NBC On-Demand

[Laurence Glavin]

I tried getting my VCR machine repaired and nobody where I live near Boston has pahts (that's how we pronounce it). I have oodles of excellent shows (I have superb taste) and would like to play back some of those shows, even on a high-def set. I wonder if shows I recorded while the machine was declining in quality would be really hahd to watch if I got a replacement VCR of good quality.

 

[landtuna]

I doubt you could find anyone today, save the occasional tinkerer, who works on VCR's. But there are plenty of new and used machines available and unless the tracking head was out of position when the tape was recorded the tape should be playable.

I still have three VCR's and a collection of pre-recorded tapes - some dating back to the early 80's. They still play perfectly and since they are old B&W movies you don't notice the lack of definition.

I don't use the VCR's for recording any longer but they are there in the event the DVR goes belly-up.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

I have the worst luck. I've stopped at Goodwills, St. Vincent de Paul's and Value Village's all over Seattle and I usually only find new tapes. Home recorded ones seem to be extinct in Seattle thrift stores. Thank god for eBay!

-crainbebo

Do they have other used writeable media like CDRW and SD Cards?

 

[sandiegoinexile]

Since I won't pay $15.95 a month for Comcast DVR service, I just tape the on-demand programming (and everything else) via VCR and can FF through the commercials. I can also take the tape anywhere in the house and on the road. If a VCR acts up, I head to the nearest thrift shop and pick up a new one for $10-$12.

Out of curiosity, what kind of TV are you using? You can't record HD quality onto VHS or even DVD. I actually tried watching some old VHS tapes on my 46" LCD and the picture quality made it virtually unwatchable.

I still have three old style non-HD console 4X3 televisions, the largest being only a 25-incher. The OTA digital tuner on one TV is set to letterbox format, so a VCR records widescreen letterbox programming. The other two are hooked up to Comcast cable. I also don't buy the $12.95 a month HD package since I don't have an HD TV,

Videotape degrades over time. Things that I recorded on my first VCR back in 1985 are grainy and hard to watch on any TV, especially if in EP mode. I've picked up a couple higher-end VCRs (JVC and Mitsubishi) at thrift shops for $10-15 in the past few years. I've hooked VCR's up in hotelrooms with 42-in new-style 16X9 televisions and never had a problem watching/recording. Usually it just means black bars cropping to the old format. Depending on the station, it may record in stretch-o-vision. but I am not usually recording things for eternity. I'm just time-shifting. Haven't watched live TV in decades.

Now we have officially hijacked the thread....

Back to NBC on-demand. Last night I watched SMASH, which I had taped from the on-demand listings a couple weeks ago as Comcast made it available just after XMAS. The commercial breaks were only 30 seconds, so even if I were watching on-demand "live", not being able to FF wouldn't be a total dealbreaker. What's worse is TNT On Demand. It's as if they just record the on-air show, complete with the tiny closing credits and the 30-second overlap of the show that airs just before and after. You order up Southland and you get a bonus 30-seconds of CSI NY at the end. Strange.

 

[sandiegoinexile]

I tried getting my VCR machine repaired and nobody where I live near Boston has pahts (that's how we pronounce it). I have oodles of excellent shows (I have superb taste) and would like to play back some of those shows, even on a high-def set. I wonder if shows I recorded while the machine was declining in quality would be really hahd to watch if I got a replacement VCR of good quality.

You may have to tinker with the TV settings, but its doable if you have the right output/input configuration. You just end up with black bars on the side. Videotape degrades, so don't expect great quality, especially if you recorded in EP mode.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

SD programming actually looks better on tube sets, the imperfections don't show up on those,

 

[nomadcowatbk]

I tried getting my VCR machine repaired and nobody where I live near Boston has pahts (that's how we pronounce it). I have oodles of excellent shows (I have superb taste) and would like to play back some of those shows, even on a high-def set. I wonder if shows I recorded while the machine was declining in quality would be really hahd to watch if I got a replacement VCR of good quality.

You may have to tinker with the TV settings, but its doable if you have the right output/input configuration. You just end up with black bars on the side. Videotape degrades, so don't expect great quality, especially if you recorded in EP mode.

Videotape store in the right conditions can last for years. CD/DVD-Rs also degrade, the cheaper brands degrade faster. Hard drives can crash.

 

[editthis]

@SanDiego...yeah the preview version they had up for a week or two was from their "old" format of VOD with just :30 second promo breaks. Everything starting Jan 30th is just as aired from the NBC network feed.

 

[KeithE4]

You may have to tinker with the TV settings, but its doable if you have the right output/input configuration. You just end up with black bars on the side. Videotape degrades, so don't expect great quality, especially if you recorded in EP mode.

I have tapes that go back 30+ years and they still play. SLP was never good quality to begin with, but I don't see much degradation of these ancient tapes on my 10-year-old 4-head, stereo VHS machine even though they were recorded on a 2-head deck from 1981.

 

[crainbebo]

I have T-120s and T-160s dating back to 1987, and, while some of them are in not good quality (bad tapes used like those RCAs) some of the old, old ones play very well. Most of them were in SLP mode.

-crainbebo

 

[Markxxx]

Doesn't ATSC broadcast flag allow OTA stations from preventing recording of shows?

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Doesn't ATSC broadcast flag allow OTA stations from preventing recording of shows?

if there are, my USB tuner doesn't read them

 

[editthis]

It probably doesn't say anything about them embedding a code in the programming via your cable company to disable the fast forward function on your DVR.

 

[LKellerIII]

It probably doesn't say anything about them embedding a code in the programming via your cable company to disable the fast forward function on your DVR.

Again - if my cable company (Comcast) did that, I would dump them - on general principles, if nothing else. I doubt cable companies will ever do this unless BIG pressure is brought to bear on them by the broadcast industry...though I remind myself that Comcast is now the majority owner of NBC...

 

[FreddyE1977]

I've only heard Jamie Kellner's name in passing, but I'm prepared to call him an a**h**e.

Check out the book Outfoxed by Alex Ben Block. It is about the founding and the early
days of the Fox Television Network. It is not particularly flattering to Mr. Kellner.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Doesn't ATSC broadcast flag allow OTA stations from preventing recording of shows?

They were working on this but I believe some sort of court ruling got in their way.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I doubt you could find anyone today, save the occasional tinkerer, who works on VCR's. But there are plenty of new and used machines available and unless the tracking head was out of position when the tape was recorded the tape should be playable.

I still have three VCR's and a collection of pre-recorded tapes - some dating back to the early 80's. They still play perfectly and since they are old B&W movies you don't notice the lack of definition.

I don't use the VCR's for recording any longer but they are there in the event the DVR goes belly-up.

I have six TV/VCR combinations. Some work. One still has a tape stuck in it. Some gave me trouble but have started working again. One is hooked up to TiVo but the directions say you can record a show stored on your TiVo and watch it on the tape. I'm currently desperate and might try that.