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FEATURE
STRAP
SUMMER OF SPORT
HEAD
BUYING A VCR
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If your current VCR is the same one that you taped Gazza grizzling,
in the 1990 World Cup, and you still haven’t figured out how to use the timer,
then it might be about time to get a new one. It’s a very good time to buy, VCRs
are now almost foolproof, picture and sound quality has improved and they’re
even cheaper now than they were six years ago. There’s also more of them around,
with more gadgets and gizmos than you can shake a stick at, so it pays to know
your PDCs from your OSDs.
Time-shifting those inconveniently scheduled late-night
sports events couldn’t be easier nowadays, thanks to VCRs with Video Plus+. You
may have seen ‘Pluscodes’ printed next to TV schedules in newspapers and
listings mags, just tap in the numbers on the remote handset and the VCR does
the rest. Most recent machines also have PDC (programme delivery control) automatic
timer correction systems; it makes sure
you won’t miss a moment, even if there’s a late kick-off. On some models you can
even get away with not reading the instruction book, a lot of VCRs now have
auto-install, that adjusts the tuner and sets the time and date, as soon as it’s
plugged in.
NICAM VCRS -- THREE OF THE BEST
Aiwa HV-FX1500, £350
This outstanding midi-sized budget NICAM VCR has been a
consistent favourite, and it’s not difficult to see why. Not only does it have
many of the features found on much dearer machines -- plus a few more besides
-- it works really well too. Recordings look crisp, colours are sharp, there’s
negligible picture noise and the stereo sound system is very smooth. Feature
highlights include an auto set-up system for effortless installation, Video
Plus+ timer with PDC safety-net and ‘one-touch’ replay system. There are AV
inputs on the front, plus twin SCART sockets on the back; it has audio-dub plus
a multi-lingual on-screen display system, that never leaves you in any doubt
about what the machine is up to. It’s
compact, easy to use and very well behaved.
Value for money 95%
Aiwa UK Ltd, telephone 0181-897 7000
Hitachi VTF460 £450
The F460 could be the answer to a lot of hardened tape-collector’s
prayers. The key feature is Title Index, a clever gizmo that automatically
labels and stores details of every recording made on the machine; all the user
has to do is number their tapes. Title Index instantly recalls programme
information, searching its memory using key-letters in the title, the time or
date of a recording. It has a Video Plus+ and PDC timer, that simplifies satellite
time-shifting; a built-in infra-red command system controls a dozen or more different
brands of STV receiver. For good measure it has multi-speed replay via
jog-shuttle dial; there are AV sockets on the front panel, syncro-start
editing, auto program-play and a multi-brand remote, that controls the main
functions on a wide range of TVs. Picture and sound quality are better than
average and it’s not going to break the bank.
Value for money 85%
Hitachi Home Electronics, telephone 0181-849 2000
Mitsubishi HS-561 £480
Another of Mitsubishi’s finest. The HS-561 is sensibly
priced, well-engineered and kitted out with the kind of features that cover the
broad span of VCR usage, from time-shifting to home cinema and video
movie-making. At the top of the list is a satellite control system, that’s
linked into the machine’s Video Plus+ timer. It has a full auto-install,
tape-tuning, insert-edit, audio-dub, multi-brand TV remote, a parental lock, colour
co-ordinated control functions, NTSC replay and one of the fastest deck
mechanisms in the business. On-screen
performance is excellent, resolution is close to the limits of the VHS system,
colours are natural-looking and there’s minimal noise. It sounds as good as it
looks. Stereo audio is clean with a flat response and only trace levels of
background hiss. Definitely worth considering.
Value for money 88%
Mitsubishi Electric UK Ltd., telephone (01707) 276100
BOX COPY 1
TOP-TIPS
* Even if you’ve already got a stereo TV it’s still worth
buying a NICAM VCR otherwise you won’t be able to record or playback programmes
and tapes in stereo
* You might not own a camcorder now, but who knows? It’s
worth getting a machine with a few movie-making facilities, at the very least
choose one with front AV terminals, to simplify editing and copying video
movies
* Stick with the better-known European and Japanese brands
and you can’t go far wrong
* Long play performance is getting better all the time; VCRs
with tape-tuning facilities tend to work best, particularly when they’re used
with high grade tapes
* You can get away with only one SCART AV socket on the back
panel but it’s safest to have two, so you can connect it up to other items of
AV equipment, if and when you decide to upgrade your system
BUYING A SATELLITE SYSTEM
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The rapid growth in the number of satellite television and
radio channels now being beamed at the UK shows no sign of slowing down. If
your present system is more than three or four years old it’s almost certainly
showing its age. It may be tempting to wait for the next generation of
equipment, or round of price-cuts, but the truth is, the technology is moving at such a fast pace that it’s virtually impossible
to keep up. Fortunately the price of satellite systems and receivers continues
to fall, whilst performance and facilities get better all the time.
The most striking difference between today’s receivers, and popular
models from just a couple years ago, is increased channel capacity. Now only a
handful of old or discontinued satellite boxes have fewer than 300 channels,
moreover any receiver sold today must have extended frequency coverage and be
able to operate with multi-band LNBs. Almost all receivers now have stereo
audio systems, and the quality is getting better, with clearer, less noisy
sound. Sensitivity is improving too, which means smaller dishes and clearer
reception in bad weather. On-screen displays, that simplify set-up and
operation are still not quite universal, but it’s mostly older or
bargain-basement receivers that lack this vital facility.
Consider the options carefully. It might be better to spend a little more on some luxury features --
Dolby Pro Logic or a Video Plus+ timer for example -- and postpone the
inevitable, rather than commit yourself to an even earlier upgrade by settling
on an inappropriate cheapie system or ‘give-away’ deal, that may contain hidden
extras.
THREE OF THE BEST -- SATELLITE SYSTEMS
Pace Apollo, £99 (60cm dish) excluding compulsory BSKYB
subscription and installation fee
Most of the receivers featured in the current spate of ‘£99’
deals are either past pensionable age, or poorly equipped. The Pace Apollo is
one of the few honourable exceptions, though its 120-channel tuner could be a
limitation for anyone hoping to channel-hop beyond what BSKYB has on offer.
Otherwise it is quite well specified, with a 4-event VCR timer, passable on-screen
display, three SCART sockets and wonder of wonders, Wegner Panda noise
reduction. That’s almost unheard of on receivers costing less than £150, and it
bumps this model up to entry-level home-cinema status. However, it has to be
said that the hidden costs involved in these kinds of deals quickly add-up and
you could find yourself paying out more than £400 in the first year, for the
dubious privilege of appearing to save a few pounds.
Pace Micro Technology, telephone (01274) 532000
Value for money 85%
Nokia SAT 1800 IRD £300 (60cm dish)
The difficulty of time-shifting satellite TV programmes has
spawned some interesting solutions; most receivers now have their own built-in VCR
timers and a few video recorders have satellite control, but Nokia have
approached the problem from the opposite direction. The SAT 1800 is equipped
with a Video Plus+ timer, (with PDC backup) that controls a VCR using it’s own
on-board multi-brand infra-red command system. In theory taping a satellite
channel is no more difficult than recording BBC 1 or ITV, say. The 500-channel
tuner has a number of other advanced features, including categorised (sport,
movies and news) favourite-channel memories, a comprehensive on-screen display
system, plenty of AV sockets plus a range of multi-satellite facilities. Sound
quality is excellent, courtesy Wegner Panda 1 noise reduction, and better than
average sensitivity means it has one of the cleanest pictures around. Highly
commended.
Nokia, telephone (01793) 644223
Value for money 95%
Pace MSS 290, £230 (60cm dish)
Pace have already cornered the market in satellite receivers
with built-in Dolby Pro-Logic surround sound decoders but now they’re spreading
their net even wider, with this mid-price receiver, that has a proprietary 3D
sound system. The matrix decoder works like older Dolby 3-channel processors,
extracting rear channel information from movies and TV programmes with Dolby
Surround soundtracks.
It doesn’t have any built-in amplification, so it needs to
be hooked up to a hi-fi or a pair of active speakers. The actual performance is
a little variable, and it works better with some material than others. It’s an interesting
starting point for newcomers to home cinema, though it has to be said it’s not an
alternative to full-blown Pro-Logic. The receiver is well-equipped, with a
250-channel tuner that has eight categorised channel memories, an 8-event/28-day
VCR timer, 4-mode tone control, parental lock, advanced on-screen display and
Wegner Panda 1 noise reduction. On-screen performance is fine, colours are
clean and there’s minimal background hiss on the sound channels.
Pace Micro Technology, telephone (01274) 532000
Value for money 90%
BOX COPY 1
TOP TIPS
* Don’t even think about buying a satellite receiver with
fewer than two SCART AV sockets, that is unless you have no intention of taping
satellite TV programmes, or are willing to compromise on picture and sound
quality
* Put dealers on the spot and ask them how easy it is for
their shiny new dishes and receivers to pick up broadcasts from other European
satellites, like Hot Bird?
* Facilities, like huge channel memories, dish positioner
interfaces and twin LNB inputs might come in useful if you decide to upgrade to
a motorised dish one day
* One smart-card slot is all you need if you’re only
interested in the BSKYB Multichannels but with so many new channels starting up
one might not be enough in a year or two’s time
* Satellite stereo can be quite hissy; in general receivers
with Wegner Panda 1 noise reduction systems have the cleanest sound
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R. Maybury 1996, 1204
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