe the problems we are having with this machine. I would be very grateful for any advice you can give me. Many thanks.

Also Carl, feel free to ask as many questions as you wish, that is the purpose of this page !

Carl

About your 5200. It's hard to tell what could be wrong without seeing the problem. It would be interesting to know how you managed to fix the problem for BII speed.

I WOULD LIKE INFO. ON HOW TO RUN TWO OIL FIRED BOILERS IN ONE CHIMNEY.COULD IT BE DONE WITH A POWER VENT OR SOME SORT OF SWITCH THAT ALLOWS ONLY ONE BOILER TO RUN AT A TIME . ANY SUGESTIONS?THANKS, PAUL

Homer...thanks for the update. I going to unplug the beta,re-set it to 60hz andmonitor it. I'll advise on the result. Either way, thank you. ......just ONE morething,promise. I also have a Sony 5200 early hifi stereo beta which used to blinklike mad at any beta speed 1 2 3. I was able to reset it so the beta 2 speed playscorrectly but the beta 3 still has this annoying blink to it;several white static lines appear for an instant,then disappear,then again.The picture behind these linesis clear,and the sound is okay. Any help on eliminating the blinking would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again...Carl S

Carl

The switch must be set to 60Hz. At 50, it will run too fast for sure. If it doesn't work then maybe the switch is malfunctionning or there is a short or open circuit somewhere around it. Other than that I don't know what else could influence the clock. Some models have a backup memory or capacitor to keep the clock on time when power fails. Then it has to rely on another source for the clock, such as a quartz oscillator. Perhaps there is something wrong with that. I'd have to dig into the circuit diagram to help you further.

To Raven who is looking for some Michael Jackson tapes; Yes, I have a beta tape on MJ.It was recorded here in the U.S. If you think you can use it let me know..Carl S NYC

Homer..right now my Sony 2415 is about 24 hours fast! I checked it this am while playing a tape. I have been letting it go without resetting it,hoping it would 'calm down' butso far it is still gaining and gaining. I have put it back to the 50 setting and willsee from there,then I'll try the other setting again. It plays quite well,I must say.Thank you..Carl S

To RAVEN

I have a mint original Michael Jackson beta PAL video "Making M.J's Thriller" directed by John Landis the video is circa 1983 an still plays like new! feel free to email if you are interested

regards

Ron

Carl

How faster does your 2415 clock run ? If the Hz is in the wrong position (i.e. 50Hz, because it has to be set to 60) then it is supposed to add a second to its clock every 5/6th of an actual second, which means it would gain 12 minutes every hour, or one hour every five hours. Can you confirm that ?

Since nothing else in my knowledge could influence the speed of the clock, I would suspect a faulty switch or a short or open circuit somewhere around it.

I own a Sanyo M.40 Betamax Hi Fi VCR,among others. At the moment I have some spare parts to keep it going,but I have yet to obtain a new," Head disc assembly". Ive looked up most catelogues in the UK without succes . Can any one help.

Hello

Looking for Any Michael Jackson Beta Tapes or Jacksons Beta Tapes (Eg: Victory Concert)I know they where released a long time ago but even a copy will do

thank you so much for your help

The site says a Sony pendulum idler assembly is no longer available from Sony. Is there anywhere else I could get one?

Andy,

I have a couple of NEC PAL beta machines that look like the one in your top picture. What parts are you after?

regards Noel

Hi all,

Been awhile since I posted here. I hope everyone is doing well and everyone's Betamaxes are still taping!

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up on an update to my Betamax web page: http://sphs.angeltowns.net/A_R_Wehrle/betamax.html

I've added the NEC VC-734E. It was given to me by a fellow in Racine who contacted me thinking it might be useful in repairing my VC-739E which is built on the same chassis and has basically the same mechanism. Unfortunately the same parts that need replacing on the 739E are worn out on the 734E. I added it to the "Museum" anyway.

Regards,Andy Wehrlehttp://sphs.angeltowns.net/

hi there regarding my problem with my sony c6 mark 1 and 2 ,the sound is slow and the picture bends. ive opened both up and noticed that some of the capacitors have leaked,can this be fixed to bring these machines back to life ? or am i flogging a dead horse. would i be wasting my time phoneing around repair shops or are these machines too old to bother with any suggestions most welcome. p.s. ive been given a sony sl 30 mega slim complete with box remote and instructions,it powers up loads tape ff rew but the head drum is not spinning any suggestions? thanks again

Homer,Olive...re my Sony beta 2415 with the fast clock. I located the hz switch on the back of the unit and switched it but to no avail;it still runs fast. Any ideas on how to slow it down?....also I would like to find a repair book on beta vcrs but any I have seen only briefly touch on beta and I was wondering if anybody out there might have a resource for same. Thanks again. Carl S NYC

Thanks Roderick. I must have found it around the same time you did! I see it was listed on the page on 17th July.I can't find a listing for the C7 (or SLC7 ) though. Thanks for the belts URL Olive but I can't find a kit for the C7 either.Mike

Mike

The website Noel mentioned:http://www.user-service-manuals.com/

Really good stuff there!

Hi everyone, I had my SLHF-400 in the shop and it was in for about eight weeks, and I am happy to report that on August 15, I got it back and it is working perfectly! I just need some help with learning how to set the clock and record timer as I am visually challenged. As long as I know what keys to press and in what sequences to press them in I should be in good shape. If anyone can help please E-mail me, and as always thanks in advance.

I am searching for a repair manual or any information for a sony sl-c6ub betamax vcr.can any one help please,regards harold.

Hi I have a SLF30 that loads a tape ok, but when you press play/ff/rew it runs for 3 to 4 seconds then stops, can anybody please help

http://www.iglou.com/studiosound/betatune.htm

Sanyo Belt kits.

Dear NoelMany thanks. Will troll for the manual and contact the people who sell the belts.Mike

Hey guys, does anyone still have that link to the site for buying belts and stuff for Sanyo decks?

Mike,

For the SONY SLC7 service manual, there was an entry on palsite in the past few months that gave a site where you could download manuals if you donated to a charity. Maybe you could search the archives.

Regarding belts, in Sydney,Australia, WES components has a parts service and supply belts for machines. See http://www.wescomponents.com

regards noel

FOR SALE: SONY 400 that died. Make offer (keep it cheap). SONY 70 in primo condition plus a second Sony 70 for parts. Make me an offer I can't refuse. Beta rewinders, Beta head cleaner tapes all cheap/obo.

Homer,Olive...thanks for the tip on the switch for my Sony clock. I will check and advise..best..Carl NYC

SL-2400s are pretty much legendary for dried out capacitors - which is the usual cause for the picture problems you're having. If you're handy with a soldering iron and have a lot of patience you could try replacing the lot of them.

I have 2 SL-2400's and in order to be able to dub some beta tapes, I tried to make one working unit from the 2. The first one worked with an almost perfect picture except the video seemed to pulse in & out constantly. The 2nd one's performance was unknown but it had a broken PC board where the power button, BII & BIII switch, and tracking control were mounted. I thought the simplest fix would be to install the PC board from VCR 1 to VCR 2. To my surprise, VCR 2 is doing the exact same thing. All along I thought that one of the heads was bad in VCR 1, causing the pulsing video. Now I can't believe both units have the exact same problem. One thing to consider...the replaced board has the tracking control on it. Could this be defective causing the same problem on both units since it is the only "common denominator" I can think of? ANY help would be appreciated because the tapes I am referring to have video (that looks unbelievably sharp & clear except for the drop outs) of my 21 year olds Christmas's, birthdays, etc. shot on a Betamovie when she was growing up. Thanks, Joe

PS: The heads are clean...

Yeah Homer, the 50/60hz switch is for the clock.

I don't know if this applies to the 2415, but most Sony betas use the power line frequency as the clock reference and some of them have a hidden switch around the power supply that selects between 50Hz and 60Hz. I don't know for sure but can't think of any other use for such a switch than to adapt the clock.

hola

I have a really nice Sony beta # SL2415. This is the one that talks. The clock runs fast.Does anyone know how I could get it to run accurately? Thanks...Carl S NYC

I live in St Ives near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England.I wish to borrow a working Betamax player for a fortnight to transfer old memories.In exchange, I have a faulty Sony C7 complete with manual, remote and all cables including the special twist on type to SCART, plus 22 tapes.Thanks for any help.

Dear NoelMany thanks for taking the trouble to reply to my query on the chat page re my problem with the Sony C7. I didn't even know about the APS and Alarm switches!I still have the same problem though. 7 beeps then rewind. I've taken off all the covers but can't see the sensor that stops everything. Pity, because the machine looks almost unused although I'm sure it needs new belts as you suggest. Do you know of a mail order source for a belt kit? Is there a "reset" switch somewhere? Is there a website where I can download a manual?Must sound like a real pain!But thanks,Mike

An early attempt to appeal to the gay market? Or Sony's take on the Miami Vice pastel craze...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5805847908

SL-HFT7 in the hard to find 'mauve' color.

And speaking of Miami Vice - they remaking it as a movie. Now craptacular 80s shows are coming back as feature length crapfest movies.

I'd love to see them graft the 9/11 events to a remake of the old Jack Webb show "Emergency!"...

Mike,

Regarding the Sony C7, If you open the front control panel there are two switches. One is APS (auto picture search) on/off which I would set to off. The other is the end of tape alarm which I think beeps for a while then puts the unit into automatic rewind. Switch this to off. It might be that the tape sensing circuitry is faulty or that there is a problem with the associated end sensor? A belt kit sounds necessary for this unit in any event.

Sarah,

Problems with slow speed on a C6. I would check that the capstan drive belt is not perished and still drives well first. If the sound is "slow" then the picture is probably doing a vertical roll as well. Some highly suspect light blue electyrolytic Capacitors probably should be replaced before you attempt the adjustment because there has to be a reason why the machine has gone this way. The service manual gives you the adjustment details. Also see PALSITE technical pages. Then I would check the capstan speed setting on the base board.

regards Noel.

hi there all you beta enthusiasts,have been using beta videos since 1984 when we bought a sanyo vtcm10 which is still in use,1 also have 2 sanyo vtc5000s and a sony slhf100ub which is my main machine anyway enough waffle i have two sony c6 mark 1 and mark 2 but they both seem to have the same fault on playback the picture is slow and the sound drags can anyone help?

I have a PAL Sony C7. I bought it just to copy some old Betacord tapes. After power up it jneeded some "help" to get the tape to thread. It ejected OK and the picture was fine. Now when a tape is inserted and "helped" to thread it beeps 7 times and then tries to everse and beeps again.What can I do - if anything. I live well away from a service facility in South Africa.Very grateful for any help. I've read the files on the C& but can't find any clue re 7 beeps!Mike

This is for bagels 78 who is looking for the A team episodes. I have many,many of themon U.S. beta. If you could use them or figure out how to play them in the UK, adviseand we'll make a deal. Carl S NYC

does anyone here in the UK have beta recordings of 'the A-team' from ITV in the mid 80s? please contact me.

I have three sony betamax recorders for sale,all are in good condition and are complete,if interested contact me vince on 07968791742

Rare tunerless Sanyo VCR-1000 that has markings indicating it was used by the Pontia Motor Division for their in house video network.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5805313822

Start bid is only a buck!

Maybe someone can help on this toughie; my Sony beta SL5600 plays well but it has the jitters! Horizontally back and forth goes the clear picture. Not much,just enough so I really cannot enjoy the movie. Thank you. Carl S NYC

I just found out why my Sanyo 4000 or 4400 beta will not play the tapes;it is the...I guess youwould call it the capstan, that little staff that turns as the tape is pushed against it.Mine will not turn at all. I will operate manually but its electrical days are long past.I'm not sure if this is the correct name for it, but would anyone have any info on wherea replacement could be found? Thanks...Carl N.Y.C.

Carl,I sent you a email but in case you don't get it this is what I sentHi CarlThanks for your interest and it works perfect, its a Sony, the HI-Fi proseeer goes along with it , I am near Toronto Dave

Dave..re the beta vcr for sale. What brand,condition? Also, are you near Detroit?

Hello I have a beta vcr for sale its a HFR50 with the HI-FI prossesser, open to any offers I am in Canada, and a betamovie camera alsoThank you

HiIn regards to the Sanyo logo change, this happened in 1987.I know this because i started working at one of their factories at that time.Sanyo's first VHS trio still had the old 'three waves' logo and they were released in 1986 (UK).They then merged with another part f their empire and created the 'neptune style' N.A lot of their VHS machines went very upmarket and this was to increase their market share that had dwindled to about 5% in 1985.Sanyo were also in 1986 simultaneously in three format camps, BETA,VHS & 8mm ,together with Sony.Sanyo to some are considered 'cheap and cheerful' and this is probably due to their (successful) bargain basement stance.They have proved , however, that they can compete with the best in terms of technology and high tech developements.I have always found their products to be excellent value , excellently reliable,attractive looking ( most cases) , ergonomically sound with great performance ,especially taking the other comments mentioned into account and the customer service is pretty dam good too.The only item they produce which does'nt quite meet these standards ,picture quality wise ,( compared to the best) are their TV's. I think maybe they try to compromise and keep the price low at the expense of the WOW factor with PHILLIPS,TOSHIBA et al.You only have to look at ther Beta machines and the fact most are still going strong and if they are faulty or a bit tired are so easy to rectify.The parts to( service) are still readily available .It'll be interesting to see how their new plasma screens hold up.............................Kevin (UK)

Saw this SL-5100 on offer on eBay...

http://i17.ebayimg.com/01/i/04/d1/d7/83_3.JPG

The picture looked oddly familiar...

http://media.bigstep.com/shop/5/51/10405515/upload/1003978873764.JPG

Someone way back in 2001 uploaded a piccy of their SL-5100 and it's now back on the block so it would seem. Probably from the same owner as I couldn't find the original piccy on google....

This one has the newer Sanyo logo so it must be among the last Beta models Sanyo produced. I think this logo change occured by the end of the 80s but I'm very unsure about that.

One of the rarer Beta VCRs out there is this Sanyo SuperBeta VCR that looks like it was made by Sony for Sanyo

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5803987891

VCR 8700GM

Noel,

Many thanks for the guidance - I will investigate further.

AVI is a generic extension for AV files. It covers a broad range of output formats, some of which are heavily compressed, others that aren't compressed at all, thus making file sizes variable.

BTW use MPEG II files for capturing to save space on hardisk, dont use AVI format it'll suck your hardmedia space and make it exhausted. AVI needs more clock speed and system resources though AVI tends to give better result(depend on system speed). MPEG II is a ready to burn file format. Have a happy Transfer.................

Kiwano;If you're still here, have a peek at what i found......

http://www.baber.com/baber/graphics/tv_tuners/Value/avermedia_usb_300.htm

Remember to use USB version 2 to have the device match. If your computer dont have USB 2.0, you should get yourself a USB 2.0 PCI card .Taiwan clone usually gives reasonable price.

Noel; too late the auction has ended.....but it's good to know.

Speaking of Betamax Transfer, I'd prefer 1394 port for video streaming.

A Mini with a superdrive that comes with iMovie out of the box and a $ 200 s-video or composite to DV converter sounds like an economical solution.

I could probably do so if I ever bother to get hold of a SCSI DVD burner with OS9 compatible software. Mind you I could probably use a USB burner as I have a USB card installed. The DV iMac shipped with OS9 so there should be usable software out there like maybe the first release of iMovie.

At this point I'll probably get an iBook or MiniMac. With a MiniMac I have an adapter that'll let me use my current monitor so I'd only hafta get a mouse and keyboard to get started. I would hafta get a host of new preipherals or try and adapt all my old SCSI stuff.

Or spend 200 bux on a standalone DVD recorder.

How about DVD authoring on a 10 year old Mac ?

Well the 'Beige' Power Macs largely had A/V inputs available as an option. The towers often included A/V output as well. The G3 desktop model had na A/V in/out 'personality' card.

I have a Power Mac 7600 that had it's board replaced with that of a PM 8500 from a Tower model as well as had the A/V module upgraded from the standard 7600 A/V input module (with only audio out jacks) to include a PM 8500 A/V in/out module.

Also has a G3 processor card from Sonnet giving this a 400mhz processor and 50 mhz system bus speed. Not that impressive given todays compy speed demons but it at least keeps up with the older CRT iMacs.

Which Mac model has analog video capture hardware built in ?

Hi Jack, maybe that your tape makes a loop behind the pinch roller, reason in this case maybe no tape transportortion of one reel.

Stone,

Your English is OK no need to apologise.

Dave, for the SLHF100 I suggest you check the plastic shuttle gear shown in the technical page of Palsite at http://www.palsite.com/slc30tech.html for the SLC30 which uses the same mechanical arrangement. I suspect you either have the type of fault they are talking about.

Ebay look at this cheap head meter? I can't believe the prices being asked by a certain seller. Obviously they are not checking Aussie sales when they quote what is a reasonable price. See http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7536711180&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1

regards Noel

Would anyone be interested in a SuperBetamax SL-HFR70, mated to a HFP -200 Beta Hi-Fi Processor? The original packaging and manuals are available. This ststem has had very little use.

add me [email protected]

NC;USB port doesnt recognize RF from Sanyo;USB port can only receive digital streams (ie MiniDV camera) You'll need to purchase External USB TV Tuner to do so. This is bad for DVD capturing OK if for VCD.

Gee... All I hafta do to get video into my computer is plug in A/V cables to it's A/V jacks. But then I have a Macintosh...

I see Lucrezia is still around in cyberspace...

Kiwano,You'll have to convert RF signal from Sany to AV (RCA with separate Audio and video)first before capturing to computer with video capture card,//or a TV Tuner card with ICh2 capabilites for capturing Video signal, this can be conected directly to your computer from Sanyo BNC Video out. There's a bunch of Video Capture card on market with various performance you can buy accordingly.Pentium III class PC with higher clock speed is a must for best result. A better Hardrive (7200rpm)gives good recording result, otherwise you might have frame loss/system hang. You dont need to buy an expensive VidCAP card if you know what best formula(system Intergration) for your PC. At last you'll need to get yourself a DVD burner(DVDrw) with + or - Burning format/type or both. There're 2 type blank DVDr platter minus(-) or Plus(+) to burn. Choose an appropiriate one for your Burner.

Regards,Boby.

Hi The only way I know to get analog video into a computer is with a ATI All in wonder video card or get a DVD recorder deck vcr which works like a VCRHope that helps

i have aquired a sanyo VTC 5000 betamax recorder in very good condition from my family, i have many betamax tapes going back 25 years.How can i transfer my tapes to dvd through my computer? it has a video output connecter which needs a coaxial cable with BNC type plug, and an audio output which needs a coaxial cable. Where can i obtain the neccesary cables so i can transfer through to my usb port.I have bought DVD maker with the required sofware and cabling but it does not fit into this betamax. Thank you if you can help

Hi I have a SL2401 Betamax vcr for sale with remote and a beta movie camera(case batteries etc) If you are interested email me a offer make a offerThank you

Another hot item from Britain

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6419108498&ssPageName=MERC_VI_ReBay_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT

I have an almost perfectly working Betamax Hi-Fi SL-HF100UB. It plays fine for a while after switch on, but after some minutes playback just stops. After PLAY again, it will play for 5 seconds or so but then stop again, and so on. Forward shuttle has the same problem but rewind shuttle works fine. Would appreciate it if anyone has any suggestions where to look for the problem, or has any experience of these symptoms. Thanks.

Hi Noel, thank you for helping an d ignorate my private message (u2u) i saw to late.

I´ve some other C9 to control.But I want to try to repair this machine, tat was the best of all.This machine was working perfect until last year when i put it beside in cellar. Tis month, when i want to reuse it, the failure was there.

On the big board under the drums (signed with "reel cointrol", "drum" etc.) there is the half of the plate like corodized (corrosion), may be, there is an defekt capacitor.

Sincerly and much thank for the help and sorry for my bad englishStone

Boby,

Thanks for the vote of confidence on suggesting a fix for the Sony SLC9 but the description of the fault leaves a lot of possibilities. You definitely need a service manual, a CRO and a multimeter. (plus good eyesight) Here goes!

Sstone,

It would be good if you had a working SLC9 beside the faulty SLC9 as you go through the various functions. The timing diffences noted between the machines and the different voltage measurements, make tracking down a fault much quicker.

In forward play mode, I would check what the back tension "lever" to the left of the drum seems to be operating freely and that back tension is not too high. With your "test cassette in the unit - no tape is around the head so there is no problem then. Another thing to check is that the tape is not sticking/ dragging due to friction on very worn upper (& lower) video head drum assemblies.

Faults can occur with the switching transistors of the reel motors but that usually causes lots of smoke associated with a black hole in the reel motor circuit board. A "softer" cicuit failure may result is lack of drive power to the reels (power supply?) which means that with a real cassette there is insufficient power to do the full FFWD and REW thing.

Then there is the dreaded SS-11 control board at the bottom of the unit. Leaking capacitors can cause problems to the trick play modes so they may also affect control functions in other modes. The residue from the capacitors eats away copper tracks and upsets operational amplifier bias voltages. Such problems are only able to be solved on a machine by machine basis if you have the time and willpower.

And last of all - goodluck! regards Noel

Interesting NEC clone of a Sony SL-8000 VCR...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5802165931