Thanks Troy, is this a reliable site, I just bought the 50" GWII today and I also got the 40" XBR 4:3 tv today so in a couple weeks I am going to buy this.
How are DVHS owners calibrating their displays for use with their JVC decks? Are they using the same brightness/contrast/saturation/phase values as the ones they have set for DVD using Avia or VE? Does the JVC come with built-in test patterns?
I calibrated my set for HD using the AVIA DVD running on my HTPC which outputs 1800x540p(1080i timings). The output is detected by my HDTV as an HD signal. DVHS and HD satellite look great after using this method of calibration, but I can't wait for the new Digital Video Essentials to be released on DVHS. This will be the best way to calibrate your set for HDTV viewing.
I noticed a substantial difference in picture sharpness and detail between the DVD and the D-VHS. The audio was more different than I thought it would be also. The DVD sounds "tinny" in comparison...definitely thinner.
I calibrated using Video Essentials on a Panasonic RP-91 DVD player hooked up to that component input. This is very inaccurate though because the D-VHS looked very different than my DVD. I calibrated the other input with a Denon DVD-9000 and Video Essentials again. I am waiting for a true calibration with a High def test pattern generator (coming soon!).
I think if DVHS is being targeted at the videophile, it shouldn't be too difficult to add PLUGE, colour bars, and geometry pattern at the beginning of every tape. It doesn't cost anything and helps users get the most out of their gear.