Bob, at 08:48 on May 20 1996, you wrote to Bill Grimsley...

BG> Goldstar have been making VCRs since at least 1988-89 (sorry Bob). 

BL> Palsonic sold the first one in Australia in 1990, and had an
BL> exclusive at the time. It was a heap of shit as you say.

BG> Then they will have been preceded by the Samsungs we were selling at 
BG> Chandlers in 1988, rebadged as the Technovision VB-520T.

BL> I don't know about Samsung.

Well you do now.  The TechnoVisions were indeed the first Korean VCRs sold
in Autralia, and were imported specifically by and for Chandlers (a
decision they had occasion to regret for many years afterwards).

BG> The Goldstar GVH-1246 was also being sold by us in 1988, and my
BG> service manuals for both of these (which I just checked) are
BG> dated as having been printed in Korea in 1987. Sorry. :) 

BL> You are wrong.

ROFL!  Excuse me?

BL> I can only repeat what I said: Palsonic had an exclusive on Goldstar which 
BL> ended in mid 1991. Palsonic then went back to Jap VCR's. God knows why or 
BL> how you had Goldstar manuals in 1988.

Probably because that's when they were printed.  And I'll say it again, the
GVH-1246 Goldstar was being sold by Chandlers (and everybody else, I
suppose) in 1988.  There was a Tandy rebadge of the same model too, and at
the same time.  They were pretty fucking awful though, and Goldstar
disappeared from stores until their 1296 series was released, around
1990-91 from memory.

BL> I told them what was wrong with it, and the Goldstar engineers
BL> worked through Xmas to fix the fuckers. But then, what would
BL> *I* know? (sorry Bill).

BG> Don't worry Bob, what's a couple of years between friends. :)

BL> I know the date because I bought one of the fuckers on 8/3/91. Sorry
BL> Bill. Your move.

If I had a stand-alone fax, I'd send you the copyright page from the
manual, which clearly states 1987.  And I know for a fact that we were
selling them as early as 1988.

BG> Some people still drive Austins. Doesn't make them good cars though. :) 

BL> (grin) Damn fine car, a Triumph Herald.

When compared with a Lada, you mean?

BL> I was amazed when I checked the dates before I replied. I've had the 
BL> VCR 5 years and no problems! I thought it was only 3 years old. It must 
BL> be a world record for Goldstar.

Their later models appear to be quite reliable, but the 1246 series was
shit, and have been for 8 (yes, 8) years.  :)

BL> I got it really cheap, too.

I'm sure you did.  Not beyond a bit of payola, the Koreans.

Regards, Bill

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