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Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc.

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Old 21st Sep 2020, 10:04 am   #1
woodchips
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Default VHS video how to books

VHS video passed me by in the 80's and 90's. I couldn't afford a colour TV and certainly not a video machine.

So, here I am trying to work out how to operate and improve some old VHS machines.

Why? Well, having security problems and thought I would make a security camera and recorder. Digital? No. Far too easy to fake, you need an analogue tape based system for audio and video to provide a better guarantee of originality.

I have picked up a couple of VHS machines, tried them and sort of work but the picture quality is awful. Using them at work 35 years ago and it looks to me that the head tracking isn't really happening, the lines are tearing.

To start, can anyone recommend a good 'how to' book about setting up, cleaning, fettling video recorders please? I have read through some of the threads, the one on cleaning heads is a good place to start but wondered if a book existed.
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Old 21st Sep 2020, 10:11 am   #2
Restoration73
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Default Re: VHS video how to books

I used to pick up a load of tips from the old Television magazine.

Although there have been several editions, "Domestic Videocassette Recorders" a
servicing guide by Steve Beeching (Newnes) was probably the best.
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Old 21st Sep 2020, 11:05 am   #3
woodchips
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Default Re: VHS video how to books

Thank you for that, just ordered a copy of the book. Lots around, not too popular now I suppose!
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Old 21st Sep 2020, 1:03 pm   #4
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Default Re: VHS video how to books

You can't just use any old VHS deck to make CCTV security recordings with an expect it to be usable as evidence. Professional time lapse machines have inbuilt time stamp, amongst other refinements.The problem is, spares are likely to be hard to find for such equipment by now.

These days it is all hard drive systems, not sure what you mean about 'too easy to fake'. some good info on this site.
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Old 21st Sep 2020, 2:34 pm   #5
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Default Re: VHS video how to books

A time-lapse VCR is what you need if you really want to use VHS. For head cleaning, I use 99% isopropyl alcohol and a piece of A4 paper for cleaning the head drum and cotton swabs for cleaning the erase head, audio/control head and the rest of the tape transport mechanism.

Fivos
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Old 21st Sep 2020, 3:49 pm   #6
RobustReviews
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Default Re: VHS video how to books

Agree needs to be a timelapse machine.

The 'digital is too easy to fake' thing goes back to the dawn of digital images/video, digital images have certainly been admissible in court for over a decade. It's quite easy to forensically examine a file to see if it has been altered.

I'm not sure why you would want to still do this on VHS in all honesty.

Cheers,
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Old 21st Sep 2020, 10:27 pm   #7
Graham G3ZVT
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Default Re: VHS video how to books

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobustReviews View Post
Agree needs to be a timelapse machine.

The 'digital is too easy to fake' thing goes back to the dawn of digital images/video, digital images have certainly been admissible in court for over a decade. It's quite easy to forensically examine a file to see if it has been altered.

I'm not sure why you would want to still do this on VHS in all honesty.

Cheers,
Andy
What's needed is High Definition camera(s) with an adequately wide field of view and digital recording of the same definition. You need to be able to identify faces, apparel, vehicles, etc. not look at them through the fog of a VHS recording. The legal admissibility will hinge on the cases merits.
You could argue that a time-stamp on an amateur recording just gives the other side something to object to.

I don't know why you you need a time-lapse digital recording though.

Ideally a real-time recording with movement detection markers would prevent the need to review hours of footage looking for an incident.
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Old 22nd Sep 2020, 1:54 pm   #8
Maarten
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Default Re: VHS video how to books

Time lapse machines were usually modified professional or consumer units, so they will have most spare parts in common. Philips even did turbo drive time lapse recorders.
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Old 22nd Sep 2020, 6:24 pm   #9
woodchips
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Default Re: VHS video how to books

A disc file is a disc file, the only thing that makes it admissible for evidence is the security and traceability of the physical drive. This is obviously something I don't have.

An analogue recording has sufficient background noise etc to make the superimposition of the noise extremely difficult. All I want is to be able to poke a camera out of the window and record for just a few minutes, if that tape is then taken by the police then no changes can be done.

If interested read up about the Nixon tapes.
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Old 24th Sep 2020, 10:27 pm   #10
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Default Re: VHS video how to books

TV mag Feb 2004 has a how-to on this subject. May be worth a look
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