Betamax transfer deck needs s-video?

[jtech1]

I am debating between a SL-HF2000 or SL-HF2100 to capture old beta tapes. The 2000 seems to be in pretty good supply... but has no S-Video out. 2100 is rare and expensive but has S-Video.

My question is... is there a noticeable difference in quality when capturing old beta tapes on deck via S-Video as opposed to a deck via composite? Not talking theoretical... I mean real world... is there a noticeable difference?

Thanks!

[lordsmurf]

It really depends on the workflow, what you'll be doing with the files. s-video is always better, but the question becomes if it makes a major difference. Sometimes it does not.

[latreche34]

Keep an eye on the ED beta decks, They are Sony made only and they have EDV in their model numbers, Those have S-Video and HiFi stereo and can playback BI, BII, BIII, SuperBeta and ED Beta tapes.

Basically just search for "Sony EDV", But chances of finding a good working unit for under $200 is slim.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ftr...fLoc=2&_sop=15

[lingyi]

I had a SL-HF2100 as well as the two EDV-7500's and liked the picture on the ED Beta's better. There are a few EDV-7500 and EDV-7000 (Japanese version) machines available on eBay mostly from Japan. IMO, stay away from the other EDV machines (5000, 6000, 8000) because they're lower cost consumer models unlike the prosumer 7500/7000 and 9500/9000.

I'd also recommend staying away from the SL-HF2000 which is nowhere near the quality of the SL-HF2100 which had every bell and whistle possible (except a jog wheel) as befits it's status as the 15th Anniversary Betamax.

Edit: FYI, I owned over 20 Betamaxes at one point and had almost all the top or near of the line machines, SL-5800, SL-2700, SL-HF900 as well as 2100 and 7500 mentioned above. IMO, the 7500 had the best picture quality of them all. The 2100's picture always seemed a bit soft compared to 900 and the 7500.

Also, moreso than even top quality VHS machines, top Betamaxes are near $1000, anything less than about $500 is a bargain! Also, stay away from the low to mid range machines, anything in the 100's series as they were mid-quality even when new.

Check out MisterBetamax http://mrbetamax.com for more info about Betamaxes and if you're willing to pay the price, he has refurbed machines, including the 2100, but be prepared for sticker shock!

[latreche34]

I own two EDV-7500, Bought the first one as for repairs, The video heads are shot, Then bought a second unit to fix the first unit, Ended up fixing the second unit because it had a broken cassette loading mechanism which I swapped out from the first unit, Another problem with these aged units is the video drum bearings, they wear out and get noisy and cause static lines in the picture. I tried to replace the bearings on the non working unit to practice but I couldn't figure out a way to get to them even when I took the whole head assembly a part.

If you ever buy one and the head doesn't spin smooth or noisy return it immediately if you can even if the picture is clean.

[lingyi]

Since the original ED-Beta decks, the EDV-9500 and EDV-7500 (EDV-9000 and EVD-7300 in Japan), were considered semi-professional decks in the U.S., like professional VHS machines, most were heavily used. Especially the 7500's which were the workhorse machines, compared to the editing deck that the 9500 was. The US only got the 7500, 9500 and the EDC-55 which was an ED-Beta camcorder.

I don't know if it was the bearings or the videoheads themselves that gave out, but both my EDV-7500's gave up the ghost after several years.

IMO, the best overall deck I owned was the SL-HF900 which as I mentioned above, I thought had the second best picture quality to the EDV-7500. Plus, it was a workhorse. As much as I loved my SL-HF2100, it was more a showpiece of what could be done, rather than a real improvement over the 900.

[latreche34]

The EDV-7300 is a Canadian model, That was my second unit, I referred to both as 7500 because they are identical, Anyway, The heads look pristine when I inspected them with the magnifying glass, But the drum has some resistance to it that's why I assumed it's the bearings.