From: <bgardner@ATHENA.MIT.EDU>
Date: Fri, 5 May 89 17:29:15 EDT
Message-Id: <8905052129.AA16403@PINK.MIT.EDU>
To: bgardner@ATHENA.MIT.EDU
Subject: video disc players & the Athena basement studio  


   I spoke to Crimson Tech, Video Visuals, and Lake Systems
about renting or buying Panasonic OMDRs. None of them
will rent one, and only Crimson Tech carry them at all.
(Ben Davis also mentioned another place that might carry them
called "HB Communication". He'll try to get me the address
but he thinks its in Connecticut.)
   Crimson said their prices are as follows:

       $ 10,675.00  TQ-2026F Optical Disc Recorder/Player
       $  3,411.73  TQ-2027F Optical Disc Player

They also said that they have none in stock, and have several
already on order for specific customers.
   The blank disc to record onto are:

          $ 127.24  TQ-FH224 Spiral Optical Memory Disc

Also none of these are in stock.
   I spoke to Ben Davis and he said that the demand on these has gone up
in the recent past and the shipping of them is backlogged. He
said we should expect roughly a 6 week wait (4 weeks, if we are really lucky).
  
   I also spoke to Ben about use of the video studio in Athena's basement.
He said that it is in a reasonably heavy use this month (it being
end of semester), but a couple of Muriels students could use it
if they understood that they can only use it when its free, and
that other people will have priority, etc..
He also had a couple of other minor restrictions.
He wants them to understand how to use the equipment, but he doesn't
have any time to teach them, so they'll have to learn from someone else.
(I told him that this was no problem, because one of the students would
be me and I would show them.) He also doesn't want to give out the
combination to the room to anyone if he can avoid it.
He suggested that I let them in, supervise, and take the responsibility
for them. He said he didn't want people just showing up in the middle of the
night unsupervised for security reasons.
(I said ok, I'd open the door myself and take reponsibilty, etc.)
   I image that if this isn't good enough, he would probably
give the combination out (say to Hal) if they can and spoke to him
personally. I got the impression that he really didn't mind afew students
using it; he just wants to know exactly who goes in & out and
who will take responsibility if someone screws up something.
He seemed pretty amiable, all in all.
   How this is all the info that was needed.
        -- Brian