Why are there no USB VCRs?

[Damion Chaplin]

I have my clunky VCR connected to my PC so I can digitize my old irreplacable video tapes. Why hasn't anyone invented a VCR that can be controlled by the PC via a USB connection? Or how about an external video tape 'drive'?

How come we can have standalone DVD burners but no PC-connected VCRs? I know they're on they're way out, but in the meantime I can't be the only one in this position...

[Jason Dunn]

An interesting question, but I think the answer is that there's just not enough demand for it. Beyond the initial transfer of tapes, what would you use it for? I'd likely buy one, but I just don't think there are enough people like us out there. ;-)

[Damion Chaplin]

Well, once I'm finished encoding my Alan Smithee's Dune :D , I will connect it to my HTPC and use it to watch the stray videotape that comes my way. My GF has a qigong tape that she got from her doctor that's not available on DVD. Not to mention the decades of recorded TV that I'm definitely not going to digitize.

Basically, I want it for the same reason I still have a cassette deck on my stereo. All those damned mix tapes from high school. :wink:

[Damion Chaplin]

I didn't realize I had made the front page! :D

But since we're on the subject, here's something else I want to see invented:

Long ago when my old roommate was in art college, I caught her taking pictures of her 8.5"x11" printouts. She was doing so because if you were to take that 8.5"x11" image to Kinko's and have it blown up to poster size, you would see massive pixelation. However, if you take a picture of it with a 35mm camera and take the film to be blown up to poster size, you will get graininess and noise, but you will not get pixelation. So, what I want to see is a 35mm film printer. I know you're saying "Huh?" Well, just like a printer, it is a box connected via USB that you 'print' to using a print driver. However, instead of printing it on paper, it exposes the image onto the 35mm film. You can then pop the exposed film out and get it developed into poster size. Not something that there will be much call fo, but I'm sort of surprised no one has thought of it. I know a dozen photographers that would be willing to pay lots of money for something like that.

[jeffd]

A dvd based portable digital audio player.

[bluemax]

But, you can have a PC controlled VCR. It isn't pro quality and won't be able to find just the right frame you are looking for but your PC can control your VCR through a IR Blaster and a little bit of software magic. There are all kinds of discussions about using a PC to control an AV receiver, for instance. Those same techniques can control a VCR.

Bill B

[Damion Chaplin]

But, you can have a PC controlled VCR. It isn't pro quality and won't be able to find just the right frame you are looking for but your PC can control your VCR through a IR Blaster and a little bit of software magic. There are all kinds of discussions about using a PC to control an AV receiver, for instance. Those same techniques can control a VCR.

Yeah, I suppose. However, Last time I researched the IR blaster, I ran across an article where the user was fiddling with the microsecond delay between transmissions in order for his sattelite receiver to work and was instantly not interested. :)

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I didn't realize I had made the front page! :D

But since we're on the subject, here's something else I want to see invented:

Long ago when my old roommate was in art college, I caught her taking pictures of her 8.5"x11" printouts. She was doing so because if you were to take that 8.5"x11" image to Kinko's and have it blown up to poster size, you would see massive pixelation. However, if you take a picture of it with a 35mm camera and take the film to be blown up to poster size, you will get graininess and noise, but you will not get pixelation. So, what I want to see is a 35mm film printer. I know you're saying "Huh?" Well, just like a printer, it is a box connected via USB that you 'print' to using a print driver. However, instead of printing it on paper, it exposes the image onto the 35mm film. You can then pop the exposed film out and get it developed into poster size. Not something that there will be much call fo, but I'm sort of surprised no one has thought of it. I know a dozen photographers that would be willing to pay lots of money for something like that.

I'd love to see this too. Not for developing purposes but for archiving. I'm looking into tape based backup right now just because I'm getting nervous about losing my digital images. I always store them on two computers but it just isn't safe enough. Since we*re wishing i'd like it to be based on 60 mm film.