Poll; how many forum members have a Working Betamax?

[Sanbeta]

Mark

I can tell you they are being designed and tested to last a lot longer (forever maybe) than those originals and in SILVER not that horrible gold colour
Two guys in Australia have attempted this but I don't particularly like there font and labelling changes plus the Aussie 6500's had a 'TV/VCR button instead of 'Audio dub' that we in the UK were privy too,so are not much good here.

As soon as I have any you will know about it

..Kev

[Nicklyons2]

Originally Posted by Redders03

Always wanting to add to this.

If you want to add to it with some C6s let me know!

[2ombieboy]

i have 2 sony players my main one is a super beta hifi modal no SL-HF950. and a sony hifi forget modal no for that one. + 100s of tapes inc lots of video nasties

Alan

[harvestgold]

I'm down to two machines now - a Sony C-9, which works fine apart from the usual DC-DC converter problem and a wonderful Sanyo VTC-9300, which is a big heavy piano key model.

This was given to me a couple of years ago as its owner had finally bought something more modern (a PVR or DVD recorder, I can't remember which). The tapes which came with it had recordings mostly from the 2000 to 2010 period as it was still in daily use! It must have been very well maintained as it still gives an excellent picture.

[Okto1984]

Originally Posted by 8 Tracker

This has long play, so with a four-hour tape length, you can fit sixteen hours of video on to one cassette . This was quite a selling point.

But also a lot of FF and RW to find anything! There must be an optimal place between cassette size and tape length.

It's been interesting to hear more about V2000 as I've never had the chance to try one out.

As for betamax, I had a Sanyo VTC5000. They seem very common and most I've come across have worked fine, even after years of not being used.

[8 Tracker]

Originally Posted by Okto1984

But also a lot of FF and RW to find anything! There must be an optimal place between cassette size and tape length.

Not really, it was only roughly the same length as a four-hour VHS cassette, long-play increased the record time to 8 hours, then another 8 hours on the other side. Some of the high end machines (including the 2x8) had a "go to" function and a real-time tape counter, so it was fairly easy to find what you were looking for - assuming you were searching on the right side of the cassette .

It was, shall we say, an "interesting" format.

VTC 5000 are probably the most common machine around now, judging by the numbers I've seen about. They are pretty reliable beasts, just need rubber idlers and belts changing every so often. Heads last for ages because the machine unlaces the tape when fast winding.

Kev - very interested in your new design, do keep us posted.

Mark.

[Sanbeta]

Remember too ALL Sanyo beta's from the 1982 VTC 5000 unlaced and their later models I would say are even more reliable (rubber components aside) than the 5000, although less saturated in the UK sales market down to Beta's sad downward slide.
The VTC 5000 had a considerable market share in 1982 of 15%, that would explain the vcr's popularity, even now. It has stood the test of time very well indeed.
Some have been very well looked after and stored well others I have seen have been in a shocking state, down to poor storage and general neglect and rough treatment. Then there's those that have had bad cowboy attempts at repair.I have resurrected a lot to justify my comments, 99% successfully, to very appreciative and happy recipients.

Can I also politely add this was a discussion about Beta format ownership (don't think V2000 comes under that category

Mark.............I will.

...Kev

[Outrun_uk]

Got a Sony F1 with the power supply (the tuner/timer was water damaged and BER). Working-ish but had a bit of a hunting/servo lock fault last time I tried it. Our first VCR was a Sony SL800UB back in the day!

[Mikey66]

I have a Sony SL-T30ME, bought from a car boot in the early 90s. It still works fine.

[mark pirate]

I have a Sanyo VTC5000 and a sony top loading portable (with separate timer/tuner) that are in working order, also a couple of Sony C5's and a C7 that sort of work!

The VTC5000 was given to me over 25 years ago, when it's original owner got a new VHS machine.
It is still boxed with instructions, it has had very little use during my ownership, I just used for copying a few tapes to DVD.

Mark

[johntech]

I have just decorated my so called office and thought I might try copying some of my old betamax tapes of the children recorded in the 80's.
I had put in the attic 20 years ago a Sony c6 and a Sony c7 machine. So out with the ladder!
Much to my amazement the C7 works perfectly. They certainly were very well made and despite there complexity to work after 20years in a cold damp attic is amazing!! But as people tend to forget they did cost £650! I'm also amazed that a 20year old video tape is still playable after been kept in poor conditions.

[andyw25]

Hi all

I have two working Betamax Recorders

1x Sanyo VTC5000 & 1x VTC5150

[GLENZ32]

Sanyo VTCM30 and VTC9300..both were working last time I used them..lol..

[dj_fivos_sak]

1. Sony SL-T30ME working
2. Sanyo VTC 5000 working
3. Sanyo VTC 9350 not working
I'm getting soon a Fisher VBR 330 prortable Beta (Sanyo VPR 5800 clone).

[IanNVJ35]

I'm finding that with todays HD broadcasts tape (VHS and Beta) have never looked better. Since there is no ghosting or grain the image quality is quite astoundingly good. I used my serviced Beta VTC-M40 (thanks to Sanbeta here) and with good tapes it is still a very valid and useable way of archiving TV programmes. I was looking for a Sony 950 unit but those are often faulty so have not found the right one yet.

[HurtyAC]

Hi All,
I have two Sony SL-C7UB's a SL-C5UB and a SL-C20. One C7 and one C5 working. The other C7 is one I bought in 1981 when I worked as a bench engineer (Kensal Green London) for Sony and purchased it off the staff purchase scheme (Was still £625) which used to be customer returned machines. The C20 is working but needs the toothed belt. The C7 needs a new CTL head and is next on the bench after a N1502. Please see attached pictures taken in the last 4 weeks.

[Chris-G8ETC]

I have a Sony C5, alas no longer working.

[8 Tracker]

I agree with Ian. Even on a large screen, which were never really considered when these formats were designed, the picture quality on a well set-up machine can be remarkably good, especially considering that Beta in the UK has been an obsolete format for over 25 years. Some modern TVs have very good noise reduction circuitry / software, but the quality has to be there in the first place.

I have a 950, the picture is excellent in the high-band mode, but it needs special high-grade tapes to perform properly. I have plenty of these, but only L500 length, 130 minutes, not long enough for some films - very annoying. I have never seen L750 high grade tapes, though I did get hold of some 30 minute Betacam oxide tapes. These last for over 3 hours in a consumer machine. A word of caution for anyone else, never use Betacam SP tapes in a domestic machine, they cause very rapid head wear.

My 950 needs a full alignment, I must grit my teeth and get it done. For an amateur like me, should only take a couple of weeks.

Mark.

[Libratron]

Hurty a very nice foto of the SL-C5 in run mode.

A question; where is the difference to the SL-C5 and the SL-C7?
In other words are the same VTR?

Thank You.

Libra

[Nicklyons2]

There were several differences although some of the basic audio/video recording bits were very similar and often interchangeable perhaps the biggest difference is the power supply; a fairly conventional transformer one on the C5 and a potentially deadly switch mode one on the C7.