Will S-video output help in converting VHS to DVD?

[lordsmurf]

Hi lordsmurf, is there a particular reason why you haven't mentioned Panasonic in your list of DVD recorder manufacturers?
Cirruz

Because the machines are terrible quality. They create noisy video (especially anything beyond 2 hours worth), the image is too dark and luma-shifted green or red, the AC3 streams are usual corrupt, and the machines are just overall poor performers.

Panasonic was first on the scene and sold lots of recorders for that fact alone, the quality was terrible from day 1. Thankfully better quality equipment came along later, so the rest of the quality-desiring world could enjoy the convenience of DVD recorders. The only reason Panasonic continues to sell machines is because they sell machines in every location possible, while better machines are sold in only a few places (JVC, Toshiba, Pioneer and LiteOn are only sold in a few stores each, it seems). People fall for the old "I see this one all over the place, it must be good" myth. Inept magazines reviews don't help either.

If you care what your video looks like, you'll stay far away from Panasonic. This brand is often called Crapasonic in the quality-desiring community.

Sames goes for Philips and Magnavox, the latter which also has been nicknamed Maggotbox.

Just avoid these garbage boxes. You have better choices, use them.

[Cirruz]

If you care what your video looks like, you'll stay far away from Panasonic. This brand is often called Crapasonic in the quality-desiring community.

Sames goes for Philips and Magnavox, the latter which also has been nicknamed Maggotbox.

Just avoid these garbage boxes. You have better choices, use them.

Damn, I just bought a Panasonic DMR-EH50 (PAL) last month... But I've read some nice comments about it, from actual users, how is this possible? I was choosing between the Panasonic and the JVC DR-MH300S... I was able to get the Panasonic unit for 199€, about 100€ less than the JVC unit... Did I made the right decision, regarding these specific models and prices? Also, I need the recorder mainly to convert VHS tapes to DVD.

Thanks lordsmurf!

Cirruz

[lordsmurf]

VHS to DVD will be especially bad on a Panasonic. It will not only keep all tape noise, it will make it worse. Your videos will have blockiness, posterization (splotches), and all the chroma noise will stay in the image. Yuck.

A Panasonic on SP mode from a clean source is passable, but that's about it. It still has posterization problems.

Most actual users that leave nice comments don't know what they're doing. They would not know high quality video if it bit them in the ass. Many people just assume that homemade video will look bad. Others just do SP mode off satellite tv, never edit the discs on a computer, and are none the wiser to the problems that plague it (longer than SP, AC3 issues, noise issues).

[Cirruz]

VHS to DVD will be especially bad on a Panasonic.

Aren't you being a bit radical? Like every other thing, DVD recorder brands have good and bad models... Isn't it possible that Panasonic eventualy brings out a decent model like, for example, the DMR-EH50 ? I'm rather satisfied with my unit, but to be fair, I haven't tested another one... I only noticed a bit of dot-crawl, in some extreme VHS recording situations. The overall result if far superior to the one I used to get with my Hauppauge WinTV PVR-150!

Thanks,

Cirruz

[davideck]

Many of us feel strongly about our Picture Quality preferences. From what I've seen;

JVC provides a noise-reduced, softened image. This is particularly advantageous for longer record times.

Panasonic provides an image that is sharper and noisier, but also preserves more detail depending upon the source. For a given bitrate, it is reasonable to expect that the Panasonic may have more artifacts because it is capturing more detail. It also has noise reduction that can be enabled or disabled by the user.

Toshiba units fall somewhere in between. Very nice pictures overall, IMO.

Picture Quality is very subjective. Go with what looks good to you. If your PVR-150 is like my PVR-250, then you already have a good reference point.

[lordsmurf]

VHS to DVD will be especially bad on a Panasonic.

Aren't you being a bit radical? Like every other thing, DVD recorder brands have good and bad models... Isn't it possible that Panasonic eventualy brings out a decent model like, for example, the DMR-EH50 ?

No. The model is the issue. The capture chips and other features on the units are what counts. With a few exceptions (ES20, for example), the Panasonics all use their own home-branded crappy encoder chipsets. The frame sync and other filters are also pretty poor, with few exceptions (ES10, for example). The DMR-E50 is one of the crappier models, because it is a typical Panasonic.

Even the Panasonic exceptions have flaws that are not present in other machines from JVC, Toshiba or Pioneer.