--- Forwarded Message from Anthony Helm <[log in to unmask]> --- >From: Anthony Helm <[log in to unmask]> >Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2011 17:54:55 -0500 >Subject: Whither VHS and miniDV? >To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]> Before hitting the used equipment market, I thought I'd ask the list about the following. Recently, two pieces of lab equipment have died. The first, a Samsung Multistandard VHS deck (you know, the kind that not only plays any format of VHS tape, but also allows you to choose which output signal to use also) and the second is a Panasonic miniDV deck that has been used not only for its miniDV capabilities but also as the analog-to-digital passthrough device feeding our analog decks to our iMac video station. I can find neither device still being sold, except through the used goods channels. There are international DVD/VHS decks available, but they appear to only output to NTSC (no great hardship, really), and these are sold in some places along with video signal converters if I want full input/output flexibility. As for the miniDV deck, I can't really find anything left on the market that isn't thousands of dollars, such as the $1700 JVC Pro Three-In-One Deck on the low end of the scale. The A-to-D conversion I can manage with something like a Canopus device, but I'm surprised how fast the decks have disappeared. So, to my question, what are others doing to provide legacy support for analog source materials? What are you using in your equipment racks today? Have you given up on providing support for international materials that aren't available on DVD? Did you buy up stocks of legacy equipment? Advice? Suggestions? Thanks in advance. Cheers, Anthony -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Anthony Helm Educational Technology Services Dartmouth College 603-646-8180 (phone) [log in to unmask] *********************************************** LLTI is a service of IALLT, the International Association for Language Learning Technology (http://iallt.org/), and The Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning (http://www.languageconsortium.org/). Join IALLT at http://iallt.org. Subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives at http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A0=LLTI Anthony Helm, LLTI-Editor ([log in to unmask]) ***********************************************