Dancing! Fighting! Depression!
a double dose of ultimate dancing
I think I say this at least once a month, but this week’s edition of Diptych really does have something for everyone. There’s not really a theme this time around, but as I was sorting through my backlog of tapes this past Sunday, I watched a good portion of all of these throughout the day and I just felt like sharing them.
One kink that I’m still trying to iron out in the process of digitizing is achieving the best possible picture with LP and EP tapes. It’s a topic that has come up time and time again on here, and I thought this would be a good time to show a direct comparison.
LP and EP modes use less tape per minute of footage than Standard Play mode, giving 4 and 6 hours of recording time on a standard 2 hour cassette. This sounds great, but both the audio and video quality suffer immensely when these modes are used, and if that wasn’t bad enough, the signal tends to weaken much more over time causing a very erratic and unstable video feed.
It’s also a feature that wasn’t iterated on as much as it could have, as blank VHS tapes became cheaper and cheaper to buy all the way until the end of their commercial lifespan. Because of this, older VCR’s tend to have better tracking and signal strength in LP and EP mode compared to newer VCR’s. Here’s an example of both of my main VCR units playing back an EP tape:
On the left is my JVC unit from 2002, and on the right is a Panasonic unit from the year before. Both are very modern for VCR units, and they read EP tapes completely differently.
The JVC has a much more stable picture that is a little dark, but overall pretty nice to look at, but the problem is whenever there’s a small interruption in the signal, the VCR likes to display the playback settings in the top left corner. With the instability of EP footage, this tends to happen several times over the course of a tape.
The Panasonic doesn’t have this issue, but has several others. I use non-abrasive cleaning tapes or open up the unit to service the heads pretty regularly, and did so for both these units before I digitized these tapes, and that is the cleanest feed I’ve been able to get from this VCR in EP mode. It uh…. doesn’t look great.
So for now, I’m on the lookout for an older unit. Preferably something from the early 1990s that has manual tracking control so I can dial it in per tape. Auto Tracking is a wonderful feature of more modern VCRs, but only when it works. I’ll check back when I get my hands on something a little more suited to these types of tapes.
In the mean time, let’s learn how to take care of ourselves and how to fight, and (most importantly) how to dance!
UKD Ultimate Kicking Drills
1996 | Runtime 54 Minutes
Want to kick higher, faster, stronger? Tired of hundreds of repetitions with little to show for it? Bored with the same old training routine? Then the Ultimate Kicking Drills video is for you! Discover dozens of kicking drills, techniques, exercises and practice tips to put you on the road to measurable, scientific improvement.
Contents:
Plyometric drills, multiple target drills, static & dynamic partner drills, heavy bag drills, fixed and moving target drills speed, power and agility running, isometric exercises, stretching bar drills, outdoor training methods partner exchange drills, agility and timing drills, flexibility & timing training, essential weight training exercises, plus the conditioning and stretching exercises critical to honing your body for awesome kicks.
With dozens of new and traditional drills, exercises and training methods, this video is sure to bring excitement and variety to your kicking practice, no matter what your style of martial arts.
UFC XIII: The Ultimate Force
1997 | Runtime 2 Hours 10 Minutes
The Ultimate Fighters use THE ULTIMATE FORCE as they battle in the popular "double tournaments" that have redefined this successful fighting series. Nine opponents enter the Octagon with enough brute force to dispose of weaker competitors in 7 battles displaying varying martial-artistry and strength. Also included - The Main Event Superfight pitting two UFC favorites:
David "Tank" Abbott, an Octagon veteran and pitfighting professional, vs. Vitor Belfort, the 20-year-old phenom with the "fastest hands in the UFC."
In a world where power leads to success and weakness leads to defeat, only the Octagon leads to THE ULTIMATE FORCE.
Cal Pozo's Learn To Dance In Minutes: Swing!
1996 | Runtime 70 Minutes
JOIN THE CROWD, BE A PART OF THE SWING DANCE CRAZE!
In this program you'll learn the basic steps and rhythms to the swing and its variations: the jitterbug, jump-jive, lindy hop and the east/west coast swing! You'll learn how to do turns and side-by-side moves that will make you stand out from the thousands of people who are crowding swing clubs across the country.
•This Platinum Award winning program features:
•Easy to follow animated footprints that walk you through all step patterns
•Detailed instructions in leading and following anyone.
• Both slow motion and progressively linked step instructions. In minutes, you'll be learning dance routines.
• Reverse camera angles that place you behind the instruction.
Cal Pozo, American's #1 Dance Educator, is a former U.S. Ballroom Dance Champion and Broadway dancer/choreographer. His dance instructional video programs have helped more than 1 million people take to the dance floor with zest and without fear!
Wiley Hicks Partner Dancing The Country Way Volume 1
1993 | Runtime 40 Minutes
PARTNER DANCING The Country Way, Vol. 1
Texas Two Step, Texas County Line ("Darlene"), Cowboy Polka, Schottish, Dallas Shuffle
WILEY HICKS, 3-time national country dance champion, Masters Degree -Performing Arts, and 25 years as a professional instructor/choreographer, shows you the real moves and the
style and grace necessary for great country partner dancing. His partner, TRESA, is a perfect complement. She's hot, fun and a fabulous dancer/instructor.
In this tape, you will easily learn the basic correct steps for each of the dances shown. You will also get valuable tips on looking great and going beyond just "survival" on the country dance floor, although this tape can also be a crash course to "looking good". Learn the right way with Wiley and Tresa. You will be amazed how easy and fun the dances become. You, too, can now be part of the hottest craze in America. If you're already a country dancer, the style and technical instruction will be invaluable!
Wiley Hicks Partner Dancing The Country Way Volume 2
1993 | Runtime 40 Minutes
PARTNER DANCING The Country Way, Vol. 2
Waltz, Ten Step, Waltz Across Texas, Cottoned-Eyed Joe, Cowboy Cha Cha, Horseshoe, Country Swing
Understanding Depression
1996 | Runtime 15 Minutes
Brought to you as a health education service by SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals.
Well, that’s it for this week! I hope you enjoyed the tapes! If you’re looking for more, please check out my page on Archive.org for the full list of digitized media. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message right here or drop a comment below. If you haven’t already, please check out this Self Defense class brought to you by Master Tsai himself or any of my other previous posts here. Thanks so much for checking out this week’s edition of Diptych!
See you soon!
—Forrest
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