Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

New Panasonic VCR degrade when you copy a DVD??

6 views
Skip to first unread message

Allan

unread,
Nov 7, 2003, 12:25:18 AM11/7/03
to
Has any one else heard anything about the newer Panasonic VCR's eg NVHV60
have been desigined to degrade when attempting to record a from a DVD, even
with the macrovision has been removed.
Our Customer says he now gets a grainy picture and the quality is degraded?

Claims he rang Panasonic and they told him thats what they do now?

I do not know how the VCR would know its recording a DVD signal or a Off Air
signal?

Any Ideas?

If its true, I rekon he should return the Unit as it would be Faulty, like
if he wants to record from his own DVD's that he has recorded he wont be
able too...
Allan


John Tserkezis

unread,
Nov 7, 2003, 1:27:49 AM11/7/03
to
Allan wrote:

> Has any one else heard anything about the newer Panasonic VCR's eg NVHV60
> have been desigined to degrade when attempting to record a from a DVD, even
> with the macrovision has been removed.
> Our Customer says he now gets a grainy picture and the quality is degraded?

I don't buy it. If it specifically has been designed to regcognise
copy-protected material, it will completly (or as much as it can) disable the
picture and/or audio.

> Claims he rang Panasonic and they told him thats what they do now?

There's no law against lying. I've seen warning messages on video tapes that
claim it damages your equipment if you attempt to copy it.

> I do not know how the VCR would know its recording a DVD signal or a Off Air
> signal?

Easy, it doesn't know. Aside from CGMS or Macrovision, there is no other
copy-protection tell-tale signs the signal has come from a DVD player at all.

> If its true, I rekon he should return the Unit as it would be Faulty, like
> if he wants to record from his own DVD's that he has recorded he wont be
> able too...

I'd be looking at interference or some such. It might not be his specific
DVD player that's doing it, rather than any of that make and model. Perhaps
another DVD player might not do it?

Without further investigation, it's hard to tell. You haven't specified any
more details, we don't know if he's trying to link the video with a wet piece
of string...

--
Linux Registered User # 302622 <http://counter.li.org>

Rod Speed

unread,
Nov 7, 2003, 5:34:44 PM11/7/03
to

Allan <alla...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:21Gqb.331$aT....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...

> Has any one else heard anything about the newer Panasonic VCR's
> eg NVHV60 have been desigined to degrade when attempting to
> record a from a DVD, even with the macrovision has been removed.

> Our Customer says he now gets a grainy picture and the quality is degraded?

> Claims he rang Panasonic and they told him thats what they do now?

> I do not know how the VCR would know its
> recording a DVD signal or a Off Air signal?

> Any Ideas?

> If its true, I rekon he should return the Unit as it would be Faulty,

Technically it would fail the fitness for purpose test under the trade practices act.

> like if he wants to record from his own DVD's that
> he has recorded he wont be able too...

He'd certainly be able monster Panasonic on a full
refund on that basis, tho he may have to escalate
that to management who will understand the basics
of the consumer law, even if the front monkeys dont.


Rod Speed

unread,
Nov 7, 2003, 5:42:17 PM11/7/03
to

John Tserkezis <j...@techniciansyndrome.org.invalid> wrote in message
news:3fab3b51$0$9225$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
> Allan wrote

>> Has any one else heard anything about the newer Panasonic VCR's
>> eg NVHV60 have been desigined to degrade when attempting to
>> record a from a DVD, even with the macrovision has been removed.

>> Our Customer says he now gets a grainy picture and the quality is degraded?

> I don't buy it. If it specifically has been designed to
> regcognise copy-protected material, it will completly
> (or as much as it can) disable the picture and/or audio.

Maybe. Or maybe Panasonic decided to do it that way to
minimise the number returned by customers as being faulty.

Plenty of mug punters wouldnt notice the quality degradation
but even the stupidest would notice no picture or sound.

>> Claims he rang Panasonic and they told him thats what they do now?

> There's no law against lying.

There is actually. Misleading and deceptive
conduct under the trade practices act.

> I've seen warning messages on video tapes that claim
> it damages your equipment if you attempt to copy it.

And that basically flouts the TPA.

>> I do not know how the VCR would know its
>> recording a DVD signal or a Off Air signal?

> Easy, it doesn't know.

Thats bullshit. There are obvious differences and
the VCR could be designed to detect those on that.

> Aside from CGMS or Macrovision, there is no other copy-protection
> tell-tale signs the signal has come from a DVD player at all.

Bullshit. There may not be explicitly designed in
differences but the two signals are measurably different.

>> If its true, I rekon he should return the Unit as it would
>> be Faulty, like if he wants to record from his own DVD's
>> that he has recorded he wont be able too...

> I'd be looking at interference or some such.

I'd be considering what Panasonic has said is designed in.

Its unlikely that an operation like Panasonic are deliberately lying on that.

> It might not be his specific DVD player that's doing it, rather than any
> of that make and model. Perhaps another DVD player might not do it?

That wouldnt prove that the VCR isnt designed to do that.

> Without further investigation, it's hard to tell.

Yes, but that statement by Panasonic is significant.

> You haven't specified any more details, we don't know
> if he's trying to link the video with a wet piece of string...

It wouldnt normally produce those specific symptoms even if he was.


i4004

unread,
Nov 11, 2003, 9:14:59 PM11/11/03
to
Allan wrote;

>Has any one else heard anything about the newer Panasonic VCR's eg NVHV60
>have been desigined to degrade when attempting to record a from a DVD, even
>with the macrovision has been removed.
>Our Customer says he now gets a grainy picture and the quality is degraded?

i have some experiences with same machine to share (i'm from croatia
(europe) and i bought it from local panasonic dealer);

from the start i saw something was fishy with the machine;it showed
grainy(that word describes the problem best),distorted,pictures full
of dots and tracking-like interference (but worse,as tracking never
has dancing dots on the screen that don't go away with tracking
adjustments),the color gets all over the place etc.
(this has nothing to do with the source of video..ie. wether it be
dvd,broadcast etc...it's a playback problem....macrovision is either
1-brightness flashing (you have image,but the brightness/contrast goes
up/down in a random fashion)
2-loss of sync,so image completely dissapears.....)

even though it was new,i took it apart,as there were some things that
pointed me to look at mechanics/tape-drum relations etc. (for
example,sometimes the problem would go away after a fast forward or
fast rewind )

and funny enough ,i was right;the mechanical chassis of this
particular machine was NOT fixed well enough to the plastic case,so
when i twisted the housing,the image would come ok,and when i flexed
it a bit more,the image would degrade again (VERY poor
manufacturing/assemby...this particular nv-hv60 was made in slovakia)

and i have found a reason;the 3 screws that are ment to hold the
mechanical deck fixed to housing (on the side near the scart sockets)
were not doing anything really!
plastic stub(stud?) is protruted beyond the hole in mechanical deck,so
it's holding only the screw but not the vcr's mechanical deck!!!
(this is funny when you first see it!)

i have used it as-is for some time now( i would put something beneath
it ,so the chassis would slightly flex in a way that good image is
achieved), but i finally grew tired of it,and tonite decide to see if
i can fix it...(as sometimes image would deteriorate just because i
walked by the vcr...lol!)

i have just finished the work where i have secured this mech-deck
safely onto the housing;i have used soldering iron to remove plastic
stub's surplus and then i used normal screws to fix this deck in a way
it should be fixed-fixed stiff!

(i was just looking on google groups if someone else had the nasty
experience,and here i am...i ment to do some guide,but i believe not
every machine is made in a such sloppy way so it would be required...i
HOPE!)

if someone told me that this can happen to panasonic i wouldn't
believe it..........
(the electronics in it are pretty cool,but what recent vcr doesn't
have decent electrinics and VERY cheap mechanics...hehe)

cheers

/ivo


-iz email adrese ukloni sva velika slova za odgovor.....
[i4004 is MS-MPEG4v3 (aka Divx3) power user]
A Brief History of Optical Disc
http://www.oz.net/blam/DiscoVision/LaserMagic1998.htm
The Record That Plays Pictures
http://www.oz.net/blam/DiscoVision/RecordPlaysPictures.htm

0 new messages