VHS Recorder without Remote

[yottie]

I notice there a few VHS Recorders without remotes advertised.
As posted elsewhere, I am looking for one to copy old tapes to CD.
Do I need a remote for this purpose (am quite happy pressing buttons on the machine!!)

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I notice there a few VHS Recorders without remotes advertised.
As posted elsewhere, I am looking for one to copy old tapes to CD.
Do I need a remote for this purpose (am quite happy pressing buttons on the machine!!)

Probably not, most/all of the buttons are generally replicated on the front panel of the machine. Some after market remotes can be bought, which can replicate the codes for various machines anyway, you just set them to the correct output for the machine. Not all support all recorders.

 

[Tigercubrider]

some will have a need for remotes to alter settings, but almost all would have simple play buttons at least.
Assuming the worst, I have never met a front loader that didn't autoplay if a tape without the record tab was inserted. Even if FF or REW was tricky.
Simplest thing is that if you spot one, google for the correct remote
Manufacturers would often use the same protocol between ,models

Last TV remote I bought as a replacement was £7.99 on Amazon.
That was a flatscreen TV and you needed a remote to do anything.

 

[big-all]

features like standard play/long play[sp/lp] or frequency out for using the aerial as your signal distribution method may not work

 

[Old Salt]

They do a universal remote. I vaguely recall a “1 for all” or some such.

 

[Tigercubrider]

"universal" can mean "nearly universal unless you have a name brand

 

[Lucid]

features like standard play/long play[sp/lp] or frequency out for using the aerial as your signal distribution method may not work

Feature such as SP/EP/LP need only be selected for record mode and not for playback The deck will road rhe control track on the tape and adjust playback automatically to match the original recording speed.

There's no need for RF Out either. The deck should have video outputs of some description. Usually these will be via SCART, but RCA phono and/or S-video might apply depending on the deck.

RF Out would be difficult with a PC video capture device anyway. The signal would have to be demodulator and then converted to A.V. It's more sensible to skip all that mither and come out directly as A.V. from the video audio outputs.

 

[Lucid]

They do a universal remote. I vaguely recall a “1 for all” or some such.

One-for-All.

The website has a code finder feature. Pick your remote model first, then enter the VCR brand and model. The finder will show if that particular remote supports the VCR.

A long time ago - late '80s early '90s -deck to deck editing for VHS was quite common for amateur video enthusiasts, schools and colleges. No one used the remotes. Everything was controlled direct from the front panel of each machine.

In the OP's case the tape doesn't need to do anything fancy other than play back correctly. Even if the deck has no remote, as long as the basic playback controls are there then once the sequence are digitised the deck will have served its purpose.