Weekly Site Roundup (09/23/02)
ARTICLE SPOTLIGHT
How to Clean Your VCR Heads
Is your VCR getting old and tired? Perhaps a head cleaning will make it feel better. Here is a great how-to for the adventurous amongst you on how to clean your VCR's heads - including those old BETAs!
HOME ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY NEWS HEADLINES
Intellikey Labs Completes First Independent Study For DVD Format Compatibility (DVDInsider)
MartinLogan Inks Deal To Display in 178 Tweeter Stores (Audio Revolution)
Panasonic Launches Comprehensive Brand Initiative (TWICE)
DVDs Cheaper From US Says Reports (Ananova)
Pioneer Issues DVD Recorder Alert (TWICE)
PC Squeeze Means DVDs For The Masses (CNET)
SACD/DVD-A Combinations Proliferate (TWICE)
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Panasonic DMRHS2
Panasonic adds a new twist in DVD recording with a unit that combines a DVD recorder with a 40GB Hard Drive. You can store several hours of video on the hard drive and then copy it all on a DVD-R or DVD-RAM disc. This unit also includes Time-Slip recording, DV-Input recording from miniDV and Digital8 sources, and a PC card input for digital photos. Check it out!
FEATURED LINKS THIS WEEK
Manley Laboratories
Check out the innovative vacuum tube audio components from Manley.
Featured in the Vacuum Tube Audio Subject Page.
Analysis Plus
Check out quality cables and interconnects for your home theater system.
Featured in the Home Theater Subject Page.
INCA
Add some excitment to your home theater environment with INCA TV lifts and other home theater accessories.
Featured in the Furniture/Media Storage Subject Page.
FROM THE HOME THEATER FORUM
Pioneer DVD Recorder Alert!
From Your Guide:
If you own a Pioneer DVD recorder or a DVD-PC Superdrive (Sony, Apple, Compaq) -- you must read the following announcement:
http://www.tvinsite.com/twice/index.asp?layout=story&doc_id=102292&display=breakingNews.
In essence, you may damage your DVD-R/-RW DVD recorder or writer if you use the new X2 and X4 speed DVD-R/-RW discs in your machine. Pioneer has a software upgrade fix to solve this problem.
Join in on the discussion.
ELSEWHERE ON ABOUT.COM
Video In Your Pocket
The same forces that you digital audio formats, such as MP3, now bring you digital movies and Pocket Video players to play them on. For more details, check out the above report from Rick Manning, About Guide To Portable Entertainment.
FROM THE MAILBOX
From EDUARDO:
...My name is Eduardo..., I am from Bogotá Colombia, a once Beta only territory. Yes, here we used to be only Beta for several years becuase when the VCR was introduced in 1977 (here, two years after its debut in the States) we had no colour TV. With the Betamax (SL7200) everybody could watch colour TV with a brand new colour set used only for tapes. Colour TV was introduced here Dcember 1, 1979 and Beta got so strong that it took about ten years for VHS to get popular.
Being an ardent video fan, I am also a pioneer with the laserdic format. I purchased my first player Magnavox in April 1979 with a dozen DiscoVision titles, several defective, that I still have. With the passing of time, I naturally purchased a VHS VCR (Sony) and I now have a Laserdisc player. I still have two Betas, a SL-380 and a Beta HiFi SlHf-860D).
Extremely interesting your article on the final death of Beta. However, I hope that tapes and spares for the players (like recording heads) will be available for some time.
Two questions before I extend this mail too much. When can we finally purchased a reasonably priced DVD recording system? and What can I do with my collection of Laserdiscs? (I have about 230) Many of the titles I have are not available on DVD especially music like Opera and the Beatles Anthology!! Do you think the solution is to transfer eventually all my laserdiscs to DVD.
Your comments are really appreciated. Keep in touch and thank you very much for your help.
From Your Guide:
Thank you for your comments -- please check out the other resource links on BETA that I referenced in the article for BETA parts, movies, etc....
Also, in reference to your question on Laserdisc copying, I actually wrote an earlier article on this:
The Laserdisc Dilemma
http://hometheater.about.com/library/weekly/aa061702a.htm
Also, check out my picks for DVD Recorders: http://hometheater.about.com/cs/toppicks/tp/aatpdvdrecorder.htm
Let me know if you need more info.
FINAL WORDS
Although I update this site regularly, sometimes I miss broken links, this is especially a concern as old product listings expire and new ones have different link addresses. If you encounter any broken links in my articles or listings, just bring it to my attention so I can correct the address or delete it from the site if it has expired and can no longer be accessed.
Lastly, I would like your feedback on this Weekly Site Update Page. If you have any comments, either positve or negative, just let me know.
For a look at earlier Home Theater Nooz and Vewz Weekly Updates, CLICK HERE
Feel free to email me at hometheater.guide@about.com
with your questions and/or comments.
