Super VHS vs DVD (1 Viewer)

[Thomas&CJ]

Hello considering buying a super vhs to complement my new Dish Satellite system. The set top box that comes with it really makes recording convenient. I was just wondering what to expect in terms of clarity and noise when compared to DVD’s. Also who makes the best super vhs recorder and what tape (brand) would you recommend. I considered a DVD recorder but price and the current limited recording time in the best quality (I've heard that it takes up to two disk for some movies) has me leaning more toward tape at this time. Thanks!!

Tom j.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

I have a JVC SVHS unit and I have to say that the results are sub-par compared to commercial DVD's.

Return your Dish receiver and get a PVR507. These things do bit-for-bit hard drive recording. The playback is identical to the original sat broadcast.

My VCR tends to gather dust since we got one of these. And you will LOVE the pause/rewind/search features.

 

[Reginald Trent]

There is no comparison and I have both. I have the highly regarded JVC 7600 S-VHS and the Panasonic E30k DVD recorder. You cannot tell the difference from the original source when using the DVD-R, The JVC 7600 reveals grainy images not present in the original source material.

Plus it's a bulky tape for Pete's sake.

 

[RAF]

I agree with others who have posted here. While S-VHS is excellent by analog taping standards, it is nowhere as good as most DVDs in picture quality. And as was noted, since you have a Dish Network System (as I do) you really should use one of their PVR set top boxes for time shifting recording. I have both a 501 (now the 507) and a 721 and they are great to use in conjunction with the Dish satellite system.

Also, for those times when the 90 hours of recording time is not enough on my 721 I have a JVC S-VHS unit connected to archive programs and get them off the hard drive of my PVRs. The resulting S-VHS tape will not look quite as good (the PVR gives you a picture just about as good as the original) but it's still very good for the purposes intended. Of course, you have other recording options (like DVD-R and D-VHS) but I don't think you were going down that road in this thread.

One thing for sure, with the lowering prices for Video Tape recorders I sure wouldn't consider a standard VCR when you can get an S-VHS unit for a very reasonable cost. The difference between VHS and S-VHS is significant and observable. But your first step should be switching your set top DISH box for a DISH PVR. You won't be sorry and you'll probably not use your VCR much at all (except for archiving.)

My 2 cents.

 

[Reginald Trent]

You can record 2 hrs of high quality on DVD same as Tape so I don't see why tape rates over DVD.

 

[Devin U]

I think you can get a Mitsubishi DVHS/SVHS recorder for about 300 buck after rebates, but, like everyone else is saying, you can get a 507 for that price, especialy if you just signed up.

 

[Tony Kwong]

I think for archiving A D/SVHS deck is a must. been very happy with S/D/W-VHS deck for some time now. Why are people basing tape for archiving? For time shifting I like Hard Drive based recorders followed by DVD-RAM. For tapes I like Fuji branded tapes. I used them for the past 10 yeas and that it definetly my favroite brand. I normally have them custom spooled to my specs because I like better cases/spools.

 

[RAF]

Interesting discussion. Like many others, with the advent of PVRs, my video recording habits have shifted (no pun intended) quite a bit. In fact shortly we will be unveiling a new PVR section here on the HTF if it hasn't occurred already.

I used to rely heavily on my S-VHS recorder for time shifting, etc. but now my PVRs have taken over that task almost entirely. Each time I use my S-VHS deck I have to blow the dust off of the remote.


However, I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. (Me, that is.) I hadn't even thought of using recordable DVD's for archiving television material. I got so set in my ways thinking of using S-VHS for archiving OTA material that I forgot about the advantages (and now wide availability and cost effectiveness) of DVD as a storage media. As analog taping goes the way of the dodo bird, newer digital technologies will fill the void. And since the PVR is now the machine that handles temporary storage of unwatched material it is no longer important, to me, to use an erasable medium such as tape for permanent archiving. Once I decide to archive something, it's probably going to be for something I want to save. Thus "R" instead of "RW" works for me (not to mention the superior image the newer storage formats have over even S-VHS.)

Of course a lot of this is, for my purposes, just an exercise in possible use of technology in the limited time span I have available each day. I used to tape a lot of stuff in the "old" days, usually never watching it. I still have the complete COSMOS series on BetaMax from several decades ago. Taped it (I was usually out when it was on PBS) and never got around to it. That is, until I purchased the DVD set.


In fact, I'm finding that when I miss a show that I had some interest in I tell myself, "I'll buy it on DVD when it comes out so no bother archiving it!"

So many things to watch, and so little time. But at least the ever changing landscape of technology makes it an enjoyable ride!

 

[Rachael B]

Tom, if you get S-VHS get the best JVC. The current model the 9911 droped a key feature from it's predecessor, the 9900, the antighosting tuner. I'd shop for the older model if possible. Best wishes!

 

[Thomas&CJ]

Thanks to all that replied I definitely going to look into Dishes PVR 507, and I might even consider a DVD recorder. I really had been considering a 507 all along because like Robert I wanted the ability to do some archiving. Just saw Reginald post which states that recoding time is up to two hours on a DVD recorder does everyone agree? Just seems like I've read that with some movies it takes up to two disks to make a copy that originally only required one. Thanks! I'm new here at HTF and everyone has been just GREAT!

Tom j.

 

[Derek Iverson]

Just saw Reginald post which states that recoding time is up to two hours on a DVD recorder does everyone agree? Just seems like I've read that with some movies it takes up to two disks to make a copy that originally only required one.

It depends on the bitrate that you record at. I think that only the more expensive DVD-recorders let you manually set the bitrate though. The cheaper ones usually have like two or three different quality settings.

I personally use my HTPC to record TV and burn DVD-R's. I like having control over the way the DVD is encoded.

 

[Larry Schneider]

The Panasonic DMR-E30 allows variable length recording - if I need 2:04 for a movie I just set the max time at 2:07 to allow some leeway. The E-20 didn't have this feature.

 

[Thomas&CJ]

Wow Larry I'm going to have to check out the The Panasonic DMR-E30, Would you recommend it, and have you been completely satisfied with it. Thanks

Tom j.