Each behaves different. I prefer to use JVC for all tapes first, and use Panasonic when the JVC results are not to my liking. Note that sometimes neither are to my liking! PAL has no EP/SLP, so the difference is not as large as NTSC.

JVC 3600 is low-end, so no.
FS90 is weaker version of FS200, so no.
NV-HS1000 and AG-4700 are almost identical.

I believe so, yes.

I have just finished servicing a Panasonic HS900 S-VHS VCR so I thought I would share my findings.

This was made from 1996-1997 and was a semi-replacement for the HS1000. Inside it is the same K mechanism as the HS1000 but the layout is different without the edit controls on the drop down panel - it is less well equipped in that respect. It does not have TBC - this was next found on the HS950 of 1998. The HS900 has the same high quality heads as the HS1000 but the picture is a bit improved from that model as well as the drop-out compensation circuity does not show the grey lines on bad tapes like the HS1000. The HS900 has a soft/sharp rotary control which is helpful. LP playback is very good. It also has CVC (Crystal View Control) which analyses the tape to set sharpness. It works excellently but it can change the look of the image during playback so for copy and restoration it should be turned off.

All in all an excellent VCR with nice picture and sound but without TBC.

My JVC HR-9500U up at our cabin in Tahoe is giving me trouble and may need to be replaced. I primarily use it for playing ski films that never were released on DVD.

Quick Question: JVC HR-S9500U or JVC HM-DH5U? Never had a D-VHS machine and it would seem logical to go with it since the machine seems a bit higher end. But...do some of the 9000 series offer 'better' video results? Curious and thanks in advance!

The HM-DH5U has some issues that bother me. But I've never tried the other one, so it's entirely possible it does the same things.

http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/3...uto-load%21%5D
http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/news...html#post42103

The S-VHS models are more flexible, in that they actually offer On/Off for the DNR&TBC while the D-VHS models have no switch. I have a tape that shows flagging with the DH5U, and because the TBC can't be disabled, the only option is playing in another VCR.

I have a Super VHS camcorder with built-in TBC. Is this good enough to capture VHS tapes on? How much better are the VCRs from the Buying Guide compared to ones not on the list? Will the untrained eye notice a difference?

Where can I purchase a recommended Super VHS? How can I make sure I don't get burned on eBay etc?

Hi, this is my first post, congratulation to all you for the grat work in this forum and for the advise and consult you give; hope someone can clarify some doubts.
In this buying list is not mentioned Blaupunkt RTV-966, is mentioned the RTV-965, which are the differences between these Blaupunkt model? RTV-966 is also a rebadge of Pansonic NV-HS 1000 (like RTV-965)? And anyway is a recommended model for capturing (my TV standard is PAL)?

I found one RTV-966 used in good condition, but before buy it I want be sure to not waste money in a vcr that does not meet the necessary requirements for good capturing.
Thanks.

Interesting! :congrats:

The D-VHS was interesting only because the stabilizer and TBC could be used simultaneously, while it was an either/or situation on the S-VHS deck. But aside from that one tidbit, the D-VHS and S-VHS unit behave (mostly) the same image-wise. There are quirks, both mechanically and feature-wise.

I'd never encountered that from high-knowledge D-VHS users of the 3K and 4K units. Does this exact D-VHS behave differently? Great VH threads. I wish you'd mirror that on this site. Users there seem to appreciate analog less and less, and this forum is only gaining traffic year after year.

- Camcorder? You mean the S-VHS-C models? Perhaps.
- Anything not listed is 95% of the time not desired. What model were you looking at?
- Visual differences are very obvious.
- TGrant Photo and the marketplace forum here is best.
- eBay can also be your friend. If it's not tested, or not used by somebody that knows video, run away. And "I plugged it in and light came on" or "I put in a VHS tape and saw a picture" is NOT a test! In most cases, that VCR is a huge POS.

Yes. Blaupunkt RTV-966 = Pansonic NV-HS 1000
The list has been updated now.

These VCRs are not in the recommended list: JVC HR-S7722, JVC HR-S8500, JVC HR-S8600 (PAL model). They are good enough as JVC HR-S7600? I should avoid Them?
Thanks.

Not sure precisely which part of my post you were referring to, but this user experienced the same flagging / tearing issue with his HM-DH40000U (that's 40K ;)). My other comment was about the fact that none of the JVC D-VHS models have a DNR&TBC switch, so it's always-on. I think you already knew that part.

I might, if you allow larger/wider image attachments. :D

How large does it need to be?
I think this ability is going to be part of the new forum overhaul currently ongoing.

Looks like my largest PNG dimension is 1724x764 and 1.22MB is largest filesize. Long heights are currently supported but not enormous widths.

The best would be if you can auto-generate server-side thumbnails that can be clicked to expand to full size, like image hosting sites do. VH's implementation is to do the scaling on browser-side, so tons of MBs of images are loaded even though they look like tiny thumbnails. And sometimes they're reloaded when they should already be in the browser cache. Editing the post is painful.

Weird, your quote link is a random post from July. fixed -LS

7722 is fine.
8600 is fine.

The 8500 is only fine if it has a TBC with Picture Mode settings. Info on the x500 PAL models has been contradictory over the years. So, for that reason, the 7500, 8500 and 9500 have never been suggested.

secam
 

Via a world wide VCR, can I edit a secam tape with the Panasonic AG-1980?

Hi, this is my first post here and I hope someone will answer my questions.

I live in Europe and except my homemade PAL VHS's I have many VHS's bought from US that are NTSC format. Want to convert them to DVD. I have a chance of buying JVC HR-S9700EU which is pal unit made in Germany. I know it also can play ntsc tapes on pal tv. Can I convert my ntsc tapes with this machine properly? Or I need an original ntsc VCR?

The next question is how to get the best picture quality when converting:
-using DVD recorder with HDD
-using Canopus ADVC-300 (with built TBC)
-using some capture card (if so, what is it?)

Would be great to get your professional advise.
Thanks in advance.

No.
What you propose sounds like a pass-through situation: VCR > VCR to process signal > capture
But VCRs don't have passthrough.
What are you trying to accomplish?

Welcome. :)

PAL VCRs output a quasi signal. It's neither true PAL, nor true NTSC. It's similar to NTSC-50, the opposite of Brazilian PAL-60. Capture cards expect standard signals (PAL, NTSC, even PAL-60, not NTSC-50). The TV can understand the quasi signal, but capture devices cannot.

You'll either need a worldwide VCR (consumer grade, low quality), or an NTSC VCR.

In PAL, DV is fine. But the Canopus ADVC-300 is a bad model. Yes, it cost more. That's the sad part. All those fancy filters in the 300 do more harm than good, and cannot be entirely turned off. The 50/55 and 100/110 models are better, due to lacking those filters. The Canopus DV boxes do NOT have a TBC, regardless of claims. It does nothing whatsoever compared to actual external TBCs, or TBCs embedded in devices (VCR, cameras, etc).

There are several viable options, but we suggest an XP capture box built around the ATI AIW cards for best results.

That 9700EU VCR should be really good for PAL tapes. It's comparable to my own NTSC 9800.

Lordsmurf, thanks a lot for your reply and an accurate explanation.
Though I'm coming up with few more questions for you.

What if I use a DVD recorder with JVC HR-S9700EU instead of a capture device.
Is it possible to convert NTSC tapes that way and get a real NTSC DVD as an outcome?
If this method works, do I need an external TBC for that? If so, which one would you
recommend? Most of my tapes (I own only VHS's, not S-VHS's) are SP mode, and a few recorded in
LP mode.

And, by the way, does an original NTSC JVC VCR that ends on "U" playbacks the PAL tapes?

Thanks again.

When I say "capture device", I refer to DVD recorders, capture cards, DV capture boxes, USB capture sticks, etc. The ingest device must have a stable and true signal. That includes an actual format, not a quasi mess (of which "NTSC-50" is just one; and realize it's in quotes because it's not actually a format). Stability is guaranteed by external TBC, which is needed in most cases (few devices have embedded TBCs that correct the signal; some embedded TBCs only correct the image, not the signal).

U alone is USA
EU is European
Further up this thread is the letter breakdown.

Being in SP mode mostly guarantees easier tracking (few to no issues), and slightly better quality. In terms of stability, SP is just as bad as LP or SLP/EP.

Well, that means I need 2 VCRs then.
If to talk about JVC HR-S7800U, does absence of the Dynamic Drum makes a big difference?
If to talk about DVD recorders, what brand would you recommend for transfering tapes?

I understand the meaning of letters. I wanted to know whether an US mashine,
let's say S9600U or S9800U (what you own) can playback the tapes recorded in PAL.
As there's nothing about that in their manuals.

Sorry for many questions but I have never done it before and want to do the things right.
Thanks a lot.

The DD is not better, just different. Sometimes it helps, sometimes not. The 9800 plays most tapes well, but sometimes the SR-V10 (aka 7900) or Panasonic AG-1980P does better. It really depends on many factors. For SP recordings, DD won't matter that much.

Tapes have chroma noise and grain. DVD recorders will make DVDs look worse than tapes -- with one exception. The LSI Logic chipset. The best LSI was the JVC models. Not all JVCs, just the early ones. There is a "LSI DVD recorder gallery" post on the forum. Search for it.

NTSC models don't play PAL. That means the HR-S9600U (or 9800, etc) does not play PAL.

I've ordered JVC HR-S9900U. So now I need a very good DVD recorder to convert my tapes.
And again the question is: can an european DVD recorder accept an NTSC signal and record it in NTSC?
I know almost all DVDRs can playback in both systems. But to capture the signal...?

I also would like to ask about these two recorders:
-JVC DR-MH50. Does it has LSI chipset?
-Philips DVDR3400/37. I know it has both video output systems. Plus LSI. But what
do you think about this one. Does it worth for converting to digital?

Thanks in advance.