JVC HR-S5800U questions

[smartel]

bought used and about to use it but haven't got the manual for it
a few controls i'm not sure how to use them

only naming from the front panel

knob : picture sharpness : how can i tell if more is needed and when is too much ?

switches :
AC ONLINE : on and off ; what does it do ?
RCU CODE : A - off - B ; what does it do ?
EDIT : off and on , when on ,does it bypass the other controls ??
FULL AREA FINE : on and off ; what does it do ?
V. ENHANCER : on and off ; must be video enhancer , usefull for what ?

Haven't found anything on the web i'm guessing the unit is from around 1995 or 91 ?
a pre-digipure technology , how does it compare ??

the unit is listed in the vcr prosumer and professional suggested for restoration list
bur hardly any info on it ,

Who can help me out here ?

THX

[smartel]

is it that rare ??

[smartel]

maybe a link where i can get some info !

[orsetto]

It isn't rare, but its damn old, and doesn't have the key features JVC fanatics look for today. JVC no longer has the manual available on any of their worldwide support websites, and the usual sources for free manual downloads don't have it either. I'm afraid you'll have to pay a third-party manual supplier for a copy, such as this company.

To try and answer your specific questions:

knob : picture sharpness : how can i tell if more is needed and when is too much ?

By trial and error, like the rest of us do. You can't tell how a given setting will look on the digital dub until you play back the digital dub, the final image changes somewhat from how it looks onscreen while the dub is in progress. This is why direct-to-DVD recording isn't a good idea. Use a DVD recorder with HDD, or a PC, so you can easily delete failed experiments from the HDD and start over.

switches :
AC ONLINE : on and off ; what does it do ?

Probably controls the convenience AC outlet on the back of the VCR.

RCU CODE : A - off - B ; what does it do ?

Tells the VCR which of the two possible remote frequencies you want it to use (so that if you own two JVCs, they won't conflict with each other). Make sure the A-B switch on the remote matches the A-B setting in the RCU menu of the VCR. (If set to "off" the vcr will not respond to the remote at all.)

EDIT : off and on , when on ,does it bypass the other controls ??

This is another setting you'll have to experiment with. It somewhat sharpens the video output (by passing more detail and noise) and bypasses some processing circuits, like the sharpness control, ostensibly to improve the quality of copies made from the VCR. In practice this setting often makes things look worse.

FULL AREA FINE : on and off ; what does it do ?

No idea, but it sounds like some type of image processing. Try it both ways.

V. ENHANCER : on and off ; must be video enhancer , useful for what ?

Will likely boost apparent sharpness and perhaps color contrast, or helps with vertical flaws in the image. These controls were designed to help make better analog VCR>VCR copies, the "enhancements" sometimes backfire when copying to digital. You'll have to do quite a bit of experimentation with these settings, singly and in combination, to find what works best for each individual tape.

Haven't found anything on the web i'm guessing the unit is from around 1995 or 91 ?
a pre-digipure technology , how does it compare ??

It's basically a plain ordinary S-VHS vcr. Fine for what it is, but no better or worse than most others of the period. Older JVCs tend to be cantankerous and prone to drifting out of alignment, so a particular JVCs' value to any individual user depends completely on condition and expectations. The 5800, if in perfect operating condition, can be a good source deck for making digital dubs- especially if the tapes in question were originally recorded on a JVC. For general-purpose cure-all use most restorers prefer the DigiPure models with the TBC/DNR features. These can noticeably clean up grain, color noise and jitter to a degree unmatched by the 5800. Of course, like any other enhancement features, these can also backfire and make things look worse. Everything depends on the specific tapes and the digital hardware you are transferring to: in some cases, the simpler VCRs like the 5800 can give better results. There are no cut-and-dried instructions we can give: each person has to conduct their own testing with their own tapes and gear to determine what settings give them the best results.

Have fun!

[smartel]

i have an ati aiw ve (radeon 7500 , theater 200) and also a datavideo tbc-1000
i'll do test-capturing mpeg to see what it gives me
but i plan to capture huffy for more serious projects
if i ever have problems maybe i'll post some samples for advice

most oh my tapes were recorded on my old mono quasar

yes it's old but the thing is heavy the guy who sold it to me said he paid 1200$ (canadian) back then

i just want to gather the more info i can before doing anything

from what i read , the thing is supposed to have good stability and tracking

guess i'll do a few minutes sample of each settings with good and bad tapes

thanks for the info orsetto

[orsetto]

most oh my tapes were recorded on my old mono quasar

Do you remember if the mono Quasar was 2 head or 4 head? SP, LP, or EP speed? This can impact playback quality on the 5800 significantly. Old mono 2 head recordings in SP or LP speed are not JVCs forte. Any higher-end 4 head VCR like the 5800 will pick up additional spurious noise from 2 head SP tapes because of a mismatch between heads and track pitch. Also JVC was dead set against the LP speed and only grudgingly supports its playback. If most of your tapes are mono 2 head recordings in SP or LP, you would get better results using an old 2 head Panasonic, Quasar or Sharp VCR (because of a better head/track match at SP and better support for LP).

If your old mono Quasar had 4 heads, then its SP tapes should play fine on the 5800. LP tapes might be problematic, and you may have tracking issues with EP. Each mfr had a different overall EP recording signature, JVCs are not particularly fond of Panasonic/Quasar EP tracks. If the 5800 is in excellent condition, it might serve very well, but age may prevent it being compatible with anything but 4 head SP material.

yes it's old but the thing is heavy the guy who sold it to me said he paid 1200$ (canadian) back then

from what i read , the thing is supposed to have good stability and tracking

I'm sure its a tank and was expensive at the time, all SVHS in those days were pricey top of the line hardware. All these years later, all bets are off and they don't have the exact same utility they once did. Most of us dubbing large tape collections find we need two or three different brands and types of VCR: no matter how expensive or wonderful any individual VCR once was, today its unlikely to be perfectly compatible with tapes made on other VCRs. This was true in the "old days" as well: i.e. in the '80s and '90s Hitachi/RCA recordings played terribly on JVC, but the reverse was strangely OK. Panasonic/Quasar, Sharp, Mitsubishi and Sony all had their various tape interchange issues as well. If you want the best digital copies, you need to find the closest match to the original recorder that made the tapes. You might need a 2 head VCR bought for $10 from the Goodwill store, or you might need a mint condition $300 DigiPure VCR. The 5800 falls somewhere in the middle: a solid SVHS VCR which has a preference for playing JVC/TEAC/Sansui recordings. The later DigiPure models are a little more flexible because their TBC/DNR can mask a lot of tracking incompatibility, and they can provide that buttery smooth look that some people prefer. Personally I like using the simpler 5800 type of VCR whenever possible, as long as its in good shape it can often provide a more realistic-looking signal.

Your DataVideo external TBC performs a different function from the so-called "TBC" in the DigiPure VCRs. The DataVideo electronically locks the VCR and your PC encoder board together to avoid dropped frames, glitches and lip-sync audio drift. The TBC/DNR in the DigiPure VCRs taps directly into the video heads to filter out grain and color noise, and help straighten out bent or flagging vertical lines. But the 5800 combined with your DataVideo gives you a solid base to start from: you may find you don't need the added DigiPure features at all. If the JVC 5800 has trouble tracking any of your Quasar tapes, a clean old 2 head Sharp, Panasonic, Magnavox or Quasar would probably be a better alternate VCR than a DigiPure for your particular tapes.

[oldfart13]

Hmmm...this deck sounds similar to the Zenith VRE 550HF I still have. Controls have different names but the same functions. Sears still has things like heads available for these units. I think I still have the manual for this here somewhere....

You are right about needing more than 1 deck to play tapes. I have acquired 2 more Superbeta decks in the past few weeks and they won't track tapes made on my old SL-2710 at all. Luckily that deck is still operable and works the treat for the tapes I made on it starting in 1985. Amazing to think that you can keep these old decks going indefinitely with a little TLC and a few spare parts....

I'm going to be doing some looking for SVHS decks in the coming weeks. Sure, a Panny 1980 would be great but unlikely to find one in this 1 TV station town and buying them online can be prohibitive with shipping costing as much as the deck. I'll just have to wait and see. Til then, my old JVC 3800U and the cheapie RCAs that play rental tapes just fine will have to keep me. The other SVHS decks are dead including the Sony R5U (PS caps) and the Hitachi VT-S730A (loading belt). I think the Hitachi is restoreable but the Sony is a write-off. You never know what you can find in pawn shops and the like for a few dollars. Looking at a Panasonic (no HDD) DVD recorder right now for $10 - $20 listed as "won't record discs". Sounds like it needs a capstan clean, no?

[smartel]

My Quasar was a 4 head vcr , went through lots of abuse and served me well

i also have a Sanyo DA4 head stereo vcr (no s-video) , tracks well but gives big pixels

i also have a brand new , broken down (power i think) JVC HR-S5912U that would cost me 75$ to fix

sure thing is . will be pluged only for the tests and capturing and sent back to storage right after

hoping it's enough for the job and yes most of my comedy tapes were recorded in slp some music show were in sp

thanks a lot for the precious information

[PuzZLeR]

I have a JVC (SR-V101US) and a Panasonic 1980, and I totally agree with Orsetto too in that you need multiple units for different tapes to get the optimal results.

I find some of the older beat-up tapes look better on the Panny, while the good ones look better on the JVC. After reading this post, maybe it is true that some of my older tapes were recorded on a 2-head system. The original unit broke down and was disposed of years ago, so I can't confirm for sure.

As far as testing quality is concerned, from my experience, here's what I do regarding choice of VCR and settings:

1) I first capture about 1 minute of the tape (which usually sets the precedent for the rest of the tape unless it's a tape that has dozens of recordings from different machines on it).
2) I repeat this one minute of video for different settings from both units.
3) I use a lossless editor (VirtualDub if DV) or a dedicated MPEG editor for MPEG-2 and cut all steams exactly alike so they can match frames.
4) I set up a script with them all in AviSynth.
5) Using the "interleave()" command, I can determine which is the better quality. Then I go with that machine and respective settings the rest of the way on that tape.

Yes it's work, but it gives me the best quality for what I have.

As for the JVC's notable settings, I personally like these on most content in tandem with my AV Toolbox AVT-8710 TBC and my SignVideo proc amp.

Digital TBC/NR: ON (keeps the picture straighter)
Video Calibration: OFF (gives more detail)
Picture Control: NORM (SHARP gives too much edginess and a cartoony effect and doesn't necessarily reveal more detail, SOFT kills quality unless it's animation)
Digital R3: ON (to make the colors look nicer)

Not sure if any apply on the 5800 though.

[oldfart13]

Found the Zenith manual. The VLock on this one is only for still picture flagging. The Picture Sharpness appears to be as the above info on enhancing the picture. The Edit is only used for boosting the signal from another deck that you are dubbing from. Normally edit is turned off. Good thing I kept all the manuals from the equipment I had over many years....

[smartel]

hope my 5800 isn't THAT BAD for capturing my quasar's slp recording i'll have the try my SANYO too i guess

[PuzZLeR]

I normally would like a feature called "SHARP", but on the JVC I find it's too "cartoony" an effect for my liking even though some more background details may surface on some frames (but not all).

[smartel]

less is more i think

[smartel]

Additional JVC VCRs with TBC/DNR (NTSC) are the HR-S7500U, HR-S7600U, and HR-S9500U.

I give honorable mention to the JVC HR-S5000U, HR-S5800U, and HR-S6800U. These do not have TBC/DNR, but the ones that I have used produce excellent pictures from tapes recorded on other VCRs

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

never used 4h mode (LP) SP and SLP mostly

is it tracking issues from auto-tracking , must be fixable with manual tracking

lots of things to look for

[smartel]

Some of the older JVC SVHS VCR's such as the HR-S5800U have a switch called 'Full Area Fine' that blanks out the head switching noise at the bottom of the screen.

I don't know if any newer models have this feature.


Chas

from another thread

[Video converter]

Hey what do you guys think of using a JVC HR S6900U Super VHS VCR for converting tapes over to DVD and Blu Ray? I have three, and they in my opinion, they are better than the DVHS decks.

[orsetto]

Personally I prefer not putting all my eggs in one basket: I've slowly accumulated a variety of VHS, SVHS and DVHS models so if a given tape is funky on one I can see if another makes it look better. But after we finish BSing about technicalities, it always comes down to subjective opinion in the end. It seems you've already formed one, since you say you like the signal from your three (!) 6900s better than from newer DVHS decks. If thats what you think, what could anyone here say that would change your mind? And why should they? You like what you like. As long as they track hifi sound properly, don't show jitter, and aren't damaging your tapes with a misaligned transport, use your 6900s as source decks for digitizing. Narrowing things down to a single VCR model eliminates a lot of testing and second-guessing: there can be advantages to that approach.

[smartel]

this is a 1989 EP (6hr mode) tape captured mpeg with a little videosoap , and i kinda like the results

[mammo1789]

Hi smartel here is the page with manual for jvc sr 5800 free but you must register to download http://www.hifiengine.com/manuals/jvc/hr-s5800.shtml .I have one ( jvc sr 5800 and it was almost brand new in box and still the plastic on the remote) along with Panasonic nv-hs1000 and i must tell you that on some tapes ( generally good ones with no significant tbc errors) the jvc gives me more colorful and less noisy picture than the Panasonic, I like it better, but for really bad tapes full frame tbc on Panasonic is much better