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From: ralphd@teklds.UUCP (Ralph Durtschi)
Newsgroups: net.video
Subject: Re: Question about Stereo and HI FI VCRs
Message-ID: <250@teklds.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 21-Jan-85 17:03:47 EST
Article-I.D.: teklds.250
Posted: Mon Jan 21 17:03:47 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Jan-85 07:24:48 EST
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 35

[]
I have just done a bunch of investigation into the Stereo/HI-FI area before
purchasing a JVC HR725 HI-FI VHS recorder and here are some of my findings.

OLD STYLE STEREO was produced by Beta and VHS the same way. By recording the
sound on the edge of the tape (linear track). This caused problems because 
the tape moves very slowly past the stationary audio heads. (Generally, the 
faster the tape moves past the head, the better the sound quality.) The sound 
quality varies widely with recording speed and even at the fastest speed the 
specs are lousy.
	
HI-FI STEREO is produced by mounting the audio heads (in VHS format) on the
rotating drum with the video heads. Therefore, the heads move past the tape
at a much higher rate. The recording speed has little or no effect on sound
quality and the frequency response is flat from 20Hz to 20KHz with an unde-
tectable amount of wow and flutter. Supposedly, the specs are just slightly 
worse than digital sound. On the HR725 you can actually record four separate
sound tracks. Left HI-FI, right HI-FI, left linear, and right linear. Audio 
dubbing can only be done on the linear tracks.

All of the HI-FI recorders I looked at were downward compatible. ie. They all
contained the old style audio heads in addition to the HI-FI heads so all
of the old recordings will still work just the same at least on VHS machines.
I say that because Video magazine (I'm 80% sure) said that BETA HI-FI played 
only mono with the stationary head, I have not verified this however.

My machine has a knob that allows you to adjust the sound to come from the
linear tracks or the HI-FI tracks or any mixture. Believe me, I can hear a
very BIG difference in quality as I rotate the knob back and forth.

Hope this helps,

Ralph Durtschi....hope I'm right 'cuz I hate those flames.

newly born again video junky