No Time Left For VCRs?

if you are a rabid videophile like me, the problem is that eventually have more tapes than you have time to look at all of them again. If they get labeled, then no problemo when you want to find something. But too many were hastily recorded and not labeled, or worse: the glue on the label evaporated and the label fell off never to be found again-- then things get hairy. Now where did I put that Doctor Who movie... ;-(

Ron

Standard VCRs with NTSC tuners will work just fine with digital signals. I have my Panasonic PV-V4022 VCR connected to Time-Warner cable (analog expanded basic); no cable box. It works just as well as it always has; further, I am expecting it will work without hitches after 06.12 as well. My RCA XL100 CTC185 19" TV is also connected to cable and also operates flawlessly. Time Warner Cable has informed its subscribers many times that if your TVs, VCRs, etc. are connected to their cable service, there is absolutely nothing to do or to be concerned about when 06.12 rolls around; your equipment will work just as it does now, even when all TV is digital. The reason your sets will work on cable is that the cable operator will convert the ATSC digital signals to NTSC if necessary (in a lot of cases, this will have to be done for most sets in their service area, as most people still have analog televisions). Time Warner Cable will handle the conversion by means of a small box containing an ATSC->NTSC converter; at least that's what I was told by a TW representative. I live in a 12-unit apartment building; I wondered how the ATSC->NTSC conversion would be done. The representative told me Time Warner will install a small box on the roof of the building, the purpose of which will be to convert digital (ATSC) signals on the cable to NTSC. I think the same thing (or something similar) will be done for home connections as well.

Kind regards,

Jeff Strieble, WB8NHV Fairport Harbor, Ohio USA

The converter box will convert digital to NTSC. It has nothing to do with the company except being able to select a channel. It seems like most all the NTSC channels are also in HDTV which I can get. When the conversion takes place I quess the analog channels will disappear, but I guess the cable company could switch those channels back to NTSC and rebroadcast them. That some how seems SO stupid, all they should do is transmit them digitally for the NTSC conversion. They can also send the channels over the cable in digital and the box will convert to NTSC.

NTSC tuners receiving digital after the turnaround on the cable without cable box, I don't think so. Not unless they broadcast it in NTSC format over the cable.

greg

VHS tapes - and SVHS for that matter - are readily available in several lengths and formulas from quite a few online vendors. Anything from Sony Broadcast Quality to el-cheapo bulk.

WHY are some still confused?

The transition from analog to digital - mandated by Congress and the FCC - has NOTHING to due with cable. Your VCR still works because it is still receiving ANALOG signals, not digital. Even if your cable company goes

100% digital, the RF/composite/S-video outputs of the STB are all ANALOG. And with an optional Terapix box, all digital cable channels are converted back to analog to satisfy those that don't want a STB.

The analog->digital transition mandate is ONLY for OTA transmissions.

Its a fact both my cable boxes, are both digital, but only one is HDTV capable. None have a digital output.

The idea is also to have all HDTV eventually. I guess one day the digital channels will go off the air with NTSC bandwidth specs. and only leave digital HDTV ???

If I select a digital HDTV channel and try to watch it on an old set, whats going to happen ?? This is with video in, but how about antenna in ??

I have yet to see a cable HDTV STB that didn't have either a DVI or HDMI output. Model?

HDTV ???

Huh? I don't comprehend.

"Video in" from a cable box is analog, so it will be OK. "Antenna in" is also analog if coming from your cable box, or a digital->analog converter for your antenna.

I think there is a DVI ont the HD box.

Digital with standard lines/frequency.

Right now I have the RGB going to my new LCD HDTV works fine in HD mode. If I connectec video to my old 36 inch CRT Toshiba, its not going to recognize the new formats.

greg

There ya go! *That's* a digital output.

Sometimes, you're nonsensical. What does "...digital channels will go off the air with NTSC bandwidth specs" mean? Digital has nothing to do with NTSC. And "Digital with standard lines/frequency" ?? All NA video transmissions, be it NTSC, ATSC SD, or ATSC HD are modulated into the same 6 MHz bandwidth. HD video uses as high as 18.5 Mbps data rate, while SD typically is around

1-2 Mbps. Broadcasters are allowed up to 19.39 Mbps for their 8VSB modulated signals. Some use the entire bandwidth (18.5 Mbps of it) for their HD channel, while others use less for their HD channel, but add one or more SD channels.

What "formats" ?? If you feed a digital signal into an analog monitor, it won't tune the digital signal at all.

Digital =SD=NTSC= specs for lines vertical horzontal... Standard Definition = NTSC or SD

NO NO

I want to feed a high quality video, made from an HDTV broadcast, with higher specs than NTSC "broadcast" into my Toshiba which can decifer at least 600-700 lines of video regardless of the NTSC specs.

And how is my Toshiba non HDTV going to interupt a different aspect ratio fed out of Video out, just as its doing from video out RGB into my HDTV.

greg

I am guessing my other old Comcast box does not have digital out. Its a digital Comcast cable box. It picks up SD digital channels and outputs them to NTSC video out.

SD is really not standard definition, only according to the # of lines displayed on the Tv and bandwidth. The truth of the matter, compressed digital looks a lot worse than old analog. Its crap. It does look better on the cable than what I have seen on Direct TV. Compression is up.

greg

You cannot see much of any good analog broadcasting these days cause most of the analog signals are digitally processed into an artifacted mess.

greg

I'll leave you alone now. You seem to be conversing with yourself just fine, although you seem somewhat confused, ill-informed, and incoherent. ;)

Channel 6 here is crazy, broadcasting analog some days and broadcasting digital other days-- while broadcasting analog at night-- every night. Geez, it's enough to make somebody really go off the deep end!

But to answer your question, a digital signal going into an old TV or VCR tuner gets you either a blank picture-- a nice blue screen if you're lucky-- or more likely a lot of snow and static; but no picture whatsoever. You either need a converter box or cable.

Ron

us.com

ous.com

HDTV

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You haven't seen analog broadcasts in over 20 years - since the last old quad machines were retired. Every broadcast tape machine built since 1976 uses digital time base correctors. I've worked in broadcast since '76 and while analog can be outstanding when used by qualified skilled operators, digital is much more tolerant of idiot operators - though they can still mess it up but it's harder.

G=B2

Thanks for the answer. I guess I just have to hook er up and see. I know several years ago my brother similar rear projection set was able to get a much better picture receiving HDTV.

greg

Hi!

I'd have to think that the newer DVD/VCR combinations would have ATSC tuners onboard these days.

As for older VCRs, I've used a converter box with mine and it works fine. The only thing I've had to watch for is the automatic four hour power-down on the converter box--but I caught that and turned it off ahead of time.

William

Hi!

Keeping them in good repair helps. I only ever had problems with one tape and one machine...where the tape would tangle reliably at one precise location on that one VCR. It never had trouble on any others.

Yes, that has happened. And then I Laid Down The Law about blindly reusing tapes. There hasn't been a repeat instance since that time. And write protect tabs do help a little...people tend to think if they've got to go and get some adhesive tape to cover up that little hole.

I have forced myself to label all of my tapes, so I know what they are. It's been surprisingly successful. (I'm not usually good at these sorts of "organizational tasks".)

I have never tried a TiVo or similar device--the monthly fee that I believe is required simply was not worth it to me. I have, however, worked with various PC-based solutions and all have been far too complicated or far less reliable than they should have been. The latest one I tried was SnapStream Media's BeyondTV. It was very cool in a lot of ways and positively maddening/stupidly designed in others.

So far the VCR lags behind in quality, but it's "good enough" and has always Just Worked for the task at hand.

William