video-magazine-1991-01

$2.50 JAN. 1991 mugazine CAIVICORDER Cg Hales SHOOTOUT q= +e Must Reading | ee“ ar Before YouBuy WIDE-SCREEN WV: —a hf Happening Now! |o- iaee“ amt eas EXCLUSIVE: HI-TECH a MIDEOTESTS 2 SUDer VHS VCs, 2 8mm Camcorders

Music byMozart. Dont get us wrong.Wewouldnt presume to So we created the M-T5010, the worlds first tamper with something as perfect as Eine Kleine _cassette deck with on-screen commands. Its Nacht Musik or The Magic Flute. We just wanted —the newest part of Mitsubishi's Home Theater to make them easier to play. system, designed to make your audio and video me Ares rar rot pha The M-T5010 dual cassette deck. The M-R8010 Home Theater receiver. © 1990 Mitsubishi Electronics America, Inc. For the name ofyour authorized dealer, call (800) 527-8888 ext. 145. Dolby is a registered trademark ofDolby Laboratories Licensing Corp.

Words byMitsubishi. components work together as one cohesive, new toy for videophiles. Ithas all the technical easily-controlled unit. perks youd expect from state-of-the-art audio, No more straining to see those tiny little LED including dual amorphous tape heads, Dolby’ displays on your audio components, or guessing HX Pro, and Dolby B & C noise reduction. Add whether youve done something right. This tape to that functions like blank skip and intro-scan, deck has on-screen menus for every function, and you get a cassette deck that makes playing from recording to scanning. And visual displays your favorite music easier than it'sever been. that confirm what youre doing every time you We like to think Herr Mozart would approve. press a button. 2s MITSUBISHI Of course, the M-T5010 is more than just a TECHNICALLY, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE\" For adaitional information, circle No. 1 on Reader Service Card.

FEATURES AWARDS SPECIAL: VIVA GOLD 32 1990's award-winning products, tapes & discs 42 PROGRAMMING SUBCOMPACT SHOOTOUT VIDEOTESTS We ride herd on a gang of mini camcorders to separate the top guns from the 48 DEPARTMENTS pop guns. By Brent Butterworth, David Ranada and Stan Pinkwas 56 TWIN PEEKS Looking for a smart new camcorder helper? Try a 35mm SLR. By Ty Harrington 30 INSTALLATION OF THE MONTH: HI-TECH HIDEAWAY What becomes a mansion most? A power-packed media den and multiroom A/V. 61 By Stan Pinkwas TOM DONOHUE’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE 66 He captured a unified Germany on video. You could be next. By Art Levis 68 REVIEWS 22 Henry V, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, Without You I’m Nothing, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Hail the Conquering Hero, more Cover: KIDVID / Cowabunga! The Year of the Turtle ViVa Gold award, DIRECTORY / The latest releases on tape and disc honoring 1990's best SONY SLV-RS SUPER VHS VCR new products. Sculp- RCA Pro850 8mm camcorder, 6 ture by Tom Canon Aj Digital Hi8 camcorder, Toshiba Diomage SV-771 Super VHS VCR. 8 Trengove, photo- By Berger-Braithwaite Labs graph by Vittorio 10 Sartor. CHANNEL ONE / Viva Las Vegas Video! FEEDBACK / Letters from readers 12 LATE NEWS / Wide-screen in Japan, hot products from Photokina, more GAZETTE / Joe Bob Briggs, director Henry Jaglom, Expand-A-Scope, more 14 Video Magazine TOMORROW / New TV breaks the wide-screen barrier NEW PRODUCTS / ProScan 27-inch TV, Toshiba unified remote, 17 Volume XIV Magnavox 19-inch TVCR, more Number 10 ky VIDEO Magazine (ISSN 1044-7288) is published monthly by Reese Communications, Inc., 460 W. 34 St., New York, NY 10001. Second-class postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing The office. © 1990 Reese Communications. Inc. All rights reserved. © under Universal, International. and Pan American Copyright Conventions. Reproduction of editorial or pictorial content in any manner Audit __ is prohibited. Single copy price $2.50; $2.95 in Canada; £2.50 in U.K. One-year subscription (12 issues) $15.; Canada, $21 U-S.; foreign, air mail, $40 U.S. Address subscription orders, change of Bureau address. correspondence and inquiries to: VIDEO. Box 56293, Boulder. CO 80322-6293. Change of address takes 60 days to process: send old address label. new address, and zip code. All material listed in this magazine is subject to manufacturer's change without notice. and publisher assumes no responsibility for such change. Printed in the U.S.A. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VIDEO, Box 56293, Boulder. CO 80322-6293. For microform copies of issues or articles. write to: Serials Acquisition Dept., University Microfilms, Inc.. 300 North Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106 4 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

IO UR@@UED TAKE YOUR Wanenurs PUT ITANYWHERE OURAN ANY SIZE, OFAN ANAT WO UDED @@)EP THE MIRACLE OF LIQUID CRYSTAL ENTERTAINMENT. = SHARPVISION. SharpVision. The amazing experience audio system, and you have easily aligned video picture 20, 40, 60, 80 or even 100 inches, depending on of big-screen entertainment that’s created a true home theatre. the size of your room, from a projector small enough to be stored designed especially for your home. away when not in use. The miracle of liquid crystal dis- And for the ultimate in “out-of- play technology creates a brilliant, sight” installations, SharpVision is now available in a ceiling-mounted crystal-clear SharpVision picture that projection unit. adjusts to fit any wall of any room in That’s the miracle of Liquid any home. Plug in any video source But unlike all those big-screen TVs, Crystal SharpVision. To find out where you can (a VCR, laser disc player, camcorder, there’s no bulky cabinet to contend SHARPIS from an angle. experience it for yourself, call today: even a video game), connect your with. No delicate picture adjustments 1-800-BE-SHARP. to make. And SHARP. LIQUID CRYSTAL ENTERTAINMENT there’s no loss FROM SHARP MINDS of brightness COME SHARP PRODUCTS” when viewing Imagine: a vivid, |llpermanently- , ©1990 Sharp Electronics Corporation For additional information, circle No. 3 on Reader Service Card.

CHANNEL ONE 1990 Buyers Guide ViLvas aVegas Video! with Comparison Chart Viva the ViVas (Vision in Video Awards), our Complete r lively new Best of the Year video picks! After SysFtoenmo!STan SRD-400 months of testing, touching and viewing, we've ip yssom Ge| fagey come up with 90 for the ’90s: 90 distinguished Includes: 10' Dish products and programs to help propel us e Echostar 4000 with Decoder through the coming video decade. We're alsu The Ultimate Satellite Receiver Houston Tracker 10 with MTS! inaugurating the ViVa Gold awards, honoring © Programmable UHF Remote those we deem to be the ultimate 15 video © 100 Video & Audio Selections products, videotapes and laserdiscs of the piist Fully Computerized Auto Tracking © Full On-Screen Graphics Display ¢ year. We'll celebrate all 90, and present the 15 Crystal Clear Reception Viva Gold awards, at the January 1991 Consum- e MTS Stereo! ¢ Call for Price! er Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Inquire about our exclusive In this issue, you'll find capsule reviews ol Trade-In Program all 90, along with commentary on why they 1-800-327-0046 gece is were chosen. In some cases, the decisions were In Calif. 1-800-327-2345 Office # 805-652-0255 based on advanced performance; in others, on unique features or breakthrough Fax # 805-652-2190 concepts. Whatever the deciding factors were, we think they represent the 2316 Channel Drive cream of the video crop. Now we'd like to know what you think. Send your Ventura, Ca. 93003 comments, whether caustic or kind, to: ViVa Awards, Video Magazine,. 460 “SOUZJ[JB‘UODNP/OOBJUIHOPADODDJHUESIJSYJPOPJD6U! VIDEO JANUARY 1991 West 34 Street, New York, NY 10001. We'll print the best of them in upcoming issues. e A quick footnote to our September feature, “Beating the Beta Maze.” Your overwhelming response to our plea that Sony sell its beautiful new 15th Anni- versary Beta machine in this country did not go unheeded. As you'll see from Sony exec Jim Bonan’s letter in “Feedback,” it will hit these shores in the spring or early summer of 1991. Coverage of the anniversary Beta model drew nearly 200 letters begging that it be brought to the U.S.—and they’re still coming in! That same “Beta Maze” triggered a range of other reader reactions. Such as? Such as 2,000 re- quests for the Beta movie catalog published by Adray Appliance of Dearborn, Michigan. And such as 300 requests for Beta tapes from Beta & More of Chanute, Kansas, including some from such farfluny video outposts as the Phi- lippines and Australia. ° In a quandary over which of the racy new subcompact camcorders to buy? Check out this issue’s “Subcompact Shootout.” Our primary emphasis was on optical characteristics (zoom, autofocus, macro shots, etc.), but we also ran comparative hands-on tests of camcorder comfort, evaluating such factors as convenience of operational controls, balance and so on. What did we learn from this first-of-its-kind showdown? That we can give you plenty of guidance on what to look for in specific models, but also that you'd best be prepared to conduct your own shootout as you sally forth on a camcorder shopping trip. Art Levis Editor-in-Chief

The Critics’ Choice: The worlds first dual-deck VCR Here’s what the experts are saying about the VCR-2: “Produces stronger color in copies and maintains resolution levels well. . .. For convenient one-touch copying, this machine is the only one of its kind, and is recommended.” Video Magazine “Go-Video has come out with a dual-deck VCR system that makes copying tapes a , snap.... The duplicate’s picture quality is close to the original. And the system's Dolby noise-reduction circuitry makes for dramatically improved sound.” Business Week “Multi-generation tape copying was impressive. Fifth-generation tapes looked better than most second-generation.” Videography “One of the best new products of the year...” Popular Electronics “The unit deserves praise, especially for its simplicity and straightforward design. ... The supplied remote control has been carefully laid out. ... It is, as people say, idiot-proof-” Video Review “Its introduction this month represents a significant achievement for the American electronics industry.” The New York Times “The veteran VCR manufacturers of the world could learn a lesson or two about the needs of the American consumer by taking a look at the extras [reference guides and videotape] included with this unit:” The Gadget Guru Now judge for yourself. Call 602-951-3963 A publicly traded American company BOOTH #631 for the name of your nearest authorized SEE US AT CES EAST HALL VCR-2 dealer. The Next Generation™ VCR-2 and Go-Video are registered trademarks of Go-Video, Inc. © 1990 Go-Video, Inc. For additional information, circle No. 94 on Reader Service Card. 14455 N. Hayden Rd. Suite 219, Scottsdale, AZ 85260-6949

Micro Script IV MFJ Super VID magazine Color Video Color Video Character Generator MFJ-1452 You can correct poor videos of President and Managing Director, weddings, sporting events or the Jay Rosenfield Features: $895.00 (+$23.00 ship. & hand.) $29995 kids at Snes recital and make Editor-in-Chief, Art Levis plus $6 s/h great copies for everyone! The Managing Editor, Stan Pinkwas « Built-in GENLOCK MFUJ-1452 is the most sophisticated (and Technical Editor, Lancelot Braithwaite + Universally compatible fun) Video Processor available today. Senior Editor, Kenneth Korman Associate Editor, Brent Butterworth * 3 Fonts (upper/lower case) Why? Because you get complete control Assistant Editors, Brian Clark, * 16 sizes (proportionnal spacing) April P. Bernard * 7 colors (+ tint/saturation controls) of contrast. You can expand or compress Contributing Editors: Bob Angus, Mavis + 4 display modes: SCROLL, CRAWL, whites to save faded or contrasty videos and Arthur, Bob Barlow, Ivan Berger, Warren increase or decrease blackness of videos that Berger, Bob Brewin, James Caruso, Steve SLIDE, CYCLE are over or under exposed. Daly (Directory), Bruce Eder, Mark ¢ AUTO-CENTERING (horiz./vert.) Fleischmann, Ty Harrington, Lawrence B. + FULL SIZE IBM KEYBOARD You can convert film negaitves to Johnson, David Lachenbruch, Frank ¢ 32 SCREENS of memory positives for recording or viewing. You can Lovece, Gordon McComb, Marianne Meyer + RS-232 INPUT invert chrominance and invert luminance (Kidvid), David Ranada, Murray Slovick, + USER FRIENDLY for special effects. You can use the enhancer Mike Ueda (Japan), Roderick Woodcock and a white ‘‘blob’’ becomes a face with Editorial Assistant, Lily Schwartzberg Write for free details individual eyelashes! Split screen feature Send $15.00 for demo tape gives you side-by-side unenhanced/ Art Director, Lonnie Heller (refundable with the purchase of a unit) enhanced comparision. Associate Art Director, Kristina Juzaitis Art Assistant, Luis Ramos Jr. Scriptovision Inc. You can correct weak colors, color shifts Production Manager, James LoGrasso 7419, Lajeunesse St. and brighten faded videos. Brightness con- Production Assistant, Janet Barrett Montreal, Canada H2R 2J1 trol improves too dark or too light scenes Typesetting, Janet M. Holland and allows fading in or out. Luminace meter (514) 271-2265 helps you accurately set brightness level. Vice President, Circulation and Special Projects, Rena Adler \"JUJOB'S[‘OU/PZOOFNOIDPIDAUHDODIOGBHWY§IIPOPJDU) ~ Call today for free catalog or to order Newsstand Sales Director, Gerald Levine Circulation Assistant, Elizabeth Moss v~ Full 1 year unconditional guarantee! Financial Officer, Albert Mineo Business Manager, Janette Evans 1-800-647-1800 Assistant to the President, Leslie Dionicio MFJ ENTERPRISES, INC. Publisher, Eric C. Schwartz 921 Louisville. Rd., Starkville, MS 39759 National Advertising Director, JB‘[JUGOOPDOZU/O4IUNDOPDAOIHDDJ|ODPEOJWSYJhJDOnPJ.DU! (601) 323-5869; FAX: (601) 323-6551 Linda DeRogatis Marketing Director, Luanne Rao MAKING A GREAT VIDEO East Coast Sales, Dina Redding-Berrigan, INCLUDES QUALITY SOUND T00! Annette Y. Schnur Classified Sales, Mary Au boll mor=lani=1e-cmanl(e1ce) olacelalom(omelanlalcrelic=xei(elarelp Midwest Sales, Milton Gerber, Carolyn meaning that it picks up all sounds, even those you Bowman don’t want. And, when shooting from a distance, you West Coast Sales, Cynthia Gallivan Wola ae)(e),@16]ohtal-mv(e)(e-Me)m\\(e]0] ma0i){]1018 West Coast Advertising Assistant, Sharon Azden, the leader in quality audio for video, makes a | full line of mics, wireless, zoom, and narration. Here Millikan Ad Coordinator, Maria Sozio are our best-selling models. National Editorial & Sales: 460 West 34 a Top of the line ECZ-660 zoom mic. HS-7V headphone Street, New York, NY 10001; 212-947-6500, 212-947-6727 (fax) WMS-Pro. Uni-directional mic w/boom mic. Midwest Sales Office: Gerber/Kamikow, 60 Revere Drive, Suite 915, Northbrook, IL A VHFwireless sys- allows you to zoom in Add narration as you 60062; 708-291-8900, 708-291-8905 (fax) West Coast Sales Office: 1453 Third Street, \\N q thy tem with over 300 ft on subjects voices, record. Picks up Suite 490, Santa Monica, CA 90401; ay zi il some ambient sound 213-393-5057, 213-393-5538 (fax) range. Comes with 2 reducing side noises. for ‘‘presence’’. Or Japan Representative: Yasuo Tachibana, NNOiMy} /atWS‘JUBLODUZOP/FN/OUPDADYODJDHEOWIYSJPOPJDU! mics, 2 frequencies, 2 positions—narrow CES International, New Nishishin Building, 1-18-2 Nishi Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo & wider 105; 03-592-1531 (phone), 03-592-1532 (fax) 4)shoe mount. use headphoneto monitor.sound. REESE COMMUNICATIONS 147 New Hyde Park Rd. @ INCORPORATED Franklin Square, NY 11010 QUALITY YOU CAN HEAR (516) 328-7500

FEEDBAGKEDITED BY BRIAN CLARK Sony makes it official Thank you for forwarding the letters Better Seen Than Heard: Are serials like 1949's from your readers requesting that the Batman and Robin inferior to the silents? Sony SL-HF2100, our 15th anniversary inward from the perimeter. And the disc Beta VCR, be made available in the spins at a lower speed as the pickup moves away from the center. U.S. (“Reader Forum,” Nov. ’90). It is gratifying to see that the dedicated com- William Scott munity of Betaphiles continues to appre- Pasadena, California ciate the advantages of the Beta format. I am glad to be able to tell you that _ after discussing this issue with the prod- uct development people in Japan, we have decided to make the SL-HF2100 available in limited quantities in the U.S. Unfortunately, there is some addi- tional work that must be done so that the product conforms to U.S. standards. Our best current estimate is that initial quantities should be available by late spring/early summer. We thank your readers for their continued interest and support. Jim Bonan, Vice President Home Video Division Sony Corporation of America Laser glitches Silents, please I have subscribed to Video Magazine for Your story about cliffhanger videos (“Se- Ifyou want to get several years and have always found it rial Thrillers: Blasts From the Past,” more out of your interesting and informative. However, video camera, put the November issue’s feature on laser- Oct. ’90) does not make sense. Possibly, disc players (“The Laser’s Edge”) has clips from these movies might be inter- more under it. esting, but after seeing some of the tur- two errors. First, the caption accom- keys you recommend, | can’t imagine When the action starts, count on the anyone, child or adult, watching this Bogen 3165 Cine-Video Tripod's un- panying the picture of a Sony MDP-333 shakeable stability, smooth pans and combi player says the deck shows a stuff for any length of time. As you tilts and rugged strength. “side-changing mechanism, slightly left wrote, they were shown to a kid trade of center.” |own an MDP-333 and can It features tubular hard-finish alu- flatly state that this machine does not particularly on Saturday mornings and minum legs with sure-grip locks for change sides. afternoons. They didn’t appeal to adults easy set-up and quick adjustments. And a precision-built Bogen 3160 XL Fluid The second mistake is the article’s then, nor do they interest many people Head features a quick release plate and is assertion that “the number of frames per today. designed for video cameras up to 9 pounds. revolution decreases as the pickup moves closer to the disc’s center. To There was a period in the silent era, For the full story, see your dealer or compensate for this decrease, the disc from about 1916 to 1925, when serials write: Bogen Photo Corp., 565 E. spins at a lower speed as the pickup played in first-run theaters and had an Crescent Ave., P.O. Box 506, Ramsey, moves closer to the center.” Laserdiscs adult following. Although they weren’t NJ 07446-0506. are read outward from the center—not realistic, they certainly weren’t low-bud- Video Magazine welcomes your comments. get, poor-quality productions — espe- Please include a phone number, but not a cially those from Pathe, Universal and return envelope as the volume of mail does Vitagraph. After the mid-’20s, the cliff- not permit replies. Letters may be edited for hangers lost their appeal to adults and clarity and space. Address correspondence to Feedback, Video Magazine, 460 West 34 degenerated into the ludicrous, plotless Street, New York, NY 10001. serials described in your story. I can’t un- derstand why some of the earlier silent serials aren't on video, instead of the junk of later years. W.R. Hamilton Battle Creek, Michigan We don't sell anything we wouldn't buy ourselves. FiaNcR5SCondioeaenrrfd.racoivdldrti.eemicaoretniaoln,

LATE NEWSEDITED BY BRENT BUTTERWORTH VHS in fast forward Stretched Screen: Wide-screen TV— Sony's wide-screen HD everywhere but here The VHS format is taking two giant Trinitron, available only steps forward. In Japan, JVC and in Japan, displays both Japanese consumers can now buy wide- Hitachi showed Super VHS hi-fi VCRs HDTV and NTSC screen TVs. Sony’s new $18,000 HD with PCM digital audio tracks. Tapes signals. Trinitron only receives standard NTSC with S-VHS digital audio will retain signals, but can also display Japan’s daily their hi-fi tracks, so they'll be compati- it is called, only costs a few dollars more hour-long HDTV broadcast when used ble with all S-VHS decks, but the sys- than a VHS deck. It probably won't be with an outboard decoder. The 36-inch tem won't work with standard VHS available in the U.S. any time soon, be- set features a zoom control that converts tape. Neither company has decided cause prerecorded VHS tapes are rare a conventional 4:3 picture to fill the 16:9 when or if it will market the decks. here, while 20 percent of Japanese pre- screen. recorded movies are in S-VHS. The latest hit in the Japanese VCR Now that wide-screen TV has star- market is the S-VHS Quasi Playback deck, a VHS VCR that play—sbut does ted in Europe (see “Tomorrow,” this is- not record —S-VHS tapes. The deck is sue) and Japan, it seems that this being offered by most major VCR manu- exciting new development in video has facturers. Picture quality is better than spread to every major consumer mar- VHS, but not as good as from a conven- ket—except the United States. tional S-VHS deck. The SQPB deck, as SEE WHAT YOU'VE BEEN MISSING Foreign intrigue The standard camcorder With The Eyeopener you can clearly Wide-screen TV sets aren't the only viewfinder image is very see both the viewfinder image and limited. your surroundings. new video products U.S. consumers Squeezing one eye shut Relax and videotape in comfort with have been denied. Philips and Sony are causes strain and fatigue. both eyes open. bringing advanced gear into the Euro- pean market—products that won't make it to the U.S. for months (if ever). Philips’ VKR 9550 is the first consumer Super VHS camcorder with vertical in- Maximize your vision and comfort while videotaping. Walk around, pick terval time code capability, which allows out your next shot, and be aware of what is going on around you. frame-accurate editing control. It fea- DON'T MISS THE ACTION US tures a 700,000-pixel CCD and a mode The Eyeopener straps on all video cameras, adjusts to all users, Patents weighs less than 1/4 ounce, and retracts completely out of the 4729648 designed to double the resolution of still 4810078 way when not in use. Foreign Patents Pending prints taken from the camcorder. Philips has no plans to introduce it in the U.S. ADD THIS PATENTED FEATURE TO YOUR CAMCORDER Sony’s personal video system com- Thousands of satisfied customers agree, no camcorder should be without The Eyeopener. 30-day prises a tiny 8mm VCR with stereo au- money-back guarantee. Send $9.95 plus $2.00 for shipping or call toll free. Snamee day a dio, a video camera with the features OPS 1-800-869-8154 L—al = (but only about two-thirds the size) of J[“B‘9UJ@POU/ODAIFDNOIUPDUYAODDDJE/AUYPSWPOJDU/ psin Incor orated, 11807 N. Creek Pkwy. S., Suite 106, Bothell, WA 98011 Sony’s TR7 camcorder, a four-inch LCD monitor with speaker and a tuner/timer. It may be available this spring. a 10 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

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REAR WINDOW 2134052 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK 9108022 |RETURN OF THE JEDI 3547042 THE BRIDGE ON 1606062 NORTH BY NORTHWEST BACK TO THE FUTURE 2114092 THE RIVER KWAI HOFFMAN — CRUIS WORKING GIRL 2509022 INDIANA JONES & THE NAKED GUN 3722012 THE TEMPLE OF DOOM 9107032 |BACK TO THE FUTURE ti 9213042 |THE EXORCIST 6003042 THREE MEN AND A BABY BLADE RUNNER 4471022 INDIANA JONES 3104092 |AN AMERICAN TAIL 2184042 5491052 |& THE LAST CRUSADE 9106042 THE RUNNING MAN 4956062 | E.7.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL |6811062 All movies available in VHS only. ©1991, Columbia House What a sale! Now you can own any six Half-Price Bonus Plan: after fulfilling for any reason you're not satisfied, return movies here for 69¢ each (plus shipping/ your membership obligation, you'll auto- everything within 10 days for a full, prompt handling) with membership in our Video matically become eligible for our Half- refund and no further obligation. Club. Choose from the best, too. Ten Price Bonus Plan. With each movie you For fastest service: use your credit card Commandments, Rain Man and more! buy at regular Club prices, the plan cur- And you can even get 2 more movies at a rently allows you to take another movie of and our toll-free number to order. savings of up to $70 each (see Advance equal value or less at 50% off. 1-800-544-4431 Selections box in the coupon). 10-Day Risk-Free Trial: join today and Call 24-hours. we'll send yourintroductory movies, along a day: There’s no membership fee for join- with more details on how the Club works. If Columbia House ing, nor do you have to buy a lot of VIDEO CLUB movies. Just six more within the next RAIN MAN 1400 N. Fruitridge, Terre Haute, IN 47811-1112 2869062 three years. And you'll have no problem in Columbia House Advance Selections finding six movies you want, because our VIDEO CLUB Dept. KV6, SAVE UP TO $140 MORE- library holds over 3,000 titles; from the PO. Box 1112, Terre Haute, IN 47811-1112 HAVE LESS TO BUY LATER! very newest releases to classical favor- Yes, please enroll me under the terms outlined in this You may order one or two more movies now | ites. Our regular Club prices currently | advertisement. As a member, I need buy just six more range from $79.95 to $29.95, plus ship- for only $9.99 each-so you can save up to ping and handling; and we also offer a | movies at regular Club prices within the next three $140! And each discount purchase imme- years. selection of specially priced videocas- diately reduces your membership obligation settes, down to $14.95. Your only mem- | Send me these 6 movies for 69¢ each by one! | bership obligation is to buy six movies in #plus $1.20 each shipping & handling (Total $11.34). Also send my first selection for $9.99 plus | THE WIZARD three years for as little as $29.95 each— | # $m1y.75$1s1h.i3p4pipnga/yhmaenndtling(t,otawlh:ic$h23.I0’8m)a.ddi1ntghetno | OF 02 and you may cancel membership anytime | S3HR8]] # peoeeneed buy only 5 more (instead of 6) inthe next (ANNIVERSARY after doing so. EDITION three years. 294108; How the club operates: about every | Please check how paying: |four weeks (up to 13 times a year) we send = check is ea is M97/M99/L11 Also send still one more selection foran| |you our Video Club Magazine, reviewing ani tureClupburchasestcr” =M9@/LI0/L12 |(a ea (et eg ae our Director's Selection, plus many alter- ||nate movies. And up to four times a year, C)MasterCard [JDiners Club CJAMEX CIVISA | (instead of 6) | |you may also receive offers of Special Selections, usually at a discount off reg- ular Club prices, for a total of up to 17 Account # Expiration Date. | buying opportunities. Choose only the movies you want: if | Signature. | you want the Director’s Selection, don’t | Name. Phone ( ) | do a thing-it’ll arrive automatically. If you'd prefer an alternate movie, or none at | Address. Apt. | all, just mail the card always provided by | City. State. Zip. the date specified. You'll always have two full weeks to decide. (If you ever receive a Note: Columbia House Video Club reserves the right to reject any application or cancel any membership. |450/S91 Offer limited to continental U.S. (excluding Alaska) and Canada. . Canadian residents will be serviced from tape before having had two weeks to | Toronto (offer may vary). Applicable sales tax added to all orders. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS eedecide, just send it back at our expense.) 2026062

EDITED BY KENNETH KORMAN intros give you enough information so you have things to look for, which makes the movies fun.” Lewis and Wishman are now semi- retired in Florida, where Joe Bob went to interview them and found that “each has contempt for the other’s films. Her- schell told me, ‘Oh no, you're putting me in a series with Doris Wishman?’ And Doris’s reaction to Lewis was, ‘Oh, that man who makes those awful films?” —M. Faust Henry Jaglom’s internal affairs ge Henry Jaglom not only wears his heart on his sleeve, he composes it, lights it, Hell on Heels: Swinging housewives in Suburban Roulette, presented on tape by Joe Bob Briggs (inset). films it and edits it. The results are fun- ny, intensely personal collages of human Blood, guts and troduction by Joe Bob in his inimitable emotion. While his latest film, Eating— naked volleyball style, familiar to fans of his appearances about the perennial tug of war with food on cable TV’s The Movie Channel. among women —is screening at film fes- Herschell Gordon Lewis and Doris Who else but Joe Bob, for instance, tivals, several older titles have just been Wishman are not exactly household would critique the costumes in a nudist released by Paramount Home Video. names, but these Z-movie auteurs are legend among fans of 1960s exploitation camp movie? Chief among these is New Year's Day, films. Lewis invented the gore movie, The series includes Wishman’s 1961 in which the director plays a typical Jag- making a fortune with a string of outra- lom character who hashes out his fear of geously gruesome cheapies. Wishman Nude on the Moon, in which a moon that starting over with the female tenants of pioneered the nudist camp film, moving suspiciously resembles a Florida nudist his former apartment. Like most of Jag- on to other exploitation genres when colony (palm trees included) is inhab- lom’s movies, New Year’s Day is a care- the market for naked volleyball died out. ited by topless “moon dolls;” Bad Girls fully edited composite of gatherings at Go to Hell, a mid-’60s “roughie;” and the which conversations ebb, flow and build, When Strand VCI acquired video infamous Deadly Weapons (1972), with revealing more about the actors’ real-life rights to a package of Wishman and stripper Chesty Morgan getting revenge personalities than they would probably Lewis films, it called on an expert to on Miami mobsters by suffocating them want anyone to know. help market them to an unsuspecting in her 73-inch bosom. Lewis is repre- public: Joe Bob Briggs, America’s fore- sented by his groundbreaking 1963 “Film to me is about parts of emo- most authority on drive-in movies. “If gorefest Blood Feast; Suburban Roulette, a you just try to watch these films for their cheesy 1967 look at wife swapping in Speaking Parts: David Duchovny (left) and actor/ pure entertainment value, you won’t be suburban Chicago; and She-Devils on director Henry Jaglom converse in New Year's Day. watching for very long,” explains Joe Wheels (1968), the ultimate female biker Bob. “But once you know the stories be- movie. hind these movies, they're great fun.” Joe Bob admits that “you get to a Thus was born “The Sleaziest Mov- point in some of these films where camp ies in the History of the World,” a new crosses over into unwatchable. But the series of what Briggs prefers to call “out- ones that we’re putting out are fun to law movies.” Each video features an in- watch even when they’re bad. We want- ed to re-create that Plan Nine From Out- er Space cult-film feeling on video. The 12 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

tions. A screenplay by itself can’t give ul you that,” Jaglom told us. “What I like to do is blur our awareness of what's real Wide Awake: Expand-A-Scope, as simulated above, can change the aspect ratio of any TV picture. and what's a movie. I want to be sur- prised by a smile, a gesture, a tear, a lens and a hood that connects the two. buyers. One person who has seen it is sound, a reaction to a piece of music— The most interesting aspect of Ex- things you can’t predetermine on paper. Theo Kalomirakis, a noted home thea- I write a very strong guideline, but I en- pand-A-Scope is the optional Wide- courage the actors to break away and Screener, a joystick-controlled device ter designer based in Brooklyn, New give me as much beyond the thing as that crops an image from top and bot- York. “I was amazed at how much better they can. Then I go back in my editing tom to give any TV picture a Cinema- it was than I expected,” Kalomirakis re- room and that’s where I write my movie, Scope look. ports. “You don’t see any scan lines, be- with pieces of film. I don’t understand cause the picture is a little softer than why directors give that away to an edi- “For years, Hollywood has shot films on other projectors. And it doesn’t need tor. That to me is like a painter who lets in a TV-type aspect ratio, then cropped convergence adjustment.” Kalomirakis someone else choose the colors.” them for theaters,” Bergfeldt continues. “The video ends up with more informa- doesn’t agree with Bergfeldt’s cropping Paramount has also released Can tion than the film. Any of these movies, technique, though, and says the larger She Bake a Cherry Pie, a film which stars such as North by Northwest, The Shining, Jaglom’s ex-girlfriend, Karen Black, as a Gorillas in the Mist and others, have screen is hindered by two seams and in- woman who wanders around Manhattan plenty of safety zone at top and bottom. all torn up over a broken love affair. Even some TV shows and home videos sufficient brightness. “I’ve learned through my movies that look better cropped to 2:1.” Nevertheless, Kalomirakis praises people feel less isolated when they see themselves reflected back through the Because he’s in Kansas City, Missou- Bergfeldt and his creation. “This guy is culture. Spielberg, for example, does not ri, and lacks the deep pockets of a Sharp deal with this stuff—he deals with boy- or Panasonic, Bergfeldt has had prob- your typical all-American entrepreneur, ish, adolescent fantasies. Ijust want peo- lems showing off his system to potential who has invented something that works ple to know it’s okay to go through this, and is relatively inexpensive.” Interested you're not alone.” —Jami Bernard videophiles can call Bergfeldt at 800-729-3250 or 816-561-1896. A little off the top (and bottom) —Brent Butterworth Lots of videophiles seek out letterboxed Just Press “Play.” The unprecedented success of PBS’ versions of their favorite wide-screen ll-hour TV series, The Civil War, caught a lot of people epics, but Bill Bergfeldt has gone one by surprise. But Time-Life Video, which owns exclusive step further. He’s created a projection direct marketing rights to the series (therefore selling it TV system designed expressly for letter- only through the mail) was primed and ready: The cas- boxed movies, along with a device that settes went on sale as soon as the program aired. Dan can give any movie or TV show a wide- Markim, vice president for new business at Time-Life screen look. Video, told The New York Times he was unconcerned about people making off-the-air tapes of the series, “T tried a letterboxed laserdisc on my which the company sells for $199 as a complete set. “Most people just don’t projection TV, and didn’t like the black know how to use their VCRs,” he said. bars over and under the picture,” ex- plains Bergfeldt. “So I pulled the projec- Platters Du Jour. Pioneer has announced a new line of enhanced fea- tor back so the picture filled the screen ture films on laserdisc. Pioneer Special Editions will include high-quality top to bottom, then tacked poster board letterboxed transfers and supplementary materials such as interviews and onto the sides of the screen, and it “making of ” documentaries. Two titles per month are planned for the line; looked great.” the first title—available in January —will be the acclaimed 1982 Swedish film Flight of the Eagle. Though the supplementary materials will likely result in The idea soon grew into Expand- prices higher than those for standard releases, Pioneer promises to keep the ti- A-Scope—a system that uses a free- tles “affordable.” standing screen with a 2:1 aspect ratio, in either 35-by-70-inch ($2,400) or 46- by-100-inch ($3,500) sizes. The system’s unusual projector comprises a 13-inch Sony professional monitor, a magnifying JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 13

TOMORROW New TV breaks the wide-screen barrier BY DAVID LACHENBRUCH screen TV in January, first under the the outside. It’s designed to work with a Thomson brand name. This will be fol- multiplicity of broadcast systems and This month, as the new year kicks up its lowed later in the year by slightly differ- formats. The current European stand- heels, Europeans will be able to buy a ent designs bearing the brands of ard—sPAL and SECAM ~ are included, new kind of television set embodying the Telefunken, Nordmende, Saba and Fer- of course. But the set also has a built-in biggest improvement since the introduc- satellite receiver (it even comes with a tion of color. This is true wide-screen guson. However, Thomson has made no small windowsill antenna) and the cir- TV. Ranging in price from $6,000 to decision on selling the TV in the U.S. $7,000, including the European value cuitry to pick up a new, superior satel- added tax, it won’t be cheap, but it will Even before it’s turned on, the new lite-delivered TV system now being set looks different. The vast expanse of tested in Europe. Called MAC (for mul- represent a giant step toward the future its picture tube is closer to Cinemascope tiplexed analog components), it delivers world of high definition television proportions than the boxy 4:3 ratio of a picture with resolution about equiva- (HDTV) and bring major features that width to height that characterizes stand- lent to Super VHS. can be enjoyed immediately. ard viewing screens—and TV pictures. Its aspect ratio is 16:9, and the tube The wide-screen part? Both France Thomson Consumer Electronics, the measures 34 inches in “viewable diago- and Germany are scheduled to start sat- Paris-based worldwide television manu- nal,” the American method of measur- ellite broadcasts using a so-called Wide- facturer (whose American brands are ing picture screens. Its height is about MAC format in 1991. The picture will RCA and GE), will introduce wide- 16-3/4 inches, equivalent to that of a 28- have a 16:9 aspect ratio, the same as the David Lachenbruch is executive director of inch standard tube. But where a typical new sets. When Europe moves to Television Digest. 28-incher’s width is just over 22 inches, the new set stretches to a full 30 inches. HDTV, which will be called HD-MAC Wide Receiver: and which will be compatible with the Thomson's new TV set The inside of the set is as unique as current MAC standard —in wide- for European markets screen, of course—the TV receiver will features a revolutionary be able to display those pictures as well. wide screen, adjustable picture sizes and pic- But that’s not all. When receiving ture insets outside the existing standard broadcasts, or playing main image area. back videotapes or laserdiscs, the new TV set can double the number of hori- zontal lines— from Europe’s standard 625 to 1,250—resulting in an improved definition TV (IDTV) picture, which appears to have more detail and no visi- ble line structure. If the disc or tape being playe—dor the broadcast being receive—dis in let- terbox format (many films broadcast in Europe are already letterbexed), the re- ceiver will display the picture on the full screen, eliminating the black bands on the top and the bottom which are char- acteristic of letterboxed movies on standard-size screens. If a picture with standard dimen- sions is displayed, viewers have two choices. At the push of a button on the remote control, they can display it in a full-screen mode using the wide propor- tions and losing a little of the picture at the top and the bottom, but, in effect, magnifying the rest. Or they can view it in the standard 4:3 mode, which won’t quite fill the screen horizontally. But there's no need to let any of the 14 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

The Blueprint for Perfection... hoosing the available only on “data grade” perfect large screen projectors costing thousands video system is easier more. than ever with the new Series II New magnetically focused projectors from Harman Video. __.tubes, multi-coated lenses and _ Designed and builtin the USA, wide bandwidth circuitry improve _ the Series lis atotally new _ contrast, resolution and bright- _ design. Combined with the ness—to more than 1,00 lumens | JBL TC-1 tuner/control center, = - without noisy cooling fans : Series II systems are easy toinstall : and operate through a unified wireless remote, on screen graphics and a unique digital convergence system previously |

STATE OF THE ART screen go blank, even when viewing a TECH TIPS Both tracks will be in syne with the pic- standard 4:3 picture. Going beyond the ture. Ronald B. Kwiatkowski picture-in-picture, or PIP, feature of some of today’s standard TV sets, the Sterling Heights, Michigan new set is equipped with “picture-out- side-picture,” or POP. This feature can Clean wipes Let it snow stack three smaller pictures vertically to the right of the main picture, and out- If your camcorder has a digital titler If you want to produce edits without a side the main image if that image is ap- moire effect, but your VCR does not pearing in the standard aspect ratio. with a scroll mode, you can create a have a flying erase head, record several This versatile feature gives viewers an seconds of snow (noise) from a vacant unparalleled ability to scan programs on convincing wipe. Memorize a blank im- channel at the point you wish to begin other channels. Because the set has two the edit. Then rewind to that point and tuners, it can display two pictures with age by pressing the memory button with insert the new material. full motion, scan all other channels se- quentially as a guide to what’s available the lens cap on, or with the camcorder David P. Stevens for viewing, or display a sequence of Miami, Florida stills from any program being broadcast. pointed at a blank wall. To end a scene, The new Thomson model unques- hit the title button, and stop shooting tionably will be the most advanced tele- vision receiver ever offered to the just as the blank title completely fills the general public. Many of its features could be used right now in the United screen. To start the next shot, scroll the States if an American version were to be title up off the screen right after you be- introduced. Indeed, Thomson has al- ready equipped one of its American pic- gin taping. Ricardo P. Belloni ture tube plants to make 34-inch, 16:9 Buenos Aires, Argentina Safety in numbers tubes. But the answer to when such a Double talk If you use more than one camcorder bat- TV set will be available here is still unre- solved. Thomson people will only say When recording TV sports broadcasts tery, label them with the adhesive num- “when there is a demand for it.” P on a hi-fi VCR, use the simulcast switch and record the radio broadcast of the bers that come with blank VHS tapes. same event on the hi-fi tracks. The TV sound will automatically be recorded on This allows easy identification of the the linear track. When playing back the tape, you'll be able to choose the audio batteries, so you'll be able to tell which track that provides better coverage. ones have been used and which still have plenty of charge. The labels can also be made using masking tape and a felt marker. Jerry De Pinto Kent, Washington Introducin———1 g the automatic cameraman for camcorders Get In The Picture™ and get in on the fun. Just mount it between your camcorder and tripod. Clip its small transmitter on your belt. And watch it rotate your camcorder to follow all the action. Oa With In The Picture you'll never be stuck behind the viewfinder. It lets you easily videotape family get-togethers, sports, speaking events and more. And it makes video- taping so fun and effortless, you'll capture more of the rrintomatongood times. cat }800-323-3222. InThe Picture YyVALUars For additional information, circle No. 8 on Reader Service Card, 16 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

NEW PRODUCTSEDITED BY BRIAN CLARK i PA CCR OTNC SPECIALISTS FORMOREINFO: CONVENIENT FAX # (201) 696-6531 (201) 633-1476 WE WILL MATCH OR BEAT ANY LEGITIMATE PRICE TOLL FREE:.... 1 (800) 444-6300 FAST SERVICE. BEST PRICES! a“ —.CHINON C8-SC98 By 8MM DIGITAL gna CALL CHINON CV-124G DIGITAL12:E1FF1ZEL0CU0TXSM, e RLE ProScan TV boasts color PIP Coast F1iaCRNScoo0ndiaeenr.frdacodivld.rtieemicraeotniaoln, We ship within 24 hours. The ProScan PS27120 27-inch TV set ftom RCA has a color picture-in-picture feature that allows viewers to move the small picture to any corner of the screen, All prices quoted include manufacturer's standard exchange the large and small picture or freeze the small picture. Audio features accessories & U.S. Warranty. All units are factory include matrix surround speaker connections, digital stereo processing and broad- sealed. We are an AUTHORIZED DEALER for ALL cast stereo with SAP. The glare-free picture tube is designed to cut down on dust. NAME BRANDS WE SELL! 10 DAY EXCHANGE. Other features include a comb filter, an S-video connector and commercial skip. S & H NON-REFUNDABLE! Price: $899. JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 17 For additional information, circle No. 143 on Reader Service Card. Toshiba remote controls TV, VCR and IRD Separate areas on the keypad control TV sets, VCRs and satellite receivers on Toshiba’s HST-3R remote control, which Toshiba says is the first remote designed specifically for satellite-based home theater systems. The remote comes programmed for Toshiba video equipment, but is capable oflearning the commands from any infrared remote. Price: $99. For additional information, circle no. 144 on Reader Service Card

Hlaakeonte SPECIALISTS FORMORE INFO: CONVENIENT FAX# (201) 696-6531 (201) 633-1476 WE WILL MATCH OR BEAT ANY LEGITIMATE PRICE TOLL FREE:.... 1 (800) 444-6300 Ce FAST SERVICE BEST PRICES! ‘@ VIWEiADREEAONICS FRANCHISE DEALER! VIDEO InnerView system transmits through walls EDITING PROCESSOR Universal Security Instruments has developed a wireless broadcast system called innerView. The system consists of a transmitter and a receiver, and requires no © 16 WIPES BY COMBINING 5 BASIC PATTERNS wires or batteries. It can send audio and video from any VCR to any TV set up to 100 feet away. Receivers sell for around half the cost of the total system. © COLOR BALANCING w/JOYSTICK CONTROLLER Price: $99. © 8 BACKGROUND COLORS, PLUS COLOR BAR CHART For additional information, circle No. 145 on Reader Service Card. © COMPATIBLE w/SUPER VHS Magnavox brings out & 8mm HI-BAND 19-inch TVCR @ VIDEO ENHANCER The Magnavox CRL191 TVCR has a 19- inch color monitor and a 155-channel * INDEPENDENT A/V FADERS JIX-SV55 digital quartz tuner with auto scan. A six-event/two-week timer can be pro- © 6-SPEED VERTICAL GENERATOR grammed onscreen. Other features in- & TYPEWRITER SCROLLING CGV60 clude high-speed forward and reverse @ TITLE ZOOMING search, audio/video input and output © 8-PAGE MEMORY jacks, and one-touch record. ® 200 CUTS — 100 SCENES Price: $749.95. © ACCURATE TO WITHIN 3 FRAMES © AUDIO MIXING INCLUDING For additional information, circle no. 146 on Reader Service Card. FADE IN/OUT @ COMPATIBLE w/VHS, BETA, Sima’s CamLight 5 fits compact camcorders 8mm, SUPER-VHS © 6 VIDEO INPUTS/ 3 OUTPUTS Sima’s CamLight 5 is a six-volt, 20-watt [ | light that’s made for today’s small cam- i corders. CamLight 5 comes with a @ TOP OF THE LINE Pi . quartz halogen lamp and a battery © VHF WIRELESS SYSTEM charger. Powered by a Sony type 1500 © 1500 ft. RANGE battery, the light provides up to 30 min- @ COMES W/2 MICROPHONES. utes of illumination before a charge is needed. It mounts on the accessory shoe 8 =:= oS - of any camcorder. If your camcorder PRICES ALWAYS COMPETITIVE lacks a shoe, the CamLight SL-5B is We ship within 24 hours. available with a mounting bracket that P‘U@J“B[6ODIOUEODNI4OUPAODOYIAHDBOlIWYlSDOpPJrDUiIces quoted include manufacturer's standard screws into the tripod socket on the bot- tom of the camcorder. accessories & U.S. Warranty. All units are factory Prices: CamLight 5, $79.95; SL-5B sealed. We are an AUTHORIZED DEALER for ALL $87.95. NAME BRANDS WE SELL! |0 DAY EXCHANGE. S & HNON-REFUNDABLE! For additional Information, circle no. 147 on Reader Service Card. 18 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

Whitney Houston: Winger: In The Heart Of I'm Your Baby Tonight The Young (Atlantic) 00570 (Arista) 10663 Nelson: After The Rain (DGC) 74079 Sinéad O’ Connor: | Do Not Want What | Haven’t Got Anita Baker: Compositions (Chrysalis) 33512 (Elektra) 00921 INXS: X (Atlantic) 64378 Prince: Graffiti Bridge (Paisley Park) 34107 The Time: Pandemonium (Paisley Park) 52225 Jane's Addiction: Ritual de lo Habitual M.C. Hammer: Please (Warner Bros.) 10020 Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em Janet Jackson’s Rhythm (Capitol) 34791 Nation (A&M) 72386 Neil Young: Ragged Glory The Cure: Disintegration (Reprise) 21 (Elektra) 01109 Slaughter: Stick It To Ya Kentucky Headhunters: (Chrysalis) 42308 Pickin’ On Nashville (Mercury) 24740 Faith No More: The Real Thing (Reprise) 63719 Fleetwood Mac: Behind The Mask Neville Brothers: Brother’s (Warner Bros.) 43766 Keeper (A&M) 63513 Jeff Lynne: Armchair John Hiatt: Stolen Theatre (Reprise) 00803 Moments (A&M) 44540 The ages |Wilburys: [7 The Sundays: Reading, Vol. One (Wilbury) 00711 Writing And Arithmetic (DGC) 63175 George Harrison: Best Of Wi Dark Horse, 1976-1989 Soul Il Soul: Vol. Il-1990-A (Dark Horse) 80307 New Decade (Virgin) 00567 Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever Anthrax: Persistence Of (MCA ) 33911 Time (Island) 83468 Motley Criie: Dr. Feelgood Vixen: Rev It Up (Elektra) 33928 Heart: Brid gade (EMI) 54615 Fine Young Cannibals: The (Capitol) 64305 Bell Biv DeVoe: Poison Raw And The Cooked Quincy Jones: Back On (MCA) 00547 (.R.S.) 01068 The Block (Qwest) 64116 Johnny Gill Travis Tritt: Country Club MRaonbiecrt NiPlant: Bruce Hornsby & The Paula Abdul: Shut Up And (Motown) 00738 (Warner Bros.) 60195 Es Pa a) 8A 22 Range: A Night On The Dance (The Dance Mixes) (Es Paranza) Town (RCA) 63689 (Virgin) 80326 Billy Idol: Charmed Life John Williams/Boston Led Zeppelin IV (Runes) (Chrysalis) 62264 Pops: Pops In Space Taylor Dayne: Can’t Fight (Philips) 05392 (Atlantic) 12014 Fate (Arista) 01114 Styx: Classics (14 Greatest Elvis Presley: Best Of Dire Straits: The B-52’s: Cosmic Thin . 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Each issue highlights a Featured Selec- tion in your preferred music category, NO POSTAGE plus alternate selections. If you'd like the Featured Selection do nothing. It will be NECESSARY sent to you automatically. If you'd prefer BUSINESS REPLY MAIL IF MAILED an alternate selection or none at all, just IN THE return the card enclosed with each issue of your magazine by the date specified UNITED STATES on the card. You will have at least 10 days to decide or you may return your FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 5071 INDIANAPOLIS, IN. Featured Selection at our expense. Cancel your membership at any time after completing your enrollment agree- POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE ment simply by sisap to us, or remain and take advantage of bonus savings. BMG COMPACT DISC CLUB FREE 10-DAY TRIAL P.O. Box 91412 INDIANAPOLIS IN 46209-9758 Listen to your 4 introductory selections for a full 10 days. If not satisfied, return them with no further obligation. You send no money now, so complete the postpaid card and mail it today. *A shipping and handling charge is added to each shipment. CD713 BMG Compact Disc Club, fCOM 6550 E. 30th St., Indianapolis, IN 7—-“=—@ 46219-1194. iH} TRADEMARKS USED IN THIS ADVT ff” 4 ARE THE PROPERTY OF VARIOUS =a TRADEMARK OWNERS. Bawa

NEW PRODUCTS SPECIALISTS Prime Image introduces time-base corrector FOR MORE INFO: CONVENIENT FAX # (201) 696-6531 (201) 633-1476 Prime Image has added a new time-base corrector and signal timer, the TBC/TIM- ER Model 25, to its line of products. The unit works with NTSC composite 3/4- WE WILL MATCH OR BEAT ANY LEGITIMATE PRICE inch and 1/2-inch VCRs. Controls for a built-in processing amplifier can be set to | factory standards or adjusted by the user. Also available is the 25S Y/C model for TOLL FREE:.... 1 (800) 444-6300 use with Super VHS, Hi8 and ED Beta VCRs. FAST SERVICE Price: $1,995. VHS: Eight-segment assembler automates sede For adaitional information, circle No. 148 on Reader Service Card. chores, placing desired scenes in any order. H Circuitry and digital auto- Label videotapes electronically tracking ensure quality video and fuss-free playback. Brother International’s P-touch PT-10 electronic labeling system lets users S-VHS: Feature-laden deck offers the utmost in making cassette labels choose among scene-finding convenience. Full-featured five type sizes and four type styles. Label remote with display dupli- cartridges come in 13 color combina- cates on-screen programming tions. The PT-10 operates on five C-cell capabilities. batteries (included) or with an AC adapter, which is optional. Printing can S-VHS: Automatic assemble and insert editing with be done vertically or horizontally, and a eight-scene memory and preview mode for editing 52-character, four-phrase memory store ease. Video-on-sound feature helps with frequently used lines. dubs video over prerecorded hi- fi tracks. Price: $249.95. S-VHS: Title/date recording adds personal For additional information, touch. Bargraph-style ‘‘tape time remaining” circle no. 149 on Reader Service Card. display eliminates recording surprises. Synchro-edit Bracket creates shoe for compacts feature simplifies dubbing. Sunpak's VB-1 integrated bracket creates a mounting shoe that allows 8mm cam- S-VHS: Optical scanner digitizes graphics for F1cCRaSiNo1oiaenden.rrfdacdvoild.irteecmireaotniaoln, corders to hold a light or microphone. Designed for the Sony TR-series and similar superimposition. Other digital tricks include models, the VB-1 fits between the camcorder body and battery. color correction, fades, wipes, Price: $29.95. negative/positive, titles, and For additional information, circle No. 150 on Reader Service Card. noise reduction. Have Steadicam, will travel PRICES ALWAYS COMPETITIVE Cinema Products Corporation has de- ZVsISA | . | aC.s0.D. signed a travel case capable of holding a ae n\\ | camcorder with the company’s Stead- icam JR attached. A large, zippered We ship within 24 hours. front pocket holds accessories, while a rear pocket holds the JR’s instruction All prices quoted include manufacturer's standard manual. There’s also space in the top cover to store and protect a light. The accessories & U.S. Warranty. All units are factory bag comes with a detachable shoulder strap and a belt strap with a release sealed. We are an AUTHORIZED DEALER for ALL buckle that converts the case into a backpack. NAME BRANDS WE SELL! 10 DAY EXCHANGE. S & HNON-REFUNDABLE! Price: $75. For additional information, circle No. 151 on Reader Service Card. JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 21

+ono ‘AYA Sony S-VHS VCR Lewes power indicator and an illuminated Sony designed the SLV-R5 for dubbing remote with an LCD screen and dedi- LCD with indicators for cassette, audio/ and editing from ED Beta, Hi8, Beta and cated buttons for programming, a mem- video insert, play and pause, plus a 8mm formats to Super VHS and VHS. ory bank for four frequently used timer counter. The entire front panel swings It accomplishes the goal with flying col- settings, picture-in-picture (PIP), index- down to reveal a depression holding the ors. Not only does it have Control-L ing and a comprehensive menu system (LANC) and Control-S synchro edit with a demonstration mode. There is cassette hatch; slide switches for S-VHS systems, but the remote control com- even an edit monitor that shows both mands all Sony VHS, 8mm and Beta the output of the player and the signal and command mode; buttons for edit VCRs. being recorded or the frame at the edit monitor and synchro edit; rotary con- point of the recorder. The remote offers trols for phones level, sharpness and left Its features include a decorative jog/shuttle control and access to the edit and right hi-fi record level; and jacks for front panel, a jog/shuttle control, front- panel inputs and Control-L connector, a monitor, so you can dub and edit be- S-video, video, LANC remote and ster- tween two Sonys from an easy chair. eo audio. Outside the depression sit but- tons for power and eject. Jacks for a Description. The SLV-R5 is ti- microphone and headphones are ar- tanium gray with simulated wood sides. ranged in a column at the left. The front panel is bare but for logos, a A large window occupies the right Sony SLV-RS DATA Cue & Review (Search): wind/search, stop, put select, timer check, set, add and erase S-Vis VER non-locking; SP—7x; pause/still, record (2), index mark, index Suggested Price: $1,300 EP—21x bi-directional shuttle erase, command mode, Broadcast Tuning VMLPEIOHSDROESTOIOTLGELRSOATPHS: edit, audio insert, video menu, function memory, Range: Weight: 18.2 pounds Visible FF and Rew: insert, channel up and TV scan, execute and 2 to 13, 14 to 69 press ff or rew button cursor controls for up, Dimensions: during ff or rew process down, edit monitor, tim- down, forward and back Cable Tuning Range: 4 x 18-3/8 x 15-5/8 2 to 13, A-8 to A-1, A inches (h/w/d) Fast Forward/ er onscreen, index, Counter Digits: to W, W+1 to W+84 Rewind Time: data screen, audio 5—hrs:mins:secs Power Requirement: approx. 4 min. for monitor, counter reset, Timer: 120 VAC, 60 Hz T-120; high-speed re- timer record, antenna Program Start 8-program/1-month wind—approx. 2-1/2 Locator/Index/Cue: Power Consumption: min. for T-120 TV/VTR, power, learn/ auto/manual index Special Features: 47 W use switch and TV con- flying erase head, auto Remote Pause: trols for power, TV/ Linear Audio: mono play speed select, still Tape Formats: LANC and Control-S video channel and vol- frame, bi-directional S-VHS, VHS ume; covered Hi-fi AFM Audio: stereo frame advance, 2x Remote: controls—day, turn on speed play, separate Tape Speeds: IR wireless with LCD Tuning Method: eject, counter memory, record—SP, EP; play- display; exposed con- hours and minutes, turn frequency synthesis audio dub, video dub, back—SP, LP, EP trols—jog/shuttle dial, insert edit, auto rewind, jog/shuttle function with off hours and minutes, Channel Selectors: AFT, channel lock, auto Video Heads: 4 indicator, channel select channel, transmit, clock programmable up/down channel change Slow Motion: with indicator, play, high set, record mode, input scan on VCR; scan bi-directional—1/5x with speed rewind, bi-direc- select, memory, norm/ plus direct access on RESULTS shuttle ring tional locking search, CATV, PIP, shift, digital remote fast forward/search, re- off, frame, step forward, Horizontal Resolution: Rapid Search: step back, slow minus, Preset Method: $-VHS—400 lines; locking; SP—7x; slow plus, x2, timer auto preset, manual VHS—250 lines EP—21x clear, record mode, in- 22 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

Sony’s First Super: RCA 8mm camcorder tewind/search, play, fast forward/search, The SLV-R5 is the first stop and pause/still. These buttons also Super VHS VCR with RCA now offers four 8mm camcorders double for minus, title select, plus and Control-L and Control-S of which the Pro850 is the smallest. It’s edit/advance. At the back, the clock jacks. comparable in size to the Sony CCD- battery fits in a compartment under- TRS, and offers similar features. There neath the main battery. side, with indicators for S-VHS, auto are a few differences between the two. tracking, audio insert and high speed re- RCA opted for infrared autofocus, The microphone sits on the front, wind, plus the remote sensor and a large which can be faster and more precise near the top. Lower down are the cov- LCD display. When the door is closed, than Sony’s through-the-lens AF sys- ered audio/video in/out/control con- remote commands reach the sensor tem, but has drawback—sit doesn’t fo- nector, the IR window for the AF through a window. The inner surface of cus well through glass or on sloping mechanism and the lens with its manual the compartment door holds a jog/shut- subjects. Its automatic white balance is focus ring. The focusing scale shows tle dial and four rows of buttons for TV/ always on and non-adjustable, so it gives through a window on the side. The VTR, input select, SP/EP record, chan- sunsets a white look. (For further com- manual zoom lever with the release for nel minus and plus, edit, timer record, parative information, see “Subcompact the macro range travels in a groove be- quick timer, auto/manual tracking, Shootout” elsewhere this issue.) hind the lens. Further back sit buttons tracking up and down, rewind/search, for high-speed shutter, titler and review. play, fast forward/search, high speed re- The focus switch hides near the bottom. wind, stop, pause/still and record. The On the back of the bulge are three tiny rear panel is simple, with the channel buttons for fade, backlight compensator continued on page 28 Red Eye: Unlike most subcom- pact camcorders, RCA's Pro850 uses infrared autofocus. Luminance S/N, +0.1/-3 db, down 7.3 Its useful features include a 6x zoom (BLC) and date/time imprinting. lens with macro range, a wind noise A catch releases the viewfinder so it Unweighted: dB at 20 kHz, SP; 20 switch, six shutter speeds to 1/10000-sec- can slide backward and tilt upward for SP—45.3 dB; EP—42.5 | Hz-20 kHz, +0.1/-2 dB, ond, a two-page titler with one 16-char- easier viewing. A focus ring surrounds dB ig linear (-3 dB)—80 acter line on each page, review, edit the magnifier. Concealed on the inner side are screwdriver controls for bright- Luminance SiN, ovine ee? 80 search, a time/date imprinter, hold- ness and electrical focus. Buttons for down type fade, a ten-second self-timer clock set, A/V dub (insert edit), time Weighted: lapse, display and counter reset occupy SP—51.4 dB; EP—49.5 | Hi-Fi Dynamic Range: that shoots a 30-second burst or until the left rear. dB 86.2 dB stopped, and an interval timer that shoots one-second bursts every half sec- Operation. Using the Pro850 is Video S/N, Unweighted:| Linear Audio S/N: ond, one second, two seconds, five min- straightforward. The camera/off/VCR utes or on demand. power switch determines the main func- SP—43.6 dB; EP—40.9 | 44.6 dB Description. The Pro850’s right tion, but the VCR transport controls are dB Audio Distortion: side holds the cassette hatch and its tiny always alive for edit search and the pre- window, the wind noise switch and an cise location of scenes. In camera mode, Video S/N, Weighted: | hi-fi0.3%; linear— earphone jack. The run/stop switch and the powersave (standby) switch must SP—49.8 dB; EP—48.8 | 1.1% a ‘“powersave” standby switch occupy also be turned on to activate the run/ the rear corner. The zoom rocker sits on stop thumb trigger. Large, touch-coded dB RATINGS top, where it can be easily reached. buttons make it easy to control the shut- ter speed, titler, record review, A/V dub, CSPh—r4o6m.a2 AdMB;S/ENP:—41.9 |PexiccetlulreentQuality: The top panel holds eject sliders for both the cassette and the battery, a cam- continued on page 29 dB aga era/off/VCR slide switch and buttons for Chroma PM S/N: SP—42.9 dB; EP—39.6 Operational Ease: dB very good/excellent Audio Frequency Response: Overall Performance: hi-fi—20 Hz-5 kHz, very good/excellent ilciniegeeels JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 23

WOEOTESTS Steady As She Goes: The SV-771 features a center-load transport designed to enhance stability. VIDEOTEST NUMBER 571 telligence) auto play is on, inserting a playback with sound, 1/5x and 1/7x slow Toshiba Diomage cassette initiates a sequence of automat- motion, frame-by-frame playback and Super VHS VCR ic functions. The deck searches for the synchro edit. What we miss most are fly- Toshiba’s SV-771 Super VHS VCR fea- ing erase heads and manual audio record tures a new center-loading transport de- first recorded section, plays that section level controls. signed for extra rigidity, balance and until it encounters a blank segment isolation from external vibration. This longer than five seconds, then quickly Description. The center of the arrangement reduces wow and flutter in rewinds and ejects the tape. SV-771 is divided into two halves. The linear track audio recordings. It is not a lower half is a large display area, and the replacement for Toshiba’s flagship It’s not the most feature-laden VCR, upper half is a cassette hatch that con- S-VHS model, the SV-F990, but makes but it has front jacks for easy copying ceals a sliding tray. The only exposed a good complement for it as the recorder from a camcorder, self-cleaning heads, in an editing setup. 180x high-speed rewind and forward modes, and digital tracking. On timer When the SV-771’s AI (artificial in- recordings longer than two hours, it sets tape speed to EP at the optimum time. Its other desirable features include index search and skip search, a real-time counter and tape remaining display, 2x Teshiba SV-771 Fast Forward/ forward and reverse, and erase eo dub, insert edit SP—40.2 dB; EP—37.2 S-VHS VER Rewind Time: program, OTR on and dB DATA about 2 min. for T-120 off, and display Broadcast Tuning RESULTS cassette Range: Audio Frequency Suggested Price: Counter Digits: 2 to 13, 14 to 69 Horizontal Resolution: Response: $850 to $900 Remote Pause: 5—hrs:mins:secs S-VHS—400 lines; hi-fi—20._ Hz-10 kHz, through synchro edit Cable Tuning Range: VHS—240-250 lines +0.1/-3 dB, down 6.2 Weight: 19 pounds terminal Counter Memory: dB at 20 kHz; linear (-3 zero return 2 to 13, A-8 to A-1, A Luminance S/N, dB)—80 Hz-12 kHz, Dimensions: Remote: Unweighted: SP; 80 Hz-4 kHz, EP 4-5/8 x 17 x 15-1/2 IR wireless with buttons Program Start to W, AA to ZZ, AAA, oye dB; EP—45.3 inches (h/w/d) for power, open/close, Locator/Index/Cue: d Hi-Fi Dynamic Range: 10-digit keypad, 100, index skip search and BBB, 65 to 125, W+2: 86.2 dB Power Requirements: channel up and down search Luminance S/N, 120 VAC, 60 Hz (AM and PM), record, to W+89 : Weighted: Linear Audio S/N: timer, record/timer safe- Linear Audio: mono SP—50.8 dB; EP—51.3 42.4 dB Power Consumption: ty, rewind/search, Timer: dB 35 W play/2x, fast forward/ Hi-Fi AFM Audio: stereo 8-event/1-year Audio Distortion: search, stop, pause/still, Video S/N, Unweighted: hi-fi- 0.3%; linear—1.2% Tape Formats: frame advance, slow, Tuning Method: Special Features: SP—46.3 dB; EP—43.3 S-VHS, VHS slow tracking, memory, frequency synthesis dB RATINGS add, erase, digital auto play speed select, Tape Speeds: SP, EP tracking, audio select, Channel Selectors: Video S/N, Weighted: Picture Quality: counter reset, zero re- programmable up/down still frame, frame ad- SP—52.4 dB; EP—51.1 very good Video Heads: 4 turn, counter-remaining, scan on VCR; scan dB input select, TV/CATV, plus direct access on vance, 1/5x and 1/7x Audio Quality: good Cue & Review (Search): TVNVCR, index, shift remote slow motion, 2x play CSPh—r4o4m.a2 AdMB; S/ENP:—40.4 SP—5x, 9x; with audio, separate Operational Ease: EP—5x, 27x Preset Method: eject, auto rewind, AFT, dB very good auto program with add channel lock, auto Chroma PM S/N: Overall Performance: very good channel change Absent Features: flying erase head, visi- ble fast forward and rewind, audio dub, vid- 24 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

button is for opening and closing the The emphasis is on ease of operation. monic distortion of 1.2 percent. There hatch and tray. The control compartments have large, are no manual level controls for hi-fi re- The side areas are compartment doors. The left door conceals input jacks well-spaced buttons laid out in logical cording. Audio performance is good. for S-video, video, stereo audio and headphones, a rotary sharpness control groups. The display is easy to read and Conclusion. At a suggested price and up/down buttons for audio output level on headphones, RF and one of two rather decorative. ranging from $850 to $900, the Toshiba line audio outputs. Although the manual describes all SV-771 is a relatively inexpensive The right compartment contains a slide switch for high-clear (sharpness en- the features and controls, the explana- S-VHS VCR. It offers very good perfor- hance)/HQ/edit picture quality and but- tons for record speed, audio output tions are not always clear. Sometimes mance on picture quality and ease of op- select, digital and manual tracking, TV/ VCR, input select, TV/CATV, counter the control names differ from common eration, while its audio quality is good, reset, zero return, synchro edit, channel up and down, power, open/close, re- names, but they make more sense when so overall performance is very good. It wind/search, play/2x, fast forward/ you get used to them. We rate ease of doesn't have all the bells and whistles of search, pause/still, stop and record. operation as very good instead of excel- a deluxe VCR but the AI automated The power cord and an AC outlet lent because we missed some control play sequence is a major attraction for occupy the right side of the rear panel. At the left are RF input and output con- functions, not because the ones present hassle-free viewing. It is an excellent nectors, a channel 3/4 RF output selec- are difficult to use. value that we recommend highly. g tor and stereo audio jacks for input, fixed level output and variable level out- Performance. The horizontal res- put. Near the bottom edge are jacks for olution of the SV-771 is 400 lines in S- TECH TIP synchro edit, video out, video in and S-video out. VHS and 250-250 lines in VHS. The unweighted luminance signal-to-noise The remote control is slim and light with buttons for power, open/close, TV/ ratio of S-VHS recordings is 44.6 deci- VCR, TV/CATYV, tuning, ten-digit key- pad, standard transport keys, OTR with bels at SP and 45.3 dB at EP, while the delay, counter, zero return, time remain- ing, index, display, input select and au- weighted luminance S/N is 50.8 dB at Mixing magic dio output select. There are also buttons SP and 51.3 dB at EP. The unweighted for programming the timer and setup controls for scan tuning. video S/N is 46.3 dB at SP and 43.3 dB at EP, and the weighted video S/N is An audio cassette deck with separate Operation. This is a dream ma- right- and left-channel record level con- chine for those who use VCRs mostly for 52.4 dB at SP and 51.1 dB at EP. The trols makes a good monophonic mixer playback. There are audio level controls chroma AM S/N is 44.2 dB at SP and tor video editing. Connect the mono au- on the machine for phones, RF and vari- 40.4 dB at EP, and the chroma PM S/N dio line from the camcorder to one able line output, but not on the remote. is 40.2 dB at SP and 37.2 dB at EP. Vid- eo and luminance measurements are ex- channel of the tape deck’s stereo input. cellent, but the chroma measurements Then connect a background music are only good. Picture quality is very source such as a CD player to the other good. channel, using a stereo-to-mono Y The audio frequency response of the adapter. Connect another Y adapter to hi-fi tracks is 20 hertz to 10 kilohertz, | the tape deck’s stereo output, and use a +0.1/-3 dB, down 6.2 dB at 20 kHz. The single cable to connect the adapter to hi-fi dynamic range is 86.2 dB and the the recording VCR’s audio input. Put total harmonic distortion is 0.3 percent. the audio deck in record pause. Blend On the mono linear track, frequency re- the sound from the camcorder and the sponse to the -3 dB points is 80 Hz to 12 CD player using the tape deck’s record kHz at SP and 80 Hz to 4 kHz at EP, level controls. Mario Massens with an S/N of 42.4 dB and total har- Fallbrook, California NOLOOWKIMRAE! S Set comes complete with one With Innvision you don't need wires to send a Highest Quality transmitter& one receiver. crystal clear picture from your VCR, Cable box, $99.00 + $5.00 Shp& Hndl. Laser disk player or Video camera to any room in | One Year Warranty the house. Innvision also allows you to watch one 30 Day Trial Period TO ORDER OR REQUEST video source while transmitting a different source Easy To Use OUR FREE CATALOG CALL to another TV. Innvision transmitts up to 120 feet Satisfaction Guaranteed through walls, floors, etc. 1-800- 624- 1150 Model #2020 Dimensions 41/2X4 FAX (402)392. 0991 nso iON” Or Write M.D. ELECTRONICS Fiac1NRSCondio2eaenrfg.racoivdldrti.emeicaoretniaoln, 875 So. 72nd Dept. V Omaha, Ne. 68114 JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 25

VIDEOTESTS Canon Hi8 camcorder occupy the right edge of the top panel. Power Booster: Canon’s newest A1 accommodates Also on the top are buttons for auto/ a larger battery in a compartment under the lens. Canon’s Al Digital camcorder improves manual mic level, counter reset, stop, on the winning Al formula by adding pause/still, fast forward/search, play, re- a previous scene to the beginning of the digital effects, adjustable audio record- wind/search, frame advance and tape re- ing levels and—by moving the battery’s turn. An LCD screen behind the light next scene), freeze (which lets a user re- position—reduced size and improved shoe provides counter, caution, function cord a still image, or images every 1/8 handling. The recordable digital effects and audio level information. On its right second when held down), art freeze are close-up, a digital zoom that doubles are a headphone jack and level control, (which adds a paintlike effect to stills or the effective zoom range, freeze frame, and on its left is a hinged electronic stills recorded every 1/8 second), gain up animation, a type of recordable strobe, viewfinder (EVF) with a large eyepiece (which records a frame at 1/8- or 1/30- art freeze (freeze and solarization com- that lets a user see the screen at a dis- second intervals) and digital clear. Gain bined) and gain up. That last effect cap- tance. The EVF can be flipped to point up lets a user operate at light levels as tures the light over several frames and forward, the recommended position for low as 1/2 lux, but motion smears. IR control. records it as a single image, so it can The left side of the recorder section take pictures in low light or for creative The front grip is in the usual position holds the eject slider, buttons for for- smear effects. In playback mode strobe at the right side, with another run/stop and art (solarization) effects are possi- button at its back and a zoom rocker on ward and reverse edit search, and a ble. top. The mic and the white balance sen- compartment with the edit switch and sor sit up front. On the side are concen- jacks for S-video, video, mono and ster- The audio improvements let a user tric manual controls for the stereo mic, a eo audio, DC out for the RF adapter and capture softer sounds if there is little 20-decibel mic attenuation switch and jacks for an external mic and mic power. LANC (Control-L) remote control. On ambient noise, and attenuate loud the right side is a compartment that sounds for more intelligible recordings. The left side holds buttons for fade, contains the clock battery and buttons The new battery position makes the title, date, exposure, white balance, for title/date, timer, Hi8, shift, plus, mi- manual focus, one-shot AF and high- nus and line in/out. camera portion slimmer and improves speed shutter, plus switches for close- balance. range AF (to two feet) and master auto/ The remote control has a zoom manual camera mode. rocker and buttons for start/stop, date, Like earlier Al models, this has an angled recorder section with a second Additional buttons activate the digi- title, art, strobe, clear, counter reset, grip that lets a user hold it like a 35mm tal circuitry to deliver close-up still camera. On this model, Canon (digital zoom), overlap replaced the Al's twin rear-grip (which dissolves the final portion of zoom buttons with a rocker, for more natural operation. Fingertip F/X: Features carried over from The A1 Digital offers the Al Mark II include piezo digital overlap, freeze autofocus with auto tracking, frame, paint art and manual iris with an onscreen gain up. indicator, white balance lock, “ seven shutter speeds to 1/10000- second, hold-down fade, time/date/ title imprinting and edit search. In short, it is a compilation of features that experience i shown improve camcorder operation and capability. Description. The Al Digital looks like the Al and the Al Mark II. Closer inspection reveals that the microphone has been moved to the front, and the camera section is narrower because the battery is now under the lens barrel. The cassette hatch occupies the left side of the recorder section and opens rear- ward. The rear zoom control sits at the top right of the rear panel. The power and rear run/stop buttons 26 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

tape return, display, rewind/search, play, Canon A-1 Auto Fade: Tape Speed: SP only RF unit. shoulder strap, fast forward/search, stop, frame ad- Digital Hi8 to white, with sound S-video cable, stereo vance, pause/still and record. Video Heads: 2 cable. 20-min. cassette, DATA Shutter Speeds: wireless remote control Operation. In its fully automatic high—1/10000-, Slow Motion: with batteries and clock mode, the Al Digital is as simple to use Suggested Price: 1/4000-. 1/2000-. hold down frame ad- battery $2,499 1/1000-, 1/500-, 1/250-, vance, approx 1/5x as a point-and-shoot camcorder. The 1/100-sec. and normal RESULTS AF and auto-tracking AF work rela- Weight: (1/60); low—1/30-, Cue & Review tively well, but can be fooled by certain 3.3 pounds without bat- 1/15-, 1/10- and 1/8- sec. (Search): Horizontal Resolution: types of subjects. Manual options are tery and cassette 9x forward, 7x reverse; Hi8—400 lines; easy to access, but some experience is White Balance: 20x high speed 8mm—250 lines needed to get the best out of them. The Dimensions: full auto or WB lock time/date imprinter and character gen- 6-1/4 x 6-1/4 x 11-3/8 Fast Forward/ Luminance S/N, erator, which produces two lines of 16 inches (h/w/d) Viewfinder: Rewind Time: Unweighted: characters each, are easy to operate. electronic with displays approx 6 min. for 120- 44.7 dB Power Requirements: for tape counter, tape min. tape The digital features work as prom- 6 VDC end, no cassette, low Luminance S/N, ised, but should be used judiciously. The battery. dew, date bat- Remote Pause: Weighted: manual gain control and the mic attenu- Power Consumption: tery, interval timer, self- LANC (Control-L) 49.7 dB ator add flexibility to the audio system. 10.1 W max., digital timer, eject, recorder Video S/N, mode; 8.3 W recording function. audio input Remote: Unweighted: There is a lot to learn, but the creative mode. exposure meter, IR wireless with buttons 41.6 dB potential of the Al Digital makes it Image Sensor: WB set. shutter speed, for start/stop, zoom Video S/N, Weighted: worthwhile. The manual is very helpful. 1/2-inch CCD, 410,000 menu. Hi8. title, date/ rocker, date, title, art, 50.1 dB Operational ease is very good to excel- pixels time. program timer, AF strobe. clear, counter lent with practice. zone, auto tracking reset, tape return, dis- CHroma AM S/N: Lens: zone focus, audio level play. rewind/search, 41.8 dB Performance. In Hi8 mode the Al f/1.4, 10x (8-80mm) display. manual, close- play, fast forward/ Digital has a horizontal resolution of 400 variable speed zoom up, overlap, freeze, art search. stop, record, Chroma PM S/N: lines, and 250 lines in 8mm mode. In with macro and tele- and strobe frame advance and 41.6 dB Hi8 the unweighted luminance signal- macro ranges pause/still to-noise ratio is 44.7 decibels and the Viewfinder Controls: Audio Frequency weighted luminance S/N is 49.7 dB. In Filter Diameter: 55mm magnifier focus Counter Digits: Response: 8mm, the unweighted video S/N is 41.6 5—hrs:mins:secs 20 Hz-14 kHz, +0.9/-3 dB and the weighted video S/N is 50.1 Minimum Focusing VCR Controls: dB, down 9.8 dB at 20 dB. The chroma AM S/N is 41.8 dB and Distance: 2 feet stop, pause/still, play, Counter Memory: kHz the chroma PM S/N is 41.6 dB. Both lu- tewind/search, fast for- return to zero minance and video S/N are quite high Autofocus: ward/search, frame AFM Dynamic Range: compared to other Hi8 camcorders, but piezo, auto tracking advance. tape return, Linear Audio: none 72.1 dB the chroma measurements are average. record and edit search Minimum Illumination: Hi-Fi AFM Audio: stereo Audio Distortion: 0.3% Measured low-light sensitivity is im- tated—4 lux, normal Microphone: speed; measured—7.3 stereo electret condenser Timer: RATINGS proved over the previous model, the Al lux for 50 IRE, normal 1-event/24-hour Mark II, and while gain up does produce speed Jacks: Picture Quality: pictures in lower light it compromises external mic, mic pow- Special Features: very good/excellent smooth motion. The digital effects add a Iris: er, S-video. video, left flying erase head, still auto switchable to man- and right stereo audio, frame, frame advance, Audio Quality: continued on page 98 ual and AE lock with mono audio and LANC speed play. separate very good auto tracking BLC in eject. insert edit, auto auto mode remote rewind Operational Ease: very good/excellent Sensitivity: Tape Formats: Accessories: single range Hi8, 8mm BP-E718 65-min. bat- Overall Performance: tery. charge coupler, very good/excellent compact power adapter, dYJ‘/ AMMOIVMFIIEYNSOGUTYHROEEUYN'TTROEO! i, When playing back a rented movie you may notice S annoying flashes, streaks, color lightening and darkening, etc jamming embedded in the video. The Video-2010 will spot and completely eliminate \" Macrovision and all current copy protection and jamming. Giving you a crystal clear picture. So good, we back it 100% “Model #V-2010 with our 3 year warranty. *Digital state of the art Highest Quality - 3 Year Warranty -30 day money back guarantee *100% guaranteed and effective Battery Included - Durable Metal Case *Works on all TV'S, VCR's, Beta, Cable ORDER TOLL FREE 1RNcSiaFCo3oinedeanr.rfaracovidldrit.eemciraeotniaoln, *Completely automatic no adjustments *Uses one 9 volt battery, lasts over a year 1-800-624-1150 *No AC adaptor to take up valuable plug space FOR INFORMATION AND OUR FREE CATALOG CALL 402-554-0383 OR WRITE *No power supply cable to ad to the wire jungle EVERQUEST CO. 875 So. 72nd St. Omaha, Ne. 68114 JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 27

E command mode, menu, function memo- of operation starts out as very good and ry, four cursors and execute. becomes excellent with familiarity. Operation. Using the SLV-R5 is Performance. The horizontal res- fairly straightforward, but the door cov- olution of the SLV-R5 is 400 lines on ering the cassette hatch and controls is S-VHS and 250 lines-on VHS. The un- an attractive nuisance. All controls are weighted luminance signal-to-noise ra- self-explanatory. The front-panel inputs tio is 45.3 decibels in SP and 42.5 dB in and LANC connector are particularly EP, with a weighted luminance S/N of convenient. The edit monitor gathers all 51.4 dB in SP and 49.5 dB in EP. The un- Q. What sets your editing information on one monitor, and weighted video S/N is 43.6 dB in SP and VCR apart from other is invaluable. top of the line VCRs? 40.9 dB in EP, and the weighted video On the remote all basic controls for S/N is 49.8 dB in SP and 48.8 dB in EP. the VCR and the TV are exposed. The The chroma AM S/N is 46.2 dB in SP and 41.9 dB in EP, while the chroma PM slow motion and frame advance buttons S/N is 42.9 dB in SP and 39.6 dB in EP. are in the compartment, but the jog/ A. Literally a world of A. Ithas all the In picture quality it is competitive with differences. We make the best S-VHS VCRs. The audio frequency response is 20 the only VCR that bells and whistles of hertz to 20 kilohertz, +0.2/-1.5 dB, on operates in all 16 World other luxury VCRs the stereo hi-fi tracks, and the -3 dB re- sponse on the mono linear track is 80 Hz Standards here in the and then some. to 12 kHz in SP and 80 Hz to 5 kHz in U.S.A. or anywhere in We offer for EP. The hi-fi dynamic range is 86.2 dB and the linear track audio S/N is 44.6 the world. example a SATELLITE dB, while total harmonic distortion is OPTION that can record Q. Aside from its 0.3 percent on the hi-fi track and 1.1 per- multi-capabilities the original foreign what other features cent on the linear. does the IT have? standard for future Conclusion. Sony’s first S-VHS ADVERTISEMENT playback, or transcode TV programs from VCR is an all-around winner. It offers excellent video performance and opera- tional ease (with familiarity). Audio per- formance is very good to excellent. We recommend it highly. B abroad in real time for |ee | live viewing. SONY -VHS VER In addition, the Q. Can the IT VCR 4NTSC contains a full continued from page 23 actually make copies frame TIME BASE 3/4 selector and jacks for RF input and of foreign tapes? CORRECTOR with output, Control-S in and out and col- umns for input, line out and monitor A. By itself no, but field or frame freeze. out, each with jacks for S-video, video Prices for and stereo audio. as part of our new DIGITAL STANDARDS this power package The remote control has program- CONVERTER Package, start at $3995.00, an incredible price mable buttons to control a TV set: vol- —the 4NTSC— yes. considering that ume, channel, power and TV/video, plus a learn/use switch for programming ADVERTISEMENT you get: them. The exposed VCR controls in- clude a jog/shuttle, and buttons with in- dicators to determine whether it operates in channel select or jog/shuttle mode. There are also buttons for power, shuttle provides many of these options. a DIGITAL STANDARDS TV/VTR, timer record, edit monitor, The real pleasure is setting the timer CONVERTER timer onscreen, index, data screen, au- dio monitor, counter reset, bi-direction- with the remote’s dedicated buttons and a MULTI STANDARD al shuttle edit, pause, record with safety, LCD display. audio insert, video insert, channel plus The main menu accesses six sub- VCP and minus, normal transport controls menus —auto functions, auto repeat, and high speed rewind. mode set, tuner preset, function memory a TIME BASE and demonstration. The function mem- CORRECTOR Part of the front panel flips up to re- ory allows the user to select an automat- veal buttons for clock and timer set, transmit, record mode, input select, ic function without going through the & FRAME STORE. memory, normal/CATV, PIP, shift, digi- menu. Sony has achieved its goal of a near- tal off, timer clear, record mode, input ly perfect editing and dubbing VCR that Contact: 1 (800) 749-8779 or select, timer check, index mark and talks to Sony VCRs of all formats and (305) 854-8777 INSTANT REPLAY erase, frame, step forward and reverse, slow speed minus and plus, 2x, TV scan, Sony consumer editing controllers. Ease 2601 S. Bayshore Dr., Ste. 1050 28 VIDEO JANUARY 1991 Coconut Grove, Florida 33133 ADVERTISEMENT

‘ACA8mm ProBS0 Sensitivity: Tape Format: 8mm ble, RF output adapter, single range AC plug adapter, antenna DATA Tape Speed: transformer and clock continued from page 23 Auto Fade: SP only battery, Suggested Price: hold-down type, about 4 time lapse and counter reset. The large $1,299 seconds Video Heads: 2 RESULTS manual focus switch also provides one- Weight: High Speed Shutter: Cue & Review (Search): Horizontal Resolution: shot AF. The buttons for fade, backlight 1.7 pounds without bat- 1/60- (normal), 1/120-, approx. 9x 240-250 lines compensation and date/time imprinting tery and cassette 1/250-, 1/1000-, 1/2000-, are at the back of the camera bulge, and 1/10000-second Fast Forward/ Video S/N, their size makes them difficult to use. Dimensions: Rewind Time: Unweighted: 4-1/4 x 4-3/8 x 7 inches White Balance: approx. 8 min. for P6-120 40.9 dB The one-line, 16-character titler uses (h/w/d) auto only the transport controls to select one of Remote Pause: Video at Weighted: two pages of memory, and title charac- Power Requirements: Viewfinder: through A/V connector— ters. Input, output and remote cables all 6 VDC pause or synchro edit 49.5 d use the multipin A/V jack on the front. electronic with onscreen They may all be used at the same time Power Consumption: indicators for shutter Counter Digits: mi AM SIN: because other plugs can be piggybacked 6.1 W 5—hrs:mins:secs 43.1 dB onto the input and remote connectors. speed, tape/tape end, Image Sensor: time lapse interval, tape Hi-Fi AFM Audio; mono Chroma PM S/N; The Pro850 is very easy to operate, 1/2-inch CCD type/length, counter/mem- 38.6 dB except for the three small buttons on ory/tape remaining, Special Features: the back of the bulge, which you must Lens; camcorder status, time flying erase head. still Audio Frequency hold down, and which tend to make you {/1.8, 6x (9-54 mm) pow- frame, separate eject, Response: shake the camera. Although the manual er zoom with macro and date counter memory, insert 20 Hz-5 kHz, +0.1/-3 dB, is a bit sketchy, operational ease is good. range edit, auto rewind down 15.5 dB at 20 kHz Viewfinder Controls: Performance. The horizontal res- Filter Diameter: viewing position and an- Absent Features: Audio S/N: 34mm gle, magnifier focus, slow motion, speed play, 73.4 dB olution of the Pro850 is 240 to 250 lines, frame advance, visible typical for 8mm. The unweighted video Minimum Focusing Dis- electrical focus and fast forward and rewind, Audio Distortion: signal-to-noise ratio of 40.9 decibels is a tance: | brightness program start locator/in- 0.3% bit low, but the weighted video S/N of 3 feet dex/cue, audio dub, video 49.5 dB is quite high. The chroma PM VCR Controls: dub, PCM audio RATINGS Autofocus: continued on page 98 IR switchable to manual rewind/search. play, fast Accessories: Picture Quality: with one-shot AF supplied—AC adapter good forward/search, stop and charger, 1-hour battery, Minimum Illumination: P6-60 cassette. shoulder Audio Quality: 9.4 lux for 50 IRE pause } strap, A/V input cable, average/fair AN output cable, RF ca- Iris: Microphone; Operational Ease: automatic with BLC good electret condenser with wind noise switch Overall Performance: good Jacks: earphone and A/V (input/ Output) multipin connector With its “Fuzzy Logic,” the Olympus VX-81 is the clear choice. With revolutionary “fuzzy logic” auto- And with its innovative horizontal- Olympus VX-81 focusing, the Olympus VX-81 8mm 8mm Camcorde tet tollf:ree hold design, you're able to follow the 1-800-221-3000, for literature. Camcorder keeps your subject sharp even when it moves off-center. With action better. The VX-81 is more OLYMPUS “fuzzy logic” auto iris, the VX-81 stable, more comfortable. So your videos come out better. can follow your subjects through dramatic background lighting changes Ready to start showing off and still keep them perfectly exposed. with your videos? Get the OLYMPUS Fa2iNcCRSoodin2oeaenr.dfrracoivldrtieemicaroetniaoln, Olympus Corporation, Consumer Products Group, Woodbury, NY 11797-2087 JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 29

i BY ART LEVIS INTE ENGELLENT ADVENTURE He captured a unified Germany on video. You could be next. The Grand Prize was a dream ternational video front with come true for any avid videogra- U.S. and European Scotch exec- pher, and Tom Donohue, winner utives. of the first Video Magazine/ Accompanying Donohue on Scotch Vacation Contest, made the European jaunt were his the most of it. The prize was a wife, Janice, Scotch Public Rela- week-long sojourn through the tions Manager Phil Hage and spectacular Rhineland district of Video Magazine Editor-in-Chief Germany, capped by a visit to Art Levis. Helping with trip ar- Cologne’s giant Photokina video rangements was Manfred Krem- trade fair. A coincidental bonus er, European public relations was the moving celebration of manager for Scotch parent 3M. German reunification, officially Donohue won for his entry, 1989 observed by a joyous nation as U.S. Honeymoon Summer Cross- Country Tour, a chronicle of the our contest tour arrived at Pho- tokina. newlyweds’ six-week mini-van Donohue waded right into it journey across America. all, camcorder at the ready and This year, we’re expanding full of creative movie making no- In the Thick the contest beyond video vaca- tions. He captured the splendor of cas- ohue buttonholed everyone from hotel tions, and entrants now have a chance tles in Koblenz and Heidelberg, desk clerks and kitchen busboys to bus- tempering that medieval footage with tling businessmen. The result: a range of of winning in any of three categories: 1) takes of advanced video on display at candid and moving portraits of Germans the futuristic Photokina extravaganza. elated at being united once again. Vacations, 2) Family Events and 3) Vid- But Donohue, an audio/video spe- There were other rewarding aspects eo Art. If you're interested in entering, better get busy; entries must be post- marked no later than March 1, 1991. cialist with the Baldwin, New York, of the trip for Donohue. In addition to The Grand Prize is a week-long, all- | School District, also had academic in- checking out new video hardware prod- expenses-paid trip for two to Germany, | terests in mind. As the reality of re- ucts, Donohue attended a Photokina with a stop at Berlin’s fabulous Funkaus- unification sank in, he began conducting press conference staged by Scotch to in- stelung audio/video fair. For contest de- in-depth interviews with emotional citi- troduce a new line of European 35mm tails write to: Video Magazine/Scotch zens from all walks of German life. film. At the firm’s Photokina booth, he Videocassette Contest, 460 West 34 As intrepid as he is inspired, Don- chatted about developments on the in- Street, New York, NY 10001. a 30 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

THEATER QUALITY AT HOM 60” Clearer Picture Than Tape Plus Stunning Digital Sound Now you can enjoy the finest in audio and video entertainment in your own home with the new Realistic® combination CD/laser Wi(e[=te xe[rom 0[)-\\W/=18 You'll see razor-sharp pictures rich in color and detail, as only a laser can deliver. You'll also enjoy sensational MultiDiss ©Video soundtracks, plus Compatible the same dynamic eres crystal-clear sound on Diss |COMpact discs that you get from a CD-only st ong player. You can play 3” (@]BESTate()=<y(nom PAM 6(=10) ele) 55\"” CCDDV (olfYersm-aV-1a me)(Ue Mlamarsr-(en oO ; phones for private listen- TatePuUrre exo)alice) MimUlaet(oa)ls ) 3\"cD with the wireless remote. Enjoy theater-quality entertainment tonight. Bring the performance home with the new Realistic MD-1000. Available at... aradie Shack: America's TECHNOLOGY STORE” For additional information, circle No. 15 on Reader Service Card.

Za) Year’s Best: The Top 15 J warner ViOLoD) —— UO FOR THE ‘DOs 1990's award-winning Every year, a new crop cipients drawn from a products, tapes & discs of video products and dozen categories that er and internal amplifiers add Dolby, hall and matrix audio effects, while onscreen programs bids for atten- range from VCRs to displays and a programmable remote round out its considerable strengths. tion. And every year accessories, and in- the best, reaching for clude separate the skies, push the en- consideration for entries velopes of invention bearing unusual innova- and entertainment a lit- tions or leading-edge tle farther. Last year, technology. 1990, the array of first- To distinguish the tate components, tapes very best among these, and discs dazzled us we have awarded the not only by their quality, year’s top 15 products, but with their variety. tapes and discs our Crossing all the bound- first annual ViVa Golds, aries the home video a designation signifying industry divides itself a truly groundbreaking into, they inspired us to achievement in home upgrade our annual ci- video. We've covered tations for the year’s these 15 first in the ac- best by inaugurating a new emblem of recog- companying pages, and will be honoring them nition: The ViVa. in an awards ceremony Simply put, Video at this month's Winter Magazine's Vision in Consumer Electronics Video Awards celebrate Show in Las Vegas. products and programs that make a given year While this is ViVa's memorable by tran- first year, it's the 11th in which Video Maga- scending the ordinary. zine has celebrated the And 1990 was no ordi- previous year's top nary year. Products achievements. But nev- promising new direc- er have we seen the Canon Al Digital Hi8 Camcorder. tions and boasting ° culture of home video An update of a groundbreaking design savvy refinements pro- so alive with invention. that retains the original’s flash while im- liferated, so much so Our 90 ViVa recipients proving its balance and versatility. that our panel of edi- represent some of its New digital effects include low- tors and contributors finest moments—as light and image-doubling magnifica- tion modes, overlapping dissolves between awarded ViVas to an well as the promise of adjacent scenes, multispeed strobe and a “paint art” feature. Throw in AFM ster- expanded group of re- greater things to come. eo, seven shutter speeds, a timer, an intervalometer and wireless remote and JVC HR-SC1000 Super VHS/VHS- it’s quite a package. C VCR. An innovative deck that ac- Hitachi CU4601 Ultravision Mon- cepts both full-size and Compact VHS itor/Receiver. The picture leaps off the screen of this 46-inch rear-projection set cassettes. A tray with recessed thanks to an unusually high peak 3 wells for each type of tape replaces brightness of 540 footlamberts and the usual hinged cassette door. Just a wide 110-degree horizontal view- drop a tape into the tray and press play: ing angle. Horizontal resolution is rated at the VCR takes care of the rest. 800 lines, and liquid-cooled projection tubes and dichroic, coated lenses keep the colors pure. A surround sound decod- 32 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

Mitsubishi Home Theater System. technology, in which everything that can reasons dealers can barely keep it in be done to enhance picture and stock. Its designers set demanding goals, then sound quality has been done. Nota- delivered. The system’s components work ble refinements: separate power Sony SLV-R5 Super VHS VCR. with other manufacturers’ products, sources for video and audio circuits, cir- Sony’s first S-VHS deck extends the for- operate mainly through highly inte- cuit boards isolated to eliminate mat’s reach, with such luxuries as a silky grated remote commands, require relatively few buttons to run and promise interference, and improvements in the smooth full-load tape transport, a compatibility with future products. The speed and reliability of the slider and ser- built-in head cleaner, a real-time thoughtful, user-friendly sensibility is a vo motors that carry the laser across the counter, a flying erase head, two major strength of the several components, surface of discs. jog/shuttle dials, double-azimuth video which include the MR8010 A/V receiver, heads for noise-free special effects and an with five-channel surround sound, the Pioneer SD-P4543 Monitor/Re- unusual ability to display two video sig- M-T5010 audiocassette deck— the first to ceiver. Sharp, clear images define this nals side-by-side on the same screen. possess onscreen programming—and an elegant, sophisticated remote control. outstanding 45-inch rear-projection set Proprietary jacks give the deck editing rated for 750 lines of horizontal compatibility with Beta and 8mm compo- Panasonic LX-1000 Combination resolution and 460 footlamberts of nents. brightness. Linear white- and Player. Plays an entire CLV movie vir- Toshiba CZ3299K Monitor/Re- tually without interruption thanks to a black-level correction circuits and a dy- ceiver. An improved definition TV set namic picture optimizer enhance picture unique laser pickup that turns top- quality, while picture-in-picture insets, a that doubles the number of vertical lines sy-turvy to read both sides of a disc programmable remote and dynamic sound to increase the apparent resolution with only 1] seconds between sides. expansion round out a formidable feature of its 32-inch non-interlaced pic- Meanwhile, a time-base corrector pro- package. ture. The FST Super Tube uses an duces rock-steady pictures. Inventive and versatile. RCA CC560 Super VHS ProEdit Invar shadow mask to stabilize the picture Camcorder. Unusually versatile flagship during lengthy viewing sessions. Other Philips WallVision Home Theater features include PIP, surround sound and System. Uniquely marries basic audio/ packed with such features as a 10x zoom a universal remote. video components with installation op- lens, 2-lux sensitivity, an accessory light, microphone mixing, video Do the Right Thing (MCA/Univer- tions designed to let buyers or and audio dubbing, a 40-page titler, sal). Writer/director/star Spike Lee's installers easily mount a projection TV set flush within a wall. Systems synchro edit control, and SP and EP New York story was surely the most come with all necessary equipment, in- speeds. One of only a few camcorders ‘talked-about film released on video able to automate the selection of both in 1990. But nearly lost in the con- cluding decorative panels, Dolby Pro- shutter speed and aperture size to opti- troversy is its rightful status as a Logic surround sound, audio/video switch- mize exposures. ing, 300 watts of power and a choice of uniquely funny, insightful and entertaining screen sizes from 45 to 51 inches. Sharp XV-100 LCD Video Projec- movie. As a study in race relations and urban life in America, Do the Right Thing Pioneer LD-S2 Elite Reference La- tor. LCD panels and dichroic mirrors provides precious few answers. It does, serdisc Player. A pinnacle of laser pioneer a new way of creating large video however, ask all the right questions. images. The result is a variable 20- Taxi Driver (Voyager/Criterion, to 100-inch picture delivered by a CAV edition). Martin Scorsese’s classic remarkably small projector that 1976 film is not only preserved for the uses only a single lens, eliminating the need for convergence adjustment. ages with this two-disc set’s letter- perfect transfer, but actually Sony CCD-V5000 Hi8 Camcorder. transformed into something alto- gether new. Its second audio program The Rolls Royce of camcorders, this contains spontaneous commentary from beauty packs in more features per square the director, illuminating the film as no other speaker possibly could. Other ex- inch than any other model avail- tras, including the complete text of the able. Superb picture quality, AFM screenplay, round out an extraordinary and PCM stereo sound and digital package. time-base correction are only a few of the JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 33

90 FOR THE DOs VCRS invert positives to negatives and intro- largest rear-projection set available to Mitsubishi Super VHS HS-U82. duce fades. Unique hand-held scanner consumers. Nevertheless, it’s a top even enters graphics and text directly into performer that uses liquid-cooled, Following on the heels of the innovative video productions. optically coupled lenses to deliver U-80, this newcomer boasts a bounty of TELEVISION SETS bright, sharp, high-contrast pictures with refinements, including a full-load GE Spacemaker TV. A natural for the 750 lines of horizontal resolution. 1 6 tape transport, twin flying erase kitchen, this clever nine-inch color set Panasonic PV-M2050 TV/VCR. heads, two jog/shuttle dials and easily mounts under a cabinet to save super-fast search speed. Also the only Among the best of the breed, combining consumer entry with Dynamic Tracking precious counter space or slides out a 20-inch TV set with a four-head VHS video heads, which deliver noise-free spe- of a swiveling bracket for table use. cial effects and high-quality picture Includes AM/FM radio and pro- VCR for excellent value. The VCR search, even at 6x speed. grammable memory for setting stations. 2 records and plays all three VHS Banreens VAS JVC AV-3590S Monitor/Receiver. speeds and has a four-event/3l-day A 35-inch table model with a powerful Panasonic Super VHS PV-S4070. data-grade tube capable of a bracing 800 timer. Deluxe from the word go thanks to a for- lines of horizontal resolution. Video ProScan PS35650 TV. Debuting a midable platoon of features that includes noise reduction circuits, notch filter new brand by RCA, this 35-inch set is re- and wide-band chassis improve pic- markable for a no-glare, dust-free picture a jog/shuttle dial, a flying erase ture quality, while MTS audio plus Dolby 1 head, bar code programming, syn- and spatial surround processors weave an tube that uses an Invar shadow aura of sonic realism. Menu-driven con- 27 mask for brighter, distortionless pic- chro edit control, automatic tape trols simplify operation. tracking during playback and a program- tures. Digital effects include PIP, mable remote. Magnavox RL-8570AK Monitor/ RCA VHS VR685HE Excellent all- Receiver. Punchy 61-inch rear projector freeze frame and zoom, while a three-way around candidate for demanding video- speaker system and a surround sound de- philes. Among the first to include a built- enhanced by Dolby Pro-Logic audio sys- coder deliver quality sound. The universal tem from JBL. Twenty-watt-per- remote only increases its utility. in head cleaner, in addition to such 1 high-end perks as automatic tape 23 channel amplifiers for front chan- Sony KPR-53EX20 Monitor/Re- nels and five-watt-per-channel ceiver. Liquid-cooled, optically coupled tracking, a flying erase head and a jog/shuttle dial. amps for optional rear speakers deliver rear-projection tubes charge a 53-inch Sony 8mm EV-S550. Attractive table- unusually full-bodied TV sound. picture notable for bright, even il- model deck that handles tape faster than Mitsubishi CS-3521R Monitor/Re- lumination. Sound Retrieval Sony's deluxe EV-S900 VCR, while offer- ceiver. An illuminated remote that can System by Hughes adds dimen- operate all components in your system ing as well a real-time readout, sionality to the audio without resorting to 1 Sony's “skip-scan” search mode and runs the bright 35-inch picture, rear-channel decoding and extra speakers. 24 aided by such image-enhancing re- AFM stereo sound. Sony KV-32XBR65 Console TV. finements as velocity scan Toshiba Super VHS SVF-990. Ulti- modulation, coma aberration free of de- Thirty-two inches of direct-viewing plea- flection and dynamic beam formation. sure, abetted by a Hughes Sound mate special effects-oriented VCR. Unique jack panel at the rear flips up- Dazzling digital art effects, like mosaic ward for easy cable access, while full Retrieval System for a three-dimen- audio package includes five-band equaliz- 2 sional sound space. Three sets of and solarization, complemented by ation and detachable speakers. digital circuitry that can color cor- video inputs, advanced onscreen rect bad tapes, reduce image noise, Mitsubishi VS12001 Monitor. At controls, dynamic color circuitry and sig- 120 inches, this monster monitor is the nal correction circuits that harness artificial intelligence algorithms push the state of the art. 34 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

| Zenith PV885P Projector. So ver- JVC Compact VHS GR-AX7. Engi- new nickel cadmium battery designed to charge more easily. satile it installs either as a rear-projection neering marvel that, feature for feature, set or as a front projector capable of dis- matches smallest 8mm camcorders. Flying Panasonic VHS PV-610 Switch Hitter. Lefties rejoice. Symmetrically playing pictures up to ten feet in erase head, variable speed shutter, size. Advanced features include digital superimposition, built-in configured controls and a viewfinder that Super Delta-Brite liquid-cooled head cleaner, automatic tracking works on either side of a centered lenses, onscreen menus, PIP and a World and innovative zoom lens make this a real grip help this unusually slim cam- System Teletext decoder. crowd pleaser. corder feel equally at home in CAMCORDERS Canon Hi8 H850. Raises the concept JVC Super VHS-C GR-S505. Small either hand while maintaining high re- of onboard titling to imaginative heights cording standards. with innovative plug-in cards that let machine that takes advantage of anew 41-millimeter multihead video drum to RCA 8mm Pro850. Small, light con- shooters add professionally created tender for TR5 fans that adds fast and graphics and music segments to minimize size and weight. Packed accurate infrared autofocusing, shutter videos either in the field or later at with professionally oriented fea- home. An innovation sure to be emu- tures, including several shutter speeds up to 1/10000-second, time- lated. speeds, a 15-step manual iris, stereo lapse and self-timer features. sound, fade to one of eight colors and | variable speed time-lapse. Ricoh Hi8 808H. One of for- mat’s most sophisticated entries. More Panasonic Compact VHS PV-10 than two dozen shutter speeds help deliv- Palmcorder. Well-balanced design with er superb picture with AFM stereo exceptional value in a comfortable, sound and crystal clear special ef- uniquely shaped chassis. Includes fects. Also on board are four very useful full-focus zoom lens, automatic exposure modes, a real-time easy-to-use controls, two fast shut- counter and a wireless remote. ter speeds, a fade-to-black control, plus Sharp VHS VL-L510U. Its 16x lens— the longest on any fixed-lens cam- corder— gives it an absolute edge in zoom power. Unbeatable for wildlife pho- tography, sports and other outdoor pursuits. Sony 8mm CCD-TR7. High-end suc- cessor to breakthrough TRS, adding an 8x zoom lens, AFM stereo sound, an auxilia- ry run/stop button and an improved 410,000-pixel CCD for superb resolution. Hitachi Compact VHS VM-C1A Twist ’n’ Shoot. Rad design delivers a slim package for easy carrying that in- stantly snaps into a conventionally shaped shooting machine. Amor- phous video heads and compact tape transport improve video quality and ensure automatic, glitch-free insert edits, while Accushot system automatically sets both shutter speed and iris for optimal ex- posures. JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 35

90 FOR THE ‘30s LASERDISC PLAYERS The Revo utionary All-In-One Broadcast Stu Denon LA-3000 Combination technical achievement: a set of first-rate the last barriers between amateur and Player. Smoothly brings laserdisc tech- specificatio—nfsor frequency response, dy- professional gear. namic range, directionality, intelligibility nology into the '90s with built-in and more —that a select group of audio Radius TV Macintosh Computer time-base corrector, 3x scan and manufacturers are using to design their 20 programmable CD tracks. own surround sound components. Board. Perhaps the first product to ef- fectively merge television with desktop Philips CDV600 Combination LEADING EDGE Player. Potent feature package high- Mitsubishi CP-10U Still Video publishing, it can display three TV broadcasts simultaneously on Ap- lighted by 10x scan, bitstream digi- Printer. Leader of the pack—of a new ple’s Macintosh II, lift pictures from video tal audio and digital special effects generation of electronic printers that raise for use in documents and, most amazingly, for CLV discs. transcribe dialogue as it’s spoken. the quality of consumer-grade video Sony MDP-333 Combination snapshots. Also offers a grab bag of Sony Audio Mavica. A compact still Player. Solid, mid-priced model with instant special effects. video camera that takes the medium in a better-than-average value, thanks to two NewTek Video Toaster. Combines new direction by letting shooters shuttle dials, a Clear Scan mode caption each photo with ten sec- that produces clear searches from Amiga video board with several software packages to give home video makers all nds of audio, recorded on the spot or CLVs plus aunique “shuftle play” selection added later. mode. the multimedia peripherals and program choices they might need INNOVATIONS Yamaha CDV-1700 Combination for the price of a hot camcorder. Player. Delivers a crisp 440 lines of hor- Matched with an Amiga 2500 computer Fisher 8mm FVC-880 Camcorder. izontal resolution with a praiseworthy and two top VCRs, the Toaster completes A bold experiment in design that’s one of an editing suite that would make even signal-to-noise ratio of 48 decibels. professionals proud. the first camcorders to use fuzzy Independent transformer coils for Panasonic WJ-AVE5 Audio/Video logic circuits for camera functions, the video and audio signals reduce cross- Mixer. First consumer video switcher and the first to package its systems in function interference, while a quick- able to sync two video signals for a binocularlike chassis. search feature lets users scan CLV discs in the same dissolves, wipes and other five-minute intervals. scene transitions. Crosses one of Gemstar VCR Plus. Late-in-the-year breakthrough that promises to make VCR SYSTEMS Sony Audio Mavica Bang & Olufsen Video System programming easy as crossing the 5000. For its American video debut, the street. Simply enter the code pub- iconoclastic Danish manufacturer slipped lished tor each TV program into the VCR Plus and it turns on the VCR a 26-inch Beovision monitor/re- ceiver and Beovision S-VHS VCR into a motorized pedestal. System is remarkable for sleek styling, advanced, user-friendly Beolink 1000 remote control, and for the way the stand automatically swings into a preferred viewing posi- tion. LucasFilm Home THX Audio System. Movie producer George Lucas deputized technical wiz Tomlin- son Holman to come up with a surround sound system that would let homes deliver the same audio “oomph” as his LucasFilm mixing facility. The outcome is a new kind of 36 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

at the right time, selects a channel and uu starts the recording. No muss, no fuss. Home Theater Hotshot: Pioneer's VSX-D1S audio/video receiver. Go-Video GV-2000 VCR-2. This long-anticipated dual-well deck is a imaging of binaural recordings through hefty 60 watts-per-channel power the breakthrough in no small part because it’s speakers, instead of, as usual, headphones; main speakers, while 15 watts go to each 54 aimed squarely at mainstream video a mode that passes front signals to all of the other five. speakers; plus Dolby Pro-Logic surround, users. Twin VHS tape wells let two remote controls and plenty of on- Yamaha AVS-7000 Audio/Video users dub unprotected tapes simply and screen displays. efficiently, with a single button triggering Selector. Few components for complex the action that would otherwise task two Onkyo TV-SV90 Pro Surround systems offer more options than this se- VCRs or one VCR and a camcorder. Sound Receiver. A lot of system in 6 lector, which gives users five audio/ one box. The five-channel amp delivers Hitachi Car Video System. A five- 5 100 watts-per-channel to the front video and five audio-only inputs, as well as outputs for two VCRs and two inch color LCD monitor for rear-seat and 30 watts each to center and audiotape decks. Virtually all the vid- 55 viewing, a tiny VHS cassette player, eo connections have both composite and surround channels, with signals as- S-video versions. a powerful amp and a simple re- signed by a Dolby Pro-Logic decoder. mote control deliver a new dimension in Also includes preamp-out and amp-in ter- Panasonic PS-700EX. Stellar audio- mobile entertainment. minals for all channels and 20-station random preset memory. oriented deck that needs no external am- PERSONAL VIDEO plification. Processes surround sound from Philips AV1001 Preamplifier & JVC HR-P1 Monitor/VCR. A lap- AV1002 Amplifier. A power-packed a variety of sources, including Dol- top-sized portable that marries a three- 65 by and a quartet of built-in amps, inch color monitor to a stereo VCR, pair. The preamp has S-video connectors, making this more than just another 5 making it a standout among the 61 a Pro-Logic decoder and six chan- satellite receiver and a good choice for home theater systems. Comes with Video- small number of VHS personal vid- nels of bitstream digital-to-analog Cipher II decoding and UHF remote eo systems. Stereo headphone jacks and conversion, while the matching amp control. simple controls enhance the appeal. can handle up to six channels shar- ing 300 watts. A new bitstream pulse SATELLITE RECEIVERS Sony GV-300 Video Walkman. Fit- density demodulation process produces crisper sound. Toshiba TRX-2000. A receiver that ted with a larger screen than the original integrates unusually easily into a compre- Video Walkman, as well as stereo sound Pioneer VSX-D1S Audio/Video hensive home theater system. Beside 57 and a more versatile 4 66 styling designed to match audio/ Receiver. Packs a video enhancer, mul- 8mm VCR, this is tiroom operation and another 10 watts- video components, this is the first still the standard against 5 per-channel of power for all five satellite receiver with an S-video output. which to judge personal An unusual bright amber display panel video systems. Porta- channels into a very attractive ble, comfortable, at- package. tractive and ready to travel. Yamaha DSP-A700 Processor. So- AUDIO FOR VIDEO phisticated deck that combines a digital sound-field processor with a seven- Atlantic Technologies Pattern 63 channel audio/video amplifier. A Surround System. Standout surround from pint-size speakers. The system in- 58 cludes a Dolby Pro-Logic decoder, four seven-inch-high satellite speakers, two tiny center speakers and a subwooter module with all the amps built in. Lexicon CP-3 Decoder. More features than there’s room to describe. Highlights are two video-oriented surround modes, | 59 one for THX and one to enhance ordinary TV sound; a mode that lets music lovers hear the pinpoint ees alee — JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 37

90FORTHE'30s graphically shows the dish’s position as it moves. Uniden UST-4800. A flagship deck containing not only a descrambler for TVN pay-per-view movies (along with the mandatory VideoCipher II Plus for other scrambled signals), but an electronic program guide that keeps track of what’s on and tunes automat- ically to selected programs. Zenith ZS-7000. Among the first to include a VCR timer. But also satisfying for its long menu of other helpful fea- tures, including onscreen graphics, a memory store for 200 programs, a terrestrial interference filter and automatic signal peaking. Menage a Video: Laura San Giacomo, one of sex, lies, and videotape's two leading ladies. Top Tapes: most TV sets, VCRs, cable boxes, laser- quality is the goal. | Fuji’s double-coated disc players and a variety of other compo- AN Pro and 3M's nents. Programming any device is as Videonics Video Equalizer. Com- Black Watch. simple as calling up its three-digit code from the included book. bines an image enhancer and a three- ACCESSORIES channel audio mixer with a video proc- Azden AVS-20 Video Switcher. Ex- Sony RM-KIT Mini Remote. Elec- cellent basic switcher that works equally essor that controls contrast, tronic convenience at its best. Nine brightness, color, tint, paintbrush well for dubbing and monitoring buttons on this slim, half-ounce remote jobs. And at $140, the price is right. effects and a colorizer. Split screen Cinema Products Steadicam JR. operate all the main functions of feature permits comparisons between cor- Dynamic shooting platform that expands any of Sony’s remote-controllable rected and original images. Simple and the horizon for compact camcorders like TV sets. very easy to use. nothing else we’ve seen. Address- ing the problem of shaky footage, Sony V (Vivax) VHS Tape. Sony Visionary Products In the Picture. the JR helps a camcorder float like a butterfly and deliver like a pro. uses its new Vivax formula to pack more Finally, something to get shooters into ultra-fine, needle-shaped magnetic parti- their shots. This inventive tracking device cles onto the tape than previously, mounts between a camcorder and a in a stacking pattern it calls “V orientation.” Result: better than average tripod, turns the camcorder toward video. anyone wearing a small wireless transmit- ter—and follows the subject as it moves. 3M Black Watch Tape. A formula- PRE-RECORDED TAPES tion for Super VHS, VHS, 8mm and audio tape that uses the world’s Sex, lies, and videotape (RCA/Co- smallest cobalt modified magnetic lumbia). Steven Soderburgh’s stunning debut film deserves special recognition on particles. Near professional recording videocassette not only because its Fuji VHS Tape With Double Coat- || dramatic subtleties are revealed | ing. Innovative new tape technology slowly on repeated viewings, but because Y@_VIDEONICS Video Equalizer it would never have been made with- deposits two coats of magnetic particles out the existence of the video medi- instead of one. The upper layer is um. Video distributor RCA/Columbia optimized for video signal record- financed production of the film with an eye toward its eventual release on tape, ing, the lower one for audio signals. and wound up with the Cannes Film Fes- tival’s 1989 Palme d’Or prize winner. Proton UVA-2000 Universal Re- Videonics Video Equalizer mote Control. A remembering remote Drugstore Cowboy (LIVE). This rather than a learning remote, as it vivid black comedy from director Gus already comes with the codes for 38 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

ITACHI und Sound including out where to experience Ultravision for yourself. : © HITACHI Po | ©1990 Hitachi Home Electronics (America), Inc. Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories, Inc. | For additional information, circle No. 19 on Reader Service Card. |

Van Sant addresses the drug culture with long gone, along comes this imaginative, films is also one of the director’s best. 79 unprecedented honesty, and the re- 8 0 irresistible feast of animation and # Alan Alda is perfect—and com- sults are no less than spellbinding. song. Its catchy music easily (and pletely unbearabl—eas Allen’s deservedly) won two Oscars, while its TV schlockmeister brother-in-law, and Rich visuals and off-the-cuff humor add up detailed artwork and distinctive characters Martin Landau, as the murderous to a classic cult film that will continue to harken back to the very best of the stu- opthalmologist, turns in the performance find new audiences on video. And as out- dio’s work. In fact, it clearly surpasses Dis- for which he will one day be remembered. law druggie Bob Hughes, Matt Dillon final- ney’s classic 1953 Peter Pan, also released But Allen's troubled vision of humanity ly proves he can hold his own on the big on cassette for the first time last year. still carries the film—into the void and (or little) screen with just about anyone. barely, just barely, back out again. Crimes and Misdemeanors (Ori- The Little Mermaid (Disney). Just on). The darkest of all Woody Allen’s House Party (RCA/Columbia). An- when it seemed Disney's glory days were other smashing debut, this one from director Reginald Hudlin. A modest, |oa 82 charming and good-natured movie PUT FULL POWER that manages to speak to its tar- geted teen audience without speaking CBAAMCKCORIDNEYROUR << down to it. But its appeal is far from lim- BATTERY ited to ki—dreals-life rap duo Kid ‘n Play provide sparks even grown-ups can see. Introducing: Field of Dreams (MCA/Universal). TURBO A sentimental fantasy with its heart in CAMCHARGER™ the right place, Field of Dreams effortlessly 83 wins over audiences. The key is Advanced Turbo Camcharger not Camcorder only charges but also writer/director Phil Alden Robin- Battery Charger reconditions batteries to son's remarkably light touch, which & Reconditioner eliminate the memory build- allows viewers to warm to his flights of up that occurs in nicd bat- fancy at their own pace. He’s fashioned a & Automatically recondi- teries used by camcorders. film that’s sweet without being sugary. tions and 1OO% recharges “Memory build-up” prevents your camcorder batteries. your battery from receiving Let’s Get Lost (BMG). Artist and a full charge, causing‘ifto fashion photographer Bruce Weber pieced Eliminates “battery go dead in a short period together this haunting black & white memory” for longer of time. By using Turbo 5 documentary on jazz great Chet battery life. Camcharger, you will in- crease the life of your bat- Baker using TV appearances, movie &Quick-charge mode for teries. It’s that simple. clips and original interviews. The result is fast, turbo charging. a seamless, visually arresting film. As a Turbo Camcharger also meditation on the nature of god-given tal- &Works from vehicle offers the convenience of ent—and in Baker's case, how this talent cigarette lighter socket or AC/DC operation so you seems to go hand-in-hand with fatal char- AC wall outlet with power can use it away from home. acter flaws —Let’s Get Lost is unsurpassed. supply. ARKON RESOURCES, INC. Great Sports Moments of the ‘80s Provides overcharge 11627 Clark St., Ste. 104 protection for battery. Arcadia, CA 91006, USA (CBS/Fox). The beginning of a new de- Tel: (818) 358-1133 cade always provides a perfect Model Numbers: FAX: (818) 303-6157 ge opportunity to look back, and this TC200-6PS AC/DC Charger/Reconditioner action-packed collection covers all for 6V Sony and Canon-Type. ...Sug. Retail $119.95 the bases. From the U.S. Olympic hockey team’s 1980 defeat of the Soviet TC200-12PS AC/DC Charger/Reconditioner, Union to Kirk Gibson’s legendary 1988 for 12V Panasonic/RCA-lype... .Sug. Retail $129.95 World Series home run and beyond, the emotions run high, all of which makes for TC200-6 DC Only (for 6V truly captivating viewing. S‘JUS4[OPZOUD//IN4UPOADOD|OJDHOIYWSPODJPSDUo/ny and Canon-Type The Civil War (Time-Life Video). TC200-12 DC Only (for 12V Eloquent, sobering corrective about an Panasonic/RCA-Type) era many of us know largely through the 86 romantic myth-mongering of Gone With the Wind. Long, yet never dull, elegiac without appearing maudlin, The Civil War movingly chronicles a great drama with the simplest of tech- niques, weaving a spell that once begun never lets go. LASERDISCS Blue Velvet (Warner). Funnier than Twin Peaks and more riveting than Wild continued on page 58 40 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

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BY BRENT BUTTERWORTH, SUBCOMPAGTDAVID RANADA AND STAN PINKWAS OHOOTOUT We ride herd on a gang of mini camcorders to ; separate the top guns from the pop guns. | | SS { exe Palm-Size Posse: Panasonic On this page, clockwise | from top left: RCA Pailmcor der | Pro850. JVC GR-AX7, Panasonic PV-10 and Sony TR7. Opposite page: Ricoh R-66 (top) and Chinon SC-96 (be- low). 42 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

Camcorders have been around for half a We examined as well each cam- corder’s ease of use, a factor of particular decade, but not until last year did one importance given that subcompacts capture the hearts of the public. Friendly as a Volkswagen Beetle, the cram all their controls into a few square palm-size Sony CCD-TR35 literally inches of space. But also important be- thrust video into the hands of aver- cause our tests were deliberately subjec- Ba 2ge citizens, quickly becoming tive. We wanted to evaluate the the most popular camcorder on camcorders as thoughtful users might. the market. Casual shooters To do so, it was critical for each panelist loved the TR5 because it was easy to shoot some footage using each cam- to use and pack. Video buffs loved corder under similar conditions. The it for its surprisingly good performance. point was to learn how the camcorders It may seem strange to describe a actually perform, and how most users year-old camcorder in the past tense, are likely to react to each one’s particu- but the TRS is already history, discon- lar blend of features. tinued by Sony last summer, even In fact, our shootout revealed that, though some units may still be in stores. to a surprising degree, all the tiny cam- However, the subcompact camcorder corders tested possess distinct person- field stirred to life by the TR5 is bursting alities and vary in their performance as with new models, all hoping to capitalize cameras in a remarkable number of on the growing interest in tiny shooting ways, few of which are immediately ap- machines. In coming months, anyone parent. Moreover, they demonstrated shopping for a subcompact will be able enough strengths and weaknesses so to choose from at least 18 brands and a that no one model aced the shootout. Different mode— Clhinson’s SC-96 and dozen basic designs. Sony’s CCD-TR7—came out on top in With so many alternatives, we each of two separate testing rounds, while a third camcorder, JVC’s GR- decided it was time to pit the top guns of the palm-sized posse against AX7, earned the strongest overall aver- each other in a subcompact shoot- out. And to test these machines in a age score. manner that addresses their unique We started by selecting half a dozen versatility. subcompacts we judged representative Rather than rehash arguments (in terms of format, features and price) of the broader population: Chinon’s over choice of format, or measure tech- nical recording parameters best left to 8mm SC-96, JVC’s Compact VHS GR- our “Videotests” department, we set our AX7, Panasonic’s VHS-C PV-10 Palm- sights on the qualities that manufac- corder, RCA’s 8mm Pro850, Ricoh’s turers say make these camcorders good 8mm R-66 and Sony’s 8mm CCD-TR7. all-purpose, fully automatic cameras, es- pecially their ability to focus, zoom, Of the group, four are 8mm models shoot close-ups and respond to light. and two use VHS-C; five use TTL auto- focus systems, while the RCA uses infra- We were especially interested in red. Their suggested prices range from testing the autofocus systems, which $999 for the Panasonic and JVC models have become a hot topic. Some TR5 to $1,595 for the Chinon. Their places owners have complained that the ma- within the model lines of each company chine’s through-the-lens (TTL) auto- also vary. At $1,400, the TR7 is Sony’s focusing system tends to “hunt”’ for costliest TR model, while the Pro850, at subjects, meaning it sometimes moves $1,299, is RCA’s basic 8mm model. And back and forth several times instead of the R-66, at $1,100, is Ricoh’s equivalent quickly settling down. Sony set out to improve its autofocus in the new TR of Sony’s TR4, the least costly of Sony’s line, while other manufacturers are TR series. ) trying systems based on infrared Finally, we |beams or fuzzy logic circuits, a type also tested two = of artificial intelligence that claims not quite subcom- ' to mimic pact camcorders, Pee human Canon’s E06 and thinking. | Fisher's FVC-880. JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 43

SHOOTOUT Both these 8mm camcorders boast inno- plicated at home or in electronics stores ments about focus and comfort features vative fuzzy logic autofocusing circuits, during your own shopping expeditions. from a second perspective. Throughout and we were curious to see how they both sets of tests, the camcorders should stacked up to more conventional sys- We conducted the shootout in two have focused smoothly, quickly and ac- tems (see “Fuzzy Logic Face-Off”). parts: a set of eight eyes-on tests, for curately on intended subjects. which we viewed specially prepared READY, AIM, FIRE tapes, and a set of nine hands-on tests A panel of Video Magazine editors Before getting to the details of each judged the results. They were editor-in- (see chart for results). The eyes-on tests chief Art Levis, managing editor Stan camcorder's performance and how to in- were designed to simulate the difficult Pinkwas, technical editor Lancelot terpret them, it’s important to under- conditions autofocus systems commonly Braithwaite, senior editor Kenneth Kor- stand how the tests were conducted, confront, yet be simple enough for a man, associate editor Brent Butter- both because they offer insights into the consumer to duplicate at an electronics worth, assistant editor Brian Clark and results and because most are easily du- store. The hands-on round of tests gave us an opportunity to make further judg- contributing editor Bob Barlow. Con- Fuzzy Logic Face-Off We confined our subcompact shootout to camcorders Slow on the Draw: similar in size and shape to Sony’s TR5, the original sub- The Fisher FVC-880's compact. Two other small camcorders, Canon’s E06 and fuzzy logic autofocus Fisher's FVC-880, don’t quite fit the mold, but deserve tended to hunt instead attention because they’re groundbreakers of another of settling on a subject. kind. They're among the first camcorders to possess fuzzy logic autofocus systems. To see how fuzzy logic holds up and the powered focus its only real weakness. Many test- against conventional autofocus, we ran both of these 8mm machines through the same tests we used to evalu- ers found its consistency appealing. Our tests did not ate the subcompacts. Despite the two camcorders’ iene their performances were surprisingly dissimi- uncover any real advantage to the Canon’s fuzzy logic, at: but it kept up with most of the other camcorders. Canon's E06 is larger than the subcompacts because Several panelists found the Fisher FVC-880’s unique of its protruding camera section and the twisting grip. However, the panelists generally liked its design. Most binocularlike design ideal for two-handed use, although it found it especially easy to grip with two hands. In the forced them into a tiring arm position. (None liked it for first round of tests, its rankings put it in the middle of the subcompact pack. Its focus seems to move in incre- one-handed use, but it’s not designed for this.) Its con- ments, checking each setting, then moving on to try the next. We assume this is fuzzy logic at work. None of the trols gave many panelists trouble, partly because buttons testers considered it either an advantage or a problem. are not positioned where expected. Its manual focus ring In our hands-on tests, this behavior was seldom no- ticeable. The testers found its powered focus buttons, and macro focus worked smoothly. The manual iris, mounted under the lens, unwieldy. It has no backlight control, and its auto iris didn’t compensate for backlight- unique for a camcorder this small, compensated easily for ing, so panelists could not get subjects’ features to show up in the backlight test. backlit conditions, although most testers found its tiny knob hard to grip. The rotating grip turned out to be its big strength, The Fisher and the Canon use the same autofocus Fuzzy But Fast: The fuzzy logic auto- system, yet the fuzzy logic circuitry did not perform as focus of Canon's E06 performed well against well as in the Fisher. The FVC-880 ran into problems in both TTL and infrared systems. our first round of tests, where it worked great for off-cen- ter shots, but not very well otherwise. In the test that in- volved shooting at an outdoor brick wall through a screen, it sometimes focused on the screen instead of the wall behind it. The focus proved unstable throughout both these and the later hands-on tests. Often, it hunted continuously without ever settling on a subject. The pan- elists agree that its design is interesting, but that its autofocus is problematic. And all were amazed to see that two focusing systems, theoretically alike, could be- have so differently. —BB 44 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

shootout EYES-ON TESTS 5 4.5 3.4 4.8 4.6 5 4.7 OcOre NEAR/INFINITY 4.8 4.7 4.9 4.8 4.5 HIGH CONTRAST 4.5 4.7 Card LOW CONTRAST 4.1 4.4 4.7 1.4 4.3 STABILITY 3.7 4.5 ZOOM STABILITY 3.2 2.8 4.4 1 1.8 THROUGH WINDOW 4.5 4.5 MOVING TARGET 4.4 4.4 3.9 2 a2 DISTORTION AVERAGE <3 +3 2.5 5 2.6 2 3 3.8 3.3 3.8. ai? 3.3 HANDS-ON TESTS INDOOR FOCUS 17 5 4 23 3.4 OUTDOOR FOCUS 3 4.6 3 2.4 3.4 MANUAL FOCUS 27 3 4 3.6 4.4 MACRO FOCUS 3.7 4.7 3.9 3.9 3.9 IRIS/BLC 23 a] 3.9 3.7 ONE-HAND BALANCE 3.6 3 3.4 3.4 3.6 TWO-HAND BALANCE 3.7 3.4 a7 3.9 3.6 CONTROL COMFORT/RIGHT 3.3 2.9 4.3 4.4 4.6 CONTROL COMFORT/LEFT 2.6 2 2.6 3.4 3.9 41 AVERAGE 2.9 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.9 tributing editor David Ranada designed finity to a camcorder. The window had a how well each could maintain focus dur- and administered the tests. screen, which the camcorders should have ignored. ing a zoom. Panelists rated each camcorder for The Through Window test simu- each of the 17 tests in both rounds using For the High- and Low-Contrast a five-point scale ranging from one (for tests, the eye chart was held five feet in lated a shooting condition that tends to challenge infrared autofocusing systems. poor) to five (for excellent). Each test front of the lens, then withdrawn, ex- Each camcorder was pointed at a target score displayed in the chart represents in posing a single, screen-filling X-shape each case the average of all seven panel- ten feet away. The X was made of black positioned behind a clear, though not ists’ ratings. masking tape on a white polystyrene fully transparent, sheet of acetate, which resembled a slightly dirty window. For The eyes-on tests were set up to run card. For the Low-Contrast portion, the the Moving Target test, a medium-con- card was painted medium gray and the trast X was shifted back and forth sever- blind, so that the panelists would not tape a slightly darker gray. These tests al feet in front of each lens to see how know which models they were evaluat- were aimed chiefly at TTL systems, well the camcorders could keep moving | ing as the round progressed. To achieve which make focusing decisions based on subjects in focus. this, a separate videotape, identified only by letter, was shot using each cam- image contrast. In the Distortion test, the last in this corder. Each tape vividly demonstrated In the Stability test, each camcorder round, each camcorder was aimed at a the performance of that camcorder sheet of inch-square grid boxes to check through each of the eight eyes-on tests. “stared” at the low-contrast X, placed ten feet away, for ten seconds to check the lenses for the presence of pincushion The first test, Near/Infinity, targeted its ability to maintain focus under low or barrel distortion. basic focusing capability. Each cam- contrast conditions. Then each cam- corder was pointed at a standard corder was panned slightly to the side, to Except for the first test, in which evaluate the effect of moving the subject natural light illuminated the exterior optometrist’s eye chart, four feet from wall, the tests were conducted using a the lens, then panned through an adja- off center. For the fifth test, Zoom Sta- level of artificial illumination high cent window to settle on an exterior bility, each camcorder was zoomed into enough to suppress video noise levels, brick wall 60 feet away—essentially in- and away from the low-contrast X to see but low enough to fully open the auto JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 45

irises of each camcorder, thus slightly in- contrast subjects, tending to hunt or less costly alternative to the TR7. creasing the challenge for TTL focusing pulse (move rapidly back and forth) in- systems. stead of sticking with their focus set- ROUND TWO Our hands-on tests were designed to PICKS OF THE PANEL tings, especially for off-center subjects. After we averaged the ratings earned The TR7 performed passably, but the duplicate situations typically encoun- autofocus performance of the R-66 was tered during shoots. Using the same by each camcorder, Chinon’s SC-96 weak in comparison. In this case, it’s es- scale as in the eyes-on tests, panelists emerged as the favorite. Panelists found pecially important to recall that the evaluated each camcorder based on im- it to be steady, deliberate, accurate and R-66 is Ricoh’s version of Sony’s TR4, a | ages seen in the viewfinder augmented consistent. And unlike the other TTL units, the Chinon had little difficulty No More With camcorders growing ever smaller, keeping them handling low-contrast and off-center steady remains a problem. Panasonic’s Electronic Image subjects. ollake, Stabilization (EIS) system is designed to remove the jit- Rattle JVC’s GR-AX7 shares the Chinon’s And Roll terbugs from a shutterbug’s footage. By differentiating high 4.4 average score and compares between subjects and backgrounds, the system is able to well with it for accuracy and stability. Shake Stopper: constantly scan and compare images and then make ad- However, when it was panned to the The GE CG697 VHS-C justments to steady the image created by the lens and side during the Stability test, it zoomed camcorder includes a out to a full wide-angle shot all by itself digital electronic image Sensor. when it couldn’t find an image with a stabilizer. which helps high enough contrast level in its focus- shooters keep pictures EIS is available on Panasonic's full-size PV-660 and sensing area. While typical users may steady. Compact VHS PV-40 camcorders as well as on similar never encounter this situation since this models from other companies, such as General Electric’s aspect of our test presented an unusual challenge, it is difficult to predict exactly ©G697 VHS-C model, which calls the feature a “digital when such apparently arbitrary zooms might occur. picture stabilizer.” Scoring a smidge below the Chinon We ran the CG697 through a variety of motion- oriented tests, which included tracking a moving object and JVC units, Panasonic’s PV-10 also displays many of their positive traits, and walking with the camcorder while staying focused on which is not entirely surprising since both it and the Chinon rely on Mat- one subject, both with and without the stabilizer acti- sushita-built systems. The PV-10’s focus vated. On viewing the results, the testing pancl found has a distinct personality. It pauses be- that images with the stabilizer activated were visibly fore moving quickly and directly to new steadier in terms of both vertical and horizontal move- focal settings. Sometimes it backs out slightly before focusing. The panel found ments. The price for the steadiness is a slight it slower than the Chinon, but deliber- ate and accurate. degradation in picture sharpness. Our panelists feel the The RCA Pro850’s performance was system works well enough to make it worth the extra strong but mixed. In the Near/Infinity test, it sometimes focused partly be- cost. Those specifically concerned with picture quality tween the screen and the exterior wall. should keep in mind that the system can be deactivated Apparently, even at 20 feet, the window screen returned enough infrared energy at the touch of a button. —Brian Clark to confuse the autofocus. The acetate in the Window test also confused the Pro850. On the other hand, it scored very well in the low-contrast tests. After seeing these tests confound TTL focus- ing systems, it was a pleasant surprise to encounter rock-steady accuracy. The panelists came up with similar ratings and comments for the Ricoh R-66 and the Sony TR7. Both breezed through the Near/Infinity test and both handled high-contrast subjects with ease. But neither focused well on low- 46 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

by later viewing of the tapes each panel- Screen Slip-Up: In the Near/Infinity test, most camcorders focused on the exterior wall (left), but a couple ist shot with each machine. of the subcompacts became confused and focused on the window screen (right) instead. We started with an Indoor Focus 2oe ss 1e test in our conference room, using as The Shadow Knows: Subcompacts with backlight compensators made subjects’ features visible in our iris/ subjects black camcorder boxes, one five feet from the lens and one 15 feet away. BLC test (left), but most lacking BLCs blackened subjects’ features (right). The light reaching the boxes measured 30 lux, a level typically encountered at a Maxi Macro: The best macro focus mechanisms focused to the face of the lens, revealing an otherwise in- birthday party in a room lit only by the visible defect in the photo (left), but all delivered usable macro focus (right). candles on a cake. Panelists framed the move smoothly through extreme light- shots, and if they felt comfortable during nearest box in each viewfinder, then ing shifts with little or no discernible iris the tests. panned back and forth between the operation, and backlight controls should boxes. The camcorders should have ad- make a subject’s facial features visible in The Right and Left Comfort evalua- justed their focus settings quickly and all normal daylight conditions. tions let panelists look at control layouts and overall ease of use. The panelists smoothly, without hunting or overshoot- For the One-Hand Balance test, shot with each camcorder at their lei- ing, so that the type on the boxes could each panelist held a full-telephoto shot sure, checking out the controls for ac- easily be read. cess and operation as each saw fit. They on a distant building for ten seconds, graded each machine first on basic con- We moved to the terrace outside our then walked slowly forward 15 paces. trols, run/stop and zoom, then rated 20th-floor offices on Manhattan's West Panelists then moved to the edge of the such left-hand controls as autofocus and Side for the remaining tests, which took terrace and attempted to track moving BLC. On top-scoring machines, most or place in clear midday light. The Out- cars. Next, they repeated the procedure all controls were easy to find without door Focus test simulated sporting holding each camcorder with two hands. looking, and easy to use once found. events at which subjects move in and Camcorders received high scores if their out of the picture frame. Each panelist design made it easier to achieve steady continued on page 51 started by zooming in on a distant build- ing, then called for a subject to jump into the picture at a distance of six feet. Each camcorder should have been able to handle the change smoothly, quickly and accurately. Recently, manufacturers have begun to replace the traditional manual focus ring with powered focus buttons. Our Manual Focus test was aimed chiefly at this type of system. Starting with each camcorder's focus set at infinity, each panelist attempted to focus manually on a monthly calendar page, the thin grid lines of which demand sharp focus. The next test, Macro Focus, targeted the au- tomatic macro functions of many new camcorders. Panelists shot point-blank at a business card to which a small pho- tograph was affixed. Camcorders able to focus to the face of the lens and shift into macro with minimal effort received the highest marks. The Iris/BLC test gave us insight into the subcompacts’ ability to cope with backlit subjects, such as might be encountered on a beach. Each panelist tracked a subject who moved between the panelist and the bright midday sun, the light from which tends to over- whelm facial features. If a camcorder had a backlight compensator, it was ac- tivated and its effectiveness taken into account. A camcorder should be able to JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 47

BY TY HARRINGTON TWIN PEERSVideo + Film Looking for a smart new camcorder helper? Try a 35mm SLR. he canoe gave me the jitters. Even Tomb With a View: though it had sides and a seating Officials in charge of In- area, it was really only four long logs dia’s Taj Mahal forbid lashed together with palm-fiber rope. Did I really want to risk boarding camcorder shooting but this fragile craft with a camcorder? I didn’t have time to think about it. A permit 35mm film cam- fireball sun was swiftly sinking into the eras. Arabian Sea, setting temples aglow along the Malibar coast of southern In- the day and an unforgettable sunset. plenty of occasions —like horseback dia. The sight was too beautiful to leave tides, rainstorms or travel in high-crime unrecorded. Small camcorders have revolu- are—awhsen I prefer an automatic, Camcorder hoisted high to avoid the tionized the documentation of distant pocket-size 35mm camera to a cam- spray, silently praying we wouldn’t cap- places and peoples. And, while they ha- corder. As much as possible I use high- size, |stepped aboard. Off we went. As ven’t made 35mm cameras obsolete, resolution slide film, rated 100 ASA or the sepia sail of an Arab dhow tacked they do make people question the value into the sun, I started to tape. But with- of lugging a film camera along on trips less. This makes it easier to insert prints in minutes I stopped. Low, choppy waves that will also be videotaped. Why bother as high-quality still shots into my video were bouncing the canoe like a rodeo with snapshots, goes the argument, footage. bull. It was impossible to shoot watch- when a lightweight camcorder can de- able footage. liver motion and sound as well. I can even add motion to still photo- Cursing under my breath, I switched graphs by projecting the best shots on a off the camcorder. Only then did I be- But camcorders can’t do every- white wall and using a camcorder to pan come aware of a camera shutter clicking thing—and my travels have taught me and zoom to different parts of the pic- like mad behind me. The Indian who that 35mm cameras make terrific, often ture, borrowing the techniques docu- had been paddling the canoe was grab- unsung, camcorder accessories. Their mentary directors apply to historical bing snapshots with a rusty 35mm cam- uses are many and the bother is small. era. Travel is at least partly about dealing paintings. “Can I take a few shots with your with the unexpected, and there are camera?” I asked. Carrying a 35mm camera also lets The oarsman consented, and the me shoot subjects I had always wanted photos I took in the next moments turned out crisp and clear. Back home, I PHTYHAORTROIGNRGATPO added them to my video of India, saving Ty Harrington is a former staff member of The National Geographic. His most re- cent book is Maine (1989, Children’s Press). 48 VIDEO JANUARY 1991

to include in tapes, sharp pictures. Once, using a flash with experimented a short throw of about 14 feet, I was able but which were impossible to record my own on-the-road drama: I with different had run out of gas traveling in the jun- types of equipment. without such awkward video gles of Zimbabw—ein the middle of a “ii I started with the Ricoh pitch-black night with a rogue elephant Shotmaster Zoom, a small point-and- extras as a heavyweight tripod and hovering nearby. The scene would have shoot autofocus model with a built-in strong lights. For example, with a hand- been lost with a camcorder, although | zoom lens. It fits neatly into a belt case. held camcorder, it’s nearly impossible to was able to use the camcorder's micro- Then, while continuing to carry the tiny capture sharp, readable, rock-steady phone to record some of the dialogue Shotmaster, I added a compact single- footage of the written word: colorful between myself and my driver. lens reflex Canon EOS 630, which fo- graffiti, historical signs, enticing restau- cuses automatically in a third of a sec- rant menus. But a 35mm camera with a POCKET PALS ond. It has interchangeable lenses and zoom lens and a small flash does the job As my 35mm camera has become a fully adjustable aperture and shutter handily. It’s even helped me add macro speed settings. shots, like photos of the visa stamps in more essential video accessory, I have The one drawback of Canon EOS my passport and exotic foreign postage cameras is that they tend to be a bit stamps, which are useful as colorful des- fragile for rigorous travel. For rough tination markers. trips, | have found Minolta’s Maxxum 7000 series the best workhorse. Min- When the light is too low to video, even the most basic pop-up flashes on olta’s autofocus isn’t as responsive, but 35mm cameras make possible daylight- IRWLOELBSUSTTERRABTIEORNG: JANUARY 1991 VIDEO 49

TWIN PEEKS it's sure-footed and durable. Magic Hours: formats. In fact, the monopod became a After adding the Canon SLR, I SLRs let you edit into a mandatory item for me after it served as tape artfully com- a defense against two dogs one night in found myself increasingly tempted to posed photos like this Sulawesi, Indonesia. shoot just about every situation with trio of sunsets showing both a camcorder and a 35mm. This a log canoe in the Ara- The choice of camcorder can also method made even more sense when I bian Sea (top), a rare influence the compatibility of an accom- realized that by using extra-wide-angle eagle on a high perch panying 35mm camera. For example, I lenses and the 35mm’s ability to control and a sun-washed have found great strengths in 8mm units light, I could take photos that could be Monument Valley. by Canon and Sony. The Hi8 Canon so smoothly integrated into my video H660 functions exceptionally well as a footage that they would enhance the shot of you, melded into the video foot- color and drama of almost any scene. age you shot at the same time, makes playback and editing deck. My palm-size audiences feel they are there right at 8mm Ricoh R-680 fits into a small cam- The wide selection of special lenses your side. era bag right alongside a 35mm. The available for the 35mm cameras allows Ricoh comes with an adapter that helps DOUBLE COVERAGE the camcorder shoot slides and titles. me to create images of great intensity. A So friendly are tape and film, that 17mm wide-angle lens adds unusual ex- The Sony EVC-X7, a unique model citement to a Scottish castle, and a one’s potential to embellish the other is with manual iris and shutter speed con- compressed telephoto shot yields a high- limited only by imagination and techni- trol and interchangeable lenses in the resolution insight into life on the main cal proficiency. Even if you’ve used both street of an Indonesian village. camera and camcorder extensively be- small chassis of the Handycam, has one fore leaving home, everyone has to de- great compatibility advantage: 35mm In Monument Valley, Arizona, I vid- velop his or her own best system for film lenses can also be used as lenses for eotaped a Big Sky Country sunset balancing coverage in the field. My sys- the Sony unit. against the gigantic rock monoliths, tem begins with the two units hanging on elbow-length shoulder straps, the It’s often impossible to predict when then faded to an insert edit, from a camcorder from my right shoulder and one should videotape and when to shoot 35mm slide, of the silhouette of an eagle the 35mm from my left. This way, I can film, because each situation is unique. astride a cactus. I then faded into a quickly lift either unit into shooting po- And surprises are hard to anticipate. 35mm three-second time exposure of sition, then drop it down and grab the the same valley awash in moonlight. other. With the camcorder, shooting the eagle in the moment available before the bird To increase handling dexterity and provide steadier footage I add a pistol flew away would have been difficult; the grip and some sort of shoulder brace or fullemoon time exposure would have rest to most camcorders. Whenever pos- sible I carry a monopod for use with both been impossible. On the same trip I discovered an- other 35mm advantage. On many Na- tive American reservations a permit to shoot still pictures costs a dollar or two, while a camcorder permit costs ten times as much. And in many places overseas, such as most of India’s monu- ments (including the Taj Mahal), the authorities strictly forbid camcorders, while giving free rein to still cameras. Indeed, it was at the Taj that I stumbled across a way to add a new di- mension to my travel videos— myself. I was standing in awe of this magnificent mausoleum when a friendly Indian of- fered to take my photo in front of the palace. It turned out to be a classic shot. Audiences want to know about the in- teraction between cameraman and sub- jects—that’s why first-person documen- taries with the journalist appearing on camera have become more popular. Since most 35mm cameras have auto exposure modes, any willing by- stander can take good pictures of you while you roll some video footage. The 50 VIDEO JANUARY 1991