I am after a DVD Recorder, but would prefer something that also can handle S-VHS tapes as a combo unit. The combo units I've been able to see so far seem to stop at VHS Hi-fi. I have a fair number of tapes that are S-VHS or S-VHS on standard tape, and would like to be about to replace the current VCR with a single unit. Not looking to copy DVDs or anything illegal, just to be able to play both. Would be nice to be able to move over some of the tapes to DVD, I suppose (the one of my wedding, for example), but mostly it would be recording DVDs off of a cable box, playing then both DVDs and (S-)VHS tapes.

Paul Jones.

I think the closest you will come is that some combo units have "quasi SVHS playback," which means they will play SVHS tapes, but not in their full resolution. I'll admit I'm not clear on what the "quasi" playback means, other than you don't really get SVHS quality. To get the best quality DVDs from transfering things like your wedding tapes, the ideal is to play them back on the machine they were made on, into the S-Vid input of a DVDR. I'd recommend just buying a DVDR, transfering the tapes you want to save, then storing the SVHS VCR, and your tapes. But, don't throw them away, as discs can go bad, and you might want to do new transfers in the future.

JVC manufactures 4 models which provide S-VHS and DVD in one unit. The supported formats are DVD-RAM DVD-R and DVD-RW as well as S-VHS VHS and S-VHS ET on standard tape. Model SR-MV40US has twin analog tuners and is still available. SR-MV45US lacks tuners and costs more but is newest model. There are also SR-MV50US with twin analog tuners and the newer SR-MV55US without tuner. These "50-55" series units are identical to their 40-45 series counterparts with the addition of a editing control interface that you would not need and cost hundreds more just for that connection. Your best choice is the SR-MV40US . The JVC website has archived this unit as of March 2007 because it has analog NTSC-Cable tuners without ATSC Digital but a number of on-line distributers still sell it. None of these four decks have a hard drive. They are great for dubbing tape to disc or disc to tape as long as there is no copy protection. I have alot of experience with a similar JVC unit S-VHS and MINI-DV in one deck. It works great. Hope this helps.

Interesting info, PL. I hadn't run across those units. I did once spot a JVC multiformat VCR, that also recorded and played back in SVHS, so I knew they were a little more liberal with the use of SVHS than other manufacturers. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find that unit again.

JVC manufactures 4 models which provide S-VHS and DVD in one unit. The supported formats are DVD-RAM DVD-R and DVD-RW as well as S-VHS VHS and S-VHS ET on standard tape. Model SR-MV40US has twin analog tuners and is still available. SR-MV45US lacks tuners and costs more but is newest model. There are also SR-MV50US with twin analog tuners and the newer SR-MV55US without tuner. These "50-55" series units are identical to their 40-45 series counterparts with the addition of a editing control interface that you would not need and cost hundreds more just for that connection. Your best choice is the SR-MV40US . The JVC website has archived this unit as of March 2007 because it has analog NTSC-Cable tuners without ATSC Digital but a number of on-line distributers still sell it. None of these four decks have a hard drive. They are great for dubbing tape to disc or disc to tape as long as there is no copy protection. I have alot of experience with a similar JVC unit S-VHS and MINI-DV in one deck. It works great. Hope this helps.

Thanks!

I looked through the specs, and these look like the decks that will get it done for me. One thing I see, though, is that the S-VHS ET operates only in SP mode, whereas I think the VCRs in the past have support S-VHS ET in EP and other longer-playing modes.

Here's the info from my JVC manual, so it sounds like Quasi S-VHS might play back ok, but pretty marginal.

Here's the section from my JVC VCR manual, describing things:

S-VHS ET
This facility allows recording with S-VHS picture quality on VHS cassettes. You can play back those cassettes recorded in S-VHS
ET on a VCR equipped with S-VHS ET.

NOTES:
c To obtain the highest quality recording and playback pictures over a longer period on this model, S-VHS recording on S-VHS
tape is recommended.
c You can play back S-VHS ET recordings not only on this VCR but also on another VHS VCR equipped with S-VHS ET.
* It is recommended to specifically label S-VHS ET recordings so you can easily distinguish them from regular VHS recordings.
c S-VHS ET recordings can also be played back on an S-VHS VCR or a VHS VCR equipped with SQPB (S-VHS QUASI PLAYBACK)
function. However, there may be cases where S-VHS ET playback is not possible on a particular VCR.
c Frequent still, frame-by-frame and slow-motion playback may damage the tape and cause picture degradation.
c With some tapes, better picture quality may not be obtained even with S-VHS ET recording. It is recommended that you do
test record beforehand to make sure whether better results can be obtained.
c High Grade tapes are recommended for superior results.
c Make sure that "VIDEO CALIBRATION" is set to "ON" at the Function screen (Z pg. 35).
c During S-VHS ET playback, noise may appear depending on tape quality.
c Noise may appear during still, frame-by-frame, slow-motion playback and TimeScan search.
c If the playback picture becomes blurred or interrupted, use a cleaning cassette.


So it's hard to tell if the newer combo decks quite support all the S-VHS ET modes of the VCRs. Of course, ET probably works best at SP, but mostly I want to be able to move whatever tape over that might be around.

I am after a DVD Recorder, but would prefer something that also can handle S-VHS tapes as a combo unit. The combo units I've been able to see so far seem to stop at VHS Hi-fi. I have a fair number of tapes that are S-VHS or S-VHS on standard tape, and would like to be about to replace the current VCR with a single unit. Not looking to copy DVDs or anything illegal, just to be able to play both. Would be nice to be able to move over some of the tapes to DVD, I suppose (the one of my wedding, for example), but mostly it would be recording DVDs off of a cable box, playing then both DVDs and (S-)VHS tapes.

Paul Jones.

I have been doing this for some time with very good results. I use a JVC HD 3000 DVHS, and a Panasonic DMR ES 15. You can get both of those from E-bay for less than you might have to pay for the JVC VHS/DVD semi-professional combo recorder.

Cheers

Thanks!

I looked through the specs, and these look like the decks that will get it done for me. One thing I see, though, is that the S-VHS ET operates only in SP mode, whereas I think the VCRs in the past have support S-VHS ET in EP and other longer-playing modes.

Here's the info from my JVC manual, so it sounds like Quasi S-VHS might play back ok, but pretty marginal.

Here's the section from my JVC VCR manual, describing things:



So it's hard to tell if the newer combo decks quite support all the S-VHS ET modes of the VCRs. Of course, ET probably works best at SP, but mostly I want to be able to move whatever tape over that might be around.

I think you'll generally find that the specs quoted are for RECORDING and that PLAYBACK on these JVC decks (and quasi SVHS decks) should be generally universal regardless of record mode (VHS/S-VHS, S-VHS ET, SP, EP etc.). Besides, I think JVC invented the ET feature anyway, so I would be suprised if playback wasn't supported for both SP and EP modes (even if recording is not supported in EP mode). I have found that even my Panny DMR-EH75V VHS/HDD/DVD recording combo deck handles VHS and S-VHS playback really well and have had great results with dubbing VHS/S-VHS to HDD (for trimming/editing (e.g., deleting commercials) and then burning the edited program to DVD.

I too have had what I consider excellent results using the internal VHS deck of my DMR-EH75V to make dubs to the hard drive, and later a DVD-R. I haven't tried an external S-VHS deck to compare the results, but that is just laziness. using the internal drive is just so convenient. Most of what I recorded was VHS, but I lot of it was S-VHS, and the internal drive in the DMR-EH75V has no problem with those tapes.

JVC's SR-MV40US and its cousins will play back tapes recorded in S-VHS ET with 400 line S-VHS resolution regardless of recording speed SP (2Hr.) SLP AKA EP (6Hr.) and even LP (4Hr.) play-only. The quasi-s-vhs units only play these same tapes with 200 line resolution like a dvd recorded in 6 Hr. mode. DVD's copied from S-VHS recordings and S-VHS ET recordings on VHS tape at any recording speed ( of the original tapes) look considerably better when the tapes are transfered from a true ( not quasi ) S-VHS tape deck. Also TBC in the tape player makes a big difference( smooth colors---- much less video noise.) TBC is time base correction; it is incorporated into the SR-MV40US but not in the consumer level combo's like the DMR-EH75 which is otherwise a very good unit.

JVC's SR-MV40US and its cousins will play back tapes recorded in S-VHS ET with 400 line S-VHS resolution regardless of recording speed SP (2Hr.) SLP AKA EP (6Hr.) and even LP (4Hr.) play-only. The quasi-s-vhs units only play these same tapes with 200 line resolution like a dvd recorded in 6 Hr. mode. DVD's copied from S-VHS recordings and S-VHS ET recordings on VHS tape at any recording speed ( of the original tapes) look considerably better when the tapes are transfered from a true ( not quasi ) S-VHS tape deck. Also TBC in the tape player makes a big difference( smooth colors---- much less video noise.) TBC is time base correction; it is incorporated into the SR-MV40US but not in the consumer level combo's like the DMR-EH75 which is otherwise a very good unit.

I believe you may be mistaken on that last statement. The Panny DOES have a built-in TBC it is referenced here http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:W84DHRoBWTMJ:www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/419803-REG/Panasonic_DMREH75VS_DMR_EH75VS_DVD_Recorder_and.html+EH75V+T BC&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=18&gl=us and on Panasonic's Japanese webiste as well as several other places (in fact AFAIK all Panny DVD recorders incorporate a TBC on the analog inputs). As reported on this forum several times, the Panny's TBC at the analog input (including the "hardwired" analog input to the mpeg encoding circuitry on the EH75V) combined with the Panasonic 3D noise reduction and Y/C filters have provided very good analog tape dub results to HDD and disc. In fact, many have reported that tape dubs to Panny DVD recorder units using composite inputs appear to be "better" than dubs using the s-video inputs from s-video sources such as a S-VHS tape deck. While only the OP's first hand judgement is relevant here, I will say that I currently own the EH75V, a JVC Super VHS ET tape deck (hr-s-9800U with TBC), and a JVC combo VHS/HDD/DVD recorder (MX1). In my personal subjective first hand experience I have found the tape dubs using the Panasonic combo unit to be equivalent or superior to tape dubs between the JVC S-VHS deck and the Panny DVD Recorders (I own a few different models), Dubs between the JVC S-VHS deck and the JVC DVD recorder and internal VHS to HDD/DVD dubs on the JVC VHS/HDD/DVD combo unit. It is also very convenient since the entire process is one stop shopping using a single device. Just my opinion. I primarily wanted to get the word out on the Panny TBC because I know my personal experiences are subjective and could be subject to endless debate. Just chalk me up as a happy camper re:VHS/S-VHS dubbing to disc on the Panny EH75V.

I'm really glad you said that so I didn't have to. I was sure, but couldn't prove it, that all Panasonic DVD recorders have a TBC on their analog inputs. I was too lazy to track down the documentation.

Yes the Panasonics do have TBC on DVD input but not on VCR output. The TBC in the JVC Pro-series VCR's and combo units process the signal to correct color, video, and sync pulse irregularities caused by the inherent limitations of the VHS and S-VHS format as compared with digital tape fomats such as DV-CAM and DVC-PRO . The video quality of a S-VHS recording on true S-VHS tape or D-VHS tape or ADAT tape when using a high end consumer or prosumer JVC S-VHS stand alone or combo with DVD recorder type deck yields results over 90% as accurate as a professional DV digital VTR. I have done these tests myself. The TBC on the video input of a Panasonic DVD recorder cannot restore that level of video quality from a non-TBC S-VHS tape player.S-VHS, an extension of VHS, records analog luminance signals as FM and color signals separately as QAM. Upon playback, these signals are enhanced digitally by high end S-VHS equipment before leaving the deck as an analog signal. It is possible to post-process the more rustic signal emerging from a non-TBC VCR however the equipment is quite expensive ( more than the VCR and the DVD recorder combined.) The resolution loss ( about 40%) from a Quasi-S-VHS player cannot be recovered with a post video processor at any cost because the extra lines of resolution have been lost. True S-VHS recordings on superior equipment are close to 480i in resolution. When up-scaled and sent to Plasma or LCD hi-def displays they can look surprisingly impressive. Standard VHS or Quasi-S-VHS with 200-240 lines of resolution always looks inferior and disappointing. I have a JVC promotional video shot on S-VHS-C in 1990 ( 17 years ago!) and it looks beautiful on a hi-def monitor. None of my original standard VHS movies from the studios look very impressive. There is more of a resolution gap between the look of 220 lines of resolution to 400 plus lines than from 480i well up-scaled and 1080P ; not mathematically, of course, but subjectively based on the nature of human vision. Super VHS, laserdisc and standard DVD are all in the same ball park (400-500 lines) visibly better than standard broadcast (330 lines) and so much better than VHS rental tapes (200-220 lines.) I still enjoy working with S-VHS for archiving and editing but only on higher end equipment with current technology digital processing.

I will agree that the Panasonic DMR-EH75V would be a great one unit solution for dvd copies of standard VHS tapes. My concerns for more advanced solutions are for true super- VHS recordings transferred to DVD as accurately as possible.

Like I said, its a subjective thing. I agree that the theoretical "lines of resolution" are definitely greater on the analog output of a true S-VHS deck vs. a quasi-S-VHS playback deck, but I've found less noise on the all-in-one solution (I suspect because I don't have external cables that can pick up common mode noise) vs. my high-end JVC S-VHS deck feeding the Panny recorder. Not sure that it matters where the TBC is as long as there is one between the VCR and the DVD recorder. The other output enhancements you talk about are pushing the limits of cost vs. benefit ratio and would probably be lost on the typical tape dubber (even with S-VHS tape source). Like I said, I've tried a high end JVC deck (with digital frame buffer and TBC) feeding both a Panny and JVC DVD recorder and the all-in-one solution and I am happy with the all-in-one solution results based on what my eyes tell me vs. the objective information displayed on a vector scope, IRE meter, and oscilloscope that would likely tell me something different. My problem, I guess, is that I'm not a videophile purest. I like to sit down and watch and enjoy content and try not to agonize whether I am getting 200 vs. 300 vs. 400 lines on my tape dubs. But that's just me. Thanks for the JVC background information (BTW I think I own the same JVC S-VHS demo tape you speak of. It has the girls in bikinis running down the beach or climbing out of the pool and the flower closeups and breathtaking sunsets, etc...it is quite a demonstration of the ultimate capabilities of the S-VHS format, too bad it never quite took off. I use to edit and master my Hi-8 wedding videos using prosumer or industrial grade JVC, Sony, and Panasonic S-VHS decks.). Those were the days...

What if you have a S-VHS tape that you want to record into your computer first to edit in Adobe Premiere or some other program? Can the JVC SR-MV40US handle that via it's Firewire connection or will I need an additional video capture card?

Thanks.