ebay (and other) auctions with insane prices

[SA-DaleCooper]

this must mean that my Halloween DVD must be priceless

[Friendly]

Hmmm, I dunno. The Media VHS Halloween is quite notorious for fetching high prices, though.

Well, that's just dumb, for many reasons. VHS was a terrible medium, with awful picture quality (333 lines, iirc), it quickly degraded and this magnetic tape is probably unwatchable now, given that it's over 30 years old, and why would you anyway? It's the content that matters, and the movie can be had in cinematic quality on Blu Ray for peanuts; it's not like the VHS tape contains some awesome lost footage. Even spending that much money on an original cinematic celluloid reel wouldn't make a whole lot of sense because of the detoriation to be expected after 35 years.

[Ed Oscuro]

VHS tape doesn't degrade that quickly, actually. I recently saw a Jurassic Park prerecorded tape just recently which exhibited no visual artifacts and actually looked stunning on a set; you could make out the individual grains of sand / clumps of dirt in one of the early scenes, and the sound was quite good too. I haven't tried anything older but I know there are plenty of far older tapes here. Somewhere there's a couple cassette tapes recorded in the '60s, although the one I'm thinking of hasn't fared so well, some slightly newer ones should still be fine. VHS doesn't seem to have the same stretching problem you see with the much thinner cassette tapes.

This isn't to say that there aren't stacks of VHS tapes that have interference from various sources. Reportedly the way in which magnetic media are oriented with respect to ambient magnetic fields can have some impact, though I don't know if this isn't really just an old tale. ...However, I have taken to storing my floppy games so the disk sits sideways, rather than "flat" parallel to the ground, as the rumor states.

What can be a problem are misalignment by the tracking heads, which can make a tape perform inconsistently from one set to the next. Many decks do have tracking controls you can fiddle with, but I don't think anybody ever devised an automatic tracking system.

[Friendly]

Your point being? That it makes sense to pay $10,000 for a 30-year-old analog low-res magnetic tape of a cinematic movie which looks nothing like it did when it was shown in theatres and of which a copy in digital HD quality which actually looks like it did on the big screen (or better) can be had for ~$5?

[moh]

Your point being? That it makes sense to pay $10,000 for a 30-year-old analog low-res magnetic tape of a cinematic movie which looks nothing like it did when it was shown in theatres and of which a copy in digital HD quality which actually looks like it did on the big screen (or better) can be had for ~$5?

you're part of a forum where people pay thousands of dollars for old video games that no one gives a shit about. open your mind a bit and understand that different people value different things.

[Friendly]

The difference being that people here pay a lot of money for the best possible experience. This is the opposite.

[moh]

The difference being that people here pay a lot of money for the best possible experience. This is the opposite.

SH3 pcbs have horrendously compressed and distorted sound compared to the xbox 360 ports. its the year 2013, and those pcbs are still outputting mono.

mushi futari black label pcb $1200
mushi futari black label game + dlc $40

SDOJ $2000
SDOJ port $70

[Friendly]

Nonetheless, those PCBs are the original form of existence of these games. The same is not true for VHS and movies.

[Ed Oscuro]

Your point being? That it makes sense to pay $10,000 for a 30-year-old analog low-res magnetic tape of a cinematic movie which looks nothing like it did when it was shown in theatres and of which a copy in digital HD quality which actually looks like it did on the big screen (or better) can be had for ~$5?

We seem to be stuck with this ongoing problem where you rail on about your own pet peeve heedless of what I'm actually writing about. My point is exactly what I wrote, nothing more. I would appreciate it if you stopped reading things into my posts that aren't there.

But, since you seem to want something more, I could try to explain this anyway. VHS tapes carry with them a lot of nostalgia and watching a movie on a CRT via VHS is definitely a unique - different - experience compared to watching movies on a flatscreen or movie screen (and arguably watching movies on a modern screen is different from watching them on a silver screen, watching any pre-standardized films at any kind of "standard" rate instead of having the speed changed by eye - well, plenty of things change. It is certainly most excellent that today you can get a pristine high-resolution digital copy of the movie with a good soundtrack and watch it on a flatscreen, but the relatively clumsy VHS-and-CRT moviegoing experience is a part of history too. And quite apparently somebody out there agrees with this so strongly that they spent a lot of money on it. To go any further we'd have to get into some kind of discussion of money priorities which I think will be pretty fruitless flogging of opinions or asserting that there is some kind of logical or moral prohibition against it.

[NTSC-J]

The difference being that people here pay a lot of money for the best possible experience. This is the opposite.

I'm willing to wager that whoever paid 13 large for this already owns every version of the movie and wasn't simply looking for a copy so that they could watch it.

[Friendly]

Indeed. It's probably pathological.

[jonny5]

its the year 2013, and those pcbs are still outputting mono.

But most cabs are mono, later JVS cabs aside. JAMMA standard is also mono.

Go to a big club, sound system will be mono. Stereo audio has it's places, but mono is still used a lot.

[moh]

its the year 2013, and those pcbs are still outputting mono.

But most cabs are mono, later JVS cabs aside. JAMMA standard is also mono.

Go to a big club, sound system will be mono. Stereo audio has it's places, but mono is still used a lot.

hm, I find it hard to argue against you since you know way more about this shit than I do Whats really bothering me isnt the presence of mono, but rather that lack of stereo, And the lack of higher quality sound chips from a big name arcade developer like cave. My $30 mr.driller pcb outputs stereo, would it have really cost cave that much more to have better sound chips on these pcbs?

[trap15]

The sound chip is actually fine. It's the size of their sound ROMs that's the problem. If you noticed, there are two ROM chips below the sound chip, and two unpopulated pads for ROM chips. CAVE easily could have greatly improved the sound quality by spending an extra $20 per board to populate those pads. As in, you probably would not hear any terrible artifacting like you do.

[el chuddo]

The difference being that people here pay a lot of money for the best possible experience. This is the opposite.

SH3 pcbs have horrendously compressed and distorted sound compared to the xbox 360 ports. its the year 2013, and those pcbs are still outputting mono.

mushi futari black label pcb $1200
mushi futari black label game + dlc $40

SDOJ $2000
SDOJ port $70

The sound on these compared games is fine on the pcbs..It is in it's original form as mono, as it was heard in the arcades, where it was released.. on the copmany's chosen format.. The artists' medium. Anything else is an afterthought and an embellished, attempted inhancement of the real thing, designed to be multi mass produced to sell replicas of the real thing at an affordable price for consumers. To think these xbox ports are better is insane. The guise that it is better to some is neither the fault of the buyer or the seller.. it just happens. Fact: these ports suffer incorrect slowdown and difficuly, making it a different game. add the ability to pause and cheat.. now you have a group of people playing totally different ways while pretending to do it the same. it's like a dick measuring contest where many of the contestants don't even have one.. But they never have to pull down their pants. Also worth mentioning that the SDOJ port has input lag that makes the experience very different. I don't notice this on the other ports and do use VGA when playing the xbox. don't get me wrong.. i love the 360 and the fact that we have so many nearly perfect Cave games on it.. But, i would trade the console and every port for a bare, reggie Ibara pcb if i didn't have it. Sorry, back on track...
Cave is not stupid.. the fact that we have 2D stg's on this format, produced up until 2012 is a gift from God. It is 2013.. None were released this year, and there is no more sh3's or sh3b's coming out. It's 2013 and these 2004-2012 sh3 games will always output mono. Maybe future games from them may have stereo sound or cd quality music. The trade for new hardware will most likely not be a blessing, more a curse pointing to a bullshit hi res stereo polygonal future. Original arcade games sold to arcade operators vs. ports are more comparable to the reels of film that were sold to cinemas vs. the current consumer movie medium. Please excuse my grammar and punctuation. I am using a phone to do this because i am away from a computer and I can't hold my tongue when the sh3 is under fire. This is prob. The wrong thread to be saying this, but this is where the analogy containing this was, and to which the topic being discussed was brought up.

[Casey120]

Stamps man, people actually collect them, huge prices and small pieces of paper ...some are even freaking used .
Retards, all of them !

[emphatic]

Nonetheless, those PCBs are the original form of existence of these games. The same is not true for VHS and movies.

If you've for example seen an old horror film for the first time on VHS back in the 80's, it can leave such a lasting impression that you will prefer the VHS, flaws and all. If I have to choose between watching the Official BluRay of Star Wars, with all the extra bells and whistles that Lucas' forced on everyone or the Theatrical Widescreen VHS release - I know I'm in for quite different experience. Also, rarity.

[Friendly]

Nonetheless, those PCBs are the original form of existence of these games. The same is not true for VHS and movies.

If you've for example seen an old horror film for the first time on VHS back in the 80's, it can leave such a lasting impression that you will prefer the VHS, flaws and all. If I have to choose between watching the Official BluRay of Star Wars, with all the extra bells and whistles that Lucas' forced on everyone or the Theatrical Widescreen VHS release - I know I'm in for quite different experience. Also, rarity.

Google Star Wars Despecialized Edition. Your mind will be blown.

[jonny5]

its the year 2013, and those pcbs are still outputting mono.

But most cabs are mono, later JVS cabs aside. JAMMA standard is also mono.

Go to a big club, sound system will be mono. Stereo audio has it's places, but mono is still used a lot.

hm, I find it hard to argue against you since you know way more about this shit than I do Whats really bothering me isnt the presence of mono, but rather that lack of stereo, And the lack of higher quality sound chips from a big name arcade developer like cave. My $30 mr.driller pcb outputs stereo, would it have really cost cave that much more to have better sound chips on these pcbs?

Ya I think it comes down the bitrate/ sample rate they used, and the sound roms as trap noted.

Something to take into account is with stereo audio, unless you need panning or an actual stereo field, it's pointless. Mono sends one signal to both speakers, stereo has a signal for each side. I doubt much of the sound in an arcade game requires much of a stereo field as you are sitting in front of it, and the speakers are a couple feet apart. Add to that the fact that most cab speakers are garbage, and the fact that JAMMA standard is mono, and most JAMMA cabs are mono, not much point wasting money making a board stereo. They aren't planning this stuff for supergun users, or people playing stuff in JVS cabs. Plus in a loud, busy arcade, you aren't going to be hearing things clearly anyways.

I totally see your point though, but just making it stereo wouldn't necessarily make the quality better. Low bitrate/ sample rate will sound shit regardless of whether its stereo or mono.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Nonetheless, those PCBs are the original form of existence of these games. The same is not true for VHS and movies.

If you've for example seen an old horror film for the first time on VHS back in the 80's, it can leave such a lasting impression that you will prefer the VHS, flaws and all. If I have to choose between watching the Official BluRay of Star Wars, with all the extra bells and whistles that Lucas' forced on everyone or the Theatrical Widescreen VHS release - I know I'm in for quite different experience. Also, rarity.

Google Star Wars Despecialized Edition. Your mind will be blown.

You don't even need to go back to the VHS for the same "experience". There's something comforting about those laserdisc transfers - that grainy 70s/early 80s feel. It's pretty much how a truckload of people remember it, being too young for the cinema release. Original form vs. first/most common exposure.

Playing on your own PCBs is surely equivalent to watching a film on a cinema reel you own. Neither were designed for direct home consumption.

[emphatic]

Google Star Wars Despecialized Edition. Your mind will be blown.

Nah, I'm waiting for Adywan to finish his versions.

[jasoncslaughter]

Even spending that much money on an original cinematic celluloid reel wouldn't make a whole lot of sense because of the detoriation to be expected after 35 years.

Not to nitpick, but polyester-based film stocks are rated to last over 100 years. I have several from the 60's and 70's that are still in perfect condition. I still wouldn't pay that kind of money, though.

As far as the SH3 discussion goes, I think jonny5 is completely right about the stereo/mono issue. As far as the sound quality on the PCB vs. the ports, I should point out that I don't generally play the ports, but after doing a bit of research on DFK BL and transcribing much of the soundtrack from a combination of PCB recordings and the OST, I tried the Xbox 360 port, and the soundtrack sounds very different. It sounds great, but I wouldn't necessarily use it as a reference for what the soundtrack is "supposed" to sound like. I will say that the low bitrate does make the PCBs sound a lot worse than they should.

[moh]

jonny5

you know what, I gotta say that you've justified the lack of stereo pretty well. I guess what I should have been complaining about is the rom size. And if trap15 is right about how easy it would be to change that, then thats pretty disappointing

[Ed Oscuro]

If you've for example seen an old horror film for the first time on VHS back in the 80's, it can leave such a lasting impression that you will prefer the VHS, flaws and all. If I have to choose between watching the Official BluRay of Star Wars, with all the extra bells and whistles that Lucas' forced on everyone or the Theatrical Widescreen VHS release - I know I'm in for quite different experience. Also, rarity.

Google Star Wars Despecialized Edition. Your mind will be blown.

You don't even need to go back to the VHS for the same "experience". There's something comforting about those laserdisc transfers - that grainy 70s/early 80s feel. It's pretty much how a truckload of people remember it, being too young for the cinema release. Original form vs. first/most common exposure.

Playing on your own PCBs is surely equivalent to watching a film on a cinema reel you own. Neither were designed for direct home consumption.

I like how the first portion of emphatic's comment echoes what I said - it's a nostalgia / personal preference issue, what's so hard to understand about that? - and instead everybody just glommed onto the second part which has been done to death with off-topic "you should get the laserdisc / whatever the fuck editions and prepare to have your socks blown off yadda yadda" comments. Look, this isn't about that, AT ALL.

Old cars = heavy, poor gas mileage, unsafe at any speed. Old car collectors = DUMBASSES!!11ONE

Picture of an objet inférieur.

[drauch]

Ugh... I thought it was fairly obvious, but people primarily collect VHS for, as mentioned, nostalgia, box art, rarity, etc. Much like how fools pay 40k for a shitty track and field NES game. Same thing here.

I've got a number of VHS I'll probably never git rid of because of the killer box art, large, colorful packaging, etc.

[drauch]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321141311959?ss ... 1555.l2649

Welp, I put mine up. Three watchers within three minutes. Already jumped up 28 dollars. This is absurd.

[Skykid]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321141311959?ss ... 1555.l2649

Welp, I put mine up. Three watchers within three minutes. Already jumped up 28 dollars. This is absurd.

Over a hundred bucks now, it's really going!

This is fun.

[Ed Oscuro]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/large-video-gam ... 43bcb2ee6e

[Skykid]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/large-video-gam ... 43bcb2ee6e

AHAHAHAHAHA LMAO! Crying here. That gave me the best chuckle in this thread in... ever!

Only FIFTEEN MILLION DOLLARS BIN. Biblelady must be hoping the big guy upstairs is watching.

Surely a troll listing, surely!!

[Ed Oscuro]

I just read the sob story and now I feel bad.

Anyway, roflelol@ the listing. I didn't look through the items, but yeah, it's just as I suspected from the main image, just a bunch of random loose carts.

I don't want to try to count up all the games but they are asking huge amounts per game here, obviously.