S-VHS VCR with TBC vs. S-VHS VCR without TBC to ES10/15?
 

Hi lordsmurf (or perhaps another knowledgeable person),

I recently commented on a YouTube video, to which you replied. Thanks so much for your reply. I really appreciate it! (My YouTube name is live2skate4 by the way, in case you are wondering which comment I'm talking about). I would like to just clarify, and ask one more relevant question. Since you said the VCR's TBC would have to be turned off when running it through an ES-10/15, would it be a better option to:

a) Have an AG1980 or HR-S9900U (or similar high-end model VCR), run that via S-video to my DV camcorder, and firewire that to a PC?

or

b) Have cheaper (but still good) non-TBC VCR like the ones you mentioned (JVC 4800 or 5902), and run that via S-Video to an ES10/15, then S-Video that to my camcorder, and firewire that to a PC?

Thanks again so much for you help!

This is a simple question, but longer answer.

The reason to own a good deck isn't just TBC, especially when discussing Panasonic AG-1980. It's the transport, VHS-C non-eating, tracking, transport stability, etc. The best units just also have the TBC. But it's everything.

The field TBC in the Panasonic is strong, not ES10/15 strong, but also not crippled like ES10/15 (anti-copy, both true and false detections), nor other quality hit issues of ES10/15. But AG-1980 lacks non-TBC frame sync, and is expected to use actual frame sync TBC after the deck.

ES10/15 is best for anti-tearing, not used as general TBC, because it both harms and improves quality. In anti-tearing situations, the net results is better. But when tape good, ES10/15 net result is worse than just a good frame TBC.

First TBC in workflow wins. You cannot stack like TBCs.
So line>line is the 1st line (VCR), not latter ES10/15.
But frame+line TBC is fine, those are not like. Frame cleans signal, line cleans visuals.

If you want to use the minimalist TBC(ish) of a ES10/15 -- noting a truer TBC(ish) is ES10/15+DVK, for 99% efficacy, though still with drawbacks -- then you can just use a quality non-TBC JVC. There's really no non-TBC Panasonic worth anything. But it should be a better model, in minty condition. The 4800, the 5902, 3600, 3800, etc.

All as s-video, yes.

Anyway, to directly answer the a/b option, I'd punt, neither. I'd rather do AG-1980 or SR-V10-based EOLs, TBC off, to the ES10/15. But I also own multiple actual TBCs, so realistically I'd do neither.

Answered? Or more questions? :)