New to the forums!

[crainbebo]

Hi everyone,
I'm Taylor, from Yakima, WA. I run two YouTube channels devoted to commercials, newscasts, basically anything classic TV (VHSgoodiesWA and VHSgoodiesWA3). So I've gone through a few VCRs in the past few years, lol! I will be using this forum to get help on some of my VCRs that are in rough shape, and if I acquire other VCRs for my hobby. I also have one Beta machine, a vintage Sony SL-3030 from 1984 that runs perfectly. I have over 3,400 subscribers on both of my YouTube channels, and continue to find tapes at estate sales and off eBay lots. As for VCRs, since 2011 (when I started the VHS trading hobby) I have gone through: a Panasonic PV-9662 (lasted 4+ years of heavy use, now shuts off randomly), a Mitsubishi HS-U36 (from 1992, retired due to tape mechanism issues - a tape will go in, the guides won't move and the VCR makes a squealing noise before shutting off), a JVC HR-A55U (from 1998, even played the few S-VHS tapes I acquired. All of a sudden about a year later, a tape got ate up, cleaned the heads and the tape would move all on its own for a minute or so before shutting off - that's going out to a dumpster this weekend BTW), a Funai VHS-DVD combo (which dubs VHS tapes to DVD), a Panasonic PV-7455S (from 1997) and a Panasonic PV-S7670 (also from 1997, plays and records on Super VHS). I currently use the last three.
The oldest tapes I've been able to find were VK-250's recorded in October 1979. (As for the contents: one had 'The Bible: In the Beginning,' part of a local newscast and part of Charlie's Angels, all with commercials off my local ABC station, KAPP 35 Yakima; the other had episodes of the short-lived game show '3's a Crowd' with Jim Peck, off the original KNDO 23 broadcasts, some with commercials and some without). Both of these tapes were Curtis Mathes brand tapes and they ran very well.
I'm glad this forum is around - and I'll be writing a thread in the restoration forum regarding some VCR troubles I have right now. Thanks everyone!

[I Suck At This S#!t]

Hey Taylor, welcome to the forum.
I'm a newbie here as well, and a total noob at anything to do with video or computers.

From one newbie to another, if there's one thing I've learnt on here from searching the forum for answers to my own questions, it's that those people who tend to post more frequently than most others, and who've sort of made names for themselves here as 'experts' (and I mean those kinds of experts who explain everything almost exclusively in technical jargon, and sometimes use layman's terms simply to mock the uninitiated), is that they tend to cultivate a level of elitist snark in many of their answers, especially to newbies (like me) asking about basic things.

Basically (no pun intended), there seems to be an unwritten hierarchy here where the more you know, the more leeway you have to gloat at others who don't know as much as you do. And on the flipside of that, there's this unwritten code here that if you ask questions about things with very clear cut definitions on here, or if you haven't researched something fully enough or if you're not using all the correct technical jargon about codecs and AVI files etc. in their correct contexts, these 'experts' are quite liable to chew you out, gloat at you and put you in your place for not knowing what you're talking about or being on their 'level', so to speak. A lot of times it is called for, because more inexperienced users can be just as, if not more, obnoxious as the 'experts', and they can also be very lazy in explaining their situation, expecting the 'experts' to just know what to do without any context; but a lot of the time it also simply comes down to newbies who want to learn something, asking 'dumb' questions when they 'haven't a clue what they're on about'; which to me just means they simply asked away too soon before Googling everything first and searching the forum to find their answers - answers which to the 'experts' are so obvious they roll their eyes at the mere mention of them. This isn't from my personal experience (yet), but what I've seen searching the forum myself... you tend to see a lot of these emojis being used here: & (that second one especially when they're saying something really boastful, hyperbolic or gloaty)
Rather petulant, really...

Now don't think I'm saying this to scare you away from here, I just want to make you aware of what to expect (I'm sure you're at least partly aware of it now - but I won't gloat at you if you aren't! ). There are some genuinely helpful people here who understand that they were noobs once too and will actually answer your questions with genuine advice that isn't dripping with snark, or at least post you a link if they see the same thing being asked rather frequently. But it seems that when it comes to that inner circle (and I don't mean the moderators)... let's just say that: if you have thoroughly researched all the points in your post as much as possible, and you've practiced and proven your research to yourself on whatever software your post is about, and you lose any laymen's terms for all the correct technical jargon with all the correct definitions and in all the correct contexts, and if you're lucky enough that they're in a good mood if they decide to reply to your posts... you might just be able to get on their agreeable side.

But if I were you, don't bother. Let 'em say their shit, and take from it what you can to get ahead. As far as research, proof and jargon goes, creeping on your other forum posts I think you'll be in good stead here. Just try to help out some other newbies if you can, ask if you only really need to, and know whose more personal words you should take with a pinch of salt. They're good and helpful people, really; they're just rather tired of running over the same old ground...

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What are your YouTube channels, btw?

[sambat]

Videohelp is the most helpful of the video help sites - look at Doom9 limping along on supplemental oxygen and poor old Afterdawn peeing blood.
The range of personalities here is no different from a standard bricks and mortar organization.
Take advice at face value - swallow the meat and discreetly spit out the hook - as long as you get what you wanted smile to yourself and say thank-you (and mean it).

[LMotlow]

http://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/video.htm
Hardware notes are dated. But for pros and amateurs alike, the methods haven't changed.

All of a sudden about a year later, a tape got ate up, cleaned the heads and the tape would move all on its own for a minute or so before shutting off - that's going out to a dumpster this weekend BTW), a Funai VHS-DVD combo (which dubs VHS tapes to DVD), a Panasonic PV-7455S (from 1997) and a Panasonic PV-S7670 (also from 1997, plays and records on Super VHS). I currently use the last three.

JVC ate a tape? Why are we not surprised? Good riddance. I sent three of those critters to the dumpsters. Never again.

Ditch the Funai. Only newbies use those things, then come here crying about the crappy results.

You might get some decent mileage out of the two Pannies. Be prepared to do a lot of denoising and other cleanup. Watch out for the pushed reds and chroma bleed. Green color cast is common. The oversharpening and edge halos are ugly, but with Avisynth you can smooth out lots of it. Color tends to be a little muddy, VirtualDub has some good color controls for that. Expect some horizontal dropouts.

VCR Buying Guide for restoring video

digitalfaq virtualdub capture settings guide


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[I Suck At This S#!t]

Take advice at face value - swallow the meat and discreetly spit out the hook - as long as you get what you wanted smile to yourself and say thank-you (and mean it).

That's what I'm saying.