This is a condolence book for those wishing to leave their thoughts on the passing of the Betamax video format. Betamax production has now ceased.

( 182 people have signed this condolence book since September 2. 2002 )

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Pat Williams from USA left the message below on April 3. 2009, 12:03:

I liked your site.

en from Europe left the message below on July 12. 2008, 23:37:

We started life using Betamax slf1 then in 1990 alern8's first music video was edited using the mighty SL HF950 and played on air by bbc which was a bit of a coup in those days back then there was such thing as broadcast standard and super beta was only a domestic format, it was a great deck to to animation on and great editing. I still have superbeta recorded tapes that need transfer - but sadly I cant get hold of a superbeta deck to do the transfer, anyone who has a sbeta for sale or loan please let me know. I have betamovie camcorder wich was the first domestic camcorder its a classic now we also have the red jvc vhsc camcorder as seen on back to the future , another classic %3F I read that this was also knowen as the first domestic camcorder, what do you think, is this the 1st or was it Betamax 1st to the post cheers En

MR M.D.EADE from United Kingdom left the message below on April 27. 2008, 23:07:

E-mail: theshack at btinternet.com

my SL-F1 is still going strong. I have found that betacam sp tapes are fully compatible. a great machine. the beta format will always be remembered. and in some cases still being used."BRING IT BACK"

Sebastian McLuvin from United Kingdom left the message below on January 2. 2008, 19:00:

Love the site, very interesting stuff.

Levi from United Kingdom left the message below on October 22. 2007, 10:16:

E-mail: trowbridge_tron at btinternet.com

2007 Betamax and beyond! To boldly go where no Betamax has gone before. Still using my Sanyo VTC5000 from 1982 , absolute perfection , works great. Which is more than I can say for my Digi box receiver and Dvd recorder . Japanese technology at it's best ....Chinese electronic equipment is ' pants '

RAFAEL ALFREDO ZAPATA from Other left the message below on October 4. 2007, 00:48:

E-mail: ZAPATARAFAELII at HOTMAIL.COM

EL Betamax MEJOR SISTEMA

leonardo from Other left the message below on October 2. 2007, 23:34:

E-mail: leonardo-ferraz at bol.com.br

the beta machine never die he live in ours dreams and hearts

RAFAEL ALFREDO ZAPATA from Other left the message below on August 24. 2007, 22:37:

E-mail: ZAPATARAFAELII at HOTMAIL.COM

ES UNA LASTIMA QUE SONY HAYA DEJADO DE PRODUCIR EL Betamax YA QUE TENIA O POSEE UNA EXTRAORDINARIA CALIDAD DE IMAGEN SUPERIOR AL VHS

ron from USA left the message below on August 20. 2007, 18:43:

E-mail: rhuffman10 at cox.net

just found this site. glad to know there are other people out there who miss the betas. I still have over 300 beta tapes I wish I could watch. picture quality was so much better. can't even find anyone who knowa how to work on the little devils now.

ray from Australia left the message below on July 7. 2007, 03:19:

E-mail: raygosh1 at yahoo.com

ive heard so much about beta and how it was better than vhs so I bought a sony sl-c35.it works great.built like a tank though even vhs was as well in those days.you get no arguments from me that beta was the superior format.despite all this,you really cant compare the beta or vhs vcr's of the 1980's to the current day vhs vcr's.the 80's vcr's are slow.to rewind or fast forward a tape takes all day.if you want to search through a tape%3Bthat is fast forward during play,that will take you another day.i dont know what the more recent betas were like as I never saw any.you dont see any either on ebay.its all old stuff.i have panasonic vcr's %7Bvhs of course%7Dfrom recent years and in terms of features,they are the best ever in my opinion.they are fast.they rewind etc in no time and their search speed is the best of any brand.i use that function a lot.they also have the EP recording mode which means you get 12 hours recording from a 4 hour tape.i know it reduces the quality but its still watchable.i mostly record of the tv and ive been told that beta is not much better than vhs for doing this.i beleive the difference between the formats was in the rental tapes.thats where beta was better.for me,beta is a novelty thing only.its a shame they lost the war though because their tapes are a much better size than the massive vhs tapes.still,we will all miss beta and fondly remember it

john from USA left the message below on July 7. 2007, 02:38:

E-mail: john456 at yahoo.com

u

Dack from Europe left the message below on June 10. 2007, 20:59:

Betamax forever ...

Stuart George from United Kingdom left the message below on May 15. 2007, 22:35:

Sony sl-hf950, sl-hf100 sl-c9 x 2 What superb machines these are, especially the hf models..so much better than vhs. Is it still possible to get NEW head disk and upper drums for the c9 and 950%3F

Lance Avery from Australia signed the guestbook on May 3. 2007, 10:32.

E-mail: la-tenetattain at optusnet.com.au

sinan buyum from Europe left the message below on December 30. 2006, 07:35:

E-mail: buyum.sinan at isbank.net.tr

sony slc-9 ecs shema for repair

Nikola from Europe left the message below on December 19. 2006, 16:53:

E-mail: paternikola at yahoo.co.uk

Loved the Betamax long time ago...stil got the machine in working condition%21

Piet Hoosenz from Europe left the message below on December 9. 2006, 18:22:

I still own a beta max here in Groningen in Netherlands

Ricky Guilmoto from United Kingdom left the message below on September 13. 2006, 11:44:

E-mail: rockyboy at guernsey.net

Owned a Toshiba machine for about 20 years and it never let me down. Had the heads replaced once but that was all. In the end I had to stop using it as I could not get hold of blank tapes. RIP

Eliav Shames %28Israel%29 from Other left the message below on September 11. 2006, 17:07:

I was born in 1992 in Pittsburgh PA. My parents had a Betamax Deck. Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to use it.However, I did a lot of research and this is just another unfortunate example of how people are suckers for marketing rather than quality. Reminds you of Microsoft doesn't it%3F

Andy from United Kingdom left the message below on July 4. 2006, 21:36:

E-mail: andyg89 at tiscali.co.uk

Hi I have just found you site it's fantastic all I can say is keep up the good work the Betamax format will always bring a tear to my eye the machines were just so much more than just a video recorder I still own my original Sony SLC7UB and have aquired over the years 3 C9's 2 F1's another C7 and the ultimate Betamax the Sony SLHF950 long live beta I can't see anybody collecting old VHS machines

guso from Other left the message below on May 12. 2006, 03:46:

E-mail: guslatt at tutopia.com

Is there anybody that have the user guide of a Nec Pvc-2400. My uncle give me one recorder and I don�t how it use. Please send any answer as fast as possible.

Noel Higgins from Australia left the message below on November 25. 2005, 02:27:

E-mail: noel.higgins at acma.gov.au

Beta is not dead until the final machine dies. I will keep repairing mine and others as long as I can get parts, so keep them going as best you can and don't just send them to death in hard rubbish collections. Many peoples life memories of families, locations, sport. trips, etc are stored on beta tapes so there is a continued need for these machines if only to transfer the images for storage onto the next medium. My favorite machines are the Sony SLHF950, SLC9AS, SLO1700 and SLHF100AS.

Dave Dixon from Other left the message below on September 30. 2005, 18:06:

I am in Canada and have always used beta from the start (since 1984) I still have the very first recording I made (good guys wear black) and it still plays, lets hope someone starts a club for people like us and trys to keep the best format going

ersin from Europe left the message below on September 3. 2005, 22:08:

E-mail: orangeturco at yahoo.com

You will never walk alone! We will not forget you.How we can forgot you? Our first Betamax movie together with the first rental tape! You are a history and you will leave in our hearts everytime.

the snail from USA left the message below on August 27. 2005, 00:15:

E-mail: thesnail at gastro.pod

_@_v - gee lupas... who's the bigger loser - people who still like their Betamax vcrs or the wanker who deliberately seeks out a beta fansite to find a way to post a snivelling comment about what a loser people are for liking betas?

lupas from United Kingdom left the message below on August 23. 2005, 00:39:

E-mail: lupaslupas at hotmail.com

Jesus h christ, you lot need to get a life. Betamax sucked big time, as does vhs. all you idiots saying dvd will die and go the way of laser disk need to get a wake up call. digital is the future becouse as you may not know, there is no loss of quality, unlike crappy beta or vhs tapes. they degrade rapidly over time. also what the hell is all this s**t about, oh my beta works perfect, perfect quality, bollocks, fact of the matter is, tapes lose quality when you record to them, fact of life. GET A GOD DAMN LIFE! and stop moaning about a s**t format that died becouse it was s**t. you lot just say its a better format becouse you suckered into buying one and now are too proud to admit that there s**t.

andy griffin from United Kingdom left the message below on July 31. 2005, 23:07:

E-mail: andyg89 at tiscali.co.uk

my first love a sony c7

morrie krumhorn from USA left the message below on May 25. 2005, 17:25:

E-mail: morrie at jew.com

i still like to watch deep throat on my Betamax

Mashilo Magongoa from Other left the message below on January 5. 2005, 14:08:

E-mail: mosima at operamail.com

I just love my Betamaxes...Sad to see their demise though...

David from USA left the message below on January 3. 2005, 08:41:

E-mail: gateschili2003 at yahoo.com

Hello fellow Betafans, I am 19 years old and I just started buying Beta Videos and VCRs a few years ago. I do remember when people were able to rent Beta Videos, but after 1991 was over, so was the Betamax. I would love to see either Sanyo or Sony manufacture brand new Beta VCRs for the general public. VHS was terrible and DVD will become obsolete like the Videodisc did. I want to get a petition going, so that Sony will realize how much the Betamax is missed and also how much they can profit by manufacturing brand new Sony Betamax VCRs. I have a few Beta VCRs for sale that I was going to list on eBay, but I cannot see a dealer getting his or her grubby little hands on them. One is a Sanyo Betacord and the other one is a Toshiba Beta VCR. These are in great working condition. If you are interested, please let me know as soon as you can. Thank you all for letting me speak my mind and be rest assured that Beta will return soon!

Caroline from Europe left the message below on November 14. 2004, 20:28:

E-mail: caroline007de at yahoo.de

Beta isn't dead. Even if V2000 is more alive in the Netherlands ( where I am living ) now, because it was a dutch-german invention, you can still buy blank tapes in some stores, and some videostores still have some Betamax movies. You can still get most of the spare parts from Germany ( incredible expensive ) or Japan ( much cheaper, but complicated to order and takes an eternity ). I have the HF-950 and its the best VCR I ever had. Betamax will never die - even Super8 is still alive.

Turd Ferguson from USA left the message below on November 7. 2004, 01:00:

A Poem for the Betamax format by Rev. Turd Ferguson I cry every night tears shed for my pain, but someday I'll die and go to heaven and watch movies on beta again.

Daniel R. from Other left the message below on November 4. 2004, 06:20:

E-mail: morrissey1986 at yahoo.com.mx

My Sanyo 4030 VCR died three days ago, after 19 years of constant operation. THE BEST vcr I EVER HAVE.

bruce kennedy from United Kingdom left the message below on November 1. 2004, 20:56:

E-mail: kennedycolton at hotmail.com

My introduction into the amazing world of self recorded was via a Sanyo Betamax recorder,followed by a Sony SLHF-950......Why did VHS win,God only knows,but I loved Betamax.R.I.P

blackJACK from United Kingdom left the message below on October 29. 2004, 12:20:

Betamax is a legend&dvds,vhs can never ever beat the Betamax!!

Carlos E. Argott from USA left the message below on October 12. 2004, 19:10:

E-mail: argott2002 at yahoo.com

As an ownwer of two beta vcr's: SL-HF860D and SL-HF1000 which are still smoothly working, I just regret the day this format passed away. I bought them between 1985 and 1988, so it is really amazing their quality and reliability. Hail to this format! Carlos E. Argott

ted from United Kingdom left the message below on October 1. 2004, 14:40:

This may surprise you but I don't think the Betamax format is dead just because no more machines will be built,think of the demise of the vinyl record no one really thinks the record is extinct because people still use them(I have a massive collection of them!)so the Betamax format is not really dead as long as we still use it ,VHS is the format that is really dying because less and less people are using it as both tapes and machines are getting harder to come by and one day will be impossible to find and the remaing VHS machines will be thrown away shoved in lofts never to see the light of day again also they will end up in museums but Betamax will last forever as it has a following like classic cars and antique furnature regards Ted Barlow

Veronica H. Spencer from Australia left the message below on September 16. 2004, 18:39:

E-mail: VHS at yahoo.com

Goodbye Betamax, you weren't better (tho people thought you were) and now you are gone forever and only remembered by a few sad anoraks who live in the past. RIP bettamacks:) Get ready for the DVD wars next........

Sandra (CTBA-PR-BRASIL) from Other left the message below on September 15. 2004, 22:55:

E-mail: sanmendes at brturbo.com

O "PRIMEIRO AMOR", A GENTE NUNCA ESQUECE!!!! E NEM A PRIMEIRA FILMADORA "BETA"

Manuel Olive Gamez & Margo from Other left the message below on September 15. 2004, 21:16:

E-mail: manuelolive at walla.com

Me dicen vete Beta, que vaina, aunque no funciona dede hace tiempo, guardo como 300 cassettes para verlos cuando consiga reparar mis dos maquinas. Adios Beta, vete, vete, Beta, no hay mecanicos para ti. el VHS y CD te han ahogado. Lamento tu deceso, era fanatico, pero mlas reparaciones me jodieron siempre...ciao, feliz muerte.

Spiros from Europe left the message below on September 3. 2004, 11:43:

E-mail: greekquoman at hotmail.com

Hi I'm Spiros from Greece and I am 25. We owned in the family a beta machine but when we goy a loan to buy a house we were forced among other things to sell also our video (in 1988). Now I own 2 machines, a Sanyo VTC 5550 which was broken about 5 years but finally I managed to fix it and a wonderful Sony Superbeta SL 500ME MKII. The format dissapeared in Greece about 1990 and it's very difficult to find another Beta machine as a Hi-Fi and Superbeta.. But I'm searching always for one, and.. who knows sometimes I may be lucky..

daren richardson from United Kingdom left the message below on August 3. 2004, 04:39:

E-mail: camels713 at aol.com

Hi all I love my beta machine still have it in the lounge as everyday usaged.the machine is a sanyo 5150 model am desperate 4 a remote 4 it so if anybody has one 4 sale let me no. I really do hope they make beta machines again. well thinking about it some one must make them still as all tv studios use them.i will make my machine out live me and im only 26 lol.

Roger Hubbard from USA left the message below on August 2. 2004, 17:04:

E-mail: iquana at msn.com

Betamax was the premier format for video taping during its time. The VHS format could not compare to the Betamax. I still have a Betamax Machine and lots of movies taped and shot with a Betacam. Too bad Sony did not market this machine.

Roger Hubbard from USA left the message below on August 2. 2004, 17:00:

E-mail: iquana at msn.com

Betamax was the premier format for video taping during its time. The VHS format could not compare to the Betamax. I still have a Betamax Machine.

vassili from Australia left the message below on May 19. 2004, 15:38:

E-mail: ovassilios at yahoo.com.au

Hi BetaFolks, Just wondering, Where do Betamax remote controls go to when they die?

Christopher Trevino from USA left the message below on April 29. 2004, 17:28:

E-mail: trev69fw at yahoo.com

Dear sir I am planning to buy a beta player and would like to know where I could buy movies? Christopher Trevino 427 N Main Apt B Bowling Green,Oh 43402 1-419-575-2303

teleskassa from Europe left the message below on April 18. 2004, 17:08:

possiedo un nec pvc 2400 (uguale al sony sl 8080) e un sanio vtc 6000. w il Betamax e v2000.vhs fa cagare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

James from United Kingdom left the message below on April 12. 2004, 13:18:

E-mail: james.anderson1986 at ntlworld.com

beta is the best... burn the jvc company and all your vhs tapes and badger sony until they agree to make the wonderful format again

Audio Video International from Europe left the message below on March 20. 2004, 14:11:

E-mail: avi at datawave.nl

It is a very shame, that Sony has ceased their magnificent range of Betamax Video recorders. At the moment I am using the SL-F60, went haywire, now I have to buy another one or the SL-F-90, better they have enough parts available and NOT to cease with those ones.

SSGX from USA left the message below on March 5. 2004, 12:14:

E-mail: supersaiyangokux at yahoo.com

First off, you all have my condolences for the "loss" of your beloved format and machines...... I stumbled across this site during a search for the official meaning of the "VHS" acronym... And boy am I amazed! Why? Well, let me tell you a little bit about myself: I am 23 years old (born in '80), I'm from the U.S., and my only familiarity with Beta is through "folklore", basically... As far as I've ever known, Beta *was* dead... Never once in my entire life have I seen one, or any of the casettes... No store I've ever been in has ever had any of them, and no one I know (as far as I'm aware) has owned one during my lifetime... VHS has ruled the home video recording industry over here for my entire lifetime... In fact, I'm not even sure how some of the other Americans on here seemed to have missed that point... Granted, some of them seem to be a bit older than I am, and a good deal of you guys appear to deal with Betas (and recording in general) on a professional level, whereas I have only ever used a VCR for casual movie watching, and the occasional recording of something off of the television...but again, for the average home user, VHS has been virtually the only option (or at least the *vastly* more popular option) for over 20 years now... I believe a parallel can be drawn with the whole Mac vs PC struggle... Sure, Macs may be the better computer, but PCs are vastly more popular, and usually a good deal less expensive, and easier to find... I suspect that the same relationship applies to Beta vs VHS... Beta may be better, but I'd guess it is a bit more expensive, and as I've already mentioned, it's VASTLY more difficult to purchase here (if you can't find it in a Wal*Mart or a Best Buy, then it's too hard to find)... I suppose it might be

Mike Ryan from Australia left the message below on March 4. 2004, 20:23:

E-mail: mike111ryan at yahoo.com

My HF-100 was stolen but my HF-150AS is still

craig from United Kingdom left the message below on February 28. 2004, 23:29:

E-mail: sciroccoman15034 at aol.com

Its a shame when you talk to poeple and they ask why do you want an old Betamax video for!?,i have several and will keep the all going for ever if I can!,as I write this im nursing my mint c6 back to health,its got the servo wobbles!,so a handful of caps are being soldered in!! again! .The format is fantastic,outclassing vhs from day one,and it was the lack of support from the makers...cost a few quid to make I spose,and the bloddy rental market for the lack of fims caused its demise here in the uk.Thanks to pal site for all the help in keeping theese bits of history alive!!!!,oh and does anybody know what the caution light on a betamove bmc 100 p means....it dosnt record anything and its the first one ive owned....keep the flag flying people!!!

ceebee from Australia left the message below on February 19. 2004, 23:49:

E-mail: pceebee at netscape.net

I have owned Beta vcrs since 1980. They always provided better pictures and more stable ones. I barely need to touch the tracking control unlike VHS. I still have my Sanyo 9300. It is a tank of a vcr but it just keeps working! My pride and joy is a Toshiba 8600. It is a very nice machine almost equivalent to the C9 with 4 heads and perfect slomo and still frame and BNR on the sound track. I bought one new in 1982 only to have it stolen 12 months later but after 20 years of searching I found one on eBay in perfect condition!!!!!! Amazing!! Now it won't be long and VHS will die as digital recording takes off ...funny that after all this time the war will be over! But who will bemoan the loss of VHS?

Digame from USA left the message below on February 18. 2004, 22:35:

E-mail: digame at frontiernet.net

Local cable commission will soon divest itself of "dated" equipment... including a Sony Trinitron BETA HVC-2200 and HVF-2000 viewfinder... there may be additional professional level Beta equipment and accessories available: Please e-mail me for further details!

Davicillo from Europe left the message below on February 10. 2004, 16:45:

It was 20 years ago when my father bought his first Betamax VCR and videocamera (a SL-F1 and a HVC-4000P). Today, they still work. I started to play, and to work with these machines when I was a child. Now, I'm a professional cameraman, and I use Betacam SP equipment. I'll never understand why the Betamax format was defeated by the Very Horryble System, as it was the worst of the three domestic systems that emerged on the late 70's. But Sony's engineers that designed Betamax can be proud of their work, not only because a lot of Betamax machines (as mine) are still in good conditions to work, but because the son of Betamax, the Betacam, became the most widely extended analog format for Broadcasting (because of the image quality provided by the format, as well as it's high portability and hardness, ask to war reporters) and the new Sony's digital workhorses are modifications of the Betacam: I'm talking of Betacam SX (18 Mbps, good for ENG & EFP) MPEG-IMX (50 Mbps, good for high quality productions) Digital Betacam (almost not compressed, can do EVERYTHING) and HDCAM (a high definition format, that has been used to produce theatrical movies, and whith some VTR's that can playback a Betacam tape recorded in 1982). All of these professional, high quality formats use the same tape transport mechanism (with few minor modifications) that was designed for the Betamax, so I think that a part of the Beta format is still alive, and providing reliable machines, that work even in the worst conditions, and giving astounding motion pictures to the world.

Cesar Manuel Lopez from Europe left the message below on February 1. 2004, 13:17:

E-mail: riv at cim.es

MY CARTOONS, MY ALF AND PINK PANTHER'S MEMORIES WHEN I WAS A KID ARE REGISTERED ON YOU. SO THANK YOU FOR A WHOLE LIFE OF ENTERTAINMENT. AND THANK YOU ALL THE ENGINEERS WHO GAVE IT TO LIFE.

geo from USA left the message below on January 25. 2004, 02:46:

E-mail: bossbullet at yahoo.com

USA!USA! I Wish this didn't have to happen

Van Lauwe Alain from Europe left the message below on January 20. 2004, 15:42:

E-mail: alainvanlauwe at skynet.be

Ifeel very sorry Betamax videorecoders cease to exist.But congratulations to SONYfor their good work.It's a pity for about my 250 hours of Beatles Videotape I collected during all those years. Now I transfer them to VHS. Best wishes. Alain Van Lauwe , Blankenberge , Belgium

Andy Hearn from United Kingdom left the message below on January 14. 2004, 14:24:

E-mail: a.hearn at virgin.net

Got my first Betamax in 1982, a C5, still using a C7 and an SL-F1, sorry to see go, but will keep mine going as long as I am alive!

Anne from Australia left the message below on January 2. 2004, 01:25:

E-mail: anne at ampublishing.com.au

I am still mourning my Sony SL-C9E ... stolen several years ago while still in its prime ... if anyone in Oz has one for sale, I'd love to hear from you!

Alberto Luiz Sommacal from Other left the message below on December 15. 2003, 23:28:

E-mail: asommacal at hotmail.com

SL 30MD foi meu primeiro Video Cassete. Comprei a mais de 20 anos. At� hoje ainda funciona. Que pena, vou sentir saudades quando ele estragar.

Karan from United Kingdom left the message below on November 22. 2003, 18:40:

I have never used a Betamax, but have used various betacam machine. The digital decks are good, but digital VhS is better.

biezen leopold from Europe left the message below on November 18. 2003, 22:50:

E-mail: leovanbiezen at tomaatnet.nl

470 banden en ik kan ze nietmeer afspelen s**t !!!!!!!!!!

Valerio from Europe left the message below on November 11. 2003, 19:40:

E-mail: vale72 at vivacity.it

Salve. Ho avuto modo di avere Beta solo di recente, ma me ne sono subito innamorato. Reputo il mio Sony SL-HF 950 ES il miglior videoregistratore mai costruito. Vorrei conoscere altri appassionati italiani per scambiare opinioni e far restare vivo questo magnifico sistema.

John from Other left the message below on October 25. 2003, 05:22:

E-mail: jpalmer at netidea.com

Canada Luckily I have access to good, used Beta VCRs from my work at a Salvation Army Thrift shop where they're dirt cheap!

eduard from Europe left the message below on October 22. 2003, 21:10:

E-mail: e.elskamp3 at chello.nl

I found the misery that the Betamax from the face of the earth is disappeared. I self have also 2 sanyo Betamax recorders had and both a toploader and also yet a tdk Betamax cassette that just a vhs is. no real misery eduard

pinbak from United Kingdom left the message below on October 19. 2003, 22:06:

E-mail: pinbak at hotmail.com

bad day for the world of video - still collecting tho' never surrender!!

Sonyx1983 from Europe left the message below on October 3. 2003, 16:43:

E-mail: Sonyx1983 at t-online.de

I Like SONY and The Betamax format,but it�s not good that Sony stoped the production of the Beta VCR�s.But I have a lot of fun with my Sony BETA SL-HF100EC Hifi and SL-C9E stereo VCR.I never want to give away these great Recorders!

Glen from USA left the message below on September 30. 2003, 00:53:

E-mail: gwestern at socal.rr.com

My Beta is on its last legs and will be sad to see it go. As old as it is, it is still better than my vhs Sadly, I guess it is time for digital.

Jesus from Europe left the message below on September 16. 2003, 18:38:

E-mail: JRodrigo at eresmas.net

I have a big collection of Beta video cassette and my old Sony Betamax SL-C40E does not work. The laws of the market are unstoppable. At the end it is always the victory of the bad (VHS). I regret it

martin jenkins from Other left the message below on September 16. 2003, 13:48:

Still using a sony slhf150 that I bought here in nz in 1990, superb pic quality.

James Cullingmore from Europe left the message below on September 15. 2003, 21:49:

I onced owned a beat machine, but then was forced to buy a VHS as it was, as a whole, a better product.

Shaun from United Kingdom left the message below on September 14. 2003, 22:55:

Terribly sad to see such a superb system go out of use - at least for domestic useage. I understand that professionally BetaCAMs etc are still in use. My first love was a Sony SL-F1 with a pig of an external camera. I bought it on reccomendation of the chief engineer at the local TV station who told me it was near broadcast quality and they had a few they used for ENG. How right he was. Superb. Blows away VHS. If only Sony had not been so silly as to overcharge for Beta licences, when JVC (Thats the Junk Vending Corporation) were almost giving VHS away and shipping the evaluation models to Europe with a few soft porn tapes to keep the evaluators interested.

KUINO from Other left the message below on September 3. 2003, 23:34:

E-mail: adiosbeta at kikos.com

ADIOS Betamax, FUISTE BUENA PERO TE MADREO LA VHS

Marek Gorecki from Europe left the message below on August 29. 2003, 09:50:

E-mail: goreckimarek at wp.pl

Do wszystkich polsko jezycznych wideofili Beta. sam posiadam taki sprzet I jest zajebisty bije na leb ten nedzny VHS pod wzgledm kolorow czystego dzwieku jak I dynamiki. Ciekawe czy ktos mnie zrozumie zapraszam do korespondencji a wiem ze malo jest tego typu fanatykow w Polsce. Mam rowniez w domu video 2000 niezwykle ciekawy system dwustronny z rownie dobrym dzwiekiem. Jestem czlowiekiem molodym ale pasjonuje mnie stara technika, nowosci wcale mnie nie kreca.

Superapolon from Europe left the message below on August 26. 2003, 09:21:

E-mail: superapolon at hotmail.com

N tenia ni puta idea que hubiera tanto flipao con el video Beta. De todas formas, el mio sigue ahi como un tit�n despues de unos 18 a�os de servicio fiel a la familia, tanto como reloj, como video, como entretenimiento como para dejar cosas encima. I didn�t know it was still in production, so I am not so shocked for its commercial death. But it will stay with us as it has been. Ese video Beta ahi!!!

Neilly from United Kingdom left the message below on August 4. 2003, 15:30:

E-mail: neilsargent at tiscali.co.uk

Hi Guys, I have got a fully operational slhf100 hi-fi Betamax recorder. The non hi-fi recorded tapes sound awful, do you have any tips on correcting my sound problem? I have tried cleaning the fixed audio head with a cleaning pen, with no avail. My betababy needs your help, thanks Neilly.

SYDNEY COBB from United Kingdom left the message below on August 1. 2003, 16:00:

I REMEMBER VERY FONDLY OF THE AMAZING FIRST HI-FI BETA AND WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THE FIRST RECORDING OF SOMEONE ON TV PLAYING AGUITAR AND SING SOME FOLK SONG. THE SOUND WAS QUITE AMAZING. AND STILL TODAY I WAS IMPRESSED BY THE QUALITY OF THAT MACHINE. AND TODAY THEY ARE LIKE HENSE TEETH. SORRY TO SEE SUCH A GREAT SYSTEM GONE LIKE THE DO DO.

John Gordon from Other left the message below on July 24. 2003, 18:22:

E-mail: John.Gordon at agriculture.gov.ie

A great machine for 15 years

Austin from Europe left the message below on July 18. 2003, 23:14:

E-mail: austin.morris at 12free.zzn.com

Though I�ve been collecting VHS-Hifi-Stereo recorders for quite a long time, I�ve always known that beta is superior to VHS, no matter if VHS, VHS-ET oder S-VHS. Anyway, I never got the chance to own a beta-recorder myself. But - it�s the same with PC and Amiga. It�s not always the best that survives... Sorry that beta is now gone... I guess I�ll try to buy a used Hifi-beta recorder... What was the best one? Austin

MAXIMO MONTENEGRO from Other left the message below on July 4. 2003, 17:59:

E-mail: tlmm at mixmail.com

PLEASE DONT GO

Michael Graham from United Kingdom left the message below on July 3. 2003, 20:56:

E-mail: mike137uk at yahoo.co.uk

Goodbye, dear Betamax, you have served me well. For just a tenner I bought an old Sony C5 from the dodgy bloke at the car boot sale, and it played back almost true to the quality of television, the lower resolution the only limit, after some intensive cleaning it will hopefully record like that too. Even SVHS falls short of Betamax in my humble opinion. Beyond the grave, I feel Betamax will still provide, with many old tapes and my humble C5 fighting beyond all odds, hopefully the format still lives on, in the form of old machines like mine.

Fredrik Marklund from Europe left the message below on June 30. 2003, 14:36:

E-mail: darksidedesignweb at hotmail.com

Beta is still the coolest format around. I have about 500 original x-rentals to my machines. Greetings from J�rn - Sweden.

Wagner from Other left the message below on June 26. 2003, 15:36:

E-mail: wgn at ig.com.br

SL-30 was my first desktop home video recorder and I'm sure it has been still the best...

Amanda from USA left the message below on June 19. 2003, 07:31:

E-mail: Mandapie2000 at aol.com

I....was a baby when the Betamax was on the market....I do remember...that there was also...something similar to a Betamax...but it played large vinyl records....does anyone know what those where called? If so please e-mail me [email protected] am dying to know what they where called, so that I could locate one.

James T from USA left the message below on June 17. 2003, 21:50:

E-mail: jtkellertx at yahoo.com

We Miss Beta But It Still Lives in Our Hearts, In Our Living Room, and On eBay

GUYMAN MUGU KEN from Other left the message below on June 14. 2003, 09:55:

E-mail: GUYMAN at MUGU.COM

KEEP OFF O O O GUYS O O O I DON LAND O O O O OOO O OO UMU GUYS O O O KEEP OFF O O O

nick from United Kingdom left the message below on June 11. 2003, 12:26:

E-mail: nlavittic24net at ic24.net

I still have a working slf100ub & a superbeta slh950ub both working any offers ?

baz from United Kingdom left the message below on June 4. 2003, 09:25:

E-mail: nornmanbaz1 at aol.com

it is the best system yet sorry to see it go

Andrew from USA left the message below on May 11. 2003, 03:52:

E-mail: skane75 at yahoo.com

Goodbye Betamax thanks for the memories ! Long live the DVD recorder the new Betamax!

Michael Nagoda from Other left the message below on April 30. 2003, 01:16:

E-mail: mnagoda at yahoo.ca

Goodbye Betamax, I'll miss you! Damn you VHS! BETA IS BETTER!!!!

derek from United Kingdom left the message below on April 26. 2003, 15:09:

E-mail: cosyslippers at hotmail.com

Always the best! I still have my trusty old C9 and loads of stuff I'd like to transfer to vcd but the machine needs some attention - the picture is ok but the sound is not good. Anybody left out there in the UK who could service it?

Riccardo from Europa left the message below on April 24. 2003, 20:20:

E-mail: rmoresi at tin.it

Il migliore, da sempre.

Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf, Iraqi Informati from Other left the message below on April 23. 2003, 21:06:

E-mail: MSS at iraqinfomin.gov

These lies you continually perpetrate against the Betamax, are complete fabrications! It is the Zionist propaganda which has made you crazy. Betamax, Allah be praised, is still the number one superior video format and will never run away! Never! I triple guarantee you! JVC has never progressed with their infidel VHS, if they had, which they have not, they would be commiting suicide before the Betamax and their stomachs will roast in Hell. The fabrications of Al-Jazeera against this great and benevolent format are LIES! Nothing but LIES perpetrated by the American press. Do not believe them! The Zionists snakes at JVC are merely persecuting those who are right and fair, and we will cut them to pieces and hit them with old shoes....

Carlos Moreno from Other left the message below on April 22. 2003, 19:52:

E-mail: carlmorenor at hotmail.com

Aqui en Venezuela el Beta fue una tremenda maquina y duro 12 a�os en el mercado, tengo tres maquinas y todavia funcionan muy bien las cuido como mis bebes, la ultima me la compre en el 89 y digital stereo hifi, con eta veo todos lo video que tengo, quien me ouede decir paginas en la wed para ver fotos de Betamax gracias

Carlos Moreo from Other left the message below on April 22. 2003, 19:39:

E-mail: carlmorenor at hotmail.com

I Do love you Beta, Please dont die on me, please dont go,

Steve Clark from USA left the message below on April 16. 2003, 21:26:

E-mail: clarksteveplayer at hotmail.com

How could anyone so dumb as Sony be credited with inventing the Beta yet loose the war to VHS. Besides an 80's era Toshiba model I also have a reel to reel Beta tape from the early 1970's I still feel like I'm running a hay baler when I turn on my VHS. Maybe DVD will help me forget about VHS. What a sorry excuse for video. Thank you Sony for being so selfish and stupid.

Chris Cunningham from United Kingdom left the message below on April 16. 2003, 15:28:

E-mail: chriscGUIT at hotmail.com

I was too young to own a machine, but I watched a pre-recorded Betamax cassette of Airplane when I was at college. As well as enjoying the film, I thought the pic quality was excellent! R.I.P. Betamax, your legend lives on in Betacam/HD...

Fredy Rincon from Other left the message below on April 14. 2003, 17:13:

E-mail: fredyrincon at msn.com

Tuve la oportunidad de utilizar 3 modelos de Betamax durante mi adolescencia y fue un muy buen formato a pesar que los modelos que tuve eran monof�nicos. En Latinoamerica el Betamax domin� el mercado entre el 1985 y 1995 aprox. Larga vida al Beta. El rey ha muerto que viva el rey!!!! Fredy Rincon desde Canada.

Eric N Wilson from USA left the message below on April 12. 2003, 20:39:

E-mail: enwilsonatmaildotcom at notarealserver.com

The Beta/VHS/DVD/DVHS progression, like the LP/8-track/cassette/CD/DVD-A line of evolution, produces a sad--maybe unintended--byproduct of the free market, where the power of onrushing new (more "perfect") tech compels you to repurchase your favorite entertainment on new formats repeatedly. It's a sad and insidious thing that we have to rebuy our favorite movies every few years when new hardware comes along. (Warning: prose poetry alert) The people who have stayed with Beta against all odds send a message: "This is the place where my patience with you ends. "'Value,' in my eyes, is measured in more than statistics, signifies more than profit margins. "Your cast-off remnants of yesterday's model still has the power to transfix; your mute monolith of history is alive to me. "Your shiny newness has no power in this space. I take this reminder that every sparkly gadget born today or tomorrow marches in the direction of obsolescence. "You see junk, I see history." Or something like that, anyway. :) --eric w

Lisa from Australia left the message below on April 7. 2003, 05:58:

E-mail: skylar181 at hotmail.com

hi although I admit I do not know much as far as technical things go...i do know beta is far superior than any vhs!! but I also have a question to anyone who may be able to help... I have the sony betamovie vrc200p and was wondering is there any manuals available online?? and does anyone know where in adelaide australia I can get all the accessories???

mitch from United Kingdom left the message below on April 7. 2003, 00:40:

E-mail: mb007f2369 at blueyonder.co.uk

As a family we were quite late in owning a vcr at all. So it must of been about 1989 when I finally persuaded my father to buy a sanyo vtc5000 from a friend of mine, which I still have but it no longer works. I have quite a few sanyos but only two work both being sanyo vtc6500s. One which was given to me by a friend of mine, the other the same friend spotted it on top of a dustbin so I had that away pretty quickly. long live beta the true king of video!!!

CRAIG FELSMANN from Australia left the message below on March 28. 2003, 06:22:

E-mail: kreigas at hotmail.com

G'day fellow Betaphiles! I honestly thought I was the only person still interested in the classic old format. Good to see so many other fans from around the world. I own a 19 year old Sony SLHF 100 AS Beta hifi which has had a lot of use since new, and has only had one minor repair since new; 2 years ago. In 10 years time, I've gone through 2 VHS machines.I never could understand why Sony and other companies who made them didn't market them better, and maybe just a little cheaper! I still always record on the Beta, as Blind [and deaf] Freddy can even notice the superior picture and sound quality! I am interested in buying another Sony hifi Beta machine- new if possible. I've read that you can still get the PAL system recorders in Malaysia and Japan. Any info. would be greatly appreciated. R.I.P. Beta!...

Jos� Nieves from Other left the message below on March 19. 2003, 19:21:

E-mail: 5081270 at mipunto.com

EL FORMATO BETA DE SONY ES Y SERA POR SIEMPRE EJEMPLO DE UNA VIDEOGRABADORA CONSTRUIDA CON CUIDADO, DEDICACION Y MAXIMO ACERCAMIENTO A LA PERFECCION EN VIDEO, Y ESO NADIE LO PODRA CAMBIAR, GRACIAS A SONY POR A�OS Y A�OS DE VIDEO-ENTRETENIMIENTO, Y UN SALUDO A TODOS LOS AMIGOS FAN DE BETA,QUE AUN COMPARTEN ESTA PASION CONMIGO. MARZO 19 DE 2003

Shane from Australia left the message below on March 19. 2003, 05:15:

Why dont you all get with the times? Beta had its time, albeit only about 1 day. And it sucked, thats why VHS was and now DVD is the king of videos. Beta is not better. It sucks. Long live VHS!

Ken Rockley from Australia left the message below on March 16. 2003, 02:06:

E-mail: kenr1 at bigpond.com.au

I have had Beta video recorders since they first became available in the late 1970's here in Australia. My first one was a Sanyo VTC 9300PN which I still have.I also have and have had since 1981 a backpack Sanyo Beta portable recorder and it still operates.Does anyone else have one of these as I have not seen one apart from mine?I had travelled thru the USA in 1981 with this unit and was constantly asked as to what it was ,as portable cameras were rare then. Long may the Beta format be remembered.!!

Fred S. from USA left the message below on March 10. 2003, 22:19:

E-mail: videoliquidators at comcast.net

Feel bad to see the production of beta movies cease. It has not slowed down the sale of beta movies at our site - they are still selling very well because of their superior quality

Mohamad CHAMI from Europe left the message below on March 8. 2003, 23:20:

E-mail: chami at engineer.com

I know nothing about video's technologies. But while I was surfing the net to find a business company capable of converting my Betamax tapes into VHS or DVD, I came across too many comments by amateurs, experts, etc... that says Betamax technology is much better than VHS. Now it feels bad to know that Betamax is gone. I will keep the tapes even after converting them.

David from United Kingdom left the message below on February 28. 2003, 13:54:

E-mail: adamsd at baxter.com

I suppose it had to come.... but I still can't believe the gullible British public got conned into VHS in the first place. I have still got a working machine, but don't know how long for - It gets harder and harder to repair it. Like many, I still have lots of stuff on Beta, and I can truthfully say that much of it still surpasses the modern day VHS rubbish. A sad day !!!

Stu from Other left the message below on February 24. 2003, 12:15:

I'm from New Zealand and have finally found a decent Beta machine. I've been looking for one for some time, but not wanting to spend much money I thought I'd wait a bit longer and now I have a very nice SL-HF100AS, in full working order - it even came with the box and the advertising sheet, although there was no remote. The Beta format never really got a chance here due to strong marketing by National of the VHS system. It's just nice to have a machine that I can use when required for compatibility reasons. I don't believe formats ever 'die'. They just get surpassed. Those who choose to continue to use the format keep it alive. It's like the war over analog and digital. Just because digital is the 'choice' format of today doesn't mean that we stop using analog things. In fact some of us choose to keep using it instead of the newer formats which aren't always better. In terms of superiority, just look at the pro format that has come from Beta. Can't say I've ever heard of VHSCam.... haha.. Last year I found several packs of brand new Beta tapes, still in their plastic wrapper, thrown out with the rubbish. This year it was the SL-HF100AS. I wonder if I'll find a BVW-75P Betacam SP machine next year?

STEVEN TOLLEY from United Kingdom left the message below on February 22. 2003, 20:02:

E-mail: S.TOLLEY at BLUEYONDER.CO.UK

LONG LIVE BETA IVE GOT THREE MACHINES AT THE MOMENT HOPE TO GET MORE SO DONT RUN OUT IF THEY BREAK WITH A THOUSAND PLUS LIBERAY SO LONG LIVE THE FORMAT BY THE WAY AS ANY BODY GOT A SLF30 EJECTION UNIT I CAN PURCHASE TOR THE HOLE MACHINE PLEASE HELP [email protected]

Gary Haddow from United Kingdom left the message below on February 13. 2003, 21:58:

E-mail: Gary at haddow2584.freeserve.co.uk

It all started way back in 1979/80 when my parents bought a Sony C7(i was 8 yrs old back then) but several years later when the video heads wore out my mother bought that awfull format that should never have won the battle I got the trusty old C7 repaired and used it in my room.I have since collected several other machines(including several C7s for spares).I am now the proud owner of a Sony C9,F30 and HF100 all of which work.The picture quality of these machines far outshines my Sony SLV1000.Betamax is not dead not as long as all us Betamax owners keep it alive.Little did my parents know what they were about to start in 1979 when they bought THE SUPERIOR FORMAT.LONG LIVE Betamax.

dnaiel from United Kingdom left the message below on January 24. 2003, 12:00:

E-mail: grant.220t at virgin.net

I loved Betamax I used to buy every new machine as it came out... but now I don't think I'll ever get over it . the picture quality was just excellent and we shall never have another video system worthy of the title Betamax.

Jeff R from Other left the message below on January 23. 2003, 22:12:

E-mail: cafejeff at hotmail.com

Please accept my sincere condolences regarding the demise of Beta. But I do believe reports of Beta's death have been greatly exaggerated. Old formats do not die, they fade away. Jeff

Carl Riley from Other left the message below on January 22. 2003, 14:28:

E-mail: Interfacetechs at qeiicc.co.uk

SOB, SOB, WHIMPER, WHIMPER, TEARS ARE FLOWING IN ABUNDANCE. I MUST SAY THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER THAN VHS BUT THAT'S PROBABLY DUE TO MY EXPERIENCE WITH IT IN THE COMPETATIVE DAYS IN SOUTH AFRICA WHEN THEY WERE UNDECIDED BETWEEN PHILIPS, VHS AND BETA. ALL I CAN SAY IS GOOD RIDDANCE. BRING BACK VICTORIAN PORN!!!!

Winston Smith from United Kingdom left the message below on January 21. 2003, 17:39:

E-mail: wsmith at hotmail.co.uk

I was glad to see the back of this format even though it was better than the VHS crap we have now.

Mark Coursey from Australia left the message below on January 19. 2003, 09:09:

E-mail: markac at chariot.net.au

As a long time owner of an SL-HF950ES it is sad to see the the eventual passing of Betamax. The thing I find most regrettable was that Sony never released PAL format ED Beta machines, although they were definitely prototyped! Oh! What might have been. R.I.P. old friend knowing VHS is on borrowed time!

scott weller from United Kingdom left the message below on January 15. 2003, 15:42:

E-mail: scott.weller1 at btinternet.com

It is indeed a sad day. My family got a machine back in the late seventies (does anyone remeber it came with the film MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES??). I was seven and we recorded on it all the time. I was using beta up until 1988. It was and still is the best picture quality- video wise- totally superior by about four hundred per cent- to crummy old VHS. Betamax R.I.P.

Sergio from Europe left the message below on January 15. 2003, 15:17:

E-mail: sergio_Betamax at yahoo.co.jp

You see the internet of the Sony Betamax repair with photos: http://homepage1.nifty.com/Sony/MainTenance/MyMainte.html But all videorecorder Sony in the NTSC japanese only also all remotes. It's very good and excellent! Hello!

John Pike from United Kingdom left the message below on January 6. 2003, 01:06:

E-mail: john.m.pike at btopenworld.com

I've got enough Beta Machines to keep me going for along time yet. Still nothing to beat it when recording from a Digital Source.They have also ditched Video 8mm (ORD) Cameras. Itis the policy to make quantity not Quality. Beta Ain't dead yet not by a long "Chalk".John

John Pike from United Kingdom left the message below on January 6. 2003, 00:57:

E-mail: john.m.pike at btopenworld.com

Ive got enough Beta Machines to keep me going for along time yet. Still nothing to beat it when recording from a Digital Source.They have also ditched Video 8mm (ORD) Cameras. It the policy to make quantity not Quality. Beta Ain't dead yet not by a long "Chalk".John

Marshall from USA left the message below on January 4. 2003, 20:53:

E-mail: bama168 at comcast.net

Have a Sony Super Betamax SL 390. That does not work, but have loads of recorded tapes that I would vry much like to play. Can anyone tell me where I can have this unit repaired, and if not where I can purchase another Beta mahcine.

John Narayan from Australia left the message below on January 2. 2003, 02:40:

E-mail: JOHN.NARAYAN at TEAM.TELSTRA.COM

It was good while it lasted time to move on.

Elise Heinz from USA left the message below on December 29. 2002, 17:05:

E-mail: Elise at TheClaytons.com

How sad. I still prefer and use my Betamax and will continue to do so. I've had a VHS machine, don't exactly know why, and will get rid of it as soon as I convert home "movies" of vacations and kids' little league games and the like to DVD. Fortunately, we never bought prerecorded VHS tapes, though I was a very good customer at Erol's oh-so-cheap selloffs of its Beta rental movies. I still buy them for 99 cents or even more on eBay. But only in "original" boxes. More efficient storage is just one of Beta's superior-to-VHS characteristics, but of some value. My kids poke fun at all this, but it stands to reason. I hung on to my Osborne CPM computer long after everybody else switched to IBM, and I still hate Windows though I have to use it. Here's to the Good Old Days!

Madness from USA left the message below on December 29. 2002, 10:02:

E-mail: madness at somethingorother.com

Sony must've banged the final nail into the coffin by now. Beta ain't dead in my eyes, it's immortal!!! Long as wee keep believing in it! Now I'm off to make a few more tapes. :)

shaun hodges from United Kingdom left the message below on December 25. 2002, 22:07:

E-mail: shaunhodges at yahoo.com

My Toshiba Beta machine has just lost the picture, heads are dead. Bought in 1982 it's been excellent. Got through at least 7 VHS machines in this time. Bring back Beta!

Jeff Kenyon from USA left the message below on December 22. 2002, 15:25:

E-mail: at649 at tcnet.org

Hi, too bad that this is all about $$$. Although I was very young and would get yelled at when trying to explore my uncle's Betamax and his Trinitron TV in 1981 and 1982 and only had a short time to play around with Betamax in the third grade in the winter and spring of 1986 I would have liked to get to know it more. I'm in the Detroit, Michigan area and if anyone wants to get together and talk about Beta E-mail me!

Jamie Brooks from USA left the message below on December 22. 2002, 02:14:

E-mail: holdonj at hotmail.com

My 20 year old beta is still working...I am on my 10th VHS> Bring the Betamax back!!!!!

SCOTT TRAIL from USA left the message below on December 17. 2002, 18:30:

E-mail: S.G.TRAIL at USA.NET

All that I have to say is I have only used Beta for 20 years. I think that speaks for itself. It is too bad but recordable dvd are the wave of the future. VHS is already on the way out.

Edward Wong IV from USA left the message below on December 5. 2002, 19:46:

E-mail: the_plugs at musician.net

Another day has passed, and like the great pheonix, beta shall rise from the ashes. I do not believe that this will end the beta religon, but in the sake of all that's good, I say we all have a moment of mindless videohead spinning in beta's honor... And no, a word from sony in condolence over this travesty will not be enough to soothe my nerves, Just be glad that the great, farsighted people of radio shack shall bring forth L-750's aplenty. Now, I must leave the burial to the parents, but it is wrong for the parents to bury their child. Long live beta. and excuse me while I go listen to my reel to reels of Chuck Berry and watch my copy of bill and ted's excellent adventure, on Betamax. Sincerely, Edward Wong IV

Eugene Mark Sully from United Kingdom left the message below on December 4. 2002, 17:22:

E-mail: eugene.sully at beat106.com

I didn't realise that Sony kept it going until 2002 in NTSC! I have had loads of beta machines and thought that the System was great. Long Live Beta in our memories!

Sergio from Europe left the message below on December 2. 2002, 11:59:

Last friday 11/29/02, I have to send e-mail for alls Betaphiles, but this message original for president Sony in the world. Nothing fax and email do not answer me. Past saturday, I task that perhaps Sony they'll return the production of new video recorders domestic Beta although after we'll, Betaphiles, buy professional video recorders Betacam. They cost so much, patience! The video player professional Betacam of Sony are model J-3 that is very good! But isn't recorder and no videocassette Betamax/HDCAM for to see again. You see to go with attached file: http://www.sonybiz.net/images/product/X/J-3-A(brch).pdf Size and weight are very small 307x100x397mm and light 7Kg! We need to buy new videorecorder professional (studio) before of the video player professional J-3, do you as you like? For mister Antares Choate, very thank you for e-mail! Betamax, Betacord and Betacam forever!

Rick Sims from USA left the message below on November 29. 2002, 01:16:

E-mail: noo_yawka at hotmail.com

Just saw the announcement that Sony has discontinued the production of Betamaxes. Sadly, this is not true...production of Betamaxes ended in the late '80s/early '90s with the end of the SL-HF860 line. The SL-HF2000 is a disgrace, an insult to the name "Betamax". And while I never had the pleasure of owning an SL-HF2100, I understand it wasn't much better. Personally, I think Sony sucks, leaving us high and dry all these years. They lost the format wars for reasons of their own doing, and we, the loyal Beta addicts, have (and are) paid the price. I have stocked up on Betamaxes the last few years, and now own about 30 machines, including four SL-HF1000s, five SL-HF750s and six SL-HF900s (plus a bunch of 360s, 400s, and sundry other machines...a 500, a T7, etc.), plus...a BRAND new, still in the box SL-HF860! I will stick with Beta 'til the day I die. I have a huge supply of sealed L-750BTHG tapes, and a library of over 2,500 tapes containing movies, TV shows, etc. I never "watch" TV, I timeshift everything. Beta is not dead, at least not in my home...as long as I have someone to fix them (and I do...I'd mention his name, but won't do so without his OK), I will be watching Beta for many years to come. Kudos to Sony for developing the best video format ever created. A big thumbs down to Sony for failing to stand by their superior machine.

Sergio from Europe left the message below on November 22. 2002, 12:25:

E-mail: sergio_Betamax at yahoo.co.jp

Sono italiano. Ho possesso 2 videoregistratori Betamax Sony SL-C33E grigio scuro metalizzato e Beta Hi-Fi SL-HF100EC che sono funzionanti. Ho tante videocassette Beta, tutte le durate, in cui raro una videocassetta Sony Standard L-165 di 45 minuti ed anno 1982-83 in versione PAL. Sono preoccupato le brutte notizie per Beta e VHS che Beta cessano produzione e VHS calano produzione (3 e 4 testine monofonici sono gi� scomparsi!). Sono triste! Noi vogliamo che Beta, SuperBeta, Hi-Band Beta e ED-Beta producono ancora tutti gli anni nel mondo. Il nastro mezzo pollice di Beta, Video2000 e VHS non muoiono mai. Abbasso DVD-Video registrabili in pollice gi�. Viva Beta! Devo parlare l'informazione con il presidente Sony Italia per continuare a produzione I nuovi videoregistratori Beta che invia al Giappone, speriamo tanto. Ho maturato la scuola di tecnico industrie elettronica ed elettrica. Faccio disegnare nuovi modelli di Beta e Video2000, in cui inedita videocassetta MiniBeta (simile VHS-C). Ho provato una videocassetta modificata Beta L-1000 durata 4 ore e 20 minuti circa in modo BII versione PAL e nastro lunga 294 metri che il nastro era origine dalla videocassetta VHS E-300 Sony Prenium. Ma preferisco il nastro pi� sottile che sono sicuro la videocassetta D-VHS DF-360 o DF-420 JVC. Provate il sito giapponese di Sony Betamax: www.Betamax.to che tutti I cataloghi giapponesi dal 1975 al 1993 anche l'assistenza riparazione, links, posters e gli archivi. So leggere lingue inglese, francese, italiano, spagnolo, porteghese, giapponese e coreano sui manuali e cataloghi.

Max Furuness from Other left the message below on November 20. 2002, 08:36:

E-mail: maxrf at telus.net

(From Canada) Very sad to see that Sony, in their wisdom decided to cancel Betamax production. So nothing lasts forever, but but it is VHS that should deserve to die a painful death and the Beta that should live on. If enough of us Betamax enthusiasts write to Sony, maybe they will see the error of their ways and continue to produce the Betamax! (positive thinking is good !!) I currently own seven Beta VCR's: SL-100, SL2401 (original owner), SL-2000/TT2000, SL-HF660, VTC9100A (Sanyo- working!), VCR-7300 (Sanyo Beta HiFi portable, And last but not least, a 1976 SLO-260 industrial Betamax- in perfect working order !!! --And my collection is just getting started! :)

franco mauti from Europe left the message below on November 9. 2002, 11:44:

E-mail: franco.mauti at email.it

Egregio Sig. Io sono italiano, nel 1982 acquistai in Arabia Saudita una cinepresa della Sony e un video registratore sempre della Sony. Purtroppo il mio video registratore si � rotto ed io ne vorrei acquistare un'altro, per poter vedere le cassette. Vi sarei grato se voleste rispondermi per darmi informazioni a riguardo, indicandomi dove potrei rivolgermi per acquistare. Cordiali saluti Franco mauti Inviatemi una e-mail grazie

Gary Malone from USA left the message below on November 7. 2002, 18:39:

E-mail: collinsbarnabas at hotmail.com

I have had a Betamax vcr since 1983, and am currently using a SLHF860D Sony SuperBeta. I have been transferring my beta tapes to DVD-R and don't really use it anymore for recording, but I still use it occasionally. It has been and always shall be better than VHS. RIP

Troy from Australia left the message below on November 7. 2002, 01:17:

E-mail: ac_dc_rocks at hotmail.com

Very sorry to see the Betamax go. I didn't know they still made them. But why end the production when they are a better machine than the VHS? Have Sony came up with a VCR that equals or outdoes the quality of the Betamax? Anyhow although I haven't yet used a Betamax but getting one soon I'm sad to see the end of them. Also what about the Betamax tapes, is Sony still going to continue to manufacture them or are they going down the tubes too?

Pascal from Europe left the message below on October 28. 2002, 19:24:

E-mail: fenec95 at free.fr

VIVA SONY Betamax SL-C7F SECAM (French TV System)

SM Porter from United Kingdom left the message below on October 28. 2002, 17:56:

E-mail: s.m.porter at talk21.com

Bye bye Beta, you were the first format for me. Did it really die just because you couldn't get a 4 hour tape? I don't think so. Sony made a SHED load of money out of the format, and were really the only manufacturer who made a real quality machine. I still have a Sony C6 & C7 that still work, but several of my tapes are starting to drop out due to oxidisation. Nothing lasts forever......

David Roffman from USA left the message below on October 23. 2002, 17:28:

E-mail: droffman at onebox.com

To this day, my Betamax deck is my preferred format. For sports taping, or anything that you would want to view in multiple speed playback, still, nothing beats Beta. Hopefully, some electronics maker will eventually bring the utilities of the Beta formate, ie. slow/fast motion, step frame etc. to the digital domain. Until then, I will always wonder why....

Dave A. from USA left the message below on October 23. 2002, 02:47:

E-mail: avideo at earthlink.net

As the owner of three Super Betas and one regular Betamax, I'm sad to hear that Sony is finally stopping production of these fine machines. Unfortunately, when Sony stopped selling new Betamax VCRs here in the U.S., it was clear the end was near for Betamax VCR production. IT WAS THE SUPERIOR CONSUMER VIDEO FORMAT OF THE 1980s AND 1990s! And if you are in the U.S.A. and need commercial grade transfers of your treasured Beta tapes to other tape formats or DVD; let me hear from you. My 13 year old company still transfers Beta & SuperBeta to all major formats & DVD! LONG LIVE BETA!

Denis Eddy from Australia left the message below on October 19. 2002, 18:17:

E-mail: byword at operamail.com

Let not the contribution of Beta VCRs to digital sound recording be forgotten. A decade before DAT evolved into something almost usable, the combination of VCR / PCM-501 / L-750 was giving sound recordists something they still don't have from DAT: three hours of 44.1kHz, 16-bit recording in a robust physical format. Ave atque vale Domina Beta.

Mike Hayes from United Kingdom left the message below on October 18. 2002, 13:48:

E-mail: feg at fegsworld.fsnet.co.uk

You gave me joy throughout my years, as I sat back and watched with a couple of beers, you've recorded great movies and wierd old ads, you survived all my other odd 80s fads, As the 90s began they all took the mickey, with vhs decks all shiney and pretty, They said I was silly and needed to invest, In this crappy quality medium VHS! I held on tight and tried and tried, I swore I'd never let you die, You were loyal and good sitting there on your shelf, never chewing a tape or throwing a belt. And now your time has come to pass, Your glory days are over, But still I dont use DVD, I use my Betamax toploader! Beta Forever!

_@_�� the snails from Other left the message below on October 15. 2002, 04:00:

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Walter Steenvoorden from Europe left the message below on October 14. 2002, 18:13:

E-mail: umatic at zonnet.nl

You where not killed by VHS, you evolved to Betacam!

S Lakin from United Kingdom left the message below on October 13. 2002, 18:11:

E-mail: SBlueharp at aol.com

I Still can't find a machine good enough to replace my C9's If only Sony still made them. R.I.P

Carl Riley from United Kingdom left the message below on October 11. 2002, 23:56:

E-mail: nine at zathras.freeserve.co.uk

You were better than VHS, but you were a b***h to fix. Despite this, a certain job satisfaction was gleaned from repairing your like, something that is sometimes missing these days. You may even be missed ;)

christu from United Kingdom left the message below on October 11. 2002, 21:11:

E-mail: maleha at btopenworld.com

I HAVE BEEN USING Betamax SEINCE THE EARLY EAIGHTYS, AND STILL KEEP THE FORMAT ALIVE FOR AS LONG AS I CAN. I HAVE ARROUND 6 MACHINES WORKING AT THE MOMENT, AND PLENTY OF SPARES FROM STRIPED DOWN MACHINES. IT IS BECOMING MORE DIFFICALT TO FIND THESE MACHINES, BUT THEY STILL TURN UP AT CAR BOOT SALES. THIS IS STILL THE BEST VIDEO SYSTEM. Betamax WILL NEVER DIE SO LONG AS WE KEEP IT ALIVE.

Travis Keese from USA left the message below on October 3. 2002, 10:31:

E-mail: tmko at juno.com

Hello,How are you?First of all I would like to state that it is so very ironic that the music videos and movies that we make and obsess over are all recorded on the format Betacam!Why is that?Does Beta make that much of a difference?You bet it does!!I may be wrong,but why are movies and the like always recorded on Beta?It is obvious to me.What a superior sound and quality of picture the beta brings.Yet not any people under the age of 30 or sometimes older have even heard of Beta!!I may be wrong but it seems a tragedy and shamful crime that beta is swept away with the course of time.Oh well at the opposite extreme I'm happy to be one of a vast few who can still appreciate and enjoy such underestimated wonder!!!Please tell me if I am wrong!! I can remember recording mine and my brothers music directly onto the beta tape.It made an amazing difference.The live sound of his drums and my guitar was a shock to me,but my brother knew that the quality and sound would be incredible,and he was so right!! We were using the only Beta we ever had,and still own a Sony SL-HF500.I can never find any info on this model!!!It seems like it is a fantom of all other Beta's!!But it is awesome!!!!Oh well then...........Such as life...

Simon Newbery from United Kingdom left the message below on October 3. 2002, 01:12:

I thought it was dead already ! So the news was a shock. I have a C9 and although someone wants to charge me a fortune to have it repaired (think a FOUR figure sum here - don't laugh !) it was still the best VCR money could buy for so may years. Represented Sony at its very best just like HF950. The build on these machines is incredible. Same can be said for my Sony VHS SLV715 which I am just having repaired. New VCR's today are complete rubbish including Sony's. I now have a SVHS but the standard VHS on it is so inferior to my 715. They really are engineered down to a price now - very sad you can't buy a decent machine anymore. Lets hope they get recordable DVD sorted out ! Sony take note! I hope Sony have learnt from Betamax

Ron Hebb from USA left the message below on October 2. 2002, 04:36:

E-mail: ocanada6 at yahoo.com

To me, Sony�s decision is almost anticlimactic, given their neglect of the Betamax format these past several years and the almost universal perception by everyone except diehard fans that Beta had disappeared a long time ago. It would have been nice to always have a selection of new models to choose from, but regardless, I will always use Beta for off-air recording and will maintain and grow the collection of Beta VCR�s and recordings I own, so I will never think of the format as �dead�.

Jesse Alonzo from USA left the message below on October 2. 2002, 02:03:

E-mail: webmaster at wards.com

I really wish that I could have gotten the chance to own a brand new Beta. Oh well, at least I have my SL-HF300, SL-2000, BMC-100, and HVC-2200 to keep me company. :) Hope my post doesn't get removed!

nathan from United Kingdom left the message below on September 30. 2002, 00:57:

So long old PAL.Fond memories of a superior system. My first was a Sony C5 all those years ago.

GARY HADDOW from United Kingdom left the message below on September 28. 2002, 15:41:

E-mail: GARY at HADDOW2584.FREESERVE.CO.UK

SORRY TO SEE YOU GO YOU WERE ALWAYS FAR SUPERIOR

mike from USA left the message below on September 24. 2002, 03:05:

E-mail: reimomo830 at aol.com

Beta isnt really dead as long as we keep using it... and its not going away as a professional system anytime soon...vhs is commercial grade, Beta is professional grade.

Christian K�nig from Europe left the message below on September 24. 2002, 01:14:

E-mail: nordkorea at yahoo.de

Betmax isn't dead, only because they stop producing new VCRs. Even Video 2000 is quite alive among fans and specialists, and it has a little renaissance. Betamax will move on among his loyal followers. I think, Betamax and Video 2000 will outlive the ghastly VHS system, because Beta and V2000 really have a diehard fanbase.

jan wagendrever from Europe left the message below on September 23. 2002, 20:22:

E-mail: jan.wagendrever at nob.nl

How sad! I thought it died years ago, but not my house stil going strong is my SL-HF950, with superior picture (some trouble with the sound though) but this machine will live forever!

Juanjo from Europe left the message below on September 23. 2002, 00:19:

E-mail: thorete at teleline.es

No comments :-(

Dale Tucker from USA left the message below on September 20. 2002, 23:50:

E-mail: daletucker at surewest.net

Very sorry to learn of BETA's demise. I'm on my second unit, a factory refurbed SONY SL-HF360 I bought in 1991. Works like a champ and not even their best. Great picture and audio, of course; mechanical mode changes are SO much more positive and quick than VHS. A friend gave me his slightly used thousand-dollar JVC S-VHS unit. Fine machine but not nearly the unit as my little BETA. I'm scouring the used market (garage sales, etc.) for a couple of back-up units, just in case.

A. Choate from USA left the message below on September 19. 2002, 22:08:

E-mail: betaphile at yahoo.com

It's sad but I saw it comeing when the VCR's got scarce and they prduced only a limited number of the same unit

Madness from USA left the message below on September 18. 2002, 04:58:

E-mail: madness.elf at verizon.net

Sony? Why would you kill our beloved format??? Your own brainchild for God's sake! For I've christened our little group of enthusiasts (or is it now preservists??), "Lords of the Video: Fellowship of the Beta!" The quality is our God; the Beta VCR our idol; the passion our religion! Worship thy beta; thou shalt never die!

Giancarlo Colleoni from Europe left the message below on September 14. 2002, 18:35:

E-mail: music2 at spm.it

It is a very mishap have lost the Betamax sytem video! It was an exclusive and non common system! I've an old SANYO VTC PAL 5010 for playback my old beta tapes! I can't find in Europe Betamax video cassette or a new or used Betamovie! I'm very sorry! Many regards to all! From Italy Giancarlo!

David Mermelstein from Other left the message below on September 13. 2002, 02:54:

E-mail: dmermels at cvtci.com.ar

Fue una gran historia la del Betamax, un verdadero s�mbolo del poder de la creatividad humana. Siempre seguir� usando una video Beta en mi mente. All of my life was is and will be recorded by my Beta-Mind with the Mazinger Z's power.

Iain West from United Kingdom left the message below on September 12. 2002, 23:40:

My first video was a Sanyo VTC-NX100. A wonderful machine and I still kick myself for giving it away back in '89! (I was only 13 at the time!) In the last couple of years I've come back to the fold and am currently playing with a VTC-5150, BMC100 and a HVC4000 (waiting for something to play with it though!) As someone else said, Beta 'aint dead it's just resting!

van dam from United Kingdom left the message below on September 11. 2002, 21:39:

E-mail: betadude at fsmail.net

From all the British people here today we would like to honour and salute those who perished on that darkest of dark days. We love the people of America and may God bless each and every one of you. Love from the U.K.

Kenny McCormic from USA left the message below on September 8. 2002, 03:33:

E-mail: Kenny at SouthPark.com

Mm mm mmm! Ahmm hmmmd mmtm! Hmm hmmstmmdm! Oh my god! They killed Beta! You Bastards!

Michele from USA left the message below on September 7. 2002, 16:11:

E-mail: harlandwolf at aol.com

I thought you were dead already. sorry. :(

Jim Lovell from USA left the message below on September 7. 2002, 16:03:

So long Betamax and we thank you for the years of memories you recorded faithfully...

Olive E Thomas from USA left the message below on September 7. 2002, 01:30:

Betamax will live on with the ages unlike that other system who's name eludes me at the moment...

Barry Mung from United Kingdom left the message below on September 6. 2002, 22:17:

E-mail: barrymung at mailcity.com

Dead...but not forgotten! I still have my first video in the attic, a VTC5000 that is still in need of a new reel idler and 500+ tapes containing recordings from the 80's.. Maybe if enough people hassle Sony they'll produce one last batch of PAL Beta machines for the UK. After all they still make U-Matic machines, a format that was invented in the 60's..then gain they probably won't. Farewell Betamax my old friend, sleep well. You were the best ever and even though the masses never discovered your charms we will never forget! Take care, see you on the other side. Heaven uses Betamax!

JOHN GLANVILL from United Kingdom left the message below on September 6. 2002, 16:59:

E-mail: JOHNGLANVILL at HOTMAIL.COM

Dear Sony - My first purchase was a Sony C7 which I still have. I also have an SL-25, this was by far the best system in the world and still is, it should never have been completely killed off, long may Beta-live. Gone but never forgotten. John Glanvill

colin b judd from Australia left the message below on September 6. 2002, 12:05:

E-mail: the mad doctor at primus.com.au

Trust the bloody Japs to stuff up a good thing,truth be known they more than likely copied the Beta format from someone else,which they are very adept at doing,long live Beta

Martin Imber from United Kingdom left the message below on September 5. 2002, 13:09:

E-mail: martin at jotika.cooo.ukkkkkk

This is sad but at least DVD killed it off and not that horrible JVC format!

Mr Angry Dude from United Kingdom signed the guestbook on September 4. 2002, 21:47.

Tom Murray from USA left the message below on September 4. 2002, 03:16:

E-mail: ProMediaTek at aol.com

It is with great sadness I heard the news that SONY is discontinuing the production of new Betamax VCR's. Betamax was the FIRST and BEST widely used consumer video recording tape format in the world. Our resourcefulness will keep these units going for a long time. Parts and literature will be found for many years to come as is for old radios and old automobiles. Remember the Beta cassette housings are still manufactured for Betacam, Betacam SP and DigiBeta. Load them with 1/2 inch oxide tape and keep those Betamax's alive!!

Franny Wentzel from Europe left the message below on September 4. 2002, 02:26:

E-mail: franny_wentzel at yahoo.co.uk

Von Goethe - F�r eine Maschine von der Konsequenz nicht soweit sie etwas hinter aber bis jetzt es Taten l��t und genie�t, und von den rouses bleibt andere zur T�tigkeit und zum Genu�... From Goethe - For a machine remains of consequence not so far as it leaves something behind but so far it acts and enjoys, and rouses others to action and enjoyment...

Gary Haddow from United Kingdom signed the guestbook on September 3. 2002, 20:03.

DasImperator from USA left the message below on September 3. 2002, 18:31:

E-mail: DasImperator at aol.com

Beta isn't dead - it's resting...

Seppo T. from Europe left the message below on September 3. 2002, 10:07:

E-mail: seppo.tollikko at gsf.fi

The Good always die first...

Martin Evans from United Kingdom left the message below on September 2. 2002, 14:10:

E-mail: martin at palsite.info

Production may be at an end but our enthusiasm for the format will surely continue for many years to come. The complete end of Betamax though has not come yet; at least some new parts are still available. Admittedly new spares are getting harder and harder to get each year so now might be a good time to stock up on some key items. Our ingenuity and resourcefulness will surely keep these units going for a long time yet.

Alan Barnett from United Kingdom left the message below on September 2. 2002, 10:38:

E-mail: alan at barnett.org

It is with deep sadness I heard the news that production of new Beta VCR was to cease. I am sure however that the format will be around for some time to come given the enthusiasm of those that use Betamax. If no more VCRs are to be made then the those that have been produced will be valued even more than ever!

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