Good s-video adapter?

[Phileholic]

So far, I've been using a composite cable for the VCR I have, so to improve the quality, I'm looking to get an S-video cable for it.

The only problem is that the television I have doesn't support an S-video input, so I will need to get an adapter for this. I don't want to resort to an HDMI-based adapter as I know this would degrade the quality, so is there another type of adapter that won't do this? For example: would an Svideo-to-composite adapter work?

[dpalomaki]

Need a clearer picture of what you have on hand.
Sounds like the VCR you have can output both S-VIDEO and Composite. (What make/model is it?)
Sounds like the TV only has composite video input. (Is it a HD set with HDMI input?)

Depending on the VCR it is unlikey an external s-video-to-composite adapter would result in any better image on the TV than the VCR's composite output. (Typically a VCR with s-video output has the adapter already built-in.) The exception might be if the s-video-to-composite adapter was comprised of a TBC and had proc amp capability as well.

If the VCR has s-video output (typically S-VHS or Hi8) a good s-video-to-HDMI adapter may well give better results because it avoids the combination and separation of the Y and C signals inherent with composite video. Also, not all HD sets do a good job with legacy composite video input.

[Phileholic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpalomaki

Need a clearer picture of what you have on hand.
Sounds like the VCR you have can output both S-VIDEO and Composite. (What make/model is it?)
Sounds like the TV only has composite video input. (Is it a HD set with HDMI input?)

Depending on the VCR it is unlikey an external s-video-to-composite adapter would result in any better image on the TV than the VCR's composite output. (Typically a VCR with s-video output has the adapter already built-in.) The exception might be if the s-video-to-composite adapter was comprised of a TBC and had proc amp capability as well.

If the VCR has s-video output (typically S-VHS or Hi8) a good s-video-to-HDMI adapter may well give better results because it avoids the combination and separation of the Y and C signals inherent with composite video. Also, not all HD sets do a good job with legacy composite video input.

The VCR is a Victor HR-W5 and the television is an HDTV with HDMI.

[dpalomaki]

Does the VCR have component outputs as well (e.g., RGB, YUV, or YPrPb)? If so a corresponding adapter to HDMI might be a better approach. However, I have no specific recommendations for a converter.

[hodgey]

The HR-W5 does yeah, and you would want to use component rather than S-Video to get the full resolution from W-VHS tapes.

[Phileholic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hodgey

The HR-W5 does yeah, and you would want to use component rather than S-Video to get the full resolution from W-VHS tapes.

Well, these are just regular VHS tapes I'm using.

[BW37]

Do you have a DVD recorder with HDMI out?

[Phileholic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BW37

Do you have a DVD recorder with HDMI out?

No, but I don't plan on using that method.

[dpalomaki]

What method do you plan to use?

Is your goal the best practicable image on your HDTV, digitizing of the VHS with restoration, or something else?

Do you have a budget in mind to do it?

It is noteworthy that current HDTVs have generally dropped s-video and component inputs because they are legacy technologies that have disappeared from much of the current crop of consumer products. Composite has been retained because it is the most widely supported legacy video output format found in all VHS, Video8, DVD and Bluray players and signal other sources. Getting a good image from a composite video input requires sophisticated (read relatively expensive) Y/C signal separation processing (e.g., comb filters) and products that have it will typically tout it in their literature and specs.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phileholic

So far, I've been using a composite cable for the VCR I have, so to improve the quality, I'm looking to get an S-video cable for it.
The only problem is that the television I have doesn't support an S-video input

You really, really need to stop watching VHS tapes, and instead get those transferred. While the scare tactics of the 2000s was BS ("convert your tapes now, before they fade, disintegrate, self destruct!"), we're now in the 2020s. VHS tapes have a 35-65 longevity range, and we're now in it. Every time you rub that VHS head against the VCR head drum, it gets micro-damaged. Those micro eventually add up to macro.

[Eric-Jan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phileholic

So far, I've been using a composite cable for the VCR I have, so to improve the quality, I'm looking to get an S-video cable for it.

The only problem is that the television I have doesn't support an S-video input, so I will need to get an adapter for this. I don't want to resort to an HDMI-based adapter as I know this would degrade the quality, so is there another type of adapter that won't do this? For example: would an Svideo-to-composite adapter work?

You can't improve quality……. if you don't want to use component or HDMI connections, there are less good options…. if your VCR gives a stable output, try to convert component to HDMI you have more options that way with pro or consumer equipment, otherwise you're making it yourself very difficult.
If you only want to display video and not capture it, you can have more luck because a display is more forgiving.(there are lots of cheap converters that can convert any analog output to HDMI)
Like already been said, a DVD recorder with HDMI output (thrift store) is a cheap and good option, for use as passthrough, there's not much to loose on quality from vhs anyway.
Does the tv has a SCART connector ? do you have the manual from the tv ?

(btw…. i find the question a bit strange… what i understand is, the tv only has composite and HDMI input, composite is used at the moment, and the question is to convert s-video from the vcr back to composite to feed into the tv, because HDMI should not be used ….. this makes no sense ….s-video you don't want to degrade to composite….)

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric-Jan

You can't improve quality……

You can if you buy a better VCR.

The W5 is (supposedly) nice, but may not be the correct tool for the tasks at hand. Neither conversion, nor watching.

[Eric-Jan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

You can if you buy a better VCR.

The W5 is (supposedly) nice, but may not be the correct tool for the tasks at hand. Neither conversion, nor watching.

Yeah, cheap (recorder**) combo vcr with HDMI out whould be enough i guess, the OP is looking for a simple solution, and that said, HDMI should be it, if no component is available on his tv, if the OP is in a PAL/SECAM region SCART could be another option, with s-video in the SCART so it comes down to SCART or HDMI in such a case, so > OP more information !

** so it won't output the DVD deck only

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric-Jan

Yeah, cheap (recorder**) combo vcr with HDMI out whould be enough i guess, the OP is looking for a simple solution, and that said, HDMI should be it, if no component is available on his tv, if the OP is in a PAL/SECAM region SCART could be another option, with s-video in the SCART so it comes down to SCART or HDMI in such a case, so > OP more information !
** so it won't output the DVD deck only

I'm guessing that W-VHS is a reason for wanting to watch the tapes. But as stated posts ago, it's still a terrible idea. Transfer the tapes, do not watch. If W-VHS, then do as best as the equipment allows. If composite only, then transfer composite, with a proper capture card.

If VHS, S-VHS, perhaps do not use this deck, for these purposes.

If after the transfer, you still feel the need to watch tapes, then go for it (I guess). When the tapes gets damaged -- when, not if -- then you'll at least have the digital transfer. Of course, at that time, you'll have to watch the digital version (and hopefully a compressed copy/encode or the lossless capture; not a compressed capture). So why not just do that now?

Almost all consumer combo units were cheaply made (even "name brands"), and internally badly process video. NTSC often forces deinterlace on HDMI output, while all them tend to internally composite/re-composite video. The HDMI output of a VHS tape is generally semi-watchable quality at best.

If, for whatever crazy reason (seriously, it's the 2020s now), OP insists on watching VHS tapes on TV, then I would agree, the cheap combo unit is the best bet. But it'll mostly look like crap.

BTW, since the Japanese W5 is being discussed, this is NTSC, not PAL.

[latreche34]

I'm with LS, watching tapes on a VCR is not a good thing to do given the price of gear and rarity of the deck in question, Whether VHS, S-VHS or W-VHS tape, they all need to be captured once and for all to save the deck from tape abuse.

Now if the OP still insists on watching his tapes on TV, composite will be a bottleneck for S-VHS and S-Video will be a bottleneck for W-VHS, He would need one of those home theater video scalers from back in the day like the Gefen ones, They are still relatively cheap now but they go high once people start to find out about them, They usually have analog inputs up to 1080i via component and HDMI out, They work good on modern TV's, I've owned and sold few in the last 10 years or so. Keep in mind W-VHS has a weird resolution, none of the Chinese component to HDMI adapters would play nice with it, not to mention the horrible video quality.