VHS machines were built to a price, like a cheap transistor radio. They will all crash in time then you will have all these tapes you can not play.
It is always better to stay with formats that are more durable. Because there are trillions of records out there turntables will be around for at least another two generations. Digital files will be useful probably forever.
@chakster, I love my turntable (that I have not gotten yet) and have thousands of records but the very best recordings I have are modern Hi Res Digital. My favorite records predate 1980 (all analog). Maybe this is just my psyche talking but it is the impression I get. Maybe it has to do with mastering. Certainly, it took a while for engineers to accommodate to digital and it was not until about 1982 that decent CD players came along. The original units were very harsh which gave digital a bad start and a decades long hangover. But in the past decade or so some really incredible digital recordings have come along and engineers are getting much better at mastering older analog recordings for digital.
This digital vs analog argument is very much like the Tubes vs SS and some other arguments. It seems to be more emotional than factual. There is absolutely no argument about distortion and noise being much lower with straight digital recording and playback. I know this does not necessarily equate to better sound as there are numerous processes along the way for better or worse. Digital is not the demon it is made out to be by some. Like turntables, if you find your digital playback to be sub standard than you have work to do as there are digital playback systems that sound excellent.
It is always better to stay with formats that are more durable. Because there are trillions of records out there turntables will be around for at least another two generations. Digital files will be useful probably forever.
@chakster, I love my turntable (that I have not gotten yet) and have thousands of records but the very best recordings I have are modern Hi Res Digital. My favorite records predate 1980 (all analog). Maybe this is just my psyche talking but it is the impression I get. Maybe it has to do with mastering. Certainly, it took a while for engineers to accommodate to digital and it was not until about 1982 that decent CD players came along. The original units were very harsh which gave digital a bad start and a decades long hangover. But in the past decade or so some really incredible digital recordings have come along and engineers are getting much better at mastering older analog recordings for digital.
This digital vs analog argument is very much like the Tubes vs SS and some other arguments. It seems to be more emotional than factual. There is absolutely no argument about distortion and noise being much lower with straight digital recording and playback. I know this does not necessarily equate to better sound as there are numerous processes along the way for better or worse. Digital is not the demon it is made out to be by some. Like turntables, if you find your digital playback to be sub standard than you have work to do as there are digital playback systems that sound excellent.