|
Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc. |
|
Thread Tools |
12th Nov 2019, 6:43 pm | #1 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Hull, Yorkshire and the Humber, UK.
Posts: 1
|
General video recorder VG240B
I’ve just inherited all my father in laws belongings and have come across this video cassette recorder I cannot find any info online about at all.
It’s made by General/Teleton which where based in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex The instruction book I have is printed in Japan It looks like an old Betamax video to me as the tape entry point is small and the model VG240B suggests Betamax. It’s really well made and heavy as Betamax video cassettes used to be. eg The heavier better made. I have the full instruction booklet and users instructions but I cannot find any info online about it at all. I know Sony Betamax where made in Japan.mine also states it was made in Japan also Any info would be great as it’s doing my head in trying to find any info at all about it Thanks |
12th Nov 2019, 9:23 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,843
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
Hello and welcome.
This may well be a Mitsubishi machine. Nick |
12th Nov 2019, 9:30 pm | #3 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 2,474
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
All General machines I have ever seen were clones of Panasonic machines, plus I don't recall Mitsubishi as ever being part of the Beta camp, Tosh, Sanyo and maybe a few others were, Mitsubishi never were as far as I recall.
Edit: Pics of the machine and some of the deck (with the covers removed) would speak a thousand words
__________________
I don't suffer from Insanity. I enjoy every minute of it. Last edited by Red to black; 12th Nov 2019 at 9:37 pm. |
12th Nov 2019, 9:50 pm | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 7,444
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
It's most likely a rebadged Toshiba V8600. I rented and sold a few General branded machines as well as the machines bought direct from Toshiba.
Absolutely superb machines, every bit as good as the Sony SL-C5. Found this Betamax website: https://www.palsite.com/ov_toshiba.html DFWB. |
12th Nov 2019, 9:58 pm | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 18,711
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
Google responded to:
VG240B Betamax with this: https://www.palsite.com/tech.py?model=vg240atech.html <edit> FERNSEH beat me to it.
__________________
-- Graham. G3ZVT |
12th Nov 2019, 9:59 pm | #6 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 2,474
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
Interested to hear there were actual General branded Beta machines around David, the only General branded machines I ever saw were Panasonic D deck VHS machines, possibly a clone of a Nat Pan NV430.
If there were Beta machines of this brand then a clone of one of the "big three" Beta manufacturers would make most sense. Edit: Nice one Graham
__________________
I don't suffer from Insanity. I enjoy every minute of it. |
12th Nov 2019, 10:16 pm | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 7,444
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
The General machines were finished in a champagne coloured cabinet. The Toshiba V8600 was grey.
DFWB. |
12th Nov 2019, 10:23 pm | #8 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 2,474
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
I remember both the Tosh V8600 and the V9600 as I was one of the few that still would repair Beta machines back in the day when they had faded from grace, I must say though I had never heard of a General badged one before today, plenty of Sony and Sanyo models too of course, oh well every day is a school day
__________________
I don't suffer from Insanity. I enjoy every minute of it. |
12th Nov 2019, 10:42 pm | #9 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 7,444
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
Hi Baz,
you never stop learning with electronics. Keep's those grey cells active. Toshiba V8600 was made in 1981. The earlier big function keys model was available as a Bush. I remember attending a teach-in about the then new machine in 1980. Gosh, thirty-eight years ago! DFWB. |
18th Nov 2019, 1:35 pm | #10 |
Hexode
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 256
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
General DID make Beta machines and the only one i can remember was a clone of the Toshiba V31B.
I owned a V31b from new and despite the excellent picture quality it's always laced feature did cause bad wear to my tapes and the inevitable 'bumping' during rewind ,which was a shame. I have one of the General VG240b's here and after replacing the belt's it works really well. The tuner side is defunct ,just as well as analogue has been put in the dustbin of history now. You will more than likely need a full new belt set as the Toshibas tend to turn into tar/glue for some reason. .....Kev |
18th Nov 2019, 2:36 pm | #11 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: North Wales, UK.
Posts: 6,916
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
As the man says, you never stop learning! I've only ever seen a Panasonic General, possibly a NV333 clone, and then I think a Funai, though I might be wrong on that one.
That looks a nice machine as all the Toshiba Betas were - even the old single-motor mechanical. The exception was the V31 which used to eat heads and upper drums, sometimes in a matter of months. As usual, Toshiba were very aware of this and supplied FOC parts for a while, though the fact Beta was dying out meant most customers gave up after the third head replacement and bought a VHS. |
19th Nov 2019, 2:00 am | #12 |
Hexode
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 256
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
|
19th Nov 2019, 7:21 pm | #13 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Haarlem, Netherlands
Posts: 4,199
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
Quote:
It may sound a bit pedantic, but it's important to be precise with things like this. Words like 'clone' and 'made by / make' are often misused slightly and can then cause confusion as to which company did what and how. |
|
23rd Nov 2019, 5:09 pm | #14 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: North Wales, UK.
Posts: 6,916
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
A valid point. However there were a number of Teleton televisions that were pretty unique to them, I believe.
As an example of a 'clone', I'd choose the Vestel 11AK10 (I think). Sold as the Bush 2020, it was almost identical to the Goldstar chassis. Similar but not identical to the originals were the Huanyu TV (Hitahi 1471) and the Perdio 20" (Toshiba). |
24th Nov 2019, 4:57 pm | #15 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Lefkada, Greece
Posts: 969
|
Re: General video recorder VG240B
General Betamax machines were made by Toshiba. See this multi system model, clone of the Toshiba V-5480:
https://www.milanuncios.com/videos-v...s-46179750.htm |