Betamax info and repair
Week 18, 2003
Q) I’m one of the few who still have a Betamax VCR in my possession. Unfortunately, it is in need of repair. I called several VCR repair shops, but they all tell me that parts are not available for Beta’s because it is almost 15 years since they were manufactured and any useable parts are no longer available. Do you know of any honest repair shops that would or could make repairs?
-Richard E Kraft, Bethel Park
A) Believe it or not, Sony made very expensive, high-end Betamax machines until August 2002 for heavy home users and professional owners. Betamax machines have only been out of production for around eight months, though they have become rarer over the past fifteen years.
Beta still has something of a hard-core following. These hard core Beta fans want to see your enjoy your Betamax tapes indefinitely. I would recommend visiting “The Ultimate Betamax Info Guide” online at http://pages.prodigy.net/handel31/. On the site you will find lots of Beta trivia, tips and tricks, the reasons some users prefer it to VHS, and advice on repair and replacing Betamax VCRs.
If it were my VCR I would not bother getting it fixed. You can buy a used Beta VCR for less than most repair shops would charge for the estimate. It’s all about labor costs. Still, it may be worth checking if you like you’re VCR if they do not charge an exorbitant amount for an estimate.
Used Beta VCRs go on eBay for $21.00 to $300+ depending on year and model. If you buy used, it i
