Does anyone know if the U-Max or the V2000 were marketed in the US? I've
never seen (or even heard of) anything like it. Does anyone know how much
one might cost if I could find one?
I like working with the older video equipment (mainly because I can fix the
stuff) My only VCR is an 80's top-loading GE, complete with _wired_ remote
:). The only reason that I bought the JVC VHS-C camera was because the
heads went bad in my old camera (the kind with the separate camera that
plugged into the 'VCR' that hung from a shoulder strap).
///--->>>
-Jason Willgruber
(roblwill_at_usaor.net)
ICQ#: 1730318
<
http://members.tripod.com/general_1>
-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Thursday, July 15, 1999 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: Video standards (was Re: digital cameras)
>>
>> On Thu, 15 Jul 1999, Hans Franke wrote:
>> >In fact, this is also why I don't like VHS - maybe good
>> >enough compared to a noisy aired NTSC source, but just
>> >crap, compared to an U-Max or V2000 (I still use V2000
>> >tape machines - still equal to any S-VHS stuff after more
>> >than 10 years of development ...). And of course the same
>> >for DVD vs. Laserdisk.
>>
>> What is U-Max and V2000? I know what a Laserdisk player is, but I wasn't
>
>U-max is possibly what we call U-matic, a Sony semi-professional video
>system. I don't know any more as I've not obtained a machine (yet!).
>
>V2000 is/was a Philips (machines were also made by Grundig, but AFIAK the
>standard was Philips) system. It was beautiful. For one thing tapes could
>be turned over like audio cassettes. For another there was no control
>track amd no tracking control. The video heads were mounted on
>piezo-actuators and a fairly complex servo system caused them to follow
>the video tracks on the tape, based on signals recorded on said tracks.
>Since the heads can follow the tracks no matter what speed (within
>reason) the tape is running at, you can have noise-free slow motion, fast
>motion, still frame, etc.
>
>I can't remember the bandwidth, but I think it was better than normal VHS
>(although probably not better than S-VHS).
>
>I have a pair of VR2022's (one UK-PAL, one SECAM) awaiting some bench
>space. They look interesting to work on - mechanically there's almost
>nothing - no belts, no idler, no mode switch, no back-tension band,etc.
>Just 5 motors (one for each spool, one forthe capstan, one for the video
>head, one for the loading mechanism), a few optoswtiches, a couple of
>microswitches, and not a lot else. Backtension, for example, is provided
>by applying a small current to the rwwind motor - something that's a lot
>simpler/more reliable than the VHS-style tension band
>
>But it makes up for that simplicity in the electronics. There's a
>dozen-or-so plug-in cards, 4 or 5 of them for the various servos. 2
>microcontrollers (at a time when microcontrollers were not common in
>consumer stuff). Looks possible to repair, though, and I have the manual.
>
>-tony
>
>
Received on Fri Jul 16 1999 - 02:20:26 BST