Is SVHS recorder a lot better when using regular VHS tape?

[tjmanning]

I'm looking for the best (reasonably priced) way to both capture and send video from computer to VHS tape. Is there a marked improvement when using an SVHS recorder but using regular VHS tape and not SVHS tape? Will the S-Video connection in itself result in a marked improvement over the composite connection I now have?

thanks

[gf]

Hi tjmanning,

The s-video connector will give some picture enhancement but not much. The only difference is that the chroma (color) & luminance (brightness) are separate and don't interfere with each other. The only way to increase the recorded video is to use s-video connectors and a s-vhs tape. But remember that tape is incompatable with vhs players. Hope this info helps.

[wulf109]

SVHS-Et works very well on regular tape. SVHS provides 400 lines of resolution v\s 230 lines in regular VHS. S-video jack provides a noticably increase in resolution,at least to my eyes.

[LanceSteel]

I may be wrong (so someone correct me if I am) but I think there is a 15-20% increase in video quality when using SVHS vs VHS. Remember that only SVHS players can play SVHS tapes so if you are archiving these vid caps then keep that in mind. Some SVHS plays have an option to record SVHS on a VHS tape (I've never tried this but I would think that it would have a video quality between that of VHS and SVHS.)

I've noticed that when I capture from my S-video connection on the SVHS player the quality is a little better than when I cap from the composite. (My tapes are usually noisey anyway so the difference isn't too great.)

Just a side question: Are you archiving video to vhs for your own display? If you want to keep these streams I would suggest getting a DVD burner and making dvd's instead.

[tjmanning]

Actually I'm creating the clips for other people and this is my problem....some want DVD, others want VHS tape. I'm just wondering if it is worth investing in an SVHS VCR with S-Video if I'm just going to put the clips on regular VHS tape and not SVHS tape anyway.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Actually I'm creating the clips for other people and this is my problem....some want DVD, others want VHS tape. I'm just wondering if it is worth investing in an SVHS VCR with S-Video if I'm just going to put the clips on regular VHS tape and not SVHS tape anyway.

I agree with LanceSteel you should get a DVD burner for $250US and
DVD media is around the same price as SVHS tape($5).If you can capture
at 720x480 then why choose 352x480?There are many DVD players that
are under $100 that play all formats.

[Deisel Weisel]

VHS copy quality is 60% (of whatever you're copying). S-VHS is 70-80%, and boy can you tell the difference, much better! "ET", the ability to record S-VHS on normal VHS tapes does work very well apparently but, it's a feature unique to recent JVC/Panasonic VCR's (as far as I know), and the ET copies you make, will ONLY PLAY back on ET equipped JVC/Panasonic VCR's, so no use to your friends if they ain't got JVC/Panny ET.

With DVD-R so cheap now, it's the best distrubution media (95% copy quality). If they don't have a DVD stand-a-lone player, they may still have a DVD ROM on their computer, that they forgot they had

[tjmanning]

I just want to make sure I have this straight. Unless using an SVHS tape, or "ET" with a VHS tape, there will be little improvement using an SVHS recorder and a regular VHS tape without ET.

LanceSteel suggests the ability to use an s-video connection over composite may enhance the recording. gf suggests the improvement is minimal. Anyone else have experience comparing the use of composite vs. s-video with all else being equal?

A couple of people suggested I get a DVD burner...well, I have one, but you'd be suprised how many people are still interested in getting videos on plain VHS.