Help choosing a high-quality VHS VCR?

[Phileholic]

I own a Sony SL-HF 1000 Beta Player and the quality for the tapes played in my collection are superb and IMO is the best Betamax player used for viewing and capturing beta tapes (unless I can do better with an EDV-9500 or another Sony model) and am now currently saving up to purchase a Pioneer HLD-X0 for the rare laserdiscs I have in my collection. I also have some rare VHS tapes (for ex. some contain deleted footage that don't appear on DVD/Blu-ray) that I'd like to capture for preservation reasons but don't know which VCR to get. I've looked at VCR buying guides here and on videohelp and I want to say a W-VHS player is the best but it's heavily discouraged because the parts for it are no longer made. For S-VHS, there's the JVC HR-S9900U and the Panasonic 1980P; plus the D-VHS Mitsubishi HS-HD2000U, but I don't know which one to get for playing back high quality VHS movies.

First off, let me just say that picture quality is everything to me when using a VCR.

[lingyi]

I'm green with envy that you still have a SL-HF 1000. Along with the EDV-9500, this was the only high end Betamax that eluded me. I recently my thoughts about my long gone beloved Betamaxes and thought the picture quality of the EDV-7500 was tops, followed by the SL-HF2100 and the SL-HF900. From my understanding from reviews at the time, picture quality of the the EDV-7500 was the same as the EDV-9500 as it was the recording/dubbing/playback workhorse with it's big brother being reserved for editing. The same relationship held true for SL-HF1000 and the SL-HF900

The bargain for ED-Betas as of a few weeks ago are the EDV-9000 and EDV-7000, the Japanese equivalents of their American cousins.

It's amazing how much we are are of the same mind as I also was a lover of Laserdisc! The best player I had was the LD-W1. I stopped following the LD scene since my interest was primarily in Asian LDs, which when available for purchase were at least $80/disc (with movies split across two discs, just to boost the price) and I got my first DVD player in 1994 (VCDs, while far lower quality were $20-30 a set).

Good luck on getting a HLD-X0. As I stated to a poster to who was looking to get someone to transfer his LDs on one for him, I suspect those who have one aren't very vocal about it and are unlikely to part with it.

As for the best S-VHS machine, I recommend PM him (if he doesn't respond to this thread) as he as/had a number of his spare machines available on this site's markeplace.

-- merged --

"I recently my thoughts about..."

I meant to write, "I recently posted my thoughts about...". Much more better English!

and

"As for the best S-VHS machine, I recommend PM him [ummm...lordsmurf] (if he doesn't respond to this thread) as he [h]as/had a number of his spare machines available on this site's marke[t]place." Geez lingyi!

He recently responded on videohelp.com to another poster about his thoughts on good VHS machines here:https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/...-DNR-debatable

[JPMedia]

Check out the DigitalFAQ VCR buying guide: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vide...ing-guide.html

[Phileholic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPMedia

Check out the DigitalFAQ VCR buying guide: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vide...ing-guide.html

I've already looked at the buying guide which led me to decide that the W-VHS was best.

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/...an-older/page2
If the JVC SR-W5U playsback VHS movie tapes like this, then I'll take the risk with the exclusive parts; I just need to be careful with the condition of who I'm buying it from.

The only S-VHS I need is for the PAL tapes I have and it seems either the JVC SR-V10E/SR-V10, JVC HRS7965EK/JVC HR-S8965EK, or any other recommended model(s).

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phileholic

I've already looked at the buying guide which led me to decide that the W-VHS was best.

Well, I wrote it, and that's not the takeaway you should have had.

The SR-W5U is probably one of the more problem decks that exists in the 2010s, and even in the 2000s it was PITA. The odds of finding a problem-free deck are nil, and the parts to repair on no longer exist. Even finding a parts deck has a near-zero likelihood of happening.

That VHS post was from 2005. With video, something never get outdated, but this specific topic on W-VHS does.

Quote:

The only S-VHS I need is for the PAL tapes I have and it seems either the JVC SR-V10E/SR-V10, JVC HRS7965EK/JVC HR-S8965EK, or any other recommended model(s).

Those are all fine. And some others.
I'm still quite fond of my HR-7695EK, bought it in 2004. Performing nicely when needed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lingyi

"As for the best S-VHS machine, I recommend PM him [ummm...lordsmurf] (if he doesn't respond to this thread) as he [h]as/had a number of his spare machines available on this site's marke[t]place."

I'm now down to my final 6 decks. After this, no more VCRs, no more full workflows.
Few captures cards, few TBC/TBC(ish).
It's good stuff that anybody wanting to capture VHS should not pass up!

[Phileholic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phileholic

The only S-VHS I need is for the PAL tapes I have and it seems either the JVC SR-V10E/SR-V10, JVC HRS7965EK/JVC HR-S8965EK, or any other recommended model(s).

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Those are all fine. And some others.
I'm still quite fond of my HR-7695EK, bought it in 2004. Performing nicely when needed.

I'm looking for a high-end PAL VCR for VHS movie tapes like the Sony SL-HF 1000 is for my beta tapes. There's a lot of respected ones in bold on the buying guide but I don't know which to look out for.

[lordsmurf]

So just to confirm: no need for an NTSC VCR?

[Phileholic]

I do need an NTSC VCR, but we can discuss about that afterwards.

If not a W-VCR, then what would you recommend that comes closest to the quality from that post.

[lordsmurf]

What modes are the tapes?
- SP
- LP
- EP/SLP
- mix, and if so what % of each

That's the most important question. There's several important questions, but that's the main one.

[Phileholic]

These are basic movie tapes like Blade Runner, Godfather etc. some having basic ntsc runtimes of 90-120 min some less than 180 min.

[lordsmurf]

I have the perfect VCR for you. I'll PM you.

The SR-V101 is a mix of lighter weight that other JVCs, so good for shipping overseas. And although that specific model tends to have more issues than not, I still have a still couple in excellent like-new condition.

[Phileholic]

Whatever high-end S-VHS VCR that comes closest to in picture quality and performance that you have or that's out there I'll take it.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phileholic

Whatever high-end S-VHS VCR that comes closest to in picture quality and performance that you have or that's out there I'll take it.

Check your PM.