VCR buying guide (S-VHS / D-VHS / Professional)

PLC401 · Member Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Location: United Kingdom

Picked up a (lightly used) JVC HRS9600EU (Continental Europe retailed model) a few months back; I can say I have absolutely no regrets with the purchase. I'm in the UK so had to stick an adapter on the mains plug to convert it over, no sweat.

After initially leaving the machine untouched for some time, I just recently decided to run a VHS through it that had been recorded in Long Play mode (not originally my recording - I don't like using LP on such tapes!); the picture I got out of the VCR alone honestly surpassed my expectations - looked very clear and clean - and it seemed with a generous dollop of software tweaking afterward the result really managed to squeeze an awful lot out of the source.

Pity that couldn't be said for the sound, which in any case can't be improved in this same way or level (if there *is* some hard or software tech equivalent for audio signal improvement/optimization, tell me!) but as far as the video goes: I burned the final output to a DVD, and it looked very respectable on a CRT indeed; some scenes just looked crisp enough to make me even question whether the original video was an LP VHS - looked far closer to an immaculate high-grade SP recording (which this tape was certainly not). So yeah, I'm very content with this piece of kit and I do like the picture it gives

Bix · Member Joined: 28 Mar 2003 Location: United States

The original post should be edited to note that the JVC HR-S9800U is also available as the GoVideo SDV-650. It's exactly the same VCR except it has different branding (obviously) and the Go is black instead of silver like the JVC branded model is.

lordsmurf · Posted: Jul 26, 2008 17:02

lordsmurf · Posted: Jul 26, 2008 17:05