Recommendations for BetaMax VCR.

[JustTrev]

Hello folks - I'm after some advice, and I'm sure there's plenty available!
About 30 or more years ago I was into Betamax fairly bigtime, had 2 General machines hooked-up to the TV. Anyway, subsequently (some years later) they went a bit wrong....and I couldn't get repairs done at less than second-mortgage rates, so I ditched one, & still got the other somewhere or other. Probably in the well-known 'Safe Place'.
Anyway - to cut out more drivel - let me say that I kept all my Betamax tapes, and have stored-away about 300 I think. Now in my dotage I have the notion to re-use them, maybe archive em on DVD, and so on and so forth - but obviously don't have the means, the machine. So....what model(s) should I be looking for? I've been very STRONGLY advised to avoid the jobbies that use belt-drive (like those wretched General ones) but I'm in the dark entirely.
Any and all advice & info would be gratefully received. Help!
-JustTrev in Lincolnshire & sometimes Kuwait.

[IanNVJ35]

Welcome!

I too use Beta machines and I have Sanyo M20 and Sanyo M40 models which I purchased pre-restored for around £200. These are proving very good with nice picture quality and without the head wear that Sony models tend to suffer from (due to the way they are laced up at all times).

I would say that if you don't have any Hi-Fi tapes, then a Sanyo VTC-M10 or VTC-M20 would suit you very well - and they can be kept running with little effort. Heads are available too should they be needed.

[Studio263]

Sony SL-C5UB or SL-C6UB, both sturdy, plentiful and easy to sort out. Bag yourself a new set of heads from ELC for a fiver (if they still have any left).

Avoid the C7 and the C9, both are complex and troublesome in their own special ways.

The SL-8000UB is a nice old thing too, pretty simple to fix but just a little on the BIG side. I still fancy one myself....

[murphyv310]

Toshiba 8600, another good machine with excellent still & search.

[twocvbloke]

My personal opinion is the Sony SL-F1UB, but being the only Beta machine I've used, I can't come up with anything else...

Very expensive model though, especially of complete with Tuner/Timer unit, battery charger/power supply and the camera, but nice and compact when just used on it's own, and also only a Mono kit...

Needs an adaptor to output as AV, a little device that plugs into the multi-way connector socket on the back of the VCR unit which gives an RCA socket for audio and a BNC socket for Video, otherwise it just has an RF modulator built into the VCR which works just as well...

[murphyv310]

The SL-F1 uses the same mech as the C9, it has the collapsible guides which reduces the overall height of the machine, the C9 of course is linear track stereo with BNR, the downside I am afraid due to the slightly lower tape speed of the Beta format.
I had a C9 for years which was a reliable machine, it replaced a NEC PVC740 which also used a Sony mech from the C5.

[ben]

I like the sanyos, I have a few: VTC-5000 or two, a VTC6500 and VTC-NX100. For high end work, a sony HF100. the sanyos just need the rubber idlers changing usually. They tend to be easier to access. The sony transports, at least the later ones, are more reliable as they're direct drive (=no belts), but suffer head wear as mentioned.

[Heatercathodeshort]

Without doubt a SANYO. Very few problems other than a reel idler and a set of loading belts. I never encountered a machine with worn heads due to the reason that Ian mentions. The cheapest video recorder on the market by far and without doubt the most reliable. The 3V29 of the Betamax stable. J.

[Mike Phelan]

The indestructible Sanyo 9300 was one of my favourites; very heavy, huge single motor and simple circuitry.

Toshiba V5470 looks nice and gives excellent results as well.

[JustTrev]

Wow! That was some quick advice! Thanks, folks, I'm now digesting each & every reply. I will just add that I've been offered a Sony SL-HF100UB and a SONY SL-HF950 - but each of them is well over 200-quid, but reportedly 'fully working in excellent order'.
What's the advice on those models? I think they're both 'stereo' from what I can find of the specs.
-JustTrev in Lincolnshire & sometimes Kuwait.

[8 Tracker]

You are right about the two Sony models. They are both hi-fi stereo machines. I have a 950, this is a super beta machine and the picture quality is excellent, if the machine is working correctly. Before you buy, do make sure that there is plenty of life left in the heads. These are very expensive and setting up this machine is a nightmare (for an amateur like me anyway). If everything is working well, it should give reliable service. The only other problem is keeping the thing fed with tapes. If you want to use the highest quality mode, you need to use "Pro-X" formulation tapes, which are quite rare. Worth over 200 quid? Only you can decide, but they regularly go for well over this on eBay. Good luck with your quest,
Mark.

[Outrun_uk]

Our first VCR was a Sony SL8000, built like a tank but great picture. Progressed to a C5 with "Unique" picture search and then C6. I picked up an F1 from a car boot but worn heads and a capstan lock fault, one of the best Betas IMO but a pig to work on. Would jump at a 950 but as stated above check the heads are good. Also consider a C20 if one comes up.

Kev

[twocvbloke]

If you're lucky, you can still find sealed packs of tapes on ebay, a few years ago I bought a couple of sealed tapes, and they were flawless, so keep an eye out for them...

Used tapes aren't too bad, but you never know how they were stored or if they even work, so, be wary of those...

Infact, I had one tape that shed it's first few inches of tape oxide onto the heads of my SL-F1UB, that was real pain to clean off, luckily the tape was an old rental so I could actually snip off the damaged section and re-splice it onto the metal leader so it works as normal now...

[JustTrev]

Erm....now I guess I need advice on checking the condition of the heads - that is, without ripping the whole machine apart. Of course that could be fun, but any vendor would take a surly attude to my inability to put it all together again. No doubt there's some fairly quick & easy 'rules of thumb'....

[davyrocket2]

Hi Trev.

The Sony SL-HF 100 is a excellent machine, so is the SL-HF 950. The only problem is once the video heads are worn out they are no longer available. Certainly a good Sanyo 9300 will do a good job and heads and belts are readily available from Irwin Electronics of Sheffield.

All the best.

David.

[raymy1954]

I assume you still have eccentricity guage for changing heads

[davyrocket2]

hi i meant,to say heads are available for the SL-HF 950's Visionaids,but not for the SL-C9's.