> On Tue, Nov 14, 2000 at 12:38:35AM +0100, Iggy Drougge wrote:
> > I dare say that every VTR on the market now is dual-standard. Each and every
> > one. Even my bottom-range Luma mono video bought last year supports NTSC
> > playback. It won't play EP tapes, though, so I had to shell out for a stereo
> > JVC later on, too. =/
> Yeah but do US VCRs do PAL...
Do you belive that there's room for two (or even more)
different designs anymore ? I doubt that - this busines
is driven by high volume low margin rules. Less variations
means less cost - open any given low price VCR and just
count - everything is highly integrated, and when you
check the data sheets (if available) you'll find that
all used chips are system independant or multiple standard.
And since even digital filters are becoming standard, even
less discrete components are added - and these are have been
the last domain of differences.
A VCR is often available for less than 200 Mark (less
than 85 USD including all taxes) - if you subtract taxes,
store margin, trade margin, transport, etc.pp less than
20 Dollars eventualy reach the manufacturer - and now
imagine that they can do double the output with the same
machinery (or need only half) if you manage to come up
with an unified design.
Of course, where ever it is possible to use different
(cheaper) components for specific markets, without
changing the basic designs and manufacturing processes
they'll do it. Often some feature is just disabled by
software or other simple to add changes. Alas most high
class features are not premium add ons but rather premium
charges for the same unit (Don't tell me you don't know
it from computers - back in the 70s and 80s IBM was great
in selling performance enhancements barly more than a new
micro code disk :)
Doing a complete design only for the US market (or any
other market) is obsolete - this is a global business
since many years.
Anyway
Gruss
H.
--
VCF Europa 2.0 am 28./29. April 2001 in Muenchen
http://www.vintage.org/vcfe
http://www.homecomputer.de/vcfe
Received on Wed Nov 15 2000 - 12:42:50 GMT