Betamax VCRS!!!!!

In article <bf1oqo$9shdq$1@ID-46820.news.uni-berlin.de>,
AlexNOOOOOO!!!!!@Drzoidberg.co.uk says...
> It would appear that working betamax VCRs , especially Sony ones , are worth
> a fair bit of money. Time to check your lofts people. I'm glad I did.

I got 3 working Betmax VCRs, two are identical (Sanyo VTC5000's that cost
me a whole fiver each but unfortunately none have hi-fi stereo. Here's
what I found on a heap of tapes I bought:
http://linux.tc3net.com/darwin/80s/adverts/

> Any other suggestions for stuff to look out for?

Obscure 80s computers; Camputers Lynx (yes that's spelt right), Memotech
MTX512 (very similar to a ZX Speccy), boxed 'woodgrain' Atari 2600's are
worth eBaying too. Handheld electronic games from the 80s can do well.


--
Rid

Ridwan Hughes wrote:
> In article <bf1oqo$9shdq$1@ID-46820.news.uni-berlin.de>,
> AlexNOOOOOO!!!!!@Drzoidberg.co.uk says...

>> Any other suggestions for stuff to look out for?
>
> Obscure 80s computers; Camputers Lynx (yes that's spelt right),

Heh , if I found one of those the last thing I'd do is sell it.
I cringe every time I think of the old computers I could have bought in the
past.
I'd have been loaded.
--
Alex

"We are now up against live, hostile targets"

"So, if Little Red Riding Hood should show up with a bazooka and a bad
attitude, I expect you to chin the bitch! "

www.drzoidberg.co.uk

Ridwan Hughes <fox@ridhughz.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<MPG.197eaf8c7f91b64e98aa53@130.133.1.4>...
> In article <bf1oqo$9shdq$1@ID-46820.news.uni-berlin.de>,
> AlexNOOOOOO!!!!!@Drzoidberg.co.uk says...
> > It would appear that working betamax VCRs , especially Sony ones , are worth
> > a fair bit of money. Time to check your lofts people. I'm glad I did.
>
> I got 3 working Betmax VCRs, two are identical (Sanyo VTC5000's that cost
> me a whole fiver each but unfortunately none have hi-fi stereo.

The joke, of course, is that on the whole Sanyo machines have aged a
lot better than the Sony ones. In Sony Beta decks, the tape remains
laced around the video head drum during FF & REW, and the more
abrasive nature of the tape used in ye olden days means that the upper
drum assembly is invariably badly worn. Sanyo's VCRs de-lace during
FF & REW, so their internals have had a lot more of an easy life.

"Nick Cooper" <nick.cooper@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:97084f7.0307160135.2b49a5b8@posting.google.co m...
> Ridwan Hughes <fox@ridhughz.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:<MPG.197eaf8c7f91b64e98aa53@130.133.1.4>...
> > In article <bf1oqo$9shdq$1@ID-46820.news.uni-berlin.de>,
> > AlexNOOOOOO!!!!!@Drzoidberg.co.uk says...
> > > It would appear that working betamax VCRs , especially Sony ones , are
worth
> > > a fair bit of money. Time to check your lofts people. I'm glad I did.
> >
> > I got 3 working Betmax VCRs, two are identical (Sanyo VTC5000's that
cost
> > me a whole fiver each but unfortunately none have hi-fi stereo.
>
> The joke, of course, is that on the whole Sanyo machines have aged a
> lot better than the Sony ones. In Sony Beta decks, the tape remains
> laced around the video head drum during FF & REW, and the more
> abrasive nature of the tape used in ye olden days means that the upper
> drum assembly is invariably badly worn. Sanyo's VCRs de-lace during
> FF & REW, so their internals have had a lot more of an easy life.

The saddest part of the story is that Betamax had the edge on quality over
VHS but lost out. Remember the days when video rental shops stocked both
versions? Was there ever a Betamax video camera? I guess it doesn't matter
any more because of DVD, but when are the manufacturers going to agree on a
single standard?

Terry Dutson

Ridwan Hughes <fox@ridhughz.demon.co.uk> wrote here on 16 Jul 2003:

<snip>
>> Any other suggestions for stuff to look out for?
>
> Obscure 80s computers; Camputers Lynx (yes that's spelt right),
> Memotech MTX512 (very similar to a ZX Speccy), boxed 'woodgrain'
> Atari 2600's are worth eBaying too. Handheld electronic games from
> the 80s can do well.

I must say, I've never quite seen the point as regards those
woodgrain Ataris - I don't even think they look that attractive. But
there we are... luckily BBC Micros aren't generally cursed by the
dreaded "R@RE!" disease that some other micros (SAM Coupés, for
example) are, so I'm happy. :-)

--
Above address *is* valid - but snip spamtrap to get me to *read*!

Support the world's oldest motorsport venue!
http://www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk/future.html

In article <bf2sev$acrck$1@ID-46820.news.uni-berlin.de>,
AlexNOOOOOO!!!!!@Drzoidberg.co.uk says...
> Ridwan Hughes wrote:
> > In article <bf1oqo$9shdq$1@ID-46820.news.uni-berlin.de>,
> > AlexNOOOOOO!!!!!@Drzoidberg.co.uk says...
>
> >> Any other suggestions for stuff to look out for?
> >
> > Obscure 80s computers; Camputers Lynx (yes that's spelt right),
>
> Heh , if I found one of those the last thing I'd do is sell it.
> I cringe every time I think of the old computers I could have bought in the
> past.
> I'd have been loaded.

I found one for £3 once, fetched £50 on eBay even though it didn't work.


--
Rid

"Terry Dutson" <terry.dutson@ntlworld.com> wrote in message news:<zK9Ra.10299$ju6.198136@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net>...
> "Nick Cooper" <nick.cooper@virgin.net> wrote in message
> news:97084f7.0307160135.2b49a5b8@posting.google.co m...
> > Ridwan Hughes <fox@ridhughz.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:<MPG.197eaf8c7f91b64e98aa53@130.133.1.4>...
> > > In article <bf1oqo$9shdq$1@ID-46820.news.uni-berlin.de>,
> > > AlexNOOOOOO!!!!!@Drzoidberg.co.uk says...
> > > > It would appear that working betamax VCRs , especially Sony ones , are
> worth
> > > > a fair bit of money. Time to check your lofts people. I'm glad I did.
> > >
> > > I got 3 working Betmax VCRs, two are identical (Sanyo VTC5000's that
> cost
> > > me a whole fiver each but unfortunately none have hi-fi stereo.
> >
> > The joke, of course, is that on the whole Sanyo machines have aged a
> > lot better than the Sony ones. In Sony Beta decks, the tape remains
> > laced around the video head drum during FF & REW, and the more
> > abrasive nature of the tape used in ye olden days means that the upper
> > drum assembly is invariably badly worn. Sanyo's VCRs de-lace during
> > FF & REW, so their internals have had a lot more of an easy life.
>
> The saddest part of the story is that Betamax had the edge on quality over
> VHS but lost out. Remember the days when video rental shops stocked both
> versions? Was there ever a Betamax video camera?

In the sense that the first domestic Camcorder was a Betamax, yes!
There were also plenty of small portable Beta decks that could be
linked to a separate camera, the same as were avaialble for VHS (you
could by a separate "sit-along-side" tuner if you wanted to use it for
off-air recording, as well), but I'm not sure which format had the
edge on this particular type of set-up.

> I guess it doesn't matter any more because of DVD, but when are the
> manufacturers going to agree on a single standard?

It's bloody silly that we've essentially ended up with a new format
war with home-recordable DVD, but not surprising.

David Buttery wrote:
> Christopher Pollard <rubbish@cginternet.net> wrote here on 17 Jul
> 2003:
>
>> On 16 Jul 2003 11:43:47 GMT, David Buttery
>> <gplscrapyardANTISPAM@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>>> Obscure 80s computers;
>>
>> http://www.lindkvist.com/digitaldataporn/xxx.html
>
> Um... if you don't mind, I won't click on that URL, at least without
> a fuller explanation of what it actually holds! ;-)

Loads of retro computers
--
Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger"

"Then I hide until it goes away"

On 17 Jul 2003 12:07:36 GMT, David Buttery <gplscrapyardANTISPAM@yahoo.co.uk>
wrote:

>
>> http://www.lindkvist.com/digitaldataporn/xxx.html
>
>Um... if you don't mind, I won't click on that URL, at least without
>a fuller explanation of what it actually holds! ;-)

It's perfectly safe, just loads of pictures of old computer gear.

Trust me...

Chris Pollard

--
CG Internet café, Tagum City, Philippines
http://www.cginternet.net

Christopher Pollard <rubbish@cginternet.net> wrote here on 18 Jul
2003:

> On 17 Jul 2003 12:07:36 GMT, David Buttery
> <gplscrapyardANTISPAM@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>
>>> http://www.lindkvist.com/digitaldataporn/xxx.html
>>
>>Um... if you don't mind, I won't click on that URL, at least
>>without a fuller explanation of what it actually holds! ;-)
>
> It's perfectly safe, just loads of pictures of old computer gear.
>
> Trust me...
>
> Chris Pollard
>

Yup, have now been there. But *not* from a work PC, as you can just
bet that a URL like that would have set off all sorts of alarms given
the generally useless state of filtering software... ;-)

--
Above address *is* valid - but snip spamtrap to get me to *read*!

Support the world's oldest motorsport venue!
http://www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk/future.html