SVHS : Is it worth it? (1 Viewer)

[AaronD]

I think I'm finally going to have to break down and get a VCR again. I've been trying to ignore my urge to dump things off of my TiVo and archive them and play the *very few* VHS tapes I have..But I'm losing the battle with myself.

Anyways, my question is wether or not SVHS is worth it in my situation. I'm mainly going to be archving things off of my TiVo for long term storage and/or digitizing, and playing a few pre-recorded tapes.

The prices of SVHS decks seem to be around $200 for something decent with regular VHS decks hovering somewhere in the $125 range. Would you spring for the SVHS deck? Is it going to be better for recording even when recording to just VHS? With my archiving I definetly wouldn't be putting everything on SVHS tapes, only the stuff I really care about.

Thoughts? I'm not opposed to spending the extra $75 for a quality piece, but I'd rather not waste it either.

Thanks!

-Aaron

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

Let's see ... if Premium gas and Regular gas both cost the same ... should I buy just regular gas?

Why would you not use SVHS mode on all your programs since the media to tape to is the same? You can use SVHS mode on all tapes ...

Regards

 

[AaronD]

With SVHS-ET sure, the media is the same... But for real SVHS the media is different. Or am I smoking something?

And I'd like to be able to play the tapes in regular VCR's occasionally. Hence the use of standard VHS.

And of course, the decks are differently priced.

-Aaron

 

[AaronD]

Bump, anyone?

 

[Mike Matheson]

Aaron,

I picked up a JVC HR-S9800 a while back and was startled at the difference in picture vs. my old VCR. Sound also was substantially better. Easily worth the money, IMHO.

Haven't tried it for recording however. (I was just playing rented tapes)

Maybe look into the JVC 7x00 series? (7900 currently?). They're almost half the price of the 9800 but have most of the goodies. Plenty of talk on this forum and AVS about these JVC SVHS players (and similar models by other manufacturers) from the perspective of playback, should you want to do some searches.

 

[Allan Jayne]

An S-VHS VCR is better because
1. If it has a better comb filter than most regular VCR's, usually it does.
2. Playback of any tape is better via S-video.
3. Less degradation when making copies of your camcorder tapes via S-video.
An S-VHS VCR is not better because
4. The chroma resolution is no better than regular VHS
5. If it is not a high end machine with time base correction, there may be wow and flutter that produces the same wavy picture.
Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

 

[Rachael B]

Aaron, you should get a flying erase head model bare minimum and preferably a model with digital time base correction. You can use the FEH to make clean edit points when you edit out commercials when recording from Tivo. I'd recommend the JVC 7800/7900. The 9800/9900 is even better but costs more... Best wishes!

 

[Chuck Kent]

I agree that the better JVC models will provide better VHS quality. Even for your older standard tapes...
Here is a link to the best price I've seen for an excellent VCR. Crutchfield JVC HR-S7800
JVC has since released the 7900 but from my understanding, it offers NO additional features.
I bought one of these units a couple of months ago and it is well worth $200. And Crutchfield is an excellent mail order company to do business with.

 

[AaronD]

RachelB,

Being as this is my first real VCR purchase, what exactly does a flying erase head do? You said clean edit points, are you referring when recording is stoped/started or paused/started?

Having never really recorded off of my tivo to VCR, I know it has a 'dump to vcr' feature that I think plays the selection in the background out a separate set of video out jacks right to the VCR and doesn't display on the screen. Can anyone confirm this? I've never had to use the feature before.

Where is the best place to pick up HG VHS and SVHS media?

Thanks,

Aaron

 

[Al Fischer]

I have found the best places to get tapes would be your local video and record stores. They usually only vary by a few cents.

I use online dealers to buy in bulk, though. 50 or more at a time.

 

[AaronD]

OK, taking into consideration that I will probably be using this VCR very infrequently and mostly just for archiving TiVo material, is there a huge (and worthwhile) benifit to getting the 7800 as opposed to the 3900? I know the 3900 doesn't have the digital TBC and all that, but is the picture quality THAT much better?

Thanks,

Aaron

 

[Rachael B]

Aaron, the flying erase head makes clean, glitch-free, no rainbow noise, edit points when you pause or restart recordings. You can use frame advance to get the edit point right where you want it. The JVC 7800 has the flying erase head and TBC. You should definitely consider that Crutchfield deal for $199. The 3910 lacks TBC and the flying erase head. It's a ho-hum VCR IMO.... Best wishes!

 

[Jerry Gracia]

I have the JVC 7800 SVHS and I love it...its even better than my old JVC 4800 SVHS! Recordings off of broadcast TV are nearly indistinguishable on my 7800 deck. It's a great deal from CRUTCHFIELD.

Hey, Rachael...

My edits are never where I set them up at using the frame advance...the recording always picks up about three seconds ahead of where I originally intended, which is a pain. I'm starting to get the hang off it though.

Am I missing something?

Thanks!

 

[Michael St. Clair]

if Premium gas and Regular gas both cost the same ... should I buy just regular gas?

If the timing of your engine is optimized for it, and your car's computer cannot detect the knocks it would get from premium and compensate, stick with regular.

As far as S-VHS goes, my favorite feature is Digital Noise Reduction. It makes animation on my Toshiba W808 look just fantastic.

 

[Phil Nichols]

Michael St. Clair,

.......or even better than Digital Noise Reduction is a Faroudja Digital Sine Filter like is built into Sony SLV-R1000 S-VHS VCR's that you can get in very-little-used condition on eBay for $250-$300.

I wouldn't bother with a new mass market JVC VCR when you can get a good-as-new professional VCR's at these prices on eBay. I returned a one-week old JVC 9800 for a Sony SLV-R1000 and have never regretted it. Super-VHS recordings off DISH look just like original and even VHS pre-recorded tapes view incredibily well with absolutely no jitter - rock solid as DVD or a DISH channel.

I always buy used top of the line instead of new mass market - the value can't be beat. Of course top of the line new is best, but I can seldom afford that.

 

[Rachael B]

Jerry, you're not missing anything. JVC's decks aren't as frame accurate as they used to be when they were costing alot more. Your deck proably moves 5 to 7 frames after you pick the spot. You'll just have to get used to quesstimating it to end up where you want. You proably want to go just a bit ahead, right? It backs up a bit more than you want, eh? A really good editing deck like a Panasonic AG-1980 is accurate within plus or minus one frame. When I use the 1980, it stays put on the edit point I want. It's been awhile since I edited with any of the JVC's, but I frequently had to redo stuff. The 9500 is the last one I edited with and I thought it moved about 3 or 4 frames. My old 7100, which died, was proably about a frame better...? It seemed so. I liked it. I use the 9500 as a feeder now and some of my editing is automated anyway, but not all. I think I just love pushng buttons! Best wishes!

 

[Rachael B]

Phil, the 1000 is actually a consumer model. Sony's "prosumer" models all started with SVO. SV0-2000/2100/2200. The 1000 might as well as been a prosumer model. Hardly anybody bought it that didn't have a hotshot camcorder and a desire to edit. A friend who repairs electronics says all recent consumer VCR's look about the same inside, deluxe plastic parts, except the 1000. He says it's build although not awesome is a few steps ahead. A friend of mine has two 1000's and I like them. If my JVC 9500 dies I might get one. My Datavision mixer suppourts the 1000's editing protcol. I may end up with full-fledged computer editing soon though, so that plan may be moot...? The 1000 is a nice VCR, for sure! Best wishes!

 

[Phil Nichols]

Rachael B,

Actually, I exaggerated a bit. I have always understood the 1000 to be a "prosumer" deck, not a "professional" deck.

It's the 1000's Faroudja digital sine filter for playback that most attrached me too it - plus it's absolutely rock solid jitter-less images (It must have TBC to do this, but for some reason Sony says nothing about it in it's specs.)

By the way #1 on another topic, did I read in a recent post from you that you tried watching LD on an Elite RPTV? If so, how did the LD images come out IYHO? You know my opinion on this - if it did for your LD what the Elite (....and 1000) does (do) for my VHS - then I'm guessing you were impressed.

By the way #2 on another topic, my "brand new" (up to now unopened) black and white SP VHS auction copy of "Dambusters" provided spectacular viewing last night. Best black and white VHS I've ever viewed (NO video noise at all) to date. Great flick!

 

[Rachael B]

Phil, last year I had my LD-S9 hooked up to the 510, 610, and 710 using S-Video. The Elite line doubler does well with LD. I've played it into Mitsu, Sharp, and Loewe HDTV's too. The Mitsu and Sharp were rear projectors and their doublers are inferior to the Elite's. The Loewe sets were tubes and really don't compare well with the rest of the lot, but I would be inclined to use an iscan even with a Loewe tube. If I was going to buy a rear projector I wouldn't settle for anything less than the Elites.
I may never own a rear projector though. I'm moving in September into a place I'll own, hoo-ray! I'll have a 21.5' x 14' theatre room in the basement. I'll be making do with my 36" set for awhile more. Right now my thinking is that I'd like to have a projector and a drop down screen, so I can watch TV on the tube. If I decide against the projector, the new Elites will be in the running. I'll look at the other sets but I've yet to see anythng that can hang with the Elites. It's as if the doublers in other sets are geared to VHS...? Proably?
Is your THE DAM BUSTERS tape from the Mighty Warbirds series (NF158), mine is? I recently got a British documentary about the Dambuster's Raid on region 2 PAL DVD. I'm watching region 2 closely for a DVD of the movie. www.blackstar.com stille has PAL VHS of DAM BUSTERS in stock. I predict that when the U.K.'s supply of tapes runs out that a region 2 DVD will appear. It might come out in region 1 but who knows? It's not exactly beloved by American audiences and then there's the dog's name. Best wishes!

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I wonder how playback (of regular VHS and S-VHS) on the new JVC D-VHS deck compares to the Sony SLV-R1000...