Panasonic AG 5700 seems to stutter with EP mode tapes

[Knightmessenger]

Yeah, so I've mentioned before I have a Panasonic AG-5700 and a JVC HR-S59900U, both of which are S-VHS with S-video out. After comparing screencaps from the discs made by my dvd recorder, I have come to the conclusion the AG 5700 is much better at playback quality without blurring the video, or oversharpening it.

It seems especially noticeable with EP mode vhs tapes. The JVC gives a very smooth soft look, (which I know from seeing those tapes on regular vcr's for years before, just isn't right) even turning the Edit mode on doesn't seem to help. In fact Edit on seems to add sharpness and also do that thing where text bleeds over. (I can provide screencaps for reference)

The panasonic of course plays the tape with all the noise and color banding intact, which is how I want it. I figure any type of digital noise reduction would be best done on a PC, from the rawest capture source possible.

But as you probably know from reading the title, there's a small problem. The Panasonic doesn't seem to play the tapes well. It looks fine for some frames but then others jump up and down and have tracking like lines. No sound plays either.

Now this Panasonic S-VHS recorder according to the manual does have the option to record tapes in either SP or EP mode so it seems logical it should play tapes in that format. The only thing I can think of is that it needs to be somehow manually switched to the proper playback speed. Otherwise what gives?

[hech54]

Both of them are old and tired. Your comparisons/observations are about 25 years too late. You should be pampering them and using them sparingly.....not comparing them to death.

[orsetto]

The AG5700 was a goofball "medical" VCR normally built into diagnostic consoles and hard-wired for SP-only operation. Many customization options were available thru its RS-232C port via console or PC connection. So your sample might have some custom setting invoked that overrides EP operation. The 5700 also had the "press PLAY button twice to invoke 2x speed play" feature which often goes wonky after a few years as the membrane of the PLAY button deteriorates. Try pressing PLAY again after the tape starts and see if that releases the EP speed back to normal. If not, you're simply dealing with an old hunk of VCR mechanics that have drifted. EP/SLP is a PITA to play in almost any VCR, more so an aged, well-used industrial model.

If you prefer the "look" you're getting out of this 5700, you might consider a used AG1970 for your EP tapes instead. The AG1970 was a MUCH more common model with a much more reliable transport (perhaps the best Panasonic ever put in a prosumer unit). It handles EP/SLP tapes better then any other VCR I've used, and has the "unvarnished, warts and all" signal output you seem to like (with added ability to customize this with a picture detail slider and Norm/Edit switch). You can pick up a decently functional AG1970 for less than it would cost to align the EP playback in your 5700. EP/SLP playback is never consistent from one VCR to another anyway, so if you have more than a few EP tapes its a good idea to own at least three VCRs of different brands (Hitachi, JVC, Panasonic). A boatload of EP tapes were originally recorded on Hitachi-made RCA vcrs, and cross-brand playback compatibility of those is terrible. JVC EP was nearly as bad. Panasonic-made VCRs tended to record the most cross-compatible EP tapes, but that isn't saying much. EP was a crap sandwich all around.

[Knightmessenger]

Many customization options were available thru its RS-232C port via console or PC connection. So your sample might have some custom setting invoked that overrides EP operation.

So I can hook the vcr up to a computer? That's kinda weird. Could I still do that today on a modern PC?

Also, lets say the pressing play button twice thing works and it plays the EP mode tapes properly. What would I need to do to get it back to playing SP mode tapes?

[orsetto]

The computer would need to have an old-school RS-232C serial port, and be running one of the obscure VTR controller programs compatible with your AG-5700. I expect you'd have a hard time finding that software today: it was usually embedded into studio edit board systems or the medical consoles the AG-5700 was typically a part of.

The "press PLAY button twice" gimmick should apply to both EP and SP tapes: its simply a switching feature built into the button. Pressing it a second time after initially engaging play mode is supposed to shift the unit into double-speed "fast playback". Pressing the PLAY button a third time should shift the unit back to normal SP or EP playback. If the membrane contact under the button has decayed or worn out, it might get "stuck" in double-speed mode.