Sony 1" VTR. BVH-2500 found. Should I buy it?

[aits]

I found a Sony Videocoder 1" VTR BVH-2500. Do people still use these items. Should I buy it at that price?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370528502669&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

[aedipuss]

why? you have some 1" tapes to play? they aren't going to gain in value any.

[orsetto]

State of the art broadcast VTR in its day, but its day was 28 years ago- no one in their right mind would buy this now unless they had a warehouse full of rare TV programs in 1" format. Perhaps not even then: the front panel shows suspicious signs of impact damage and red flags should go up any time you hear BS like "working perfectly (except we don't have any reels to test it with which makes us barely better than a pawn shop, but hey, buy this undocumented ancient piece of pro broadcast technology from us for seven large, we SWEAR it works!)". Such VTRs also require periodic servicing which will cost as much as the purchase price within a short time. If you're a trust-fund baby with an itch to create a personal museum of broadcast gear you'd never actually use, this would make a nice centerpiece- otherwise forget you ever saw it.

[tapescan]

I don’t know the price, but 1” reels were the broadcast standard for many decades.

This unit is a gem and the demand for converting these reels in 2025 is very high.

Now, you are lucky to find one sold for parts on E-Bay. I am lucky enough to own three of these units - with the BVH-2500 being the best.

Definitely not a trust fund baby here — but enjoy restoring video that will soon be lost forever.