Europeans cheated with stereo dvd recorders

[rdd48856]

I was thinking in buying a recorder to replace my vcr. I use it now mostly to decode stereo Nicam from tv broadcasts so I can enjoy surround sound because my tv can't do it...Unfourtunately I found out that very few recorders sold in Europe as being stereo can in fact decode Nicam...This means you buy a stereo recorder and you get mono recordings when recording from tv....This is a shame and should be forbidden! I hope this change in the future and ask moderators to include this feature into DVD recorders section...I would also appreciate that anyone knowing a nicam recorder let everybody knows it...Thank you!

[wingnut]

Hi there,

my Panasonic EMR50 (and I assume the e80/100/hs2 and imminent E55) can decode nicam including bilingual nicam (not that I have a lot of reason to use that in the uk!)

What models where you looking at that couldn't ?

Cheers

Edz

[nezza_42]

I have the Philips DVDR75 and although I don't have an aerial hooked up to confirm it, the manual does indicate that the unit can be tuned to recieve NICAM broadcasts. The manual even explains that you can turn NICAM off if your reception is poor.

Have a look at page 26 of the manual here:

http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/d/dvdr75_051/dvdr75_051_dfu_eng.pdf

Nezza

[rdd48856]

Well I bought a mustek dvr100-A as being stereo(and I thought obviously Nicam). At home I found out that´s not true. I went back to the store and looked into the manuals of two philips models(not DVR75), one pioneer, one hyundai and none say anything about NICAM. I will give the exact models latter...Thank you for the answers nezza_42 and wingnut!

[nezza_42]

Did you look at the Philips DVDR70? It's identical to my DVDR75 except for the lack of firewire input, it's cheaper and also more commonly available (in the UK anyway). I should think that too would recieve NICAM.

Nezza

[rdd48856]

Thank you again Nezza! I will look for philips dvr70. I looked to philips DVR-1000, DVR-880, PIONEER DVR-3100, HYUNDAI-DVR-900A and Mustek DVR-100A

[RabidDog]

Are'nt all Tv broadcasts in Nicam stereo (in the UK, terrestrial).? Admittedly some portable Tvs will only have one speaker but surely stereo=Nicam stereo on recorders?

[nezza_42]

Most (terrestrial) TV broadcasts in the UK are now in NICAM, but this is a signal that needs to be "decoded" by the reciever. Therefore you need a TV tuner that is capable of decoding the NICAM signal to hear it in stereo or to pass it onto another device.

Early VCR's &, it seams, some DVD recorders are able to record in stereo if connected to a stereo source (ie from stereo outputs of a stereo camcorder or a TV tuner that has already decoded the NICAM signal)

This is certainly not the case for all recorders. I would expect virtually all modern VCR's that are not mono to have NICAM capability, and many/most DVD recorders too. It would be a lot easier if the DVD recorder manufacturers stuck a NICAM sticker on the front of the machine like most VCRs have!

BTW, NICAM stands for "Near Instantaneous Companded Audio Multiplex"
As you can see from the definition, the signal is first companded and then (at the reciever) multiplexed - so you need a NICAM capable reciever to do the multiplexing get the stereo.

Nezza.

[rdd48856]

Thank you again Nezza for your detailed explanation. I must remeber that NICAM is not a system used all over the world, so some companies try to spare some money on NICAM chip decoders. I was cheated 5 years ago with a stereo(but not NICAM) tv I bought in a superstore and two weaks ago the same thing with a combi tv & dvd player which can play dvd in stereo but not tv broadcasts!

[thor300]

In asia you often find Stereo written on stuff without it being stereo, and mustek is one of these typical asia-brands, its more or less no-name players with a mustek label. I bought an LG stereo TV once but soon found out that stereo only ment two speakers, the tuner was mono. Its stereo when it hooked up to the dvd player, thats why they claimed it to be a "component stereo tv". Japanese and European brands dont usually do this kind of half truths, but with a mustek/noname/korean you could often experience this kind of stuff.