Analog versus Digital - VCRs?

Don't buy any Videocassette Recorders (VCRs) unless you read this first.

If you are like me, you sometimes find it convenient to record a program or 2 or 3 while you are out for the evening or the day. We do it with a VCR since that is all we have for such purposes. It suddenly occured to me that those days may end come February.

Our High Definition TV picture - and it is a superb media - comes to us from an antenna in our garage attic. Living in Phoenix puts all TV transmitters in one general location on South Mountain and most Home Owner Associations prohibit them on the roof. We do not have cable or Dish or Direct TV. We also don't have TIVO or any other new gimmicks for recording TV programs. Which brings us back to the VCR.

I recently visited Best Buy to see if Digital VCRs existed. They do - if you have deep pockets for $200+. I would prefer to save up for a Blu-Ray DVD Player anticipating that more DVD rentals will be available later in 2009.

I asked if the Digital TV Converter Boxes available for Analog TVs would work with the VCRs - "No, it says right on the box ......".

Now, I'm not an engineer, but if it works with a TV tuner, why not a VCR tuner? So, I ran a test. I now get all the "-1,-2,-3,etc." channels on my VCR. The picture is much clearer when being recorded but still subject to the reduced quality of VCR tapes.

Well, for the less than $10 after the gov't $40 coupon to buy an RCA DTA800B1 at Wal-Mart, I'm reasonably sure from my tests that I can still go off to dinner and not miss NCIS Chapter 137, CSI, Big Bang, etc.

Yes, I love the High Def stuff but, shucks, I can give up a little quality to make sure I don't miss a good episode!

Do your own test for the $10 it will cost you and don't come back to me if it doesn't work! Good Luck!


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