Mysterious S-VHS Playback Problems

[TheTooleMan]

(You know how hard it is to find an appropriate place to post a question about S-VHS playback? I'm hoping someone here will excuse me for being off-topic and give me a bit of advice. I'm not coming up with many alternatives, and someone said the S-VHS gurus hang out here.)

A friend loaned me his Mitsubishi HS-U62 S-VHS VCR to play back four S-VHS tapes that were recorded by another friend. The tapes are Fuji H471S and JVC S-XZ and S-XG S-VHS or Super VHS cassettes. I want to digitize the tapes, edit them, and create DVD's.

The Mitsubishi VCR plays back regular VHS tapes just fine. No such luck with the S-VHS tapes. I get diagonal black-and-white lines on the TV when I connected the VCR using the RCA and RF outputs. Using the S-Video connection produces a blank screen. I tried automatic and manual tracking, but nothing changed. Connecting the VCR to my camcorder, which then feeds the PC, doesn't give any better results. I get audio, but no video other than snow and a very distorted image with color snow.

I tried playing the S-VHS tapes in a Sony VHS VCR. The Sony produces video output which I can see and capture, but the VHS/S-VHS compatibility problems are apparent and the results are not acceptable.

I have no previous experience with S-VHS, so I would like some help to understand if this sounds like anything anyone has ever heard of before.

Thanks in advance!

[lordsmurf]

Seen it. You need to use a better S-VHS deck.

OR pay somebody to transfer the 4 tapes for you. (Often a better option.)

[edDV]

The S-VHS format uses wider FM modulation deviation for better luminance signal to noise vs. normal VHS. Chroma uses the same color under technique as normal VHS.

The problems you describe are not normal. I suspect the tapes were recorded incorrectly.

[victoriabears]

How were they recorded, on a s-vhs deck in s-vhs or as normal vhs, gotta tell ya, s-vhs decks do not always bring the best playback for normal vhs tapes, get a sharp vcr with super picture from the local thrift stores or ebay and you may be surprised.

[TheTooleMan]

Thanks for all the replies, first of all!

I believe the tapes were recorded on an S-VHS recorder, and they really are S-VHS recordings on S-VHS tapes. I will double-check that with the owner of the tapes.

I made a test recording last night on the deck, using one of the S-VHS tapes, and found the same damn problem on playback. So the machine can't play back its own S-VHS recordings.

I noticed the S-VHS indicator light comes on when S-VHS tapes were inserted, so at least the machine is able to detect the type of cassette inserted.

I'm a novice, but I'll venture a guess that either the circuitry in the S-VHS playback chain is bad or there is some simple mechanical problem, like a dirty playback head. I don't suppose there is a separate S-VHS playback head, is there? Wishful thinking on my part, maybe...

Thanks again for the responses. I'm looking forward to hearing what this sounds like to you.

[lordsmurf]

H s-vhs decks do not always bring the best playback for normal vhs tapes,.

I find that to be the case maybe once every 100 tapes -- at most.