First Flat



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In article <[email protected]>, "Westie" <[email protected]> wrote:

> "John Harlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > > > Can someone explain to me why (some) bikes have to be the only vehicle
> > *not*
> > > > to use standard (Schrader) valves?
> > >
> > > Don't even freaking go there. Everybody knows that Prestas are far
> > superior
> > > valves, and they should be on cars as well.

Because Presta are closed by air pressure and not spring pressure, I gather they are not at their
best in low-pressure applications.

> > Yes, and Betamax is a far superior tape format.
>
> Actually, as I understand it, Betamax WAS a superior tape format. Maybe I'm misinformed and too
> young to know... <sniff>

Well, there were picture quality advantages at some times in the format wars, but nothing worth
selling the farm for. On the other hand, VHS had an early advantage in that the tapes played longer,
so you could get longer movies on just one cassette.

> > I might agree presta seems marginally better - but it's non-standardness with *virtually every
> > other vehicle* is a huge downside IMHO.

It's not even a big deal. Presta-capable floor pumps are available for $20 (mine does both Presta
and Schrader), and adapters to allow you to fill a presta tube from a Schrader pump are about $2.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club
 
Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, "Westie" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > "John Harlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > > > Can someone explain to me why (some) bikes have to be the only
vehicle
> > > *not*
> > > > > to use standard (Schrader) valves?
> > > >
> > > > Don't even freaking go there. Everybody knows that Prestas are far
> > > superior
> > > > valves, and they should be on cars as well.
>
> Because Presta are closed by air pressure and not spring pressure, I gather they are not at their
> best in low-pressure applications.

Uhhhmm, it's 'sort of' the other way around, surely - Schrader valves are sealed by a small spring
force plus the force of whatever air pressure they contain. Presta, are sealed first by their
internal air pressure, then mechanically by tightening of the little fiddley knurled nut thingy.

> > > Yes, and Betamax is a far superior tape format.
> >
> > Actually, as I understand it, Betamax WAS a superior tape format. Maybe I'm misinformed and too
> > young to know... <sniff>
>
> Well, there were picture quality advantages at some times in the format wars, but nothing worth
> selling the farm for. On the other hand, VHS had an early advantage in that the tapes played
> longer, so you could get longer movies on just one cassette.

Beta may well have been better, but IMNSHO the best by far was Phillips Video 2000 system -
excellently clear picture quality, visually stable pause, as well as fwd and rev picture search, and
stable single frame advance too. This was the first system to have dynamic auto tracking adjust,
_way_ before VHS even found a way to do it. The tapes were also double sided, like an audio
cassette, and had plenty of record time on them.

VHS managed to flood-corner the market, so Beta and V2000 hadn't got a market after a short
while, and fell.

Shaun aRe
 
In article <[email protected]>, "Shaun Rimmer" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In article <[email protected]>, "Westie" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > > "John Harlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:[email protected]...
> > > > > > Can someone explain to me why (some) bikes have to be the only
> vehicle
> > > > *not*
> > > > > > to use standard (Schrader) valves?
> > > > >
> > > > > Don't even freaking go there. Everybody knows that Prestas are far
> > > > superior
> > > > > valves, and they should be on cars as well.
> >
> > Because Presta are closed by air pressure and not spring pressure, I gather they are not at
> > their best in low-pressure applications.
>
> Uhhhmm, it's 'sort of' the other way around, surely - Schrader valves are sealed by a small spring
> force plus the force of whatever air pressure they contain. Presta, are sealed first by their
> internal air pressure, then mechanically by tightening of the little fiddley knurled nut thingy.

I wasn't aware that Schrader valves had any significant air-sealing effect, but I don't know the
valve mechanisms well.

> Beta may well have been better, but IMNSHO the best by far was Phillips Video 2000 system -
> excellently clear picture quality, visually stable pause, as well as fwd and rev picture search,
> and stable single frame advance too. This was the first system to have dynamic auto tracking
> adjust, _way_ before VHS even found a way to do it. The tapes were also double sided, like an
> audio cassette, and had plenty of record time on them.

Video 2000 eh? Never heard of it.

> VHS managed to flood-corner the market, so Beta and V2000 hadn't got a market after a short while,
> and fell.

Don't know what it was like where you lived, but I certainly remember the era of Beta/VHS video
stores, which must have lasted several years. It looked a lot like the current DVD/VHS situation,
except that Beta hadn't already had a long run of commercial viability.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club
 
Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, "Shaun Rimmer"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > In article <[email protected]>, "Westie" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > >
> > > > "John Harlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > > news:[email protected]...
> > > > > > > Can someone explain to me why (some) bikes have to be the only
> > vehicle
> > > > > *not*
> > > > > > > to use standard (Schrader) valves?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Don't even freaking go there. Everybody knows that Prestas are
far
> > > > > superior
> > > > > > valves, and they should be on cars as well.
> > >
> > > Because Presta are closed by air pressure and not spring pressure, I gather they are not at
> > > their best in low-pressure applications.
> >
> > Uhhhmm, it's 'sort of' the other way around, surely - Schrader valves
are
> > sealed by a small spring force plus the force of whatever air pressure
they
> > contain. Presta, are sealed first by their internal air pressure, then mechanically by
> > tightening of the little fiddley knurled nut thingy.
>
> I wasn't aware that Schrader valves had any significant air-sealing effect, but I don't know the
> valve mechanisms well.

They got enough! ',;~}~

> > Beta may well have been better, but IMNSHO the best by far was Phillips Video 2000 system -
> > excellently clear picture quality, visually stable pause, as well as fwd and rev picture search,
> > and stable single frame advance too. This was the first system to have dynamic auto tracking
adjust,
> > _way_ before VHS even found a way to do it. The tapes were also double sided, like an audio
> > cassette, and had plenty of record time on them.
>
> Video 2000 eh? Never heard of it.

Phillips' stuff - _excellent_ piece(s) of technology, especially for the era.

> > VHS managed to flood-corner the market, so Beta and V2000 hadn't got a market after a short
> > while, and fell.
>
> Don't know what it was like where you lived, but I certainly remember the era of Beta/VHS
> video stores,

Same here.

> which must have lasted several years.

Uh-huh, but Beta rapidly fell out of the market.

> It looked a lot like the current DVD/VHS situation, except that Beta hadn't already had a long run
> of commercial viability.

Shaun aRe
 
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