I've had a video tape machine in my house for three years now. During that time I've been through many video experiences: turning the living room into a mini tv studio; lugging the battery-operated Sony "portapak" through Europe (even had it blessed by the Pope); making tapes of rock performers — Lou Reed, John Cale, The Dolls, The Beach Boys, and others; experimenting with teen porno; writing 13,000 words on video for The Video Primer, my video handbook to be published this spring by Links Books; and, recently, selling all my video equipment to make the switch from Sony to Panasonic.

When I first got my gear I thought that video meant I could make my own* television. Which is true, if slightly exaggerated from a technical point of view. Then I thought it would be good as an electric notebook, carried around to record the various elements of my life style as they happened. Again, true, but the portable equipment weighs in at a hefty thirty odd pounds — not something to slip in your pocket like an Instamatic. Finally I discovered what video is really good for: nothing more, nor less, than recording programs off of tv so they can be watched again.

Recording a program off of tv is simple. You need three things: a color tv monitor/receiver, a color record video tape recorder, and lots of tape. The special television set, called a "monitor/ receiver" has output jacks in the rear. The video tape recorder (either color or black and white, the price being about the same) is connected to the "monitor/ receiver" by a cable (included with the video deck). You tune in the show on the tv set, put a reel of tape on the video recorder, push the "record" button, and the program is recorded — it's as easy as that. The tape can be stored and replayed on your tv screen for a hundred years or so.

You don't need to invest in lights, cameras, battery packs, portable video decks, mikes, and all the rest of the video verite junk that is so nicely illustrated in the Sony catalog. In fact, some video systems don't even require as much as what's described above. Some have UHF-VHF tuners built in to their models. With Sony, Panasonic, and JVC video cassette machines (using a self-contained video cassette rather than an open reel of tape) you just tune in your favorite show on the video recorder and push the record button. You don't need a special tv to record the signal from and for playback you can use any standard tv set — color or black and white.

Now isn't that exciting? Don't you think your life has been changed for the better with this extra added knowledge I've brought to you this month courtesy ofCREEM?

Okay, so how much will it cost you. ..? In video cassette for a mere $1,395 minus whatever discount you can manage (runs about 15% these days) you can get the Sony U-Matic Color Videocassette Recorder (VO 1600). A nice 59 pounds of color record and playback all on a video cassette that you just shove in the slot and let run. And it has a built in UHF-VHF tuner so.you don't need a special tv to record shows off the air.

The problem with the video cassette system at the moment isn't the equipment — it's about equal in price to the open reel stuff — but the cost of the video cassettes themselves. Where a half hour of open reel video tape lists for $21 and can be purchased just about anywhere for $11 or $12, a half hour of video cassette time will cost you $25. Since tape prices go up on their own weird curve, an hour reel of tape is $19 (with discount) while an hour video cassette is over thirty bucks.

The disadvantage of open reel video recorders is the extra equipment needed. There are no color video tape recorders with built-in UHF-VHF tuners, necessitating that monitor/ receivers will cost you at least $500 plus a color video tape recorder, which'll run you at least $1,500. There are also the advantages of being able to get special video tape recorders in the open reel format — such as editing decks — which are not yet available in the cassette format.

Anyway, for the price of a year old Volkswagen you can have a slice of real life — predigested and re-eatable. That's what video is really all about. If you also want to make home movies with it (and maybe even a tv show or two), then you could spend the $6.95 for a skillfully bound paperback copy of my magnum opus, The Video Primer, which can ,be ordered by sending money to Links Books, 33 West 60th Street, New York, New York 10023 or going to the store (preferably one that sells books) and asking for it. That's a pitch gang, but then I gotta get the money to buy my video tape from somewhere.