digitalFAQ.com Forum - Review of JVC HM-DH30000U vs Mitsubishi HS-HD2000U, D-VHS VCRs

While doing an unrelated search, I happened to stumble upon this review, comparing the Mitsubishi HS-HD2000U and JVC HM-DH30000U D-VHS VCRs. Note that this review is fully about consumer-like functionality, and not so much the serious video issues often discussed on this site (i.e., the best VCRs to restore video). It's worth a quick read. If nothing else, it's an interesting take on what happened in the final years of VHS-based formats.

Here's a short excerpt, from the best part of the review:

Quote:

If you're familiar with a regular ol' VHS VCR, as almost everyone is by now, you'll understand both the Mitsubishi HS-HD2000U and JVC HM-DH30000U right away. Both have silver faceplates and standard VCR controls on their front panels. Both come with mammoth remotes; the Mitsubishi remote has a small display at its top that tells you what you're doing. There's nothing about their ability to record HDTV that changes their basic VCR functions.

But there's one big difference between these decks: The Mitsubishi HS-HD2000U costs $1049, the JVC HM-DH30000U $2000. Why? The JVC is equipped with a expensive MPEG encoder/decoder. The encoder can upconvert analog signals to digital so the unit can function as a digital archiver. The decoder provides for the JVC's HD component analog output.

In addition, the JVC is equipped to play back prerecorded high-definition movies recorded using JVC's new, proprietary D-Theater format, which includes robust copy protection. Last year, JVC quietly won agreement from the Motion Picture Association of America to market prerecorded movies protected with D-Theater. That infuriated Mitsubishi, which, like the rest of industry, regards VHS as an open standard, meaning that any tape playable on one VHS machine should be playable on all. Nonetheless, JVC won agreement from Fox, Universal, DreamWorks, and Artisan to begin releasing D-VHS, HD movies. The studios have announced that the first films to be released in this format will be Independence Day, Die Hard, X-Men, U-571, and the two Terminator films. As of press time, none were yet available, nor had pricing been established. But to play them, you'll have to spend almost $1000 more and buy the JVC VCR. (JVC says a less expensive version will come out soon.)

Sony and AOL Time Warner, two of the first studios to commit heavily to DVD, refused to join this group, saying that VHS was a dated format and it made no sense to move forward with it. But JVC holds most of the VHS patents and has worked aggressively to “refresh” them with new features. A company holding a patent can demand royalties from other companies that use the technology for a period of 17 years. JVC refreshed its patent a few years ago by adding the S-VHS-ET technology, which permits recording in the higher-resolution S-VHS format using regular videotape instead of the more expensive S-VHS tape. Now JVC hopes to ride the tape format a few years longer with D-VHS and D-Theater.

Both machines offer compatibility with S-VHS and S-VHS-ET. Both feature VCR Plus+, which allows you to enter a numerical code for recording a show, though the Mitsubishi ups the JVC one by including VCR Plus+ Gold, which is able to select the correct channel for recording from a cable box or satellite receiver.

The full version can be found at http://www.ultimateavmag.com/content...00u-d-vhs-vcrs
And just in case it disappears (which happens far too often with niche video information), attached is a PDF I printed out of the pages.

Enjoy. :thumb: