Do I need a S-VHS VCR?

[Caple]

Hey there.

Nowadays I use a LG DVD/VCR combo, model RC7000B, to convert my VHS tapes to DVD, using its s-video output and s-video input from my Hauppauge card. When the playback time is exactly 1 hour or 2 hours I use the combo itself to record the DVD. But 90% of the time I use my capture card.
I know VHS has low resolution and there is not much I can do about it, but will a S-VHS VCR help me improve quality? I will not play any S-VHS tape (the chance is really close to zero).
Maybe a S-VHS with TBC and DNR will help, right?
Anyway, my choices (if a S-VHS VCR can help me) are:

JVC SR-S365U - R$ 900 (used twice, almost brand new)
JVC HR-S5912 - R$ 983 (new)
JVC HR-S7900 - R$ 1,778 (new)
JVC HR-S3902U - R$ 900 (new)
JVC HR-S9911 - R$ 1,500 (new)

US$ 1 = R$ 2.20 (yes, this things are expensive here :/)

9911 and 7900 models are the ones with TBC, and I can't afford right now. If TBC is the only thing that would help me improve quality, I'll have to wait some months to get it.
If just the fact of being a S-VHS VCR will help me, I need to choose between the others.
Otherwise, I'll stick with my LG RC7000B to play my VHS tapes
Thanx.

[Cole]

It's an old thread, but you may find this useful:

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=255539&highlight=

The basics of the thread is that the only players that will enhance the picture will be the S-VHS VCR's with DNR. Just being a S-VHS VCR will not improve the picture quality alone.

[Caple]

Hmmm interesting thread.
Haven't come across this one.
Thanx, Cole.
Seems like the TBC/DNR models are the way to go. And I'll have to way more time to get it :/

[ntscuser]

All VHS tapes are recorded in S-video mode whether they are S-VHS or standard VHS recordings. To avoid cross-color artefacts and the encoding problems resulting from these you must use a video player with an S-video or component color output. It so happens that in the consumer realm only S-VHS recorders are equipped with S-video outputs of any kind. So yes, you will get an improvement in capture quality from an S-VHS machine whether it has DNR or not.

[Cole]

All VHS tapes are recorded in S-video mode whether they are S-VHS or standard VHS recordings. To avoid cross-color artefacts and the encoding problems resulting from these you must use a video player with an S-video or component color output. It so happens that in the consumer realm only S-VHS recorders are equipped with S-video outputs of any kind. So yes, you will get an improvement in capture quality from an S-VHS machine whether it has DNR or not.

From what I have seen and experienced there is not a great deal of difference on PAL tapes when using S-Video connections; but then I am in PAL land and S-Video connections only really help with NTSC

[ntscuser]

From what I have seen and experienced there is not a great deal of difference on PAL tapes when using S-Video connections; but then I am in PAL land and S-Video connections only really help with NTSC

That depends on the inputs on your capture card. Certainly using the S-video input to my AVer card to capture a PAL VHS version of Insektors produced a vast improvement in encoding quality over using the composite colour input. Some of the more expensive capture cards may have an efficient built-in comb filter to separate the chrominence and luminance signals in which case the differences will not be quite as noticeable but they still exist.

[Caple]

From what I've read the s-video input on my Hauppauge really does the difference. And I'm working with NTSC here.
Going back to the VCR models, I know the 9911 is good (and the others may be too), but any of you have any comment on the other models I listed?

[Caple]

Well, I kept reading on the subject and maybe a TBC would be better for me.
My LG VCR already gives me s-video output, which makes my captures better and, as its tuner works with PAL-M systems, I use it for watching cable TV too.
Instead of buying a new VCR just to capture VHS, maybe buying a TBC would be a better option. Or an external TBC does not help much as an internal one?
I can buy this one http://www.videousado.com.br/modules/classificados.php?recid=1638
Datavideo TBC 1000, listed on lordsmurf's site as something he can't live without
Now I have one more option to make my brain a little more confused.

[lordsmurf]

TBC will NOT improve image quality, it will only stabilize the signal. You need a good VCR to improve image quality.

[Caple]

When I say quality I mean in general.
I believe I have a good VCR (at least better then the older one), but I still think my captures can be better.
As I'm capturing lots of VHS and VHS-C tapes nowadays, most of them a little old, a TBC would help me to stabilize the signal. But I want to make it look better on color, saturation, noise, etc too. And I understand that a TBC will not help much on it. It's just half the way.
I should have post some samples here, sorry.
Maybe the best is really get a new device, like one of the VCRs I listed on the first post, with TBC/DNR. Unfortunately I can't get one to test and return.
Sorry if I'm replying my own posts. I keep reading here and there and keep finding different options to chose. Then I mix that up and make it a mess :/

[lordsmurf]

Color and saturation is for a proc amp.

Noise removal is for a line TBC in a VCR, VCR filters, DVD recorder filters, or software

[ntscuser]

Maybe the best is really get a new device, like one of the VCRs I listed on the first post, with TBC/DNR.

I don't know about JVC but on my Panasonic S-VHS machine it's not possible to have both TBC and DNR active at the same time. I also found the original source material has to be really, really bad before either feature has much effect.

[Caple]

Thanx, ntscuser. Good to know.

[lordsmurf]

On JVC, the TBC and DNR are a single processing unit.
The only thing the JVC cannot do is TBC + Stabilizer

[Caple]

One thing is for sure, I narrowed down my choices to the models with TBC/DNR. Like the 7900 and the 9911. I also found a 6970 model, which is multisystem (according to B&H), but I'm not sure if it works with PAL-M for cabel TV (still waiting for JVC to reply my e-mail). If it does, I can buy it and sell my LG unit. If it does not, I'll try one of the others and keep both VCRs.
Thanx everyone for the replies.

[davideck]

Instead of buying a new VCR just to capture VHS, maybe buying a TBC would be a better option. Or an external TBC does not help much as an internal one?.

Another option is to buy a DVD Recorder for use as an External TBC / Frame Synchronizer / Noise Reducer / Proc Amp. Toshiba DVD Recorders are particularly good for this. Excellent TBC Performance.

[Caple]

A recorder like that seems to be good, but really hard to find around here.