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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1987-12-02, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1987. Huroit Gift Guide20. Video tape, blank or pre-recorded good gift With VCRs becoming so popu lar, blank and prerecorded video cassettes will make popular, highly personalized gifts for the holiday season. Tapes suita wide variety of recording applications and view ing tastes, from Harrison Ford thrillers to trout fishing, points out Bob Burnett, one of the videotape experts at the Manufacturing 3M Company. “There’s nothing like a blank videocassette - or a prerecorded program-to suit someone’s special interests,’’ Burnettsays. “Youcan please a home-bound grandmoth er, a finicky ‘videophile’ or a Madonna-mad teenager in one trip to the store.’’ There are videotapes specially designed for high quality music and recording, for home movie making and for building a personal film library, says Burnett, whose company won an Oscar for film sound last year and an Emmy for the invention of videotape. Standard grade cassettes are most commonly used for recording a program off television or cable for one-time viewing,’’ he added. Whether it’s a blank video cassette or a prerecorded program, the first thing the holiday gift giver has to know is whether the person Make sure of right format to whom he’s giving the tape has a VHSorBeta VCR. The two formats are not compatible - a Beta tape will not play on a VHS machine, and vice versa. Next, consider whether the person to whom you’re giving the tape has special interests. While special tapes like the new hi-fi videocassettes offer outstand- ing picture quality, they are designed to reproduce high quality audio sound, Burnett advises. Similarly, “extra high grade’’ tapes are formulated to retain color and clarity over many years. They are ideal for those with video cameras or for making tapes you want to keep. VCR owners mainly interested in building a library of feature films recorded from cable or TV will make best use of “high grade’’ tapes. “ ‘High grade’ tapes help cut down visual ‘noise’, which you see as snowy lines,’’ Burnett says. For most purposes, a two hour tape such as a VHST-120 ora Beta L-500 will be long enough. Shorter tapes are particularly welcome for home movie making. Prerecorded videocassettes of fereven more opportunity to give a truly personal gift. While there are literally thousands of feature films available, don’t forget special “made-for-video’’ programming. There are popular and classical musieprograms-oftenfound in “video” sections of big record stores - children’s fare, and how-to-instructional cassettes which cover everything from wood working to choosing a wardrobe. Exercise tapes and cooking tapes are extremely popular - and if you ’ re having trouble with the dog, there’s even a tape that shows you how to get him to heel! Video fans with stereo or hi-fi VCR’s will want the best possible sounding programs. Remember that “stereo,” which is available only in a VHS format, is a medium- qualitysound level. “Hi-Fi” or “Hi-Fi/Stereo” is top-of-the- line. All hi-fi tapes will play on any VCR of the same format, Burnett adds. However, hi-fi tapes will reproduce the best sound only on the new hi-fi VCRs. Another factor in quality audio reproduction of “stereo” tapes is whether the cassette is encoded for one of the so-called noise reduction systems which mimimize back ground hiss. The most common of these is called Dolby. To achieve the best effect here, the VCR and/or the stereo system through which it is played must use the same Dolby circuitry as the one used in making the original tape. This is indicated on the tape package and VCR or stereo system as “Dolby B” or “Dolby C”. Finally, there are several hun- dred cassettes that include closed captions for the hearing impaired. Bear in mind, Burnett advises, that the person receiving the tape must have a special decoder box for his or her TV and/or VCR to benefit from this thoughtful feature. 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ByChance gift GIFT BOXES SUPPLIED FREE, Y FOR DAD OR BROTHER SEAFORTH 527- FOR MOM OR SIS HAND BAGS......................... 15.00 to 36.00 SCARVES...............................12.00 to 25.00 GLOVES...................................5.95 to 35.00 WONDERBRA HOSE....2.50 to 5.00 LINGERIE.................................4.75 to 40.00 NIGHT WEAR........................15.00 to 29.95 HOUSE COATS..........29.95 to 59.95 BED JACKETS..... ....................19.95 CARDIGANS..........................35.00 to 59.95 PULLOVERS.........................30.00 to 79.95 BLOUSES..............................35.00 to 55.00 SLACKS.................................26.00 to 60.00 BLANKETS.............................16.95 to 45.00 THERMAL BLANKETS16.95 to 19.95 BATH TOWELS............4.95 to 10.95 HAND TOWELS.............3.95 to 6.95 DRESSES................20% to 50% Off COMFORTERS: Twin, DbL, Queen 39.95to 59.95 DRESS SHIRTS..........23.95 to 35.00 SPORT SHIRTS..........13.95 to 35.00 VIYELLA SHIRTS......................49.50 VEST SWEATERS......17.95 to 29.50 PULLOVERS.................29.95 to 59.95 PAJAMAS......................18.95 to 22.50 SKI PAJAMAS...........................24.95 HOUSE COATS..........29.95 to 55.00 SCARVES, pure wool....6.95 to 8.95 DRESS SLACKS.........29.95 to 55.00 DRESS GLOVES.........5.95 to 27.50 DRESS SOCKS..............2.95 to 4.95 ATTACHE CASES......49.50 to 59.50 3 PC. LUGGAGE SETS...........125.00 CLOTHING SPECIAL! 20% OFF ALL OUR SUITS AND SPORT JACKETS STORE HOURS: • OPEN EVERY DAY EXCEPT SUNDAYS Starting Dec. 2