Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

electronicskip · 21st Mar 2018, 7:24 pm

I wasn't even aware of this format(Super Video recording SVR) until yesterday, while reading up on N1700 repairs, but it seems this was available in the UK for about a year.
Machines were branded ITT and Grundig (SVR4004) and tapes could run up to 5 hours.
I would seriously like to obtain one for my collection if I can sneak one in when her indoors goes out, but the price of them seems prohibitive looking around the net in any case so probably out of the question on both counts. Has anyone here had any experience with this format? or even own one.

1100 man · 21st Mar 2018, 9:35 pm

Hi,
I had a Grundig SVR in the mid '80's. My friend appeared with it one day strapped to his moped: goodness only knows how he managed to ride it!

From memory, it used very similar tapes to the 1700 but I don't think they were quite the same. Certainly they were not compatible format wise.
I also seem to remember that the picture quality was better than the 1700. It might have had a picture sharpener which the 1700 didn't. I always wanted a 1702 at the time as it did have a sharpener.
That was the only machine I ever saw: good luck finding another one!!
All the best
Nick

electronicskip · 21st Mar 2018, 9:57 pm

Reading between the lines it seems that the tapes were of a higher quality using Chrome dioxide tapes made exclusively for the machine by Agfa and BASF so consequently the tapes are not interchangeable with other machines, only the SVR format.

Heatercathodeshort · 21st Mar 2018, 10:02 pm

It's a distant memory but I seem to remember that Toshiba brought out a machine with this format but I don't think it was marketed. I did have a sales booklet for it but it must have got scrapped when I closed the shop. John.

1100 man · 21st Mar 2018, 10:29 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by electronicskip

Reading between the lines it seems that the tapes were of a higher quality using Chrome dioxide tapes made exclusively for the machine by Agfa and BASF so consequently the tapes are not interchangeable with other machines, only the SVR format.

Ah, maybe that's how they were able to run the tape much slower but get good quality. I don't know if I remember rightly, but 1700 tapes would fit but did some mechanical damage? There is a very distant bell ringing in my brain!
Cheers
Nick

Graham G3ZVT · 21st Mar 2018, 11:17 pm

Didn't some N1500 owners turn down the capstan diameter on a lathe to get longer recording time?
I suppose they had to put up with extra adjacent track crosstalk.

ben · 22nd Mar 2018, 12:27 am

Interesting. I'd heard the name but had no idea they were the same physical system as the N1500/1700. I'd assumed they were that pre-8mm type cassette thing Grundig brought out in the late 70s. What was that then?

Graham G3ZVT · 22nd Mar 2018, 12:34 am

Do you mean Video 2000?
Half inch tape, but you could turn it over, so effectively a quarter inch format.

ben · 22nd Mar 2018, 12:45 am

No, I have a v2000. The one I had imagined was just a bit bigger than an audio cassette and was like a forerunner of the 8mm and VHS-C camcorder tapes that came about a decade later. Any ideas?

EDIT: Found it on the site linked earlier. I was getting my acronyms mixed up! It was CVC (Funai of all people)

1100 man · 22nd Mar 2018, 1:11 am

That's an excellent link, Ben and well worth a read. It explains the similarities and differences between the SVR & 1500/ 1700 formats.
Cheers
Nick

ianm · 22nd Mar 2018, 1:47 am

I remember the Grundig SVR machines very well, mainly as a result of owning a Philips N1500 in the late 1970s and having a strong interest in video recorders generally around that time. This link might be useful:

http://www.totalrewind.org/philips/P_4004.htm

dj_fivos_sak · 22nd Mar 2018, 3:31 pm

I have a friend who owns a Grundig SVR4004. He found it at a flea market 2 years ago and as far as I know it works fine. These are getting extremely rare so it is collectible.

Fivos

electronicskip · 22nd Mar 2018, 3:34 pm

Ive seen a couple on auction sites but the price being asked is silly , and with no guarantee it will even work.
But I will keep my eyes open now on the rare chance one comes my way.

dj_fivos_sak · 22nd Mar 2018, 6:01 pm

Most of the times, "untested" means doesn't work...

Focus Diode · 23rd Mar 2018, 8:52 am

It's fascinating to hear about them now but at the time, what a headache! Philips style cassettes specially adapted for the format for example.

Not long after Philips and Grundig teamed up with their V2000 format. At least they could play each others recordings.

I would imagine the SVR cassettes will be rarer than the machines themselves nowadays.

Mikey405 · 23rd Mar 2018, 1:24 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heatercathodeshort

It's a distant memory but I seem to remember that Toshiba brought out a machine with this format but I don't think it was marketed. I did have a sales booklet for it but it must have got scrapped when I closed the shop. John.

I think that was the "LVR" format John. The high density tape ran at high speed past a stationary head which "Clicked" to the next track every X number of minutes. I did see an advert showing a home machine and a portable device with a camera. As you say though, I don't think it was ever produced commercially...

electronicskip · 23rd Mar 2018, 4:45 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Focus Diode

It's fascinating to hear about them now but at the time, what a headache! Philips style cassettes specially adapted for the format for example.

Not long after Philips and Grundig teamed up with their V2000 format. At least they could play each others recordings.

I would imagine the SVR cassettes will be rarer than the machines themselves nowadays.

Ive personally never seen an SVR Tape but I do know of a service that offers SVR transfer to DVD along with most of the other recording video tape standards so I guess there must be some around.

Electricdreams · 23rd Mar 2018, 5:14 pm

At the risk of going off thread.. there is another format that not many know about..

LVR, Longitude Video Recording.
Fixed head, fast tape speed and many tracks like a 8 track cartridge...

electronicskip · 23rd Mar 2018, 5:44 pm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longit...ideo_Recording

vhs doctor · 23rd Mar 2018, 10:36 pm

Hi

I have both machines one philips N1700 VCR-LP format and one grundig SVR4004. Recently i found prerecorded tapes for the N1700.
Does anyone knows if the Grundig SVR can record and playback the VCR LP cassettes.
Both of these machines are unused for years i have read that the glue on the video heads especially on Philips are fragile due to years what can i do to prevent the damage in video heads

21st Mar 2018, 7:24 pm	#1
electronicskip Nonode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK. Posts: 2,150	Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? I wasn't even aware of this format(Super Video recording SVR) until yesterday, while reading up on N1700 repairs, but it seems this was available in the UK for about a year. Machines were branded ITT and Grundig (SVR4004) and tapes could run up to 5 hours. I would seriously like to obtain one for my collection if I can sneak one in when her indoors goes out, but the price of them seems prohibitive looking around the net in any case so probably out of the question on both counts. Has anyone here had any experience with this format? or even own one.

21st Mar 2018, 9:35 pm	#2
1100 man Octode Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Ventnor, Isle of Wight, & Great Dunmow, Essex, UK. Posts: 1,377	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? Hi, I had a Grundig SVR in the mid '80's. My friend appeared with it one day strapped to his moped: goodness only knows how he managed to ride it! From memory, it used very similar tapes to the 1700 but I don't think they were quite the same. Certainly they were not compatible format wise. I also seem to remember that the picture quality was better than the 1700. It might have had a picture sharpener which the 1700 didn't. I always wanted a 1702 at the time as it did have a sharpener. That was the only machine I ever saw: good luck finding another one!! All the best Nick

21st Mar 2018, 9:57 pm	#3
electronicskip Nonode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK. Posts: 2,150	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? Reading between the lines it seems that the tapes were of a higher quality using Chrome dioxide tapes made exclusively for the machine by Agfa and BASF so consequently the tapes are not interchangeable with other machines, only the SVR format.

21st Mar 2018, 10:02 pm	#4
Heatercathodeshort Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING. Posts: 9,147	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? It's a distant memory but I seem to remember that Toshiba brought out a machine with this format but I don't think it was marketed. I did have a sales booklet for it but it must have got scrapped when I closed the shop. John.

21st Mar 2018, 11:17 pm	#6
Graham G3ZVT Dekatron Join Date: May 2010 Location: Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 18,715	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? Didn't some N1500 owners turn down the capstan diameter on a lathe to get longer recording time? I suppose they had to put up with extra adjacent track crosstalk. __________________ -- Graham. G3ZVT

22nd Mar 2018, 12:27 am	#7
ben Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK Posts: 7,498	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? Interesting. I'd heard the name but had no idea they were the same physical system as the N1500/1700. I'd assumed they were that pre-8mm type cassette thing Grundig brought out in the late 70s. What was that then? __________________ Regards, Ben.

22nd Mar 2018, 12:34 am	#8
Graham G3ZVT Dekatron Join Date: May 2010 Location: Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 18,715	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? Do you mean Video 2000? Half inch tape, but you could turn it over, so effectively a quarter inch format. __________________ -- Graham. G3ZVT

22nd Mar 2018, 12:45 am	#9
ben Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK Posts: 7,498	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? No, I have a v2000. The one I had imagined was just a bit bigger than an audio cassette and was like a forerunner of the 8mm and VHS-C camcorder tapes that came about a decade later. Any ideas? EDIT: Found it on the site linked earlier. I was getting my acronyms mixed up! It was CVC (Funai of all people) __________________ Regards, Ben.

22nd Mar 2018, 1:11 am	#10
1100 man Octode Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Ventnor, Isle of Wight, & Great Dunmow, Essex, UK. Posts: 1,377	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? That's an excellent link, Ben and well worth a read. It explains the similarities and differences between the SVR & 1500/ 1700 formats. Cheers Nick

22nd Mar 2018, 1:47 am	#11
ianm Hexode Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, UK. Posts: 341	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? I remember the Grundig SVR machines very well, mainly as a result of owning a Philips N1500 in the late 1970s and having a strong interest in video recorders generally around that time. This link might be useful: http://www.totalrewind.org/philips/P_4004.htm __________________ Regards Ian McLaughlin, BVWS member

22nd Mar 2018, 3:31 pm	#12
dj_fivos_sak Heptode Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Lefkada, Greece Posts: 969	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? I have a friend who owns a Grundig SVR4004. He found it at a flea market 2 years ago and as far as I know it works fine. These are getting extremely rare so it is collectible. Fivos

22nd Mar 2018, 3:34 pm	#13
electronicskip Nonode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK. Posts: 2,150	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? Ive seen a couple on auction sites but the price being asked is silly , and with no guarantee it will even work. But I will keep my eyes open now on the rare chance one comes my way.

22nd Mar 2018, 6:01 pm	#14
dj_fivos_sak Heptode Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Lefkada, Greece Posts: 969	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? Most of the times, "untested" means doesn't work...

23rd Mar 2018, 8:52 am	#15
Focus Diode Octode Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Borough of Gateshead, UK. Posts: 1,420	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? It's fascinating to hear about them now but at the time, what a headache! Philips style cassettes specially adapted for the format for example. Not long after Philips and Grundig teamed up with their V2000 format. At least they could play each others recordings. I would imagine the SVR cassettes will be rarer than the machines themselves nowadays.

23rd Mar 2018, 5:14 pm	#18
Electricdreams Hexode Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Manchester, UK. Posts: 478	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? At the risk of going off thread.. there is another format that not many know about.. LVR, Longitude Video Recording. Fixed head, fast tape speed and many tracks like a 8 track cartridge... __________________ What have you bought now??

23rd Mar 2018, 5:44 pm	#19
electronicskip Nonode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK. Posts: 2,150	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longit...ideo_Recording

23rd Mar 2018, 10:36 pm	#20
vhs doctor Pentode Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Athens, Greece. Posts: 173	Re: Anyone got an SVR Video recorder? Hi I have both machines one philips N1700 VCR-LP format and one grundig SVR4004. Recently i found prerecorded tapes for the N1700. Does anyone knows if the Grundig SVR can record and playback the VCR LP cassettes. Both of these machines are unused for years i have read that the glue on the video heads especially on Philips are fragile due to years what can i do to prevent the damage in video heads