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Long play video recordings


lollerskates

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Guest MarkJDelaney

If you record something in long play, quality is less than if it was recorded in slow play.

SP recordings run past the head drum (tape reader) at 1.31 inches per second. In LP it's 0.66 inches per second. So you can see where the quality deteriorates. (rough figures, probably varies between VCRs)

As for a SP VCR playing an LP recording, well that doesn't matter. The recording's already been made, audio + video is stretched out across the tape. An SP VCR can read both types of recordings but can't RECORD in LP. It just plays whatever type of tape you put inside to be read.

An example to explain it a little more:

Say you have two of same videos on your computer. One is 300MB with a high frame-rate, and the other one is 70MB with a low frame rate. They will both play when you open the file to read it, but one will retain much better quality.

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Guest MarkJDelaney

No, audio and video are recorded together. Across across an LP VHS tape. When played back on a VCR, it doesn't matter. The VCR will play back simply what is there... regardless of its original recording speed/quality.

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How come if you record something in long play (on vhs)' date=' then play it in a short play player, the sound is at normal speed

shouldnt it be at double speed?

i've never understood this. ever[/quote']

Yes it should, however, there are 'control tracks' on the tape itself which dictate the speed of the drum (which scans the information on the tape.) Even if your VCR is ancient, the control tracks still change the speed of the drum. This is constantly changing even on regular play due to tapes stretching or getting tighter whilst being played.

Also, the slower the recording (Long Play) the closer the recorded bands of information are which degrade the quality.

Note, the recorded bands of information are not linear like the control bands which sort of means that the control band must be pretty damned accurate on long play as the recorded bands are so close.

That really is as simple as I can make it.

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I don't think anyone is actually getting the main question being asked here... they're saying the audio remains at the correct pitch, although the video plays twice as fast. Thats bullshit, how could you hear 20 minutes of audio in 10 minutes.....UNLESS IT WAS PLAYING AT TWICE THE SPEED!!!!

I think lollerskates taped a Joe Pasquali show and can't really tell the difference.... :rolleyes:

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I don't think anyone is actually getting the main question being asked here... they're saying the audio remains at the correct pitch' date=' although the video plays twice as fast. Thats bullshit, how could you hear 20 minutes of audio in 10 minutes.....UNLESS IT WAS PLAYING AT TWICE THE SPEED!!!!

[/quote']

No, you don't understand. You are listening to the recording that has been compressed together more than before. It WILL play at the correct pitch. The control drum changes speed to accommodate the difference in tape playing speed.

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Guest haigyman
No' date=' you don't understand. You are listening to the recording that has been compressed together more than before. It WILL play at the correct pitch. The control drum changes speed to accommodate the difference in tape playing speed.[/quote']

on my video recorder, which is sp only, the sound on an lp recording isn't at the correct pitch, it is speeded up just like the picture

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Guest MarkJDelaney
on my video recorder' date=' which is sp only, the sound on an lp recording isn't at the correct pitch, it is speeded up just like the picture[/quote']

Like Tav said, his older machine used to do that. My guess is that as technology has moved on, VCRs developed variable drum head speeds capable of reading SP and LP tapes.

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I think everyone is trying to be too technical for their own good.....

Suppose you made a 1 minute of a recording of a metronome playing at 120bpm. You would have recorded 120 beats.

Now if that recording had been made on LP then played on an SP video, you may well hear all 120 beats, however the speed will be 240bpm.

Funnily enough, 120bpm does not equal 240bpm, hence THE AUDIO WILL NOT BE PLAYING AT THE SAME SPEED AS IT WAS RECORDED!!!!!

If you were able to hear all 120 beats at 120bpm in 30 seconds......I need to know how you are able to stop time.....

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