Quote:
Originally Posted by init4fun
Wow great answers everyone! I really appreciate hearing the perspective of my fellow people who collect vintage TVs 
I have exactly three videotape machines, and none are VHS or Beta. one is an AKAI VTS -110 Monochrome camcorder, another is a Sony AV 5000A color videorecorder, and lastly a Hitachi SV-512 Time Lapse Recorder that I believe is monochrome and possibly was part of a video security system? (Not sure what other use there would be for time lapse video?) All three are open reel systems ("reel to reel" as it were) and I've saved them due to the relative rarity of such vintage equipment. |
Cool to know of another AV-5000A owner! I've got one sans lid. It actually recorded and played back the last time I powered it up....
I've got a fairly decent video tape recorder collection myself.
I've got ~15 2" quadruplex tapes (no deck)
Type A and C 1" decks and what I believe are 3 boxes of recorded type C tapes...I haven't gotten to trying to make the decks work yet.
A 60'S 1" Sony (NV?) deck (no tapes)
I've got Shibaden and Panasonic 1/2" decks that predate EIAJ (if I could find a Sony CV deck I'd have the 3 major pre-eiaj formats...I think I have a couple of CV tapes)
3-4 EIAJ decks, one monochrome, the AV5000A non-standard color, a EIAJ standard color deck and I think either another standard color or monochrome portable...And a LOT of tapes.
I've got a cartrivision deck and tape (need to play with it...life has been busy since I got it).
4 Umatic decks including both first year Sony models and several boxes of tapes with a variety of material.
A quasar great time machine and tapes (another one I need to play with).
I have the first 3 models of betamax (granted the third is the Zenith rebadge) including the LV-1901 and the Zenith Betamax/Chromacolor II combo console, Zeniths version of the first Sony front loader, some more pedestrian mono front loaders, a BetaHiFi deck, a superbetaHiFI deck, an ED Betamax I imported from Japan, a couple of camcorders and a decent amount of tapes.
I've got a bunch of VHS decks... Especially S-VHS decks (I bought every one that the thrifts here got) and recently finally got some knob tuned top loaders and D-VHS decks and tapes. A decent collection of released tapes and a bigger collection of stuff I recorded off cable.
Mostly I'm content with my collection but I would like a betamax changer, and a W-VHS deck....Once I have those and fix what I have I'll probably not be really looking for more...
I'm not sure VHS collecting will die with us...There are folks that pay big money for most decks and many movies on the format how many of them will specialize in maintaining their decks remains to be seen though.