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CHAIRSIDE VIDEO RECORDER

VIDEO CASSETTE MACHINES are pretty good, but they're not so good they need to be bowed down on your knees and grovelled to. But too often do you see a modern slimline video recorder installed under the television, and the owner is seen crawling on the carpet trying to figure out which of the tiny buttons on the front to press. Surely such technology is not worthy of your humility.

So, where would you install the video machine if there were no convention you had to obey that they have to be under the set? And if such details as CABLES were not a problem. The most convenient position would be, surely, next to the comfy armchair, so you could insert a videocassette into the machine directly from a seated position in the chair?!

THIS CAN BE DONE.

How it's done: Move the video recorder to where you want it to be, ie where it's most convenient. Then connect it up. This may require such things as two co-ax cables m/f four metres long, and a power cable extension. These are standard accessories which can be bought from the right kinds of tv/vcr electrical goods shops. Measure up your requirements and get the right cables.

Advantages:

• More convenient use of video recorder.

• Better feeling of being in control as you've got the machine right there where you can directly operate it.

• Reduced chance of young children feeding biscuits to the machine or playing games in which the machine plays the role of a letterbox which may receive unsolicited inappropriate items.

• Disability / infirmity / illness need not preclude use of a video recorder.

Disadvantages:

• Requires the right cables. May need shopping around and discussion with experts (as opposed to arguing with fools). If the place that sold you the videorecorder makes excuses that there is "no demand" for the cables and that you should make-do with the video being under the television, you should seriously question whether that was the right sort of place to buy a machine from in the first place!

The idea was first implemented here when I was looking after my Mum. She was eighty years old and I fitted a video recorder she could use from the comfy armchair which was at the orthopaedically-correct height. The cables were hidden under the carpet. If you like the idea of this, the invention is declared to be SHAREWARE, and if you'd like to make a voluntary contribution, please send what you think it's worth to: Zyra, c/o the shareware office address. Cheques payable to Zyra Electric. Good stories about implementations of the idea can be sent via e-mail

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also see Picture-Out-Picture