Re : My video store rents copies!
Dominic Robinson
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Drew Rudman
a supermarket in southern California.) It was shrinkwrapped and brand new,
but was recorded in EP mode, and of really poor quality. I doubt that the
video store is guilty of anything more than buying cheap video tapes to rent.
[ Call... 9600bps/60meg ][ Drew Rudman ]
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Bill Ung
|I bought a really cheap copy of Bull Durham on video (for about $5.00 from
|a supermarket in southern California.) It was shrinkwrapped and brand new,
|but was recorded in EP mode, and of really poor quality. I doubt that the
|video store is guilty of anything more than buying cheap video tapes to rent.
The EP mode tapes are genuine manufactured tapes, they are also available
around here (at Target stores), the tapes are clearly marked "EP mode" on
the back (on the shrinkwrap) so you'll know before you purchase. The
shrinkwrap generally contains whatever special markings that the regular
manufacturer uses so I doubt they are "copies".
Bill Ung
u...@felix.UUCP
hplabs!felix!ung
David Weaver
In article 172...@felix.UUCP, u...@felix.UUCP (Bill Ung) writes:
>
>The EP mode tapes are genuine manufactured tapes,
Yes ... some cheap companies did surveys and made the [sad] discovery that
the video "mass" market actually finds VHS EP ("6-hour-speed") or LP
("4-hour-speed") recordings acceptable. Very, very few surveyees were
bothered by the degraded video quality versus tapes recorded in VHS SP.
Naturally, those companies figured "let's cut our tape costs!".
Obviously they didn't survey any readers of *this* newgroup! ;-)
Any any laserdisc player owner would become nauseous trying to watch
a VHS LP or EP film.
But then, there's a market for Yugo cars, too.
> the tapes are clearly marked "EP mode" on
> the back (on the shrinkwrap) so you'll know before you purchase.
Be careful -- they didn't used to mark these tapes at all.
Some companies probably still don't. There's no "disclosure" law
(is there) that requires them to, just their own sense of ethics.
The fox so cunning and free
} Yes ... some cheap companies did surveys and made the [sad] discovery that
} the video "mass" market actually finds VHS EP ("6-hour-speed") or LP
} ("4-hour-speed") recordings acceptable. Very, very few surveyees were
} bothered by the degraded video quality versus tapes recorded in VHS SP.
} Obviously they didn't survey any readers of *this* newgroup! ;-)
} Any any laserdisc player owner would become nauseous trying to watch
} a VHS LP or EP film.
On the contrary (kinda sorta somewhat). Last Christmas I'd bought my sister
a VHS deck (hell...I forget which brand it was) and "test-drove" it prior
to giving it to her. I was actually surprised at how watchable tapes made
at the EP speed were.
I wouldn't want a steady diet of it for sure, and laser has spoiled me even
where my beloved Betamax is concerned, but the VHS EP wasn't nearly as bad
as I'd expected it to be.
(Of course, the VHS *mechanics* make me nauseated, but that's another story
entirely.)
--
"My father was a tattoo artist in Haiphong.
His designs on mother didn't last too long."
--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, "The Mill", Maynard, MA)
boyajian%ruby...@DECWRL.DEC.COM or ...!decwrl!ruby.enet.dec.com!boyajian
Ken Snyder
>
>The EP mode tapes are genuine manufactured tapes,
> the back (on the shrinkwrap) so you'll know before you purchase.
This certainly didn't use to be true. My wife has accidently
purchased 2 of these tapes because they seemed like very inexpensive
movies. We returned both of them because of the poor video quality
and because there was NO markings of any kind on the tape or box
that indicated EP recording mode. We only buy laserdiscs now.
Ken
Kevin Davies
> In article <khhbv6...@smli.Eng.Sun.COM>, dwe...@earth.Eng.Sun.COM (David Weaver) writes...
>
> } Yes ... some cheap companies did surveys and made the [sad] discovery that
> } the video "mass" market actually finds VHS EP ("6-hour-speed") or LP
> } ("4-hour-speed") recordings acceptable. Very, very few surveyees were
> } bothered by the degraded video quality versus tapes recorded in VHS SP.
>
> a VHS deck (hell...I forget which brand it was) and "test-drove" it prior
> to giving it to her. I was actually surprised at how watchable tapes made
> at the EP speed were.
>
> I wouldn't want a steady diet of it for sure, and laser has spoiled me even
> where my beloved Betamax is concerned, but the VHS EP wasn't nearly as bad
> as I'd expected it to be.
>
When I read the first article, I made the same comment to myself
regarding the EP mode on my new VCR (figured at first it was just me).
After some reflection, it's obviously the technology (different/improved)
on new VCR's (in this example, high-end with special effects).
I have another, cheap 2 head unit which would provide ok pictures.
I also notice, though, that the quality of tape being used on the
newer unit is much more important than it was (must be recording more
line of information than older units).
The new unit only has SP and EP. No LP (in record mode).
--
Kevin Davies Public Access Unix
UUCP: {dalcs,ulowell}!iisat!kevin