Best JVC PAL VCR?

[echo1434]

I'm looking for a high-end JVC PAL VCR, one with a built-in TBC/DNR and 4 MB of memory.

I'm familiar with the NTSC models, such as the HR-S9600U which many people favor. But I'm curious as to what is an equivalent model for PAL. I read somewhere on this forum that the model numbering system for PAL was different by a factor of 1000. Does this really mean that the 8600 is an equivalent model in Europe? I'm especially confused because I've seen a 9600EK model from England. Would that be the equivalent to a 10600 model in the U.S.? (even though they never manufactured such a thing)

Right now I'm looking at the HR-S7950EU model with TBC/DNR. Is this near the top of the line? I'm curious about the difference between this and a slightly higher numbered model. As I said, the 4 MB memory for the TBC is important to me, but it's hard to find the exact technical specs for many of these models — especially the European ones.

Thanks in advance for any input.

[lordsmurf]

I've posted on this before, search the forum, specifically the restoration forum. Look up the term "JVC" and "PAL".

[echo1434]

I've posted on this before, search the forum, specifically the restoration forum. Look up the term "JVC" and "PAL".

I've searched the forum in and out. I guess I can't find the post where you stated the exact RAM for the HR-S7950 model or how the 9600 European models are equivalent to the non-existent 10600 NTSC series.

Simply saying that "you love something" doesn't exactly answer my questions. If I'm just dumb and missed the posts where you actually did provide this specific info, feel free to link me.

[echo1434]

Seriously... Are there any PAL units that with a 4 MB TBC buffer? I can't find a single mention of this anywhere on the internet!

One thing I did find was this German review of the HR-S9600EU, which seems to suggest it has a 2 MB buffer. It's in the list of specs, and someone also mentions "2 MB" in the review comments.

http://www.ciao.de/JVC_HR_S9600__23029

[victoriabears]

see item

200103704669 on ebay

[echo1434]

Thanks a lot for the heads up.

Too bad eBay can't seem to keep track of time, and the auction ended a minute before it was supposed to. I was watching it like a hawk!

But does the 9700EK really have a 4 MB buffer? All signs point to the 9600 PAL units only having 2 MB. I'm still not sure if *any* PAL units have 4 MB.

What about this?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JVC-HR-S8850EK-Super-VHS-VCR_W0QQitemZ250110257478QQihZ015QQcate...QQcmdZViewItem


I know it's a lower-numbered model, but didn't somebody say that the 8000 European units were similar to the America 9000s? I don't know if this is true, though.

[davideck]

Why is a 4 MB Buffer such a high priority?

[echo1434]

Why not? I just want the best technology available. 4 MB is easy to find on the NTSC models, so why settle for less with PAL? That's assuming that 4 MB is available...

But it seems that these PAL units are a big mystery to everyone. I now see that the 9600U and the 8600EK are identical looks-wise, but what about the internal components?

It seems that this "rule of 1000" between the NTSC and PAL units was broken with the release of the 9000 European series. For example, the 9600 and 9700 Euro models look more like the 9800 and 9911 American models...

I would just call JVC Europe and see if they can look up these technical specs, but has anyone gone to www.jvc.co.uk? Try finding their contact info sometime. It's obvious they don't want to be contacted. And considering my experience in general with these sorts of things, I thought I would be much more likely to find an answer here.

[victoriabears]

I think the main "problem" is that PAL is inherintly superior to NTSC, and hi end Super vhs vcr's never took off in the UK.

It is easy to understand your frustration,let me try to help.

What is it you are transferring/how many and which vcr's have you tried?

I have extensive experience in the vhs to dvd and if your tapes are in SP, then a good Sharp vcr with Super sharp picture may work very well.

The Panasonic vcr/dvd combos also get good reviews.

Hope I can help

[echo1434]

I work mostly with music-related stuff (rock concerts, etc.) - both NTSC and PAL This is some of the most challenging stuff to work with. Lots of motion, crazy lighting, etc.

To capture I'm using a Digital Rapids DRC-500 Stream card, and it's far and away the best capturing device I've ever used. It even has some fantastic noise reduction capabilities, but there's a limit to the amount of noise it can reduce on the fly. I can clean up any video a lot more in post...

That's why it would be nice to have a VCR that also has noise reduction. I'm hoping the combination of two NR methods would be enough to clean up the video and avoid doing anything in post (which takes a really long time to process).

I do all my capturing and editing in Huffyuv, convert to MPEG-2 with CCE SP, and make DVDs. I've got my methodology down pretty good, but I just need to find the right VCR. For quite a while now I've been using a JVC HR-S6970 multisystem VCR. It's a pretty decent unit, but it doesn't have a TBC or DNR.

I don't want to start a big debate here, but every standalone TBC I've tried seems to do more harm than it does good. I've tried them all — Tenlab, Keywest, TV One... Sure, they straighten up some lines and stabilize things a bit, but they alter the original signal way too much for my tastes. The color is always shifted, the picture is softened/oversharpened, the luminance levels are changed. Nothing is transparent, even after fiddling with all the parameters.

I had a brief experience using a JVC DVS3U S-VHS/DV combo unit that had a TBC. That's honestly the only TBC I've ever used that doesn't muck up the original picture quality. It just does what it's supposed to do. The same with the DNR. It really cleaned up the picture a lot without sacrificing any detail. And I might add that its TBC was pretty impressive considering it's just line based. It performed better than all the standalone TBCs I've used — even a $1600 Keywest unit.

Anyway, the DVS3U's features really impressed the heck out of me - but I need something in PAL now. So if I could find the best JVC VCR with built-in TBC/DNR, I think I'd really be onto something. The quality of my tapes varies wildly — everything from pristine masters to 5th gen disasters. That's why I think any extra memory buffer or any other quality-related aspect could be a big benefit to me. I just want the best, plain and simple.

[boing]

I would just call JVC Europe and see if they can look up these technical specs, but has anyone gone to www.jvc.co.uk? Try finding their contact info sometime. It's obvious they don't want to be contacted

For all your Consumer Support needs please call: 0870 330 5000 or email info@jvc.co.uk

[echo1434]

So they place that critical info in the "about JVC" section?

And to think all the time I've wasted combing through the "contact JVC" and "support centre" pages over and over again.

I'll let you guys know what I find out. Hopefully they still know a thing or two about their discontinued products...

[boing]

So they place that critical info in the "about JVC" section?

And to think all the time I've wasted combing through the "contact JVC" and "support centre" pages over and over again.

I'll let you guys know what I find out. Hopefully they still know a thing or two about their discontinued products...

LOL

TBH, if I have problems getting hold of the info required by direct means, it often pays to use other methods that involve contriving some type of front

In this case, if I were you, I would contact JCV and pretend to be either a) a dealer requiring tech spec info for a client, or b) a producer looking to buy twenty of the said models and thusly urgently need to obtain the tech specs