New Panasonic NV HS950 image is too sharp?
 

Hello everyone!
I write this post to ask your opinion about this vcr.

I decided to spend not so few money in a new vcr, because I was tired of the dropouts I recive because of the worn heads of my Panasonic NV Hs1000.

I think that the image quality of the HS1000 is the best I can achieve in terms of precision and fidelity... I made a lot of tests and I prefer it to the softer image of my reccomended JVCs.
BUT my HS1000 was used a lot and it gives a lot of dropouts.

I thought that the quality of a new HS950 could be almost the same, but with the advantage of no dropouts, so I bought it from a reputable ebay seller.

I was petrified when I realized that the HS950 oversharps the image far too much and its not possible to soften it like the HS1000 can do with a slide.

The quality of the HS1000 and the HS950 are the same IF the slide (Soft/Sharp) of the HS1000 is put to the far right on "Sharp".
With my HS1000 I usually transfered vhs with the slide almost to the center (a little bit sharper).

You can see attached the difference of the images produced with the hs1000 with the slide at the center and the image produced by the 950 (not adjustable).
At least it's true that the new equipments gives no dropouts at all.


My question is: what does really the slide on the hs1000 do?
If the heads on the hs1000 and the heads of the hs950 are the same, maybe this means that the noisy image i see with the 950 is more faithful to the original and softening I can do with the hs1000 is something that could be achieved also in post-production?

The 950 one does look a little sharpened but not sure, you can see a bit of

The HS950 actually uses quite different video circuitry to the older HS1000. It's some part-digital processing, using some of the ICs that were also used in the NTSC 1980P model. The HS1000 is more conventional, only using digital processing for the TBC.

The sharpness setting in VCRs controls the "detail enhancement" part of the video decoding chain in a VCR, not sure about the exact specifics, and it may vary a little between VCRs, but it's some sort of EQ on the image that boosts certain frequencies (a bit like bass/treble or equalization in audio gear, but may be a bit more advanced.)

Technically, the image in VHS and other formats is actually massively sharpened in when recording to tape, and then "un-sharpened" when played back, a process known as emphasis/deemphasis. A similar process is used for audio recording and analog audio broadcast, this helps reduce noise. The "detail enhancement" stuff is an additional step that was added as part of VHS HQ to sharpen things up to look nicer on a CRT though.

Annoyingly Panasonic removed much of the image adjustment on their later models, relying on the automatic adjustment (labelled AI or CVC). On some there is an image setting in the menu at least with a soft and sharp option but seems this one lacks that, The HS950 does at least have a edit switch that turns off noise reduction and "detail enhancement" and such giving a more "raw" image, and should at least not be adding extra sharpness. (Or maybe it's on already seeing as it's pretty noisy?) It may be possible to adjust things a little in post, but I don't think there's any easy way to compensate for over-sharpening.

It would be nice if all VCRs defaulted to a 'flat' setting making picture comparisons between decks easier. Boosting sharpness just boosts noise too. Sometimes that's exactly what you want such as trying to read a marginally decipherable car number plate where you tolerate the extra noise as the price to pay.

After the fact "noise reduction" without sacrificing picture detail, let alone enhancing detail over the noise is largely the impossible dream.

"new" is nonsense in the 2020s.
Read this: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vide...emium-nos.html

Assuming it is working correctly, Panasonic is simply artificially sharp at default settings. With the AG-1980, you have to move the sharpen slider left/negative about 1-2 ticks. That's just Panasonic.

hodgey, you're becoming a wealth of knowledge on these PAL VCRs. At some point, I think you surpassed my knowledge here, and I'm now deferring to you at times. Nice.

I still want a PAL Panasonic.
Mostly "just because", as my JVC does everything I need, with the Samsung 5000W providing the non-JVC backup for weird tapes (less than 1 per year).

I'm still torn between these:
FS200
HS1000

I don't want to buy both. The NV-FS200NX is the AG-1980, and I've had one of those (sold it to a member here). I've always considered the FS2000 the PAL version of the 1980. Some have said the FS200 is the AG-1970, but the 1970 is just a really noisy VCR. Like a consumer deck (no NR) with a TBC (slight NR, good stabilization).

Your thoughts?

Some people still search in vain for these mythical creatures that "must exist".