It's Cool and Crazy, Man!

Your Shopping cart is empty.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

   
  Login Trouble - Order Status - My Account   Ordering - Shipping - Payments
  How do I change address, password, email, other?   How do I place an order?
  I'm having login trouble.  My password doesn't work.   Can I order by telephone or fax?
  How do I check the status of my order?   What are shipping costs? / Mail payment to?
  How will my order be shipped?   What forms of payment do you accept?
  How long before I receive my order?  
  I have not received my order. What can be done?   International Ordering
      Do you ship internationally?
  Search - Title Details - More Information   What region, zone, or format are your DVDs  

Can you give me more info about titles, artists or songs?
  Can you tell me the exact running time of a specific title?   Discounts
  What is your video master source? How is the quality?   Do you offer volume discounts?
  I don't see it, but was wondering, do you have...?   Can more than one discount code be used?
  Do your DVD cases come wrapped with cover art?   How do I receive a discount coupon code?
  Do you have a paper catalog you can mail me?   How do I redeem my discount coupon code?
 
 
  Other   Return Policy
  Who created your awesome homepage artwork?   What is your return policy?
  Do you carry CDs, movie posters or memorabilia?   What is your satisfaction guarantee?
  Do you have a store I can visit? Can I pick up my order?   Why should I buy from you?
  What is timecode?    
  What is a Kinescope?    
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

 



 

 


 

Q: Who created your awesome homepage artwork?
A:   The artist's name is Brian Clarke.  He also goes by the pseudonym of Les Toil. He's been giving The VIDEO BEAT a cool vibe since 1998 and we are very grateful for his generosity and patience with us. We've driven him so crazy with our fussing and futzing over little details that most other artists would have walked away, (but they'd have killed us first). But Brian takes a deep breath and soldiers on. I think the only way we get away with it is because he's a perfectionist just like us.

In addition to our main homepage graphic, Brian created our logo, discount information boxes, and other assorted pieces. He also helped us with our website layout.  If you need artwork with an edge, Brian is your man. Note: please don't drive him crazy like we do, we're sure the first piece he delivers will be perfect for your project.  top

 

Q: Do you have...specific titles, songs, artists or actors?
A:   Please use our search. Our search box is located on the top-right of every page and is designed to search for titles. If you're looking for specific artists, actors, song titles, etc., please use our advanced search. Our advanced search looks for your search phrase within our title descriptions. 
top


Q: I'm having login trouble.  My password doesn't work. 

A: When logging in you must use the same email address you provided when you originally created your account. You must make sure there are no leading or trailing blank spaces surrounding your email address and password as you enter them. Click here if you need a new password. If you requested a new password, remember that after login you should go to My Account to change it to something you will remember.  top


Q: What region, zone, or video format are your DVD-Rs? 

A:  Our DVD-Rs will play in all regions. We have many international customers. Our discs are formatted for the North American NTSC video system, so if you live outside of North America or Japan, your DVD player must be multi-system. The great news is that most all post-2003 DVD players manufactured outside the United States are multi-system and can play our discs. If you're not sure, please check your DVD player's owner's manual or look on the internet regarding your DVD player's manufacturer and model number. For more information read conditions of use.  top


Q: How do I change my address, password, email, other?  

A: To view or change your shipping address, password, email address and other information, simply login to your account. You must login using the same email address and password you provided when you created your account. If you have changed your email or password, you must use the most recent. Then click on My Account (located top right of every page). Then click the appropriate areas to make your changes. You can request a new password if you don't remember what you originally selected.  top

 

Q: How do I place an order? 

A: It's very easy! Simply browse through title categories or use the search to locate specific titles. Then click on title and add to cart. Repeat until you've added all the titles you want to purchase, then proceed to checkout. Payment options include credit cards and checks and money orders. Note: to ensure your order gets processed correctly, you must order on our website even if you are paying by check or money order. We're sorry we cannot take telephone orders.  top

 

Q: What forms of payment do you accept? 

A: We accept major credit cards, bank debit (ATM) cards, checks and money orders. Payments must be made in $US dollars. Orders cannot be placed via telephone. We do not accept purchase orders or PayPal or bank transfers, etc. We only accept orders placed via our website. Please see payment options for complete details.  top

 

Q: What are shipping costs? / Where to mail payment? 

A: Add a title to your Shopping Cart and while on Cart page, click the Shipping Costs Link to see a table of shipping costs. (Sorry, pasting a link here does not work). If paying by check or money order, payment mailing information is included in your order confirmation email and in your Order History in your online account. By the way: as of now, we do not charge sales tax. WE PAY THE TAX. Good for you, bad for us. This may change in the future.  top

 

Q: How do I check the status of my order? 

A: To check on the status of a recent order or to view your past order history, simply Login (you must enter the same case-sensitive email address and password you supplied when you created your account) and then click on My Account (located at the top right of every page). Then click on the link that says "My Orders."  Or, you can click here.  If you'd like USPS order tracking, please wait until you've received your shipping confirmation email then send us a brief email asking for a tracking link.  top

 

Q: How do I receive a discount coupon code? 

A: It's easy! Simply create an account and you'll receive a discount code. When registering, if you opt-in to receive our short monthly newsletter, you'll receive super discounts.  top

 

Q: Can more than one discount code be used? 

A: No, only one discount code can be applied to each order.  top

 

Q: How do I redeem my discount coupon code? 

A: To receive a discount you must correctly enter a discount code into the Discount Code box in your shopping cart and click "apply code." Our shopping cart system is automated and all discounts are calculated and processed automatically. Discounts cannot be applied after you place your order.  If you do not enter a discount code into the Discount Code Box and click "apply code," you will not receive a discount. If you do not see a discount deducted from your total, a code was not applied. Please try again or send us an email before you order. See  discount codes for complete details.  top

 

Q: How will my order be shipped? 

A: Orders are shipped via United States Postal Service (USPS) Priority Mail and postal order tracking is available - simply send us an email AFTER YOU RECEIVE YOUR SHIPMENT CONFIRMATION EMAIL and we'll reply with your tracking number. Orders are not automatically shipped with insurance but if you request insurance we will reply with the cost. We're very sorry but we don't offer overnight or super rush delivery service.  top

 

Q: How long before I receive my order? 

A: Orders are usually processed and shipped within 48 hours after receiving payment. (Excluding weekends and holidays...however we process and ship everyday during Christmas season.)  Then it's up the United States postal service and any international postal service on the receiving end. U.S. orders are generally received within 5-8 days. International orders vary by country, but are generally received within 7-21 days but on very rare occasions can take up to 8 weeks.  Please note: Postal services can be irregular. Many times international packages arrive at their destination in 7-10 days. Then, to the same destination, it may take 4-8 weeks. Why? We don't know. Sometimes packages get delayed by customs. Sometimes packages return to us with a note saying "no such address" when in fact, the address is correct.

 


Please follow these steps Verify your shipping address by via log in and go to My Account. If you live in an apartment building, please check with your building manager and neighbors. If you had your order delivered to your place of business, please check with the mail room and office mates. If your order was delivered to a PO Box, ask the postal workers if a package was placed in the wrong mailbox. If you had your order delivered to a friend, have them do the same checking. 99.95% of all packages arrive at their destination. Please help recover your package by following these steps. If your package is truly lost in the mail (very rare) you will be sent a replacement but we can't send you a replacement until we've tried the recovery options noted above and we are certain your order is really lost
.


If you are a U.S. customer and it has been 4 weeks since your order shipped; or an international customer and it has been 8 weeks since your order shipped, you will be sent a replacementYou won't be stuck without your order top

 

Q: I have not received my order.  What can be done?
A: If you are a U.S. customer and it has been 4 weeks since your order shipped; or an international customer and it has been 8 weeks since your order shipped, you will be sent a replacementYou won't be stuck without your order. If your order was large or international it may be suggested that you purchase insurance on the second mailing.  
top

 

Q: Do you ship internationally? 

A: Yes, we ship everywhere. A lot of our customers are in Europe, Australia and Japan as well as the USA.  top

 

Q: I don't see it, but was wondering, do you have...? 

A: The VIDEO BEAT focuses exclusively 1950s & 1960s teenage, rock and roll, hot rod, JD, hippie and youth culture-related material. But now, in 2018, some stuff from the 1970s seems pretty cool, so we've been adding 1970s material to our catalog. If you're looking for a title that you think is "youth culture" and belongs in our catalog, please send us an email with some info and we'll try to track it down. If you are looking for a title that does not fit our 50s, 60s & 70s "youth culture" genre, we more than likely won't carry it.  top

 

Q: Can I order by telephone or fax? 

A: Unfortunately no. We only offer e-mail support and ordering via our secure website.  top

 

Q: Do you have a paper catalog you can mail me? 

A: No, we're very sorry we only have our website. You can try printing each page. And, if you're looking for a specific title, please try our search.  top

 

Q: Can you give me more information about titles, artists or songs? 

A: We wish we had a lot more detailed information such as running time, aspect ratio, artists, actors, songs performed, and more, listed for every title on our website, but unfortunately we don't. We're sorry. The only information currently available is what you see listed on our website. Do YOU KNOW some information that we don't list? Please feel free to send us an email and we'll add your contribution to the title description. Many of the books on our recommended reading page provide more information. If you're searching for a specific artist or song, please try our advanced search top

 

Q: Can you tell me the exact running time of a specific title? 

A: Most all discs in our catalog run close to 2-hours in length. Most discs contain more than one program; they contain the main title and bonus selections. These bonus selections include movie trailers and other material that will hopefully compliment the main title ordered. So even though running time of an individual title is not listed, you can be sure that all discs run close to 2-hours in length.  top

 

Q: What is your video master source?  How is the quality? 

A: The VIDEO BEAT serves collectors of rare, never-released, out-of-print and public domain "Youth Culture" video material from the 1950s & 1960s, and lately some stuff from the 1970s. About sixty-percent of our catalog comes from film-chained 16mm and 35mm masters or TV station broadcast masters. The rest come from various high-quality sources. We have regularly upgraded titles to achieve our goal of offering very high quality material.

To prove this point, sometimes we have acquired the same title several times, in search of quality that meets our high standards, before we actually list it in the catalog. On the other hand, there are several titles that are slightly below our standards, yet we keep them in the catalog because we haven't located any better quality in over 35 years and the material is just too damn cool and important to leave out. We estimate that 5% of catalog is less than great quality :( but we've never found any better after years of research, and we're always looking.

In most cases the titles in our catalog represent the "best quality available" -- and we've been looking since 1984. Please remember that this material is rare and difficult to find. If you understand that this material was created with the technology of the 1950s & 1960s (think Kinescopes, videotape, etc.) and you don't expect modern 4K quality, you'll be very satisfied. That said, most of our titles *are* excellent quality! Here's what our customers think: Happy Customers. For more information see: DVD remastering and our return policy.  
top

 

Q: Do you offer volume discounts? 

A: We offer discounts to website visitors and customers who have registered. Once you create an account, you'll begin receiving a short monthly newsletter that contains discount codes that are redeemable in your shopping cart.  Note: As of now, we do not charge you tax. WE PAY THE TAX. Good for you, bad for us. This may change in the future.  top

 

Q: Do your DVD cases come wrapped with cover art? 

A:  Yes! We use an original art, color wrap-around on the jackets of all our DVDs. The back of the cases include a description of the disc's content.  top

 

Q: Why should I buy from you? 

A: Great question. For the same reasons you choose to do business with anybody; high-quality product, friendly and helpful service, product knowledge and "extra value" that others don't provide.  


The VIDEO BEAT provides quality no one else can match. For instance, we provide:

   -  A 48-hour turnaround (or less) even on large orders.
   -  Free upgrades and replacement of defective discs for life! (See return policy.)
   -  We fill every DVD nearly two hours by adding special bonus material.
   -  Our remastered discs look better than the original source.  
   -  All DVDs are recorded in 2-hour mode on high grade DVD-R media.
   -  A highly secure automated web shopping cart system.
   -  We do not charge you tax. We pay the tax. This may change in the future.
   -  A monthly newsletter when you create an account that offers special discount codes redeemable during checkout.
   -  Highest level of ecommerce credit card security provided by Authorize.Net

 

This means we are not offering the "same" DVD you have seen elsewhere. We offer more! Our customers recommend us to their friends, they say terrific things about us, and they come back for repeat purchases. This speaks to our service and quality.  top

 

Q: Do you carry CDs, movie posters or memorabilia? 

A: No. Sorry, we only carry DVD-R titles.  top

 

Q: Do you have a store I can visit?  Can I pick up my order? 

A: No, we're sorry. We don't have a physical store location. We're internet & mail order only.  top

 

Q: What is timecode? 

A: Timecode is a running number clock that is overlaid on video material. It’s usually done to time program segments, determine where commercials can fit and assemble a complete TV show or movie to fit a time constraint.

In the world of “rare collector’s video” sometimes the only way to see a program is on video with timecode. Many times the “master” tape was erased and the tape was reused.

Videotape was very expensive in the early days and lots of rare material was lost forever due to tape erasure and reuse. But, sometimes the “scratch tape” (the tape with timecode used to assemble a program) managed to survive. So, while some may think that timecode only detracts from the material, video collectors understand the situation and accept the timecode version, and in many instances are grateful to see the rare video material at all.  top

 

Q: What is a Kinescope? 

A: In its simplest form, a Kinescope is created by pointing a 16mm film camera at a studio television monitor to record a program for later re-broadcast or archiving. When videotape was introduced in the 1950s, it was very expensive and wasn’t widely used. Many TV programs from the 1950s & 1960s exist only on Kinescope; sometimes only a few episodes of a particular series exist. Kinescopes were faded out by the late 60s.  top


Q: What is your satisfaction guarantee? What is your return policy

A: Our discs are guaranteed for life. If a disc you ordered from us goes bad and stops working correctly due to freeze-ups or skipping, and it's been one year or less since purchase, we will immediately send you a free replacement. If it has been more than one year since purchase, a free replacement will be sent along with a new order. Please send us an email explaining your situation. We will reply with replacement information. Or, if you're considering placing an order, or you just placed an order that hasn't been shipped yet, contact us and tell us the disc that needs replacement. Please keep your DVD case, we will send replacement in a paper sleeve.

 

Refunds. To be eligible for a refund it must be 30 days or less since you received your order. Discs and cases must be in as-received condition. We will inspect your returned item and may contact you via email. Shipping costs are non-refundable. Customers are responsible for return postage and a 20% restocking fee may be deducted from your refund.


IMPORTANT:

Please know that we cannot accept a return, or offer an exchange or refund, simply because you watched the movie and didn't like it. Please ask questions before you order. Please read title descriptions carefully so you'll know what you're ordering. Also, please read our conditions of use to understand video system compatibility issues. Please read our DVD remastering processtop