[DSperber]

Just a heads-up for owners of DVHS VCRs...


It's apparently true that these machines not being made any longer by JVC. So if you want one and can find it, you're going to have to buy it used from someone else. And then you take your chances with whether or not it is in perfect functional condition. And if it's not you really take your chances trying to find a qualified "digital HD VCR repair" service technician... good luck on that one. (I actually have found two technicians, one in LA and one in San Francisco, who are qualified to work on DVHS machines, in case anyone needs one.)


Well now there's a second part to the "vanishing breed" subject for DVHS equipment: blank DVHS media is getting scarce and pricey!


I know there are DVHS machine owners who use SVHS tapes to make HD recordings, but I don't. I only use DVHS tapes for archiving HD. In my search this past week for a new supply of blank DVHS tapes (DF420AU, DF300AU, and DFC2AU cleaning tapes) I was really surprised to discover the number of so-called sources that either didn't really have any stock or who had outrageous prices listed.


After quite a bit of shopping and emailing (to confirm availability), I have now made a "defensive purchase" from my old reliable source, Tape Warehouse . These people have always had tape media of all kinds that I periodically buy (DVHS, DAT, etc.) at very good prices and with very reasonable shipping charges and no tax. They've also replaced the rare occasional defective media at no cost.


They did have DF300AU and DFC2AU tapes in stock, but had to special-order DF420AU for me. Should have them in a week and will mail all of it to me then. Anyway, in an act of self-defense I placed an order for 20 DF300AU tapes and 20 DF420AU tapes, and 2 DFC2AU cleaning tapes... since this may be my last purchase of blank tapes. Who knows if they will simply disappear entirely in the near future.



So... I suggest very strongly that any owners of DVHS machines consider this as what might be a near-final opportunity to buy new blank JVC DVHS tape.

 

[bwer]

Total Media has DF-300 and DF-420 in stock and has for months (at fairly reasonable prices), B&H has DF-300 (albeit overpriced). Worst case scenario, I'll start buying Digital-S/D9 tape and run that. Not much different than the Beta fans who used Betacam tape after it became harder to find Beta tapes. No need to worry, at least not about this.

 

[DSperber]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bwer /forum/post/16857785


Total Media has DF-300 and DF-420 in stock and has for months (at fairly reasonable prices)

Very good prices... cheaper than Tape Warehouse for the media, although shipping costs are higher. Also, they don't seem to carry the DFC2AU cleaning tapes which I'd have to get elsewhere.


Anyway, thanks for the name. I'll check with them in the future if I need tape.

 

[DSperber]

Just a post-script here...


Checked with your recommended source Total Media, and they said they did have 200 of the DF300 tapes and 30 of the DF420 tapes, but no cleaning tapes.


As previously noted, their prices were $2.08/per better than Tape Warehouse for the DF300 and $0.96/per better than Tape Warehouse for the DF420. But their shipping charge was more costly.


Anyway, I'd already placed the order at Tape Warehouse (who I had dealt with many times in the past) so I decided to leave it alone.


However Tape Warehouse had to special-order the DF420 tapes for me and they hadn't yet arrived as of today. I wrote them and asked status and ETA, telling them about the Total Media discovery and prices. Coincidentally, the DF420 tapes had arrived just today and my order was scheduled for being boxed and shipped tomorrow.


But since they couldn't "price match" Total Media, and since they hadn't yet shipped, and since it was always up to the customer in the end, they proposed what I felt was a very reasonable and gentlemanly compromise:


(a) Tape Warehouse will ship the special-ordered DF420 tapes and the two DFC2AU cleaning tapes (which Total Media didn't have anyway). The small more costly price difference on DF420 and less costly Tape Warehouse shipping charge would probably end up being to my advantage in the end (won't know until the shipping charge is finalized tomorrow).


(b) Tape Warehouse would cancel the DF300 part of my order, which I could then place instead with Total Media at the more significant price savings but somewhat higher shipping charge. Again, to my advantage in the end.



So that's what I've done. Two separate orders placed, optimizing my savings. And many thanks to the sincere and honest vendor, Tape Warehouse.


Remarkably, within 30 minutes of placing my order at Total Media (for 20 of the DF300 tapes) I received both (1) sales confirmation email from Total Media, and (2) shipping confirmation and tracking number email from UPS!



Bottom line: no question Total Media is an excellent source for blank media (of all kinds). Interestingly, my contact at Tape Warehouse says that he's on the Total Media mailing list!


Nevertheless... I still do feel that we may be coming down to end-of-life on consumer-grade DVHS blank tape media, at prices and availability levels we've come to get used to over the past years. How many active DVHS machine owners do you really think are out there?

 

[DSperber]



Quote:
Originally Posted by DSperber /forum/post/16903628


(a) Tape Warehouse will ship the special-ordered DF420 tapes and the two DFC2AU cleaning tapes (which Total Media didn't have anyway). The small more costly price difference on DF420 and less costly Tape Warehouse shipping charge would probably end up being to my advantage in the end (won't know until the shipping charge is finalized tomorrow).


(b) Tape Warehouse would cancel the DF300 part of my order, which I could then place instead with Total Media at the more significant price savings but somewhat higher shipping charge. Again, to my advantage in the end.

Just a final post-script and then this can be wrapped up...


Actual S/H charge for 20 DF300 tapes from Total Media was $20.69, via UPS. Tapes were $1.08/per cheaper at Total Media than from Tape Warehouse, so I clearly paid less by buying from Total Media.


Actual S/H charge for 20 DF420 tapes and 2 DFC-2 cleaning tapes from Tape Warehouse was $19.69, via Fedex Ground. DF420 tapes were $0.96/per more expensive at Tape Warehouse than from Total Media, so I clearly paid more by buying from Tape Warehouse.


Total Media essentially shipped "instantly" upon receipt of my online order. Obviously an excellent future source.


Both sources are obviously reliable, and honest.



Case closed. Two good sources for DVHS blank media still exist, at least for now. Let's hope JVC doesn't stop making them anytime soon.

 

[Blasst]

DSperber,


Great info, thanks for doing the legwork.

 

[DSperber]

Just to set the record straight... I seem to have mixed up prices (or rather the price differential) for the blank tapes from the two sources. The S/H cost details I last posted above are correct, but I messed up on the tape prices themselves.


So just to get it right...


Tape Warehouse DF300 is $8.58 each, and Total Media DF300 is $6.50 each. My "$1.08 more expensive" above should have been "$2.08 more expensive". Savings on 20 tapes from Total Media was significant.


Tape Warehouse DF420 is $18.96 each, and Total Media DF420 is $18.00 each. My "$0.96 more expensive" above was correct.


DFC2 is not carried by Total Media, and is $8.76 at Tape Warehouse.

 

[tkmedia2]

I've used both of these companies many times since the early 1990's and they have always been reliable. I bought maybe at least 10,000 tapes from tape warehouse!

 

[kevinsert]

is there any list for dvhs movies out there ?

 

[ChrisW6ATV]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bwer /forum/post/16857785


Worst case scenario, I'll start buying Digital-S/D9 tape and run that. Not much different than the Beta fans who used Betacam tape after it became harder to find Beta tapes.

I remember buying Betacam SP tapes for my ED Beta VCR. They were often less expensive than "real" ED Beta blanks, and the longest one could record for 3 hours (like an L-750), when the longest actual ED Beta tape was an EL-500.

 

[Serafica]



Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinsert /forum/post/16942404


is there any list for dvhs movies out there ?

This thread is about DVHS blank tapes for use in recording HD movies from any source available to you such as from cable, Sat, or OTA settop boxes having a firewire connection to your DVHS recorder. I have about 500 DVHS movies recorded from Cband 4DTV premium channels and COMCAST DVRs.


If you are referring to prerecorded movies, the only thing available are about 50 Dtheater movies for which you do not need DVHS blank tapes.

 

[eric102]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Serafica /forum/post/17064899


This thread is about DVHS blank tapes for use in recording HD movies from any source available to you such as from cable, Sat, or OTA settop boxes having a firewire connection to your DVHS recorder. I have about 500 DVHS movies recorded from Cband 4DTV premium channels and COMCAST DVRs.


If you are referring to prerecorded movies, the only thing available are about 50 Dtheater movies for which you do not need DVHS blank tapes.

Actually there are 99 unique Dtheater titles of which 91 are movies and there are about 50 other DVHS (non-Dtheater) releases, mostly documentary's and HD-Net shows.

 

[eric102]

For those looking for blank DVHS tapes I have about a hundred new/sealed Mitsubishi DF300's, PM me if you are interested. I've used the Mitsu's and JVC's for years and both preform the same in my opinion.


Eric

 

[bwer]



Quote:
Originally Posted by eric102 /forum/post/17066301


I've used the Mitsu's and JVC's for years and both preform the same in my opinion.

That's because Mits DF300s are rebadged JVC DF300s

Good luck with the sale!