Betamax to HD-DVD Converter

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Betamax to HD-DVD Converter

But as soon as the customer found out that a VHS T-120 could record up to 6 hours in SLP mode while the longest Beta tape (the L-830) could only go up to 5 hours in Beta III mode, they flocked over to the VHS shelves. IOW, people chose quantity over quality, more than anything else.

I'm not so sure it was quantity as much as the size worked better. At 6 hours, you could fit 3 "edited for TV" movies on a tape. 5 hours gave you two movies and a short sitcom.

Maybe it was just because the first Beta machines I worked with were industrial units, but I found early Betas were really slow in "responsiveness". Every time you hit play, it had to wrap the tape around the head. A process that took like 5 seconds. (Know it doesn't sound bad, but just time it. You've pressed a button, and now you're just sitting there waiting for it to do it's thing.) Just try to find a spot on a tape when it takes that long to switch between FF, REW, and Play. The first VHS I used was far faster.

Plus, few beta units could play all 3 speeds. I know of one popular BII/BIII unit that could NOT play BI. At all. Fancier versions had a switch - in the back, under a cover - that had to be flipped between BI and BII/BIII. VHS? As long as the unit supported the slower speed, just pop it in, it plays. No brainier.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Betamax to HD-DVD Converter

I'm not so sure it was quantity as much as the size worked better. At 6 hours, you could fit 3 "edited for TV" movies on a tape. 5 hours gave you two movies and a short sitcom.

I don't know if six hours was necessarily a "magic" number. After all, everyone used a VCR for different purposes. Some people used it primarily to record hour long programs (like soap operas). The one indisputable fact is that 6 hours is longer than 5 hours.

Plus, few beta units could play all 3 speeds.

Only a few? Wow. That doesn't match my experience or that of Mr. Betamax, a very knowledgeable Beta enthusiast and collector.

As the chart above suggests, and as you probably already know, the first Beta recorders had only one speed and it was Beta I (one). If your tapes were recorded on one of these early machines then any Sony machine will play them (yes, even the ED Beta units). There is only one exception. The SL-8600, which is a Beta II (two) only machine, will not.

One thing I have to add to that is that the Sanyo and Toshiba Beta players I have owned, while not able to record in Beta I, were able to playback Beta I speed material.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Betamax to HD-DVD Converter

Only a few? Wow. That doesn't match my experience or that of Mr. Betamax, a very knowledgeable Beta enthusiast and collector.

Maybe it was only the units I encountered, but it seemed that way - at least at the time there was still a format war. From what I can tell Beta fell behind in the late 70's/early 80's. The era of the top loader.

This site seems to indicate that much of the problem was the way Sony partnered (or rather failed to partner) and just got out produced.

I'm sure the original recording time of one hour didn't do them any good. VHS was good for two hours from the get-go. Once a family bought a VHS, there wasn't much compelling reason to switch.

One of the Betas I used was probably this model. The write-up confirms that it could only play B1 and it required flipping a switch on the back. It was a simular unit I saw, possibly OEMed, that didn't have the switch, and as a result couldn't play B1.

[lensperson]

Re: Betamax to HD-DVD Converter

The difficult to find component is a working betamax player. The video output from the machine should load normally into a modern computer.VHS tapes and Betamax tapes are just two different ways of storing the same info.The video on tapes can be stored on computers as digital files and later burned to video disc.Sometimes very old tapes will benefit from what is called a time base corrector.

[TuNnL]

Re: Betamax to HD-DVD Converter

I figured that the lack of a working Beta player was the roadblock you were facing, as it would be for most people in trying to get their old Beta tapes transferred to a digital format.

The difficult to find component is a working betamax player. The video output from the machine should load normally into a modern computer ... Sometimes very old tapes will benefit from what is called a time base corrector.

Well speak for yourself, as my parents still own a fully-functional, top-of-the-line Betamax VCR. As I said earlier in this thread, I have used this very machine to digitize a tape in the way lensperson is advocating, although “time-based correction” is generally not a function available on consumer equipment — particularly something as old as Betamax.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Betamax to HD-DVD Converter

Well speak for yourself, as my parents still own a fully-functional, top-of-the-line Betamax VCR.

Hehe! Easy, Tunnl. No need to get defensive over this. Glad to hear that the Beta format is alive and doing well with your folks. But Sue (not your parents) was the one asking for help in this forum.

As I said earlier in this thread, I have used this very machine to digitize a tape in the way lensperson is advocating, although “time-based correction” is generally not a function available on consumer equipment — particularly something as old as Betamax.

Once again, Lensperson can speak for himself. But I'm pretty sure he is referring to DVD recorders that have a TBC function built-in. It's a pretty common feature on home/consumer DVD recorders. A Panasonic DVD-recorder unit that I purchased way back in 2001 had this, which did a good job straightening out picture "curls" at the top that were inherent in some of my old VHS recordings. The result was a nice, stable picture when you viewed the same recording transferred to DVD-R.

[lensperson]

Re: Betamax to HD-DVD Converter

Yes, this is correct.Many of the "off the shelf" dvd standalone burners have built in tbc or otherwise called time base correctors onboard.I copied many tapes with bad curling and tearing into dvd burners and was amazed at what was obtained.

[Kalihiboy]

Re: Betamax to HD-DVD Converter

Forgot to mention Costco can transfer your betamax tapes at affordable prices. Try them. Last December I needed some 8mm films transferred and took them to Costco, they send the materials to a film lab I think in Utah and I received the DVD in just a few weeks, pretty fast too.

[tutusue]

Re: Betamax to HD-DVD Converter

Forgot to mention Costco can transfer your betamax tapes at affordable prices. Try them. Last December I needed some 8mm films transferred and took them to Costco, they send the materials to a film lab I think in Utah and I received the DVD in just a few weeks, pretty fast too.

Mahaloooooooo plenny for that tip!