Am I SOL on using D-VHS??

Thanks for the replies!


mjones73,

My Pioneer HDTV does not have firewire input, that isn't necessary correct?? I can connect component to component from the D-VHS recorder??


seldenpat,

I don't have either cable or DTV. THe only HD I'm receiving is OTA broadcasting. To consider a cable or dish box with built in tuners (OTA and cable or dish) and also HD record capabilities is just way too pricey for me at this time. As I said it looks like the D-VHS would be the cheapest option even if I have to buy a different STB with firewire out!

Be aware that the SIR-T165 has a poorly designed engineering "feature" relating to its internal clock which is used to trigger timer events. I assume you want to set timer events for unattended HD recordings, and you should be aware of this defect.


The T165 does not have a built-in manually set clock. Instead, it gets its clock values dynamically from the last channel you tuned to, from the PSIP data provided by the broadcaster for that channel. So if that station has a clock that's off your clock value which gets used to start the next timer event recording will be similarly off.


If the next timer event is from a different channel than that of the prior tuning, the clock will then again be reset from the new PSIP data... which again may or may not be accurate.


This could also affect when the unattended recording stops, if the PSIP clock for the channel being recorded does not match the true broadcast network programming.


So yes, while the T165 has firewire output and can support unattended D-VHS recording of HD, this T165 "dynamic clock" design defect makes timer recordings a delicate matter... depending on whether or not your local broadcast channels have an accurate clock value in their PSIP data, and just how far one channel's clock value differs from another.

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I'm still using my 1999-era Panny combo (DST50/PV-HD1000) for dedicated OTA recording to D-VHS of network broadcasts. This used to be part of my Dish 5000+HDTV modulator setup until Feb 2004, but now it's dedicated to OTA D-VHS work.


Despite the first-generation very basic functionality of the DST50 and very very rudimentary 2 timers, it does have its own manually set clock so that timer recording is dependable. And it can fully control the PV-HD1000 via firewire, just as you'd want.


It's not a "modern" HD receiver, and it doesn't do well with some of the more advanced implementations of DTV (e.g. I get the Spanish audio on my local WB at night even though the English language flag bit is set, and I can correctly receive national network FOX broadcasts but not local KTTV-DT because of something that they're doing which the DST50 is unprepared for).


But otherwise the Panny combo is perfectly adequate for me as a second HD/D-VHS recording solution for local OTA programming.


I also have Comcast cable and a 6412 DVR, connected via firewire to a JVC 40K. I use this recording solution for primary HD->DVR timeshifting, and occasional permanent or temporary archiving/offloading to D-VHS of premium HBOHD, SHOHD and INHD1/2 content from Comcast.


There really aren't many alternatives, especially for OTA recording to D-VHS.

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The DST-50U and DST-51U came out long before any of the JVC HD DVHS recorders. The two DSTs are not fully 5C and I.Link compliant. Therefore if you connect a DST-50U to a 30K (for instance) you'll get to learn all about bus resets and when you can and can't rewind tape. I only know this because that was my first DVHS setup until a better tuner came along. If you decide to do this make sure you have a UPS since any power outage resets the link.


There should be a number of threads in the forum archives on this subject.

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Because of the pre-5C vintage of both the DST50 and PV-HD1000, there is very limited connectivity to more modern alternatives which actually works.


My experience connecting my DST50 to my JVC 40K for recording was unsuccessful. Playback from 40K to DST50 (from tapes previously recorded on PV-HD1000) was similarly unsuccessful. I don't have experience with any other D-VHS machines, but my guess is that these would be similarly unsuccessful because the DST50 is 5C non-compliant (actually, pre-5C).


Using a PV-HD1000 as a D-VHS recorder connected to a Motorola 6412 is unsuccessful.


Using a PV-HD1000 as a source for DVHS-to-DVHS dubbing to JVC 40K DOES WORK! But dubbing in the other direction (from 40K to PV-HD1000) does NOT work. Apparently, JVC must have specifically built in support to handshake with the PV-HD1000 even though it's a non-5C source.


Otherwise, if you can find both a DST50 and PV-HD1000 you've got a deal as an OTA recording solution. That really is the only environment in which a DST50 can be used.


Again, for me the nice thing about the DST50 is that it has component video output that auto-switches native format 480p/720p/1080i based on the source. There is no manual user intervention. And the native format is recorded on the PV-HD1000 so that playback is similarly native. Since my Sampo supports all of these native formats, I love it. In contrast, I have my 6412 set to upconvert everything to 1080i (and it does an excellent job on 720p-to-1080i, although I'd probably prefer watching in native 720p as I do from my DST50 when that's the source format).


My guess is that any PV-HD1000 currently for sale at this time is not going to be a "demo" unit (which cannot be used for recording). We went through that several years ago when store demo units were being unloaded at clearance sales, and then further resold on eBay. Today, it will likely be a true retail unit (which can record) or like mine, a demo unit (originally purchased undescribed as being of this category) which has been upgraded by Panasonic (or a shop) to have the retail recording heads to make it fully functional.


But before buying a PV-HD1000 be sure it is not a demo unit. I'm not sure whether Panasonic still has the parts to upgrade the heads.