Composite vs s-video for detailers and proc amps?

[Acden]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Equipment to consider: (2) Detailer: Increases the detail and clarity of an image. Makes VHS tapes (all tapes are blurry to a degree) look as good as satellite digital quality. Example: SignVideo DR-1000, Vidicraft Detailer II, III, IV Price: $50 used to $300 new. Use s-video cables whenever possible. Especially when you start to use proc amps and detailers and S-VHS equipment. Try to use composite as little as possible.

S-Video, but in Detailers mentioned (up to Vidicraft II, 3 and 4 i can't find on eBay) there only composite inputs/outputs!
I think it is better to use s-Video, instead of processors. What do you think?

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[lordsmurf]

Moved this to its own post, since it was somewhat off-topic for that 7-year-old post it was replied to.

Anyway, the first post really gives all I can say on that: "Use s-video cables whenever possible. Especially when you start to use proc amps and detailers and S-VHS equipment. Try to use composite as little as possible."

It's still true.

If you can find/afford the s-video processors from Studio 1 or SignVideo, by all means, use those. But if you cannot put up the $100+ used price (if you can even find one!), or the $300 new prices directly from www.SignVideo.com, then you'll have to settle for the poorer composite signal.

Another option is to leverage multiple JVC S-VHS VCRs as a way to switch between composite/s-video in the workflow. This has been described several times in posts in recent months by Site Staff, so just look for those posts or search the forum. They'll either be in the workflows subforum, or in the restoration subforum. It's too much to type out again.

Thanks.

[Acden]

Surely, I can spend $100 on used item (not 400$ for new), but I didn't find them on eBay.

Quote:

then you'll have to settle for the poorer composite signal.

sorry, I didn't understand. Do you mean If you can't afford it there is only one way to use bad composite or idea of the sentence was another?

Quote:

Another option is to leverage multiple JVC S-VHS VCRs as a way to switch between composite/s-video in the workflow

But if I have originally connected composite - it will never upgrade to s-video quality (as if it was connected using s-video from the source), isn't it?

What can you say about I.DEN Model IVT-7 ? Or it is better not to spend money on non-SignVideo items?

[lordsmurf]

To state it another way:
- Low-cost = composite, which is inferior signal compared to s-video.
- Premium-cost = s-video, which is the best signal you can get from consumer analog tape formats (VHS, 8mm, etc)

It's not that you "upgrade" quality by using s-video, but rather than you don't downgrade it by using composite. The signal on VHS/S-VHS tapes is already split luma/chroma, therefore separate (i.e., "separated video" aka s-video). Do that make more sense now?

I don't know much about the I.DEN Model IVT-7 at this point time, but it has been discussed on this forum quite a bit. Just search for those conversations with the forum search function. I surely participated in some of them, weighing in with advice or opinions.