Need Recommendation on S-VHS Player

[pukhog3]

Hello-

I would like to do a quick capture of a few VHS tapes so that I can save them in digital format. I have read extensively that it is important to not only have a good capture card for capturing the analog signal and converting it to digital, but you need a quality S-VHS player with TBC and other filters. However, I can not find anything on-line anymore that doesn't look flaky on E-Bay (doesn't have remote, used, no description of quality). I have seen recommendations on other sites (that seem out-dated) about JVC S-VHS players, but all of them seem to be discontinued.

Are there any good VHS tape players currently being made and what are they? I do not want necessarily top of the line most expensive, but I am willing to pay more to get a quality S-VHS player that will provide some image correction capability and provide as good of capture quality as I am going to get without extensive restoration practices.

Thanks.

[jman98]

Welcome to the forums. I cannot answer your question, but I wanted to let you know that your question is probably better suited to be in the Restoration section of the forums. You had no way to know that. I'll ask a Moderator to consider moving it for you.

We have several members here who are definitely able to answer your questions and make recommendations. Hopefully they will answer soon.

[pukhog3]

Gotcha. I'm sorry. I actually looked over all the forum titles, and originally thought about squeezing it somewhere in the hardware section, but I couldn't find an appropriate forum (they were all concerning digital hardware). However, I don't really plan on doing any restoration, I just want to capture at as high of a quality as I can originally, and do very little back-end restoration/editing.

Thank you.

[orsetto]

Absolutely nothing is available new: VHS has been dead in the water for the better part of ten years now. The only options are used, on eBay. You just need to be patient and keep checking until you see a good model from a good seller at a good price, that comes with all the parts (remote, etc). The most popular and easier to find models are the JVC 9911 and the Panasonic AG1980. Similar older JVCs exist, but too many models to list here and the older they are the more likely they are to need expensive repairs. The Panasonic AG1980 is nearly as good and in some cases better. Its often available cheaper than the JVCs because the JVCs have more "cachet" but in practical use performance runs neck and neck. One advantage to the Panasonic is its semi-pro design: all controls are on the front panel, you never need to go into a menu system (it doesn't even have one), and it can be operated fully without a remote (you can use any universal remote or spare Panasonic remote for the basic functions, don't waste time and money looking for the original AG remote because it does nothing besides control Stop, Play, FF, REW, etc.) The JVCs however do need their original remotes: don't buy a JVC without it unless you can definitely get the remote elsewhere.

If you don't have a huge number of tapes, either JVC or Panasonic will do fine. If you have hundreds, its advisable to have both a JVC and the Panasonic: each will play some tapes the other won't, using both covers you completely.

[pukhog3]

Thanks for the info. Very helpful. I was looking on E-Bay, and does anyone have any information/opinion about the quality of the JVC SR-V10U model and its comparison to the JVC SR-V30U model. Assuming it comes with the remote of course.

[pukhog3]

Nevermind. I just found the sticky on the DVHS/SVHS/VHS recommendations (not sure how I didn't spot it before). It looks like I can get all the information I need from there. Thanks for any info that was posted here though.