What ever happened to jog/shuttle dials?

[lordhutt]

I remember back in the 90's every VCR and Laser Disc player had a jog/shuttle on the remote and sometimes the unit itself. I always thought these were cool as hell.
How come you never see dvd players with them these days? Come to think of it I can't recall if any of my dvd players ever had one....

[TBoneit]

Since they were mostly used for editing I never saw them except on high end units. Cheapo VHS/Beta decks never had them. I seem to remember I had them on a RCA and a JVC VHS. I'm generalizing of course but on decks for the home user they'd just be scratching their heads what to do with those funny wheels laying on their side or they'd be playing with the jog/shuttle wheel wondering what happened to their playback.

[Vidd]

My Panasonic A300 DVD player from 1997 has a jog wheel on the unit and a mini one on the remote.

It's so much better and more accurate to rewind/fast forward with the wheel compared to the buttons standard on all other DVD players today.

[JohnnyMalaria]

I have one in my hand right now.

One possible reason for the demise is cost (every penny counts).

[yoda313]

I don't know if its that necessary. These days players have so many speed levels that you can really get one that usually fits your needs.

WIndows media center has like four speeds I believe. The slowest seems to be good for "short" viewing jumps and the highest speeds generally get you to the end pretty fast.

I've never had a player, vhs or dvd, with a jog wheel. I can't say that I missed the feature since I've never used the feature. I suppose I can see the need.

[RabidDog]

Philips Dvd HHd recorder has one.. used for editing and to traverse the 6 hour time slip buffer.. not as good as it should be tho.

[wtsinnc]

Johnnymalaria had it right; cost. Buttons and knobs require something connected to them behind the front panel and manufacturers began, in the early 1980s, to eliminate the linkage, solenoids, relays, and anything else that required human interaction on the assembly line. I was told that the concept of the jog/shuttle wheel was originally to allow for centralized transport function control in professional video editing machines. The feature found it's way into the upper echelon of consumer VCRs during the late 80s, then became all but extinct as DVD took over. Now, about the only place I have seen them is on pro level VCRs, a few video editing consoles, and a couple of Tascam DVD players. I have owned several VCRs with the feature and liked it, particularly the variable speed bi-directional frame advance.

Technology marches on and tastes change- for most of us. I continue , however, to actually use my three JVC VCRs with jog/shuttle, enjoy almost daily my fairly extensive Mini-Disc collection, and wonder occasionally why more flat panel TVs don't have picture-in-picture.

[Cornucopia]

Simple enough to add a JLCooper or similar USB shuttle controller to PC NLE apps, DVD player apps, etc. on the computer (which is where most of this would be being used these days anyway)
Has the same "feel" to it. Only costs ~$90US.

Scott

[lordhutt]

Simple enough to add a JLCooper or similar USB shuttle controller to PC NLE apps, DVD player apps, etc. on the computer (which is where most of this would be being used these days anyway)
Has the same "feel" to it. Only costs ~$90US.

Scott

Hmm, you have a link? I went to their web site and the cheapest one I found was $500!!

http://www.jlcooper.com/pages/mcs3usb.html

[Cornucopia]

Ohh, geez!
They got rid of their inexpensive models and now have expensive monsters...

Well, just google "jog shuttle wheel usb" and you'll find a number of items--Contour, Bella, etc.; many in the range I mentioned.

Scott