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VCR Buying Guide (S-VHS, D-VHS, Professional) for restoring video
First the FAQ, then the list on VCRs... :wink2:
Note: I currently have some extra high-end VCRs listed on the marketplace! These are my own well-maintained decks. PM me if interested. These will not last long! :eek:  Preface / VCR Buying Guide FAQ: Before we get to the list of suggested VCRs, let's answer some common questions... Q: Why use one of these VCRs, instead of one I already own? A: By using a good VCR, you can get more quality out of those VHS tapes! The signal can be cleaned before forever committing what you see to adigital format (DVD/Blu-ray/etc). The VCRs listed below all have some degree of noise reduction, or otherwise play a tape cleanly. Q: What's the difference between prosumer and professional? A: "Prosumer" is consumer gear with pro features, and was often marketed to serious hobbyists or professionals with only basic pro-end needs. Prosumer equipment lacked BNC connections, genlock syncing, and other features that are not needed for video capturing. In the case of the JVC SR decks, "Professional" was just branding. The "professional" VCRs were just a continuation of the prosumer 7000s series. Q: Why are some VCRs bold while others are not? The most respected machines are in bold. However, that does not mean the other units are in any way bad. All of the VCRs list here are suggested. Q: Why use a VCR with a TBC vs. one with no TBC? A: Timebase correctors (TBCs) almost always exist in the pro VCRs suggested by the video community. In general, a TBC is a must for acquiring the best quality out of your tapes. If you will only own one or two good VCRs, then you need a model with a TBC. Q: But why are VCRs without TBC listed here? A: These no-TBC VCRs have impressive tape transport, which result in a very stable video signal. These are best used on for videos that already have clean video. Those VCRs are best for preservationists (zero cleanup with uncompressed capturing), and not your typical capturing needs. Q: Are good VCRs available new in stores? A: No. At this late date, you're not going to find any of these units new in stores, offline or online. The best VCRs are no longer made, thanks to VHS and S-VHS being dead formats. You'll have to shop for these on second-hand markets, such as eBay, Craigslist, Amazon, and our marketplace forum. Or try a video specialty shop, such as TGrantPhoto. Q: How much do these VCRs cost? A: In the 2010s, a quality unit fetches anywhere from $150 to $400, depending on the model and the condition. And before thinking these are expensive, realize the professional/prosumer decks originally commanded prices in the $400 to $2K range. These were not something that were found at low-end stores Best Buy or Walmart, but instead video/photo specialty stores like B&H. Q: Shopping tips for testing used VCRs? A: Read post#7 below for tips on how you, or a seller that you'd like to buy a VCR from, can test a S-VHS VCR and see how well it works. Plugging in a VCR and seeing the clock flash 12:00 is not a test. Pushing a tape in a VCR and seeing any kind of picture is not a test. Read these tips, so you don't buy a lemon! Q: Where can I download instruction manual or service manual? A: We've been archiving instruction/user/service manuals for many of these VCRs for years now, and continually try to add new ones. The downloads are all organized in this thread: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vcr-...r-manuals.html Q: Do you think a VCR is missing from this list? A: If you have, or come across, a similar model as mentioned on this list, do not simply assume it was an oversight. Nor should you assume that it is not suggested. Feel free to reply to this thread, or create a new thread, and ask us. While some models have been intentionally omitted from this list, others may not be. Q: Find this page helpful? Then please support this site... A: Guides like this take a lot of time to maintain. To support this site, become a Premium Member for only $20, and join a community of quality-seeking video professionals and enthusiasts. Or just drop us a quick thank-you donation of $2/$5/etc that we can use to pay for the site costs. And now, the VCRs... :) |
NTSC
JVC S-VHS (NTSC) There's two main reason to get a prosumer/professional JVC S-VHS VCR: the TBC, and the image "picture mode" filters (Auto/Norm/Soft/Sharp), which drastically improve the quality of VHS tapes. Most of the 9000-series decks also have the Dynamic Drum, which can be very helpful for tracking. Though not important, the 7000 series has 2mb TBC memory, and while the 9000 series has 4mb. Note that the "professional" SR decks are simply a continuation of the prosumer 7000 series. The "Professional" badge is just branding/marketing, and does not make these better units. Several of the SR series machines were part of professional-quality "combo" decks that mixed in DV player/recorder and hard drives.
Not suggested: 2x00, 3x00, 4x00, 5x00 and 6x00 series. None of these have TBCs. Anything older than HR-Sx500 lacks the features required, and is either an 1980s or early 1990s VCR. With few exceptions (see below), only the 7500+ and 9500+ decks should be used. NTSC has no 8x00 series. Panasonic S-VHS (NTSC) NTSC professional editing decks, with full-field (multi-line) TBCs instead of a standard line TBC. The Panasonic Picture Control slider on the 1970/1980 is a variable version of the JVC Picture Control selections (by default, it tends to already sharpen a little at the "normal" notch setting). While the picture quality is generally not as clean as JVC VCRs, its benefits include better EP/SLP tape playback.
JVC D-VHS (NTSC) These decks have a lot of the same features as the prosumer S-VHS line, but also has an added ability to cure VHS tearing, much like the Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder does on pass-through.
Mitsibishi D-VHS (NTSC) These VCRs have all the TBC, DNR, Calibration, Picture Modes and 3D Y-C filters seen on the suggested JVC D-VHS models.
JVC W-VHS (NTSC) These decks have a lot of the same features as the prosumer S-VHS line. However, these units are almost impossible to fix (no parts available), and tend to be heavily used by the original studio/broadcast owners, so never buy an unknown-condition deck.
JVC S-VHS (NTSC) without TBC These are prosumer decks that pre-date the TBC/DNR system. Although these decks are often considered inferior in some ways to latter-generation JVC VCRs, the playback is still quite excellent. These decks have known-excellent tape transports, which leads to stable playback that can, in some circumstances, with some tapes, outperform the later JVC TBC models, and provide a comparable EP/SLP performance to Panasonic transports.
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PAL
JVC S-VHS (PAL) There's two main reason to get a prosumer/professional JVC S-VHS VCR: the TBC, and the image "picture mode" filters (Auto/Norm/Soft/Sharp), which drastically improve the quality of VHS tapes. Most of the 9000-series decks also have the Dynamic Drum, which can be very helpful for tracking. Though not important, the 7000 series has 2mb TBC memory, and while the 9000 series has 4mb. Note that the "professional" SR decks are simply a continuation of the prosumer 7000 series. The "Professional" badge is just branding/marketing, and does not make these better units. Several of the SR series machines were part of professional-quality "combo" decks that mixed in DV player/recorder and hard drives.
Not suggested: HR-S7500, HR-S9500, as the models lack . Same for the 2x00, 3x00, 4x00, 5x00 and 6x00 series; same reasons as NTSC models. Panasonic S-VHS (PAL) PAL professional editing decks, with full-field (multi-line) TBCs instead of a standard line TBC. The Panasonic Picture Control slider is a variable version of the JVC Picture Control selections (by default, it tends to already sharpen a little at the "normal" notch setting). While the picture quality is generally not as clean as JVC VCRs, its benefits include better EP/SLP tape playback.
JVC D-VHS (PAL) These decks have a lot of the same features as the prosumer S-VHS line, but also has an added ability to cure VHS tearing, much like the Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder does on pass-through.
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SECAM
Panasonic Multi-Format (PAL/NTSC/SECAM) These so-called "professional" VCRs were simply consumer-grade VHS VCRs capable of playing all tape formats: PAL, SECAM and NTSC. This includies the obscure variants like PAL-M and SECAM-L. The specific conversions available varied per units. In terms of video quality, you're better off using a PAL S-VHS VCR to play a PAL tape, and NTSC S-VHS VCR to play NTSC tapes; only use these for the exotic tape formats such as PAL SECAM. PAL>NTSC conversion is also better performed with complex software methods, or studio-grade conversion hardware from Snell & Willcox. Outside of a simple blurring function, these VCRs have no special filters for improving quality.
I hope this helps you with high quality conversion work. :) |
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Here's the user manual and spec sheet for the JVC SR-S388E PAL S-VHS VCR with timebase corrector, DNR and other filters.
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A number of the Panasonic AG series S-VHS VCR manuals can be downloaded from http://service.us.panasonic.com/oper....aspx?model=AG
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Tips for Testing Out a Used VCR
Physical Inspection: First, open it up. Look at it. Are the heads smooth and clean? No visible damage? Are all the internals clean and in good shape? Nothing rotted (dry rot included), broken, brittle, sludgy, etc? Play SP Mode Tapes: Second, play some SP mode tapes. Preferably something that can be "eaten," like a commercial VHS release. I keep old copies of tapes like Liar Liar, Batman Returns and TMNT -- something that is both easy to replace, and already exists in better quality on DVD. Does the tape play perfectly? Play LP, EP, SLP mode tapes: Third, try an EP mode tape. Again, preferably a commercial release. Find one of those cheapo budget releases, like public domain cartoons. I would hesitate to use personal recordings, unless it's (again) something easy to replace. I have recordings of the Dukes of Hazzard from about 1998 on VHS. I've long since bought the DVDs, don't need the tapes. These are not original recordings, so no value to commercials either. See if those tapes play rather clear and perfect. No tracking problems. (Or minimal problems, depending on crappiness of the tape.) Test the Switches: Next, test the switches. For example, on a Panasonic AG-1980P:
Finally, tests the inputs and outputs. Can you get signals in and out of the deck? Remote Notes: For a JVC model, you really need the remote. Although many models have menus that can be accessed from the front of the unit, some do not. Watch for this. The one thing NOT on a Panasonic deck itself is the counter reset. I could never do advanced editing projects, with all their timecodes, without the ability to reset the timer easily. For this, you'll need the remote. Or possibly a programmable remote. Originally posted at: http://www.digitalFAQ.com/forum/showthread.php/advice-preserve-svhs-2254.html in response to a question. |
Tip for testing SVHS deck: Record/Playback tape in SVHS mode. Dropouts are more evident in SVHS playback than in normal VHS playback. This is based on my own experiences with worn/dirty heads on SVHS decks, YMMV. Good test pattern for dropouts is quick transition from white(preferably maximum white) to black and vice versa.
edit: I have a deck which has horrible dropouts with SVHS but works great on VHS. From this it could be deduced that if SVHS playback is ok, there's a long life ahead in VHS mode. Of course this needs more testing than one unit but this is not possible at the moment for me. |
Tip: Do you have a JVC and the S-Video in doesn't seem to work? My machine HR-S5910U has an option available by menu only to allow Svideo input in the rear input. Without a remote, you can't access this option.
There's a way to deal with not having the original remote. The IR codes are available in Pronto format. This can be converted to URC format. URC is a company which makes a large variety of programmable remotes. In fact, my cable settop box came with one. In the battery compartment are some exposed pins. With a bit of work, you can download the new codes. I cut apart an old printer cable for this to make the cable. Another way is to convert the codes into a wav file and play back the sound through an IR transistor. This is a cheap way to make an IR extender. You can then "Learn" the code into a universal remote. I can make a guide for this if someone is *really* interested. |
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Add this when you get a chance! :) |
[Notes]
I'd like to see these VCRs models either added to, or specifically excluded from, the above list. What we'll need, however, is the reviews of owners -- those who have a decent grasp of VCR tech, and can compare performance between several models. List of models...
Will update this list as I notice more models discussed online, which do not appear in our current list. If you can provide some insight or input onto any of the models of VCRs discussed anywhere on this page, or even to discuss some new models NOT mentioned here, please do so! Thanks. :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And then this Panasonic VCR information may good to integrate into either the VCR recommendations list, or the associated Service Manuals / User Manuals threads, as this list (I believe) compares transports and/or internals: Panasonic S-VHS PAL G2 decks:
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Adding to the list. It looks like the Marantz MV-8300 DVHS VCR is a clone of the JVC DH-40000U. I have not been able to find a manual for the unit to confirm this though. Some reviews state its based on the JVC chassis with some Marantz sourced electronics.
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Panasonic S-vhs
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Adding to this list, how about the JVC HR-S6900U Super VHS VCR from 1993 It doesn't have a built in TBC, but the picture quality and sound are even better than the JVC HM-DH30000U. Also, what about the JVC HR-S9400U Super VHS VCR from 1997? The unit doesn't have a TBC but it has a function that cleans up EP tapes. Also, it has the dynamic drum. I don't know about you guys, but I find that using the later made machines like the JVC HM DH30000U and the JVC SR-V101US don't give me good quality on some tapes unlike the older machines. Also, I own 2 JVC HM DT100U's, and the quality of Super VHS looks more grainy compared to those older machines
Also, could a external TBC do better than an internal TBC? I ask this because I have owned both a Panasonic AG 1970 and a JVC SR V101US, and I've found that on some tapes, while having the TBC active, it causes the image to shake. |
You make some excellent points, and I've slightly re-structured the list in the first post, to reflect your suggestions. Indeed, there are several models of VCR that, even without TBCs, are known to perform quite well due to their transport system. The older JVCs are a consistent name-maker in that area. And the models you mention are amongst those.
Note this new section: JVC S-VHS (NTSC) without TBC. Some models were moved out of the with-TBC list. To address your other observations and issues... Quote:
Your experience is very typical, for a deck in good condition, without heavy wear, and when used to play back a certain kind of tape (reference to its condition, and need for restoration/filtering). Quote:
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Read this: What is a TBC? Time Base Correction for Videotapes Quote:
Read this: Basic Playback Hardware (to Convert Tape to Digital) That's another guide I authored years and years ago. Thanks much for your helpful post. :) And I hope my response has clarified some of your observations, concerns and issues. |
Thank you very much for adding both the JVC HR S6900U and the JVC HR S9400U to the list. I truly appreciate it. I do have a couple of questions though. Since the quality of these machines were so good, I would like to use them in converting tapes over to DVD. However, since my original machines died along time ago, I had spent time trying to hunt them down off of ebay. Since I am trying to dub people's tapes over to DVD, would it be wise to have them serviced and get new upper drums and audio heads? Afterall, one wouldn't know how much play time or record time those drums have had.
I had read your post on TBCs, and I would like to ask you which do you prefer to use? External TBC's or TBC's that are built into the VCR? The reason why I ask this is because I am trying to open up a business and since I will be taking many tapes whose conditions will probably range from good to bad. For my set up, I would like to take one of those Super VHS VCRs that I had mentioned and send it through one of the TBCs, that you had mentioned, and then from there send it to be JVC HM DT100U, where I would take the HDMI out and plug it into my Hauppauge Colossus HD PVR card. I figured that this might be the best set up, since I would like to try to upgrade the signal to at least 480p. Also, that Panasonic AG 1970 unit was bought second hand off of ebay, and I had to throw it out after the second day I had used the machine as the heads were shot and showing red and blue all over the screen. I did some research and had contributed this to head wear so I just decided to toss the machine since the price of a new drum would have been so expensive. The JVC SR V101US I still have, it even has the original box with it. However, the machine has developed an alignment problem and won't playback the hi-fi audio. I've contemplated getting that machine repaired as well since it has the TBC, however, the transport mechanism on that machine is so flimsy. Lastly, what do you think of the JVC HR S7000U? That was my father's first Super VHS VCR back in 1987, however I believe that it had a problem with the eject mechanism and the machine had some buttons that had broken off of the flip down panel. I checked on ued.net and I can still get the panel if I wanted to for $46.19. Since my father had recorded on that machine from 1987 to about 1994, I thought that it might be worth getting repaired since that machine would track the tapes recorded on it from '87 to '94 the best. |
Thanks for the VCR Buying Guide.
After some research I came to the conclusion that Panasonic NV-HS1000 would be a great machine for me. But I got a bit confused when finding different sub-versions. Does anyone know what these titles means? NV-HS1000B NV-HS1000BYP NV-HS1000EC NV-HS1000ECP NV-HS1000EG NV-HS1000EGC I got some help with the version history from "Panasonic NV-HS1000EGC. NV-HS1000BYP. NV-HS1000ECP (Service Manual. Simplified).pdf" Chapter 1-1 "The following charts show the difference between the basic model NV-HS1000EG and the new model NV-HS1000EGC." Chapter 1-2 "The following charts show the difference between the basic model NV-HS1000B and the new model NV-HS100BYP." Chapter 1-3 "The following charts show the difference between the basic model NV-HS1000EC and the new model NV-HS1000ECP." Would any of those sub-versions make any difference for digitalizing old VHS-cassettes? Are they references to different frequencies (for different countries / regions) for the channel tuner? |
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they are fantastic performers, too. perhaps not as good for archival use as the DNR and TBC laden 1990's models recommended at the top of this thread, but nonetheless smashingly good VCRs in their own right, and highly recommended for average use, with looks to die for and build quality second to none... |
Just a quick addition. It appears that JVC cheaped out the 9911 over the 9900. The 9911 looses the Dynamic Drum/Pro Slow system in exchange for a pretty flip down door that usually breaks off.
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The SR-V101U is in the same situation -- cheaped out a bit. The HR-S9911U, SR-V101US and HR-S2901U were the final models of VCR only made by JVC in the S-VHS lines. :( |
Here's a more complete list of available models.
Note that this post is NOT suggesting these are all good models (that will come later), but simply sharing the full list of what exists in the 7000, 8000 and 9000 series. Generally speaking, models after the "600" were using the features that made the JVC lines of VCRs so respected by users -- 7600 and higher, 8600 and higher, and 9600 and higher. There are a few select models in the 500 ranges, like NTSC HR-S9500U, which contained all of the desired features (including the line TBC), but the same was not true of the PAL edition. Key to characters:
7000-7500 series JVC S-VHS VCRs:
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I was looking into possibly replacing my JVC SR-S365U with a model that has a TBC for when I convert all my home videos over to digital. I was thinking possible a JVC HR-S9600U through the 9900U or the JVC HM-DH40000U. The HM-DH40000U JVC page and manual does not mention a TBC, does this VCR have one? Which one would provide better quality for old none S-VHS, VHS-C home videos.
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And I've seen some of Mark's before/after work. Definitely a TBC in there. We used to trade sample discs. Quote:
For the S-VHS, the ideal VCR would be the aforementioned JVC series decks. How much money do you have? :) |
The HM-DH40000U (also sold as the JVC SR-VD400U and Marantz MV-8300) has DigiPure (JVC's trade name for its TBC/DNR circuit). All the advertising literature states it, the difference is that you can't manually turn DigiPure on and off on this model, so no reference to it in the manual. The biggest "con" for the model (for me anyway) is the lack of a tape counter on the front display of the VCR, its only available on the on screen display!
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There is so much contradictory information on forums for which VCR is better, this is so confusing. Is the only difference between the Panasonic AG-5710 and AG-1980 a lack of built-in tuner in the AG-5710 and addition of a serial port? |
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1. Detail vs Noise. Humans perception is easy to fool. You've surely seen the various eye tricks that exploit blind spots and color accuracy. JVC gear cleans up images more thoroughly than Panasonic equipment. However, some people think grain/noise is "detail" because it makes an image falsely seem to have more information. Therein lies a major argument of filters vs no filters, or JVC vs Panasonic. 2. Use vs Non-Use. Most people join a "camp" (fanbase) because it's the equipment they use. Therefore it must be best, because everybody likes to think themselves as good judges of quality and character. So there's lots of chatter from people who really only have limited experience (and sometimes claim otherwise). Few of us have truly used lots of these decks, and have a solid basis upon which to compare and give advice. 3. Cheapskates. Lots of people want the lowest-cost item around, and will defame anything more costly. This is often a situation where a person is more interested in defending their purchase than adhering to facts/science. When cornered by facts, many of these people make the cop-out excuse that it's "good enough" (acknowledging that it's not good, but still too stubborn to state as such outright). Once you filter out all the crap -- which isn't easy when you're not familiar with the topic -- then you can make educated decisions based on important areas that matter. For example:
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hello thanks for your forum
i am trying to get service manual for hr S8000MS and i still don't By the way, upper you put a list of "Key to characters:" for jvc i do one think because i am from france : MS = multistandard and mean that vcr can play and record (and have tuner too) 2 standards : PAL and SECAM, secam which was use in france and in RUSSIA; so, in this country that this kind of model that was sold. other thing : 8000U (ntsc north american unit) is quite different than the 8000MS, even if most of time U/EK/MS are same model and are for different country. And i asking me what is corresponding in usa for 8000MS. even if 8000MS have not tbc correction, it give a sharpened picture defaut are (as welknow) : - with some vhs jump track hifi/track mono - and the worst : blank spot on video and i learn these days that it is probably because of static discharge from head without find solution well sorry for approximative english and i hope that is correct to post here (i saw the reply limitation) regards |
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Thanks much. |
Mistubishi MD-3000
Hello,
Thank you very much for writing this. It was very informative. I have a question about two VCRs. First, The Mitsubishi MD-3000. I found it for sale for around $200, and looked at the description. It looks like it has many of the things you mentioned, but it is not on your list. You said not to assume it was ok, so I was hoping you could comment on the VCR. Here is the description from the seller's website: Mitsubishi MD3000 S-VHS Medical Video Recorder Over 400 Lines Resolution Medical Grade Digital Time Base Correction (TBC) 3-D Digital Noise Reduction Digital Frame Memory Jog/Shuttle Large, Easy to Read LED Display Recording system: Luminance signal- FM System, Color signal: low pass conversion Video: NTSC, Standard color signal, 525 line, 60 fields Power requirements: 120 V, 50/ 60 Hz, approx 15W Dimensions: (W x D x H) 10.6 x 14.4 x 4.9 Weight: 14.3 lbs. Tape Speed: 33.35 mm/sec. Recording Time: 120 min. RS-232C/USB Board R-3002 Secondly, I found at a local resale shop a JVC BR-S810U, which is a huge ancient looking VCR that used to be really expensive. I was wondering if this was a decent VCR. Here is a link to the JVC website's description: http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/f...l_id=MDL100677 Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you, Jeremy Duncan |
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The biggest issues with these VTRs is: -- SP only, from VTR only. They generally only recorded and play SP mode tapes made on the VTRs. This means they're lousy for playing consumer tapes, even when recorded in SP mode. This includes not just tapes made in home cameras (camcorders) and VCRs, but commercially released "store bought" tapes, too. -- Abused by non-videographers. The main reason some VCRs are in good condition is because of who used them and how. Video professionals generally know how to treat the hardware. We're not rough with the wire inputs/outputs, we examine tapes before placing them in the transport, we perform routine cleanings and maintenance. Hamfisted nurses and doctors have (ab)used these VCRs, and conditions tend to be pitiful. -- DISGUSTING ENVIRONMENTS! Maybe it's just me being a germaphobe, but I don't want to be anywhere near hospital leftovers. VCRs tend to absorb particles from their environment. For example, if John Q. Chainsmoker owned the VCR, it would smell like an ashtray (and the insides would be covered with tar goo). Who knows what sort of nasty hospital airborne yuck is on the guts of this VCR. Eeww... No thank you. Quote:
There's a reason some of these are available for sale -- nobody else wants them either. ;) |
Thank you!
Thank you so much. Hugely helpful. I am going to buy a Panasonic AG 1980. I found one for $200. I would ideally like to also purchase a good JVC VCR, but haven't been able to find one.
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Hello
i know this forum is first for american people; but as it is very interesting, of course other people like european people read it. And because of that an important information is missing. That concern JVC VCR with TBC/NR, these one that are very good to digitalise old vhs/svhs tape - TBC/NR work with ntsc standard for ntsc vcr (usually with "U" model) - TBC/NR work with pal standard for pal vcr (usually with "EK" or "EU" or "MS" model) BUT TBC/NR DON'T WORK with secam/mesecam standard even if TBC/NR is present in the vcr model (usually with "EU" or "MS" model); i find this information in reading user manual of JVC. Also some precision with letter model : "U" is for USA and for the most recent one we can find "U(C)" the "C" for canada; standard is NTSC; cinch connection "EK" is for English Kingdom; standard is PAL I (for england) (also perhaps PAL B/G D/K but really not not sure); scart connection "EU" is for a part of european country; standard is PAL B/G D/K and SECAM B (recorded in MESECAM for the secam); scart connection "E" is like "EU" for some model without NICAM stereo receiver "EH" is like "EU" with NICAM stereo receiver "Ex" is also like "EU" for the last model "MS" is for france; standard is PAL B/G and SECAM L (recorded in SECAM L for the secam L); scart connection "EF" is like "MS" for the last model "AM" is quite universal vcr; standard is NTSC, PAL, SECAM B (except SECAM L, PAL M/N); cinch connection "KR" is for korean model; standard is NTSC; cinch connection That all for the moment; if i find more precision for other letter, i give it Regards |
Thanks very much for your additions, gilou8. :)
And actually, I'd never consider this site to only be for Americans. Although it's written in English, our readership is worldwide. It is heavy with North American and European users, but that's to be expected since English is so dominant in those locales. In fact, the server is in Europe, not North America! Video doesn't really have a national bias -- just PAL and NTSC, and formerly SECAM. Regardless of what flag is flown on our lands, video is video. Same for photography, web hosting, print/web design, etc. We try to collect as much information as is possible, to help anybody in need. |
Hi everyone, recently new to this site (thanks to LordSmurf!) and have a question.
I know most of the SVHS decks in this thread are JVC, but I have the Sony SLV-R1000 SVHS deck (which ran me about $1K back in the day!) that does very well with all of my tapes as I care for all of my equipment. With that said.. Would this model VCR do a decent job for transfers? I personally don't see why it shouldn't as I have a ton of VHS tapes to transfer over time. I am more into quality than rushing so I don't mind taking whatever time it takes to get the job done. I know that I will need to get an external TBC to add with the chain, thinking of the Datavideo TBC if its still available. I have the Panasonic AGDV-2000 editing deck that I can use for the A/D conversion to the PC since the Panny has the Firewire jack. I won't be transferring these to DVD as to me its not much point in doing that anymore. I want to archive some of the material and the ones I will watch on a regular basis I can put on my media server. So with the current SVHS deck I have will it do the job, or should I look into finding an additional deck for backup? Unfortunately the JVC pro units are harder to find since they aren't made anymore, and buying used, especially pro gear can be a hit or miss depending if the seller is honest with the deck's condition. Thanks for any help! |
I'd love to know peoples opinion of the Panasonic NV-HS900 compared to the other models in the range such as the NV-HS950 and NV-HS1000 as I'm considering buying one of these.
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there is -
scroll down to post 18 - link: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vide...html#post17383 |
i don't know if this is common to all JVC and MITSUBISHI VCRs, but, after pulling my Mitsu HS-U70 S-VHS out of moth balls for a little exercise, and attempted to play one of the many S-VHS recordings i have made on my JVC HR-S8000U on it, i have found that my U70 DOES NOT like my 8000U's recordings one little bit.
i tried and tried, but simply could not get the U70 to track them correctly for even a second. i already know all about incompatibility issues between VCRs and all that good stuff, i just never have encountered it first hand before, at least, never a case even remotely this severe before... |
I see. I mean why it is not in recommended list.
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As for other PAL models in the 9000 series, the 9400E also appears no different from the NTSC model, however the 9600EU and 9700EU are at least cosmetically different to the 9600U/9800U/9900U. Both are certainly high-end, with all the bells and whistles, and their design is unlike any other I've seen. I don't know all the differences feature-wise, but the 9600EU does lack some recording features of the 9600U, which are instead found on the 9700EU; apart from that, and very minor cosmetic changes, the 9700EU appears to be the same machine as its predecessor. Finally, the 9850EU resembles neither the 9800U or 9900U; being the last of the PAL 9000s, it's identical to the 9911U which is also the last of its series. Unlike the 4mb TBC found on the NTSC 9000 models, all PAL versions are limited to 2mb - although they probably don't need more anyway. I know this post isn't particularly useful, I'm not able to compare parts but wanted to add some of what I do know about the PAL versions, since there's less info on them to be found, especially on how they match up to the NTSC models. I suppose that apart from TBC and Dynamic Drum, differing features are negligible, and in general Digipure JVCs are supposed to all be similar machines until the D-VHS line-up. I currently own a HR-S7600EU, and will be receiving a mint condition HR-S9600EU shortly, so I'm curious how the two will compare. If I'm to judge the PAL machines by their NTSC counterparts, the 9600U is apparently a well-built and well-performing machine, and its PAL equivalent looks to be the same so hopefully it'll justify the purchase. I believe out of the "classic" pre-mini dv/hd/d-vhs line-up, the 9600/9700 EU models would be the best pick; compared to older models they should have more refined TBC/PQ, and I've read that the 9911U (9850EU) and the last of the classics like HR-S7965EK/HR-S8965EK (2003) are of inferior build. But then there's more risk buying older VCRs. Anyway, I'm a long-time reader but first time poster, so I'd like to say hello and thank you for your wonderful site :) |
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