Getting Up To Speed
 

Sombody gave us an old TV/VCR made by RCA that works pretty wel but
there is no particular button or switch to set the VCR for anything
but SP recording. Okay for a decent picture but that stting eats up
tape far too fast. We also got a remote control-- also suppossedly RCA
made-- but I don;t think was made for this combo as it doesn't have an
EP button either, so when trying to set the thing for timed taping,
there's no way to set for EP even though the screen offers the choice
of SP or EP.

I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this old
clunker?

Ron

Getting Up To Speed
 

"Ron" wrote in message
...
Sombody gave us an old TV/VCR made by RCA that works pretty wel but
there is no particular button or switch to set the VCR for anything
but SP recording. Okay for a decent picture but that stting eats up
tape far too fast. We also got a remote control-- also suppossedly RCA
made-- but I don;t think was made for this combo as it doesn't have an
EP button either, so when trying to set the thing for timed taping,
there's no way to set for EP even though the screen offers the choice
of SP or EP.

I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this old
clunker?

Ron



Old clunker indeed ! If it's not a silly question Ron, why on earth would
you want to keep using this outdated technology, when hard disk recorders
capable of more than 100 hours continuous recording at full broadcast
quality, are available for next to nothing now ... ?

Arfa

Getting Up To Speed
 

On Mar 24, 7:18*pm, "Arfa Daily" wrote:
"Ron" wrote in message

...





Sombody gave us an *old TV/VCR made by RCA that works pretty wel but
there is no particular button or switch to set the VCR for anything
but SP recording. Okay for a decent picture but that stting eats up
tape far too fast. We also got a remote control-- also suppossedly RCA
made-- but I don;t think was made for this combo as it doesn't have an
EP button either, so when trying to set the thing for timed taping,
there's no way to set for EP even though the screen offers the choice
of SP or EP.

I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this old
clunker?

Ron

Old clunker indeed ! If it's not a silly question Ron, why on earth would
you want to keep using this outdated technology, when hard disk recorders
capable of more than 100 hours continuous recording at full broadcast
quality, are available for next to nothing now ... * ?

Arfa- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Somebody gave it to me free, it works, and tapes are cheap... :-)

Ron

Getting Up To Speed
 

"Ron" wrote in message
...
On Mar 24, 7:18 pm, "Arfa Daily" wrote:
"Ron" wrote in message

...





Sombody gave us an old TV/VCR made by RCA that works pretty wel but
there is no particular button or switch to set the VCR for anything
but SP recording. Okay for a decent picture but that stting eats up
tape far too fast. We also got a remote control-- also suppossedly RCA
made-- but I don;t think was made for this combo as it doesn't have an
EP button either, so when trying to set the thing for timed taping,
there's no way to set for EP even though the screen offers the choice
of SP or EP.

I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this old
clunker?

Ron

Old clunker indeed ! If it's not a silly question Ron, why on earth would
you want to keep using this outdated technology, when hard disk recorders
capable of more than 100 hours continuous recording at full broadcast
quality, are available for next to nothing now ... ?

Arfa- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Somebody gave it to me free, it works, and tapes are cheap... :-)

Ron


Well ... Yes ... But a hard disk is cheaper still ! And it only sorta
works with not being able to select low speed, and doesn't have the proper
remote !

Arfa

Getting Up To Speed
 

On Mar 25, 12:25*am, Ron wrote:
On Mar 24, 7:18*pm, "Arfa Daily" wrote:





"Ron" wrote in message

....

Sombody gave us an *old TV/VCR made by RCA that works pretty wel but
there is no particular button or switch to set the VCR for anything
but SP recording. Okay for a decent picture but that stting eats up
tape far too fast. We also got a remote control-- also suppossedly RCA
made-- but I don;t think was made for this combo as it doesn't have an
EP button either, so when trying to set the thing for timed taping,
there's no way to set for EP even though the screen offers the choice
of SP or EP.

I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this old
clunker?

Ron

Old clunker indeed ! If it's not a silly question Ron, why on earth would
you want to keep using this outdated technology, when hard disk recorders
capable of more than 100 hours continuous recording at full broadcast
quality, are available for next to nothing now ... * ?

Arfa- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Somebody gave it to me free, it works, and tapes are cheap... * :-)

Ron

Hear, hear! It works. Why throw it away?!

Plus, for me, I have a catalog of films, over 1,000 titles on tape.

Just a caution: EP has such a problem tracking that next year you may
not be able to view a tape recorded at that speed, even on the same
machine.

Getting Up To Speed
 

On Sat, 24 Mar 2012 18:36:06 -0700 (PDT), Ron wrote:

Sombody gave us an old TV/VCR made by RCA

"Grandpa!! Oh Grandpa!! Mommy doesn't know. She said to ask you. What's a
VCR?"

Getting Up To Speed
 

Ron wrote:

I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this old
clunker?

Would of been handy if you gave the model, but I don't think RCA made any
of these units, probably a rebadged Funai or worse.

Just taking a guess, a lot of those combo sets used a menu to set the
recording speed, not a button. So if it has onscreen menus and arrow keys on
the remote, try those arrows (left/right mostly) to see if it switches to
another one for the vcr settings. At some point in time they decided record
speed was a set-once feature.

Toshiba made some with a dedicated sp/ep button on the remote, so it's
entirely possible but without a model number, only guesses.

-bruce

Getting Up To Speed
 

Bruce Esquibel wrote in message
...
Ron wrote:

I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this old
clunker?

Would of been handy if you gave the model, but I don't think RCA made any
of these units, probably a rebadged Funai or worse.

Just taking a guess, a lot of those combo sets used a menu to set the
recording speed, not a button. So if it has onscreen menus and arrow keys
on
the remote, try those arrows (left/right mostly) to see if it switches to
another one for the vcr settings. At some point in time they decided
record
speed was a set-once feature.

Toshiba made some with a dedicated sp/ep button on the remote, so it's
entirely possible but without a model number, only guesses.

-bruce




Another possibility is extra button pads/traces/overlays on the front panel
pcb , unused on your model, that may be active if jumpered

Getting Up To Speed
 

On Mar 25, 7:03*am, Bruce Esquibel wrote:
Ron wrote:
I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this old
clunker?

Would of been handy if you gave the model, but I don't think RCA made any
of these units, probably a rebadged Funai or worse.

Yep, but I got the thing "as is" and if there's a model number
anywhere, it's buried on the back of a 50 lb unit...

Just taking a guess, a lot of those combo sets used a menu to set the
recording speed, not a button. So if it has onscreen menus and arrow keys on
the remote, try those arrows (left/right mostly) to see if it switches to
another one for the vcr settings. At some point in time they decided record
speed was a set-once feature.


Ahhh, here's the problem: according to the menu to change the tape
speed, one needs only to press the *clear* button... but there is NO
"clear" button, nor does any button pushed act as/like a "clear"
button. Oy!

Ron




Toshiba made some with a dedicated sp/ep button on the remote, so it's
entirely possible but without a model number, only guesses.

-bruce

Getting Up To Speed
 

On Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:25:26 -0700 (PDT), Ron
wrote:

On Mar 24, 7:18*pm, "Arfa Daily" wrote:
"Ron" wrote in message

...





Sombody gave us an *old TV/VCR made by RCA that works pretty wel but
there is no particular button or switch to set the VCR for anything
but SP recording. Okay for a decent picture but that stting eats up
tape far too fast. We also got a remote control-- also suppossedly RCA
made-- but I don;t think was made for this combo as it doesn't have an
EP button either, so when trying to set the thing for timed taping,
there's no way to set for EP even though the screen offers the choice
of SP or EP.

I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this old
clunker?

Ron

Old clunker indeed ! If it's not a silly question Ron, why on earth would
you want to keep using this outdated technology, when hard disk recorders
capable of more than 100 hours continuous recording at full broadcast
quality, are available for next to nothing now ... * ?

Arfa- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Somebody gave it to me free, it works, and tapes are cheap... :-)

Ron

Since tapes are cheap, why the obsession with reducing the picture
quality to use fewer tapes? I have to agree with Mr. Daley on this -
DVRs are inexpensive and produce much better results.

PlainBill

Getting Up To Speed
 

On Mar 25, 3:13*pm, wrote:
On Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:25:26 -0700 (PDT), Ron
wrote:





On Mar 24, 7:18*pm, "Arfa Daily" wrote:
"Ron" wrote in message

....

Sombody gave us an *old TV/VCR made by RCA that works pretty wel but
there is no particular button or switch to set the VCR for anything
but SP recording. Okay for a decent picture but that stting eats up
tape far too fast. We also got a remote control-- also suppossedly RCA
made-- but I don;t think was made for this combo as it doesn't have an
EP button either, so when trying to set the thing for timed taping,
there's no way to set for EP even though the screen offers the choice
of SP or EP.

I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this old
clunker?

Ron

Old clunker indeed ! If it's not a silly question Ron, why on earth would
you want to keep using this outdated technology, when hard disk recorders
capable of more than 100 hours continuous recording at full broadcast
quality, are available for next to nothing now ... * ?

Arfa- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Somebody gave it to me free, it works, and tapes are cheap... * :-)

Ron

Since tapes are cheap, why the obsession with reducing the picture
quality to use fewer tapes? *I have to agree with Mr. Daley on this -
DVRs are inexpensive and produce much better results.

PlainBill- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

No obsession but if there's a 2-1/2 hour movie on like say, Lean on
Me, but the tape will record only 2 hours, obviously I am gonna miss
the last half hour of my movie on SP. Six hours is always better than
two any day!

Ron

Getting Up To Speed
 

Ron wrote in message
...
On Mar 25, 3:13 pm, wrote:
On Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:25:26 -0700 (PDT), Ron
wrote:





On Mar 24, 7:18 pm, "Arfa Daily" wrote:
"Ron" wrote in message


...

Sombody gave us an old TV/VCR made by RCA that works pretty wel but
there is no particular button or switch to set the VCR for anything
but SP recording. Okay for a decent picture but that stting eats up
tape far too fast. We also got a remote control-- also suppossedly
RCA
made-- but I don;t think was made for this combo as it doesn't have
an
EP button either, so when trying to set the thing for timed taping,
there's no way to set for EP even though the screen offers the choice
of SP or EP.

I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this old
clunker?

Ron

Old clunker indeed ! If it's not a silly question Ron, why on earth
would
you want to keep using this outdated technology, when hard disk
recorders
capable of more than 100 hours continuous recording at full broadcast
quality, are available for next to nothing now ... ?

Arfa- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Somebody gave it to me free, it works, and tapes are cheap... :-)

Ron

Since tapes are cheap, why the obsession with reducing the picture
quality to use fewer tapes? I have to agree with Mr. Daley on this -
DVRs are inexpensive and produce much better results.

PlainBill- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

No obsession but if there's a 2-1/2 hour movie on like say, Lean on
Me, but the tape will record only 2 hours, obviously I am gonna miss
the last half hour of my movie on SP. Six hours is always better than
two any day!

Ron

+++++

Why the aversion to 4 hour tapes? Sellers at car-boot/radio rallies almost
give them away.

Getting Up To Speed
 

On Mar 26, 12:18*am, "N_Cook" wrote:
Ron wrote in message

...
On Mar 25, 3:13 pm, wrote:





On Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:25:26 -0700 (PDT), Ron
wrote:

On Mar 24, 7:18 pm, "Arfa Daily" wrote:
"Ron" wrote in message

....

Sombody gave us an old TV/VCR made by RCA that works pretty wel but
there is no particular button or switch to set the VCR for anything
but SP recording. Okay for a decent picture but that stting eats up
tape far too fast. We also got a remote control-- also suppossedly
RCA
made-- but I don;t think was made for this combo as it doesn't have
an
EP button either, so when trying to set the thing for timed taping,
there's no way to set for EP even though the screen offers the choice
of SP or EP.

I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this old
clunker?

Ron

Old clunker indeed ! If it's not a silly question Ron, why on earth
would
you want to keep using this outdated technology, when hard disk
recorders
capable of more than 100 hours continuous recording at full broadcast
quality, are available for next to nothing now ... ?

Arfa- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Somebody gave it to me free, it works, and tapes are cheap... :-)

Ron

Since tapes are cheap, why the obsession with reducing the picture
quality to use fewer tapes? I have to agree with Mr. Daley on this -
DVRs are inexpensive and produce much better results.

PlainBill- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

No obsession but if there's a 2-1/2 hour movie on like say, Lean on
Me, but the tape will record only 2 hours, obviously I am gonna miss
the last half hour of my movie on SP. Six hours is always better than
two any day!

Ron

+++++

Why the aversion to 4 hour tapes? Sellers at car-boot/radio rallies almost
give them away.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You don't use VCRs do you? It's not a matter of the tapes themselves,
but of changing the VCR's recording speed from SP that is [still] the
problem.

Ron

Getting Up To Speed
 

Ron wrote in message
...
On Mar 26, 12:18 am, "N_Cook" wrote:
Ron wrote in message

...
On Mar 25, 3:13 pm, wrote:





On Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:25:26 -0700 (PDT), Ron
wrote:

On Mar 24, 7:18 pm, "Arfa Daily" wrote:
"Ron" wrote in message


...

Sombody gave us an old TV/VCR made by RCA that works pretty wel but
there is no particular button or switch to set the VCR for anything
but SP recording. Okay for a decent picture but that stting eats up
tape far too fast. We also got a remote control-- also suppossedly
RCA
made-- but I don;t think was made for this combo as it doesn't have
an
EP button either, so when trying to set the thing for timed taping,
there's no way to set for EP even though the screen offers the
choice
of SP or EP.

I trid to find a remote with the elusive EP button but no joy on
any
of them. Does anyone know how I can change the tape speed on this
old
clunker?

Ron

Old clunker indeed ! If it's not a silly question Ron, why on earth
would
you want to keep using this outdated technology, when hard disk
recorders
capable of more than 100 hours continuous recording at full broadcast
quality, are available for next to nothing now ... ?

Arfa- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Somebody gave it to me free, it works, and tapes are cheap... :-)

Ron

Since tapes are cheap, why the obsession with reducing the picture
quality to use fewer tapes? I have to agree with Mr. Daley on this -
DVRs are inexpensive and produce much better results.

PlainBill- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

No obsession but if there's a 2-1/2 hour movie on like say, Lean on
Me, but the tape will record only 2 hours, obviously I am gonna miss
the last half hour of my movie on SP. Six hours is always better than
two any day!

Ron

+++++

Why the aversion to 4 hour tapes? Sellers at car-boot/radio rallies almost
give them away.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You don't use VCRs do you? It's not a matter of the tapes themselves,
but of changing the VCR's recording speed from SP that is [still] the
problem.

Ron

++++

I certainly do use VCRs as I cannot watch these new fangled flat TVs for
more than a few minutes because of cross-screen movement/ update judder . So
good old CRT especially with my local UHF transmitter has just gone digital
only. VCRs mean I can hook up 2 VCR (and 2 STB) to a single-scart TV, via
the modulators .
Leaving the scart for a PVR that tends to only get used for transfering MD
audio to DVD rather than timeshifted video/DVD

Flat screen pc monitor is fine as used for text and static graphics only