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Just out of interest...

bbcmicro

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Apr 2, 2006
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Can your run-of-the-mill VCR be used as a replacement for an audio cassette recorder to store data?
 
kk, I'll have to make a lead though. 5 pin DIN to Audio? wonder what the pinouts would be for data and the like.
 
Atari ..

RE: The three letters you like to use as an acronym.

I deleted your post. To me, it is a gratuitous use of profanity for no reason. I'm going to make it a policy of deleting your posts on a regular basis if you don't get the message.
 
It'll work, I use a Hi-Fi vcr for audio only quite a bit. Comes in handy for recording radio shows. However, you could also use a pc and record the data as WAV files. It would make it much easier to find and load a specific file.

As an aside, many years ago, there was an adapter that allowed one to use a vcr as a tape backup for a computer. Don't remember if it connected to the serial or parallel port, but it modulated the data onto the video tracks of the tape. I remember it as being somewhat expensive, but not nearly as much as a tape drive in those days. Also, blank VHS tapes were much cheaper than data tapes. I don't think that you could extract individual files from it.

A quick refresher, non-Hi-Fi vcrs use linear audio tracks just like a standard cassette recorder. A Hi-Fi vcr modulates the audio and puts it between the video tracks for near-cd quality sound.

I don't see any advantage to a vcr over a cassette recorder for computer files, but then we all like to experiment, don't we? :)

Kent
 
*sigh* VCR tapes have audio tracks on them. Thats why the movies have sound. I don't have the enegery to explain it farther, but the audio tracks are indeed there....

-VK
 
A long time ago a few different companies sold adapters that would let you write data to a VCR.

VCRs have much higher bandwidth than audio cassettes .. enough to store both audio and video. VCRs are not very good for digital data though, especially more modern ones that try to correct or adjust the image being recorded to played back. The less the device does to massage the signal, the better.

None of the projects was particularly reliable, mostly due to the fact that any old VCR could be used. As a result, none were particularly successful either.
 
Like that Corvus hard disk I picked up, which has a VCR backup option. I vaguely remember some similar backup systems in the Amiga age too, but as very few owned hard disks, a backup was of limited use (what is the point of backing up floppies to tape?).

I believe a VCR has a longer start-up phase than an audio tape recorder, so if you're going to use it to load individual programs, you may need more space between each file and it will be more cumbersome to use. But as Kent said, it is nice to experiment.
 
carlsson said:
I believe a VCR has a longer start-up phase than an audio tape recorder, so if you're going to use it to load individual programs, you may need more space between each file and it will be more cumbersome to use. But as Kent said, it is nice to experiment.


Especially the older vcrs that only laced the tape when you pressed PLAY or RECORD. The newer ones that lace the tape upon insertion have a much shorter start-up cycle.

I briefly considered getting one of those adapters years ago but finally decided against it, mainly due to the cost.

Kent
 
bbcmicro said:
Can your run-of-the-mill VCR be used as a replacement for an audio cassette recorder to store data?

crazy hackers/modders go take a ride!
 
I remember reading about a product that came out around 2000... you could back up your PC to the video portion of a VHS tape. I think they got around 2gb on the 2 hour SP tape?

-Jason
 
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