View Full Version : Who still uses a Beta deck?
Editor HCC
06-04-2001, 12:27 PM
Aaaahhh. That's the Super Beta. I've still got one of those in my loft. Lovely skate loading tape mechanism. A classic.
My first VCR was a Sony C7. Still got that too.
MartinImber
06-04-2001, 11:49 PM
As the title has any one been in this game long enough to have a Beta deck?
Did you buy it for the quality?
It would be interesting to find out.
Yes I use a Sony SL-HF950 regularly. :)
Duncan Harvey
09-04-2001, 8:00 AM
My Dad bought a Sony C5 in late october 1981 just in time for me to record "The Five Faces of Doctor Who" - excellent picture quality although quite weak on sound.
He's still got over 100 Beta tapes (I made the switch to VHS in 87) and managed to get hold of an old Beta deck a couple of years ago in order to transfer the tapes across.
Poor old Beta - a terrific format for its time - much better pic than VHS
I continue to use a Sony SLHF100, and in the past I owned a 950 unit.
My unit must be 16/17 years old now and The picture quality is still superb !
Clasic case of the ignorant masses picking the poorest technology (VHS).
MartinImber
09-04-2001, 4:09 PM
Quite a few 950 owners/ex owners, I'd like to see some of the original tests as my copy of WV went missing about 10 years ago :(
Perhaps Mr Editor himself could get the tests posted on this web site!
My other main use deck is a Sanyo M40 running the penultimate set of heads in the country.
My vhs deck didn't get used from November to March! Well what can I do with it? (anywhere but here people would say "Watch Films" but we don't do that do we!)
Are you aware of the following web site !
Theres a bit of nostalgia for you !
Betamax Website (http://www.palsite.com/home.html)
Regards
Russ
I, too, started with a C7, and upgraded to a SLHF950 when it came out. I still have the latter, although it's not in regular use - it's in storage "just in case....."
Interesting that its' performance (considering its' age) is on a par with many top-range VHS machines. Pity it didn't have a NICAM tuner.......
MartinImber
15-04-2001, 9:20 AM
Never saw the point in spending money on an inferior system. I fitted a NICAM decoder to my 950 about 9 1/2 years ago. Quite a bit of work. I know about PALSite, look in Beta lore.
What will be nice would be a Hard Disk recorder with DVD-Video compatable writer and a DVB-T tuner