Comments? Oh, I have plenty. :)

Best S-VHS tapes:

• TDK (#1 best, no contest)
• Panasonic
• JVC
• BASF
• Sony

S-VHS tapes to avoid:

• Fuji = grainy, dropouts
• Maxell = rubbish, prone to feathering (aka "being eaten", due to poor clamshell manufacturing)
• Memorex = dropouts; tape brand not often found for sale anyway
• Any off-brands

I still have blank TDK tapes, for special needs, but have less than 10 now. :(

And it's important to note that this doesn't mirror VHS blank tape quality. For example, Maxell is a great VHS tape, for certain grades. But then Sony is average to crappy, for all of its VHS tapes, including so-called "broadcast grade" VHS tapes. TDK and JVC ruled that genre, too, with excellent tapes. And Panasonic didn't make VHS tapes past the 1980s -- that I am aware of, at least.

What makes a tape good or bad is:

• Grain (want less)
• Color retention (want more)
• Color noise (want less)
• Durability as related to image (dropouts, preferably lack thereof)
• Durability as related to tape strength (won't snap apart)
• Quality of clamshell (won't feather or ruin tape during normal usage)

Unlike a DVD or Blu-ray -- or any digital format -- analog image quality was partly based on the quality of the media.

Thanks, lordsmurf! You have answered my question in great detail. I am glad to know I didn't go wrong purchasing those JVC SVHS tapes. Now is there a particularly good head cleaning cassette you recommend?
Is the dry or wet type preferable? You can see that I am a total novice at this.

I never use "cleaning" tapes. Those just move dirt around, not remove it.
The proper head cleaning method has been documented on this site before. Let me go do a quick search...
... found it.

The VCR cleaning guide is here: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/home...html#post11353 (post #14)

Do that. :)

[QUOTE=Tasuke;18726]indeed, that "Hash" is likely just the drum being a little dirty,
or the mechanism just needing some exercise after a long period of dormancy,
either of which will be corrected after playing another tape or two all the way through.
After playing through 2 tapes, the video hash is still there using my JVC HR-S8000U. I may need to manually clean the heads as per instructions referred to by lordsmurf. Any further advice?

I think that your 8000U might have an alignment issue. If there is video noise still at the bottom of the image of the tape, it means that the heads might be out of alignment. What does this hash look like? Could you capture an image of the machine playing a tape? I have received VCRs off ebay before that were completely out of alignment and they snow all over the picture.

Speaking of the 8000U, is this model prone to a white streak problem? After about 8 months almost, my machine still has the white streak problem. I am contemplating sending it into be repaired, as I really like the machine, and all of the features that this machine has. Kinda gonna look to find my Dad's old 7000U and try to get that repaired as well. However, I still find that the machine that it is the best (of course once you get the white streak problem fixed) is the JVC HR S6900U. Full tape counter, one of the fastest mechanisms, and has a sleek design with nice rosewood simulated side panels. However, I must admit that the 8000U has a nicer build to it than the 6900U. The only drawback on the 8000U is that there is no real time tape counter. It is an older tape counter from the early 80's and I am not a big fan of that at all.

sorry to Necro, but i thought i'd proclaim that i now have a full HR-S8000U set, including the original box and TWO of the original JVC ST-120 S-VHS blanks i was originally asking around for;

http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/imag...ccs15121-1.jpg

http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/imag...VHSST120-1.jpg

http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/imag...OHN42312-1.jpg

http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/imag...ccs15122-1.jpg

http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/imag...IPCARTON-1.jpg

Hey, thanks for the update. Not gravedigging at all. :congrats:

I've never seen anyone that was so intent to get a complete VCR. I can understand Transformers or something like that, but an S-VHS VCR is just such an unlikely collectible. At any rate, I'm glad you found it. I know the feeling.

my Mitsu HS-U70 and -U50 are likewise equally complete. neither of which, unfortunately, are operational at the moment. the JVC HR-S8000U, however, seems an indestructible, tireless workhorse that inspires such long-term confidence as i never thought possible from a VCR of any price point.
it is an obscenely handsome machine at that. what's not to love?

for anyone still in possession of a large, active VHS collection
(probably only myself at this point, hey, it's 2014; wake up and smell the high-def, moron!!)
the JVC HR-S8000U is singularly recommended as THE VHS VCR to own. someone once exclaimed that the 8000U
is "the last VCR you'll ever own" i clearly see exactly what they had meant by that now...

oh, and i actually commit the cardinal sin of running ALL my legacy SD A/V sources to an HD monitor,
and, IMHO, they've never looked better. i do have Blu-Ray capability, -a SONY BDP-S300 to be precise-
and i'll agree it looks smashingly good, it nevertheless has failed to inspire me to up and toss out
all my SD material, as it has seemed to have so successfully motivated most others to have done long since.

i mean, i am certainly not blind to the vastly superior resolution of high-def sources,
but it somehow does not diminish my enjoyment of legacy SD materials.
i somehow manage to accept them for the pieces of high-technology art i tend to feel that they are, warts and all, especially Laserdisc,
which manages to be a damned awesome video medium, IMHO, even to this very moment...

HR-S8000U S-VHS as featured in 2015 Film "Joy"

http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/imag...p6ezjpng-1.jpg

HR-S8000U S-VHS as featured in 2015 Film "Joy"

http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/imag...p6ezjpng-1.jpg