Maybe your favorite video-rental place is all the way across town, and you like to take home several movies at a time. You probably end up returning one or two videos unwatched on a regular basis. Wouldn't it be nice if you could rent the videos, dub copies to watch at your leisure, and return the original tapes?
It sounds reasonable, but the video biz is run by people who think that everybody on the planet is a potential big-time bootleg entrepreneur.
The main thing stopping you from copying prerecorded videos (besides owning two VCRs) is a copy-protection scheme called Macrovision. It's a little code embedded in the video signal that scrambles the image if you try to copy a tape from one VCR to another. As with any technical problem, however, there is a solution.
The Macrovision Eliminator is a little black box that costs around US$60. By running a video signal through the box, you can remove the Macrovision code and get a clean-looking dub every time.
Most video equipment stores don't advertise the Eliminator (or other similar Macrovision-defeating boxes). Try calling stores in your area. Or better yet, pick up any video equipment 'zine and check the ads in the back.
MVE 2000: US$59.95. Distributors Unlimited Corp.: (800) 967 2603, +1 (417) 865 8280, fax +1 (417) 865 8667.
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