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From: stv@qantel.UUCP (Steve Vance@ex2499)
Newsgroups: net.video
Subject: Re: counters on VCRS
Message-ID: <476@qantel.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Jun-85 17:17:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: qantel.476
Posted: Thu Jun 27 17:17:45 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Jul-85 06:37:03 EDT
References: <433@zinfandel.UUCP> <1346@hammer.UUCP> <174@tekcrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: stv@qantel.UUCP (Steve Vance@ex2499)
Organization: MDS Qantel, Hayward, CA
Lines: 20

>>the spool rpms change.  *Real* VCRs, like the Sony SL-2700, run
>>the tape counter off the signals recorded on the tape.  The tape
>>counter reads in hours/minutes/seconds, and is *correct*.  I doubt
>>if any VHS machines do this, since the tape has to come off the
>>head for fast-wind, and you couldn't pick up the timing signals.

Is that how Beta does it?  Some European company (Phillips?) has a
scheme that measures the speed difference between the feeder and 
take-up hubs, and determines where you are on the tape based on that
information.  When you insert a tape, it moves it a couple of inches 
before loading it, to see where it is positioned.  After that, it
displays HH:MM:SS, to within about 30 seconds accuracy, no matter how
the tape moves.  I can't name any models available in the US which 
use this method, but it would work just as well for VHS as for Beta.
-- 

Steve Vance
{dual,hplabs,intelca,nsc,proper}!qantel!stv
dual!qantel!stv@berkeley
Qantel Corporation, Hayward, CA