Sony U matic? at DVinfo.net

K. Forman · April 30th, 2003, 09:59 AM

Hello all- I just found a place that is GIVING away Sony Umatic players and recorders. My question is, what use are they? Is Umatic still being used? Thanks

Jeff Donald · April 30th, 2003, 10:24 AM

Giving away is good. What model numbers? If they #2850's and 2860's they are good for boat anchors. If they are BVU's you got something worth a little. The 5000 and 7000 series are worth very little. The 800 and 900 series (BVU) are still used in many facilities today.

K. Forman · April 30th, 2003, 10:36 AM

Jeff- They are VP-7020 , and if you're interested, I'll post the place for you. The page say that they are "In servicable condition- the heads were checked before putting them in storage".

The reason I asked about them, is that I'm not familiar with Umatic. I assume that it is, or was, a high end format like digibeta and 3/4?

Chris Hurd · April 30th, 2003, 10:48 AM

Umatic is 3/4"

Fond memories of the BVU-110 so-called "portable" deck; about sixty pounds or so it felt, we had them at UT-Austin when I was in school. As undergrads we were privvy only to the very short six-foot cam-to-deck cables, try following your camera operator with a 110 slung around you on such a short leash without running him over. The graduate students rated the much more leisurely twenty-footers. Those were the days...

Jeff Donald · April 30th, 2003, 10:51 AM

U-Matic and 3/4 are the same thing in the early to mid 80's U-Matic SP was brought out (higher band width) and remains in use today. The 7000 series is regular 3/4 to the best of my memory. Not interested, but thanks for offering and posting the info.

K. Forman · April 30th, 2003, 10:53 AM

Thanks for filling me in on the older equipment. If it isn't DV, it's before my time or over my head...

Richard Alvarez · April 30th, 2003, 11:33 AM

Hey!
I'm interested in the U-Matic decks. I have a lot of old legacy footage.

Richard

K. Forman · April 30th, 2003, 11:42 AM

Richard- Here is the place
http://broadcast-usa.com/miami/

Bill Pryor · April 30th, 2003, 12:13 PM

We had to get a 3/4" dub made a year or so ago for some TV station in a little town out in central Kansas, so some decks are still in use. Most dub houses still have at least one 3/4" deck, and I know of one large post house whose big agency clients still have 3/4" players. There are some things in the world that really should go away but don't.
Chris...my memories are of carrying the 110, plus a 3-tube camera with a battery that weighed as much as a DSR250, and an O'Connor 50 tripod, by myself, up and down hills, shooting exteriors and interiors at industrial locations all over the country. I had back surgery about 10 years ago.

If I did the same kind of shooting today, I could get better results with a PD150 with all the batteries and tapes I'd need for a week in one little Portabrace bag. I used to carry around a 24" X 36" case full of 3/4" tapes, enough of those 20 minute suckers for 3 or 4 days. Excess baggage charges on every flight I took then would have paid for my tape stock for a year these days. The good ol' days...weren't.

Charles Papert · April 30th, 2003, 01:00 PM

I hear you guys. There's precious little to reminisce about fondly when it comes to video technology. For me, starting with the 1/2 black and white Sony Portapaks, through the 2-piece VHS consumer and industrial setups and up to a BVU-110 3/4" recorder banging around your waist, the two piece systems were inferior in every way to today's DV gear--especially ergonomically! And think about the difficulties of shooting with tubes versus chips--those who came into this with the DV wave, imagine having to worry about pointing your camera at a bright light or glint and permanently burning the tubes (requiring hours of "burning out" if you were lucky, or expensive service if you weren't). I left a camera on the ground for 5 minutes once, not realizing it was pointed at a chrome car bumper and thus photographing a glint from the sun. Picked it up and discovered a big nasty burn in the image that never went away. UGH!

Richard Alvarez · April 30th, 2003, 02:43 PM

Thanks for the lead guys. I just ordered one.

Richard

K. Forman · April 30th, 2003, 03:38 PM

How does one get the video onto a Umatic? Is it RCA, S-video, or something even more archaic and difficult? I realize there is more out there than just firewire, more than I will ever use. Also, how expensive are the 3/4 tapes?

Bill Pryor · April 30th, 2003, 03:44 PM

Depends on the deck, some have 26 pin input, all have bnc composite, and some have S video also. And they have a dub cable to go from one 3/4" deck to another.

Richard Alvarez · April 30th, 2003, 05:40 PM

The decks they are giving away are rack-mount, and play only. They have already given out all the desk top models

Bill Pryor · April 30th, 2003, 08:18 PM

If they're players only, then there's not much you can do with them if you don't have a boat. Somebody might come along one day with a 3/4 tape and may want you to make a VHS dub or something.

April 30th, 2003, 09:59 AM	#1
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	Sony U matic? Hello all- I just found a place that is GIVING away Sony Umatic players and recorders. My question is, what use are they? Is Umatic still being used? Thanks

April 30th, 2003, 10:48 AM	#4
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Umatic is 3/4" Fond memories of the BVU-110 so-called "portable" deck; about sixty pounds or so it felt, we had them at UT-Austin when I was in school. As undergrads we were privvy only to the very short six-foot cam-to-deck cables, try following your camera operator with a 110 slung around you on such a short leash without running him over. The graduate students rated the much more leisurely twenty-footers. Those were the days... __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

April 30th, 2003, 10:51 AM	#5
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	U-Matic and 3/4 are the same thing in the early to mid 80's U-Matic SP was brought out (higher band width) and remains in use today. The 7000 series is regular 3/4 to the best of my memory. Not interested, but thanks for offering and posting the info. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

April 30th, 2003, 01:00 PM	#10
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	I hear you guys. There's precious little to reminisce about fondly when it comes to video technology. For me, starting with the 1/2 black and white Sony Portapaks, through the 2-piece VHS consumer and industrial setups and up to a BVU-110 3/4" recorder banging around your waist, the two piece systems were inferior in every way to today's DV gear--especially ergonomically! And think about the difficulties of shooting with tubes versus chips--those who came into this with the DV wave, imagine having to worry about pointing your camera at a bright light or glint and permanently burning the tubes (requiring hours of "burning out" if you were lucky, or expensive service if you weren't). I left a camera on the ground for 5 minutes once, not realizing it was pointed at a chrome car bumper and thus photographing a glint from the sun. Picked it up and discovered a big nasty burn in the image that never went away. UGH! __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

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April 30th, 2003, 10:24 AM	#2
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	Giving away is good. What model numbers? If they #2850's and 2860's they are good for boat anchors. If they are BVU's you got something worth a little. The 5000 and 7000 series are worth very little. The 800 and 900 series (BVU) are still used in many facilities today. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

April 30th, 2003, 10:36 AM	#3
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	Jeff- They are VP-7020 , and if you're interested, I'll post the place for you. The page say that they are "In servicable condition- the heads were checked before putting them in storage". The reason I asked about them, is that I'm not familiar with Umatic. I assume that it is, or was, a high end format like digibeta and 3/4?

April 30th, 2003, 10:53 AM	#6
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	Thanks for filling me in on the older equipment. If it isn't DV, it's before my time or over my head...

April 30th, 2003, 11:33 AM	#7
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	Hey! I'm interested in the U-Matic decks. I have a lot of old legacy footage. Richard

April 30th, 2003, 11:42 AM	#8
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	Richard- Here is the place http://broadcast-usa.com/miami/

April 30th, 2003, 12:13 PM	#9
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	We had to get a 3/4" dub made a year or so ago for some TV station in a little town out in central Kansas, so some decks are still in use. Most dub houses still have at least one 3/4" deck, and I know of one large post house whose big agency clients still have 3/4" players. There are some things in the world that really should go away but don't. Chris...my memories are of carrying the 110, plus a 3-tube camera with a battery that weighed as much as a DSR250, and an O'Connor 50 tripod, by myself, up and down hills, shooting exteriors and interiors at industrial locations all over the country. I had back surgery about 10 years ago. If I did the same kind of shooting today, I could get better results with a PD150 with all the batteries and tapes I'd need for a week in one little Portabrace bag. I used to carry around a 24" X 36" case full of 3/4" tapes, enough of those 20 minute suckers for 3 or 4 days. Excess baggage charges on every flight I took then would have paid for my tape stock for a year these days. The good ol' days...weren't.

April 30th, 2003, 02:43 PM	#11
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	Thanks for the lead guys. I just ordered one. Richard

April 30th, 2003, 03:38 PM	#12
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	How does one get the video onto a Umatic? Is it RCA, S-video, or something even more archaic and difficult? I realize there is more out there than just firewire, more than I will ever use. Also, how expensive are the 3/4 tapes?

April 30th, 2003, 03:44 PM	#13
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Depends on the deck, some have 26 pin input, all have bnc composite, and some have S video also. And they have a dub cable to go from one 3/4" deck to another.

April 30th, 2003, 05:40 PM	#14
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	The decks they are giving away are rack-mount, and play only. They have already given out all the desk top models

April 30th, 2003, 08:18 PM	#15
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	If they're players only, then there's not much you can do with them if you don't have a boat. Somebody might come along one day with a 3/4 tape and may want you to make a VHS dub or something.