I’d hoped to make this video rather longer, but today I have learnt one important thing: it’s hard to scrape images off a dodgy VHS without a Time Base Corrector. Nonetheless, it gives a good idea of the kind of presentation Cartoon Network had back in 2003. (It’s very easy to date a video when there are 10th anniversary trails on there…)
I spared you the ads, as they were deeply loud and unpleasant. A charge that could perhaps be aimed at the trails you DO get here, but I rather like them – the one at 1:35 is especially good.
But the great thing about this era of Cartoon Network is the grid-formation idents/bumpers. They’re quite simply some of the best presentation the channel has ever had, and far better than anything they – or, indeed, most other channels – have now. Beautifully edited together, the way the action from many different cartoons seamlessly moves from one block to the other is incredible. Working on so many different levels – hell, they even fit in with the concept of the channel’s logo – they’re an example to channels everywhere of how to do fantastic presentation that fits with your output.
There’s plenty more from this VHS – as soon as I manage to get a decent signal out my bloody machine, I’ll grab some more of it.
Louis Barfe on 1 January 2010 @ 8pm
What’s the problem with the signal? Sometimes, you can improve matters by taking the lid off and tweaking the tape guides. I’ve got tapes from an old machine where with the guides at their default setting on my current machines, the tracking will give me decent picture but shit sound, or shit picture/decent hi-fi stereo sound. With guide-diddling, I can force a compromise. Some DVD recorders have built-in TBCs, don’t they?