I need advice in selecting a VCR to be used with a Canopus ADVC-300

[teslaprofile]

I am transferring 1990's home videos to DVD, I do not have a VCR yet, and there are two that are highly recommended. One is the JVC HR-S9911 and the other is a Panasonic AG-1980, on the other hand, there is the JVC HR DVS3 and the JVC HR VS30U, which also feature a separate deck for Mini DV, of which I have many. What is the difference between these last two?

I also have a Canopus ADVC-300. My other question is, how necessary to have a good VCR, such as the ones I just mentioned, while having this device or will any cheap VCR do, precisely because of the use of this device?

Finally, if you were to suggest any of the mentioned VCR's, do you recommend having the TBS and or any other features disabled from them, since it is being fed into the Canopus ADVC-300?

Thank you for your time!

Will

P.S. I am using an iMac, with a 3.04 Pentium processor and 4GB of RAM, I also have the choice of using Final Cut Pro, iMovie and Final Cut Express.

[cadguy4u]

I too have the same exact question as Will. I actually just registered to ask this same question. I was also looking into the JVC HR-S9911 or one of the 9000U series models. I just havn't purchased the ADVC-300 yet. Or would I have to if I were to get one of these VCR's? But I would purchase one if it would make the end result even better using both.

With one additional question though. I have both Sony Vegas Pro 8 and Adobe Premier Pro CS4, will this software help me out even more?

[lacywest]

I had a bunch of VHS tapes recorded on a Sharp HI FI VCR .... the recordings were from VH1 when they did 4 days non stop of all the top A - Z hits from recording artists.

They did this during 4th of July ... Tnanksgiving and Christmas.

I used up every tape I had around to record these marathon recording sessions.

Eventually the Sharp VCR died ... actual parts coming lose and floating around inside.

I had a RCA ProScan HI FI vcr that could play these tapes with out tracking errors.

I then decided I needed to get another HI FI VCR as backup.

I went to Fresno and bought a HI FI vcr at Bestbuy - Circuit City ... and tested one bought VCR ... one at a time.

If couldn't play my old tapes ... I brought it back.

Finally at ... The Good Guys ... Shaw and Blackstone [the store is closed now ... years ago] ... I found the VCR that worked.

It is the .... MITSUBISHI HS-U748 SUPER VHS S-VHS SVHS VCR DECK.

Specs (From an online source):

S-VHS Record and Playback

2DYC Comb Filter

TurboDriveT 500X FWD and REW speeds

PerfecTape SelectT Analyzes the tape and makes fine adjustments for the best possible recording and playback.

OTR_ (Advanced One-Touch Recording) makes last minute-programming easier by rounding the recording start time to the half hour, using one button.

RentalXpressT Automatically rewinds and ejects the tape, then powers down when rental tapes are played to the end.

43 second FF/REW .... Auto Clock ... Front A/V inputs ... Multibrand Remote

Lacywest says ... fast rewind ... is really really super fast.

Perfect Tape ... works best on High Grade VHS tapes ... if they are still available ... dont know actually.

Normal ones can be calibrated too. But High Grade works the best.

Reads my old VHS tapes.

My HS-U748 ... was in storage for two years and I finally built a storage building in my back yard and emptied the storage unit I kept my stuff in ... 112 bucks each month.

After watching Mamma Mia! on DVD ... I decided to dig out my ... Best of ABBA video Hits on VHS tape [they also were in the storage unit but deep inside some boxes] and transferred them to my Panasonic EH50 DVD Recorder ... a couple of days ago.

I first ran a VHS tape ... that I didn't care about ... a few times through the unit to warm it up and get any residue on the video head and capstan rollers off of it. I didn't open it up and clean it by hand.

The unit played just fine and the ABBA tapes were transferred with complete success to my Panasonic EH50.

Just to let you know ... I put mine in storage ... [nothing special ... just sat on a box in the storage unit ... was not wrapped up in a box or nothing] June 2005 ... I bought it around Winter 2003 [ I guess ].

I just sat it on a box in my back yard storage building ... in plain site ... with no door attached to building yet.

My point is ... it is built well inside and plays as well as when it was in my apartment ... and I do smoke and the walls in my bedroom ... when I moved out were yellow and the white plastic on my computer case was a dingy yellow too ... and this Mitsubishi HS-U748 still works just fine.

Check the Ebay link ... if you want one. It is not mine ... and I have no frickkin idea who the person is selling that one ... it is a good unit and works very well. I am talking about mine ... not the one on Ebay.

Best thing to do ... buy the Ebay one ... as soon as you get it ... test it ... using some VHS tapes you know play well.

If the unit fails the test ... you can contact the Ebay seller ... his return policy is flaky ... but a PayPal dispute can be filed against him ... you have 45 days to file a dispute ... As soon as PayPal receives your complaint against him ... any holdings he has in his PayPal account will be frozen ... while PayPal decides what to do. You will get stuck with shipping charges to send it back but he will most likely give in ... so that his PayPal account is released from being frozen. You will get a refund back from PayPal if it is messed up and not as described.

Two weeks ago ... I hanged a huge thick Comforter over the door way ... doesn't keep my cats out. I found Peek A Boo inside prowling around.

If you want it ... try the Ebay link ... there is one available right now ... try the best offer ... might get it for a decent price. He has two methods ... Buy It Now --- $200 bucks or make a best offer.

Here are some web links ...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nice-MITSUBISHI-HS-U748-SUPER-VHS-S-VHS-SVHS-VCR-DECK_W0QQitemZ120...2%7C240%3A1318

http://www.epinions.com/review/pr-Mitsubishi_HS-U748_S-VHS_VCR/content_157915057796

http://www.retrevo.com/support/Mitsubishi-HS-U748-VCRs-manual/id/282bh833/t/2/

http://www.inods.com/product/20267388-Mitsubishi+HS+U748+S+VHS+VCR/details

[lacywest]

Nice MITSUBISHI HS-U775 SUPER VHS S-VHS SVHS VCR DECK

on Ebay also ... Link is >>>

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nice-MITSUBISHI-HS-U775-SUPER-VHS-S-VHS-SVHS-VCR-DECK_W0QQitemZ120...2%7C240%3A1318


I dont have any experience with this one.

[lacywest]

Here are some images from the DVD I made of ABBA ... transferred from VHS tape to DVD


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