S-VHS recorder doesn't support RGB in?
 

Hi!

I just purchased a Panasonic NV-HS830. I've never had an S-VHS machine before, but I've always assumed that the major improvement from S-VHS was that it recorded an S-Video signal, which separates Y and C. I know (a very long time ago) I used to convert from RGB to S-Video for a device that supported only composite or S-Video input. It wasn't as good as RGB, but a major step up from composite.

I'm looking at the manual for the recorder I just purchased, and it doesn't mention RGB on the SCART input being recorded, just passed through. Surely it can take RGB and record it as S-Video, and not only record composite? If it can only record composite, what's the point?

Video sources typically operate in YUV, not RGB.

The VCR should have the ability to record from S-Video, either directly or via SCART plus a menu selection to tell it not to use composite. That it can't record from RGB isn't surprising. RGB on SCART would be intended for connection to the final display device, which ultimately outputs RGB for all inputs.

Composite or CVBS outputs the video in one single signal, S-Video separates the video into two signals luma and chroma, RGB separates the video into 3 signals, Red. Green and Blue. None of them I believe can be fed to each other without conversion.

Both VHS and S-VHS record the signal as separate Y/luma and Cb+Cr/chroma. But only S-VHS players have the s-video output. The main advantage beyond that is image filters (NR) and TBC (+ more NR).

Not RGB. RGB is not YUV.

It makes sense now reading it. I'm just glad I never got an S-VHS back in the day, I would have been gutted that it was only able to record in composite!! (Never had a device with S-VHS output, everything was RGB SCART or Composite).

Was planning on using the RGB out from a DVD player for testing, will have to bring an RGB to S-Video converter into the mix! (Don't have an S-video capable DVD player handy, and not buying one for testing)

Y/C is not composite, It’s still a form of component, that’s how it is recorded on the tapes and only S-VHS decks can read the content of the tape in its native form, In addition S-VHS improved the resolution of the luma signal to up to 400 video scan lines when recording in S-VHS compared to VHS recording, So you should be sorry for not having S-VHS back in the day. S-VHS did nothing to the chroma though, still about 30 lines.

Also you would gain nothing from converting a S-Video signal to RGB.