VCR Recorder/Player only!

[petercharlesfagg]

Friends,

Our VCR player/recorder has died and we are left with hundreds of tapes of our favourite programmes and unable to record the programmes that we do like that inevitably clash with other programmes that we want to watch!

I KNOW, that it is old technology but cannot imagine paying someone to transfer ALL our tapes!

Can someone, in the know, recommend a NEW machine that is reasonably priced?  (> £50.00 possibly?)

I have been searching the web and 99% of the time there is on offer = Blu-ray, DVD/VCR combo, VCR Players, VCR/DVD + Freeview.  and many variations in between, both my wife and I are just plain confused!

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, Peter and Susan.

[mokjumbo]

Hi,if you haven`t done so,try searching for VHS recorder.

[Agrippa]

I don't know if VCR players are still made, though plenty used ones available on Ebay. If you have a large
collection of tapes I think the best bet would be to buy a combined VCR/DVD player and transfer your
tapes to discs then junk the tapes.

Unfortunately these players  ain't cheap ! Toshiba version is about £250-£300 I think.

I had a very large collection of old movies etc on tape and the older tapes began stretching and getting
tangled when fast forwarding or rewinding. the transferring took ages, but I was able to edit out adverts
that appeared in some on them.

Best of luck!

[Agrippa]

Further to last post, Maplins are selling a small tape to disc converter
which has various possibilities , cost £30 !

[Malc]

Further to last post, Maplins are selling a small tape to disc converter
which has various possibilities , cost £30 !

I think that is just a video capture device and software. Peter needs a transport as well. When I get chance, I'll see what I have in the loft. I think I have a VHS that I mended for someone who wouldn't pay up.

[Tdm]

I have a spare VHS player - but you would have to come to Tenerife to get it, and carry it back in your luggage - would cost far too much to post it due to size & weight.

[oscar]

Plenty in our charity shops for about a fiver!

[Newportnobby]

Plenty in our charity shops for about a fiver!

Many of our local charity shops won't sell electrical stuff as they have to get them PAT tested

[lil chris]

Peter, you could try someone like cash generator, they are pretty good, I have bought a I phone off them once. Just looked try this http://www.cashgenerator.co.uk/dvd-recorders/funai-dvd-vhs-recorder-bl16743


Ps I have a Sony VHS in the cupboard but I am in Manchester, it was new hardly used.

[trainsdownunder]

Further to last post, Maplins are selling a small tape to disc converter
which has various possibilities , cost £30 !

Got one. Yes they work. Only problem is to convert you have to play the tape through at normal speed. Slow laborious work.

[petercharlesfagg]

Friends,

Sometimes, no that's wrong, often, that's more like it!

I am stupid!!!

Thinking along the lines of cleaning the rec/play head I found an old cleaning tape but the cleaning fluid had dried up!

Guess what the cleaning fluid was?  Our very own Isopropynol Alcohol!

So I cleaned the machine and VOILA!                                              NOTHING!


...".......................................................................

Back to the drawing board.

Standing in the shower admiring my handsome physique the thought suddely struck me!  I should change the subject!!!

My wife and I discussed the problem, not my physique, but the tape playing problems.

For several days playback had been jerky or jumping during playback.  So we tried another tape and "BINGO"!

CLEAR AS A BELL PLAYBACK!  We felt like dancing but our knees will not permit that sort of activity!

Trying the old tape I discovered that the centre of the spool rotated but the tape was stationary!


Now we have an operational play/recorder that has a clarity undreamed of because of the head cleaning!


Our sincere thanks to all who have offered assistance, Peter and Susan.

[Agrippa]

All's well that ends well! 

[Newportnobby]

Glad your physique tape player is much better after a good clean, Peter.
Now you can play all those "Strictly come dancing" vids you have, but please lubricate those knees with some suitable liquid

[Karhedron]

Now you can play all those "Strictly come dancing" vids you have, but please lubricate those knees with some suitable liquid

I believe a slightly different sort of IPA is very good for lubricating the knees.