Shawn Lin wrote:
>
>
> However, what I feel is much more archaic than cassette is VHS. I
> absolutely can't stand VHS' size, bulk, and inconvenience. Not to
> mention the physical complexity which leads to reliability problems (I
> think most people have experienced a VCR chewing up a tape at least
> once). After using DVD, it makes one wonder how VHS survived so long.
> I wish DVD were a recordable+rewriteable media from the beginning
> though, like MD is. I don't know what DVD-R or DVD-RW is going to be
> like since I can't afford it, but I feel as though it could end up being
> a "hack" like CD-R/RW is.
>
> Shawn
Shawn,
Until someone comes out with a reasonably priced DVD recorder, that will
allow you to make DVDs of your favorite TV shows, etc. and sell the blanks
for just a few dollars, we still need VHS. This TiVo and Ultimate TV are a
joke because you fill up the space and that's the end of it.
So if you really think about it, we still need VHS far more than we need
cassettes. Also, unlike VHS recorders, DVD players do not have RF outputs.
You'd be surprised how many people there are who still have TV sets that do
not have video and audio inputs.
I was in a Wal Mart one day and spoke to a woman who had just gotten a DVD
player. Except she had no way to use it with her RF in only TV. She was
told that she was going to have to buy an expensive converter. She had left
by the time that it occurred to me that all she needed was to plug her DVD
player into her video recorder. When she pressed play on the DVD player
with the recorder set to line in, the output would go through the VCRs RF
output.
Shawn you have to realize that you are light years ahead of the average
person when it comes to this kind of stuff. Once they started making TVs
that could often last over 20 years and at the same time keep talking about
digital TV signals being "forced" on us, people don't what to replace their
old TV that is still working OK.
A few years ago I went to visit my father in law. He was all concerned
about digital TVs being forced on him. He was worried that his TVs would
either be no good or he would have to buy expensive converters. This was a
man who was about 80 years old at the time.
Well, sadly we lost my father in law last December, but we still don't have
digital TV signals forced on us. They have been talking about HDTV in the
US for about 20 years.
A TV from 1950 with a cable converter attached could play every channel your
cable company provides (alas, it would be a black and white picture). It
takes America 30 years to agree on a standard, so once America gets a
standard that catches on, unlike the Japanese, they are slow to change.
You still see as many if not more models of cassette car units than CDs.
And even a mini unit like Sharp's MD-C2 which has a 3 CD and 3 MD changer
still has a cassette "deck" in it. The money would have been better spent
putting in a more powerful amp or a little better quality speakers.
But you are starting to see less and less phono inputs on these units (there
is none on the MD-C2). Interestingly higher end receivers ($600 to $900 and
up) still have phono inputs. I guess their thinking is that so called
"audiophiles" are going to purchase these units and may still have an
expensive turntable and their vinyl collection??
Larry
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