I like the look of composite better than S-video

[JVC]

I recently bought two VCRs for a tape capture project: JVC HR-A591U (brand new) and JVC HR-S5000U (gently used). The A591U has composite only and the S5000U has S-video. I've tested both units on the same scenes for a direct comparison. I've even tested composite vs. S-video on the S5000U to remove the variable of different VCRs. Same capture setup, of course.

And... call me crazy, but I prefer the look of composite video each time. It's generating a softer image with flatter, more neutral colors. The S-video adds a sort of artificial sharpness and contrast that might be "better" in some technical sense, but it's not more enjoyable to look at. In fact, playing around in my NLE, I'm able to add some sharpness and contrast to make my composite video look virtually identical to my S-video recordings.

Based on my lurking around, I suspect this may be a forbidden opinion around here. But has anyone else had a similar experience where they found themselves preferring the look of a composite signal, even on the same VCR?

[Sharc]

And... call me crazy, but I prefer the look of composite video each time.

Nothing wrong with this. "Technical Quality" and "Personal Preference" are a different pair of shoes.
Composite signals usually have somewhat lower luma and chroma spectral bandwidth to minimize mutual interference, hence may appear softer and less detailed. Some like it, some dislike it. The main disadvantage of Composite sharing the same wire for luma and chroma is the tendency for producing dotcrawl, hanging dots and rainbows due to luma <-> chroma "crosstalk" which can never be totally eliminated.
S-video is technically superior because there are less stringent bandwidth constraints for luma and chroma which are conveyed on separate wires, hence the picture is sharper and more detailed (including noise) which is usually preferred - especially for analog capturing -, as one does not want to loose anything which is on the source. S-video therefore offers more "headroom" for subsequent postprocessing to taste.
Also to mention that S-video signals can be compromized by using poorly screened cables which introduce uncontrolled luma <-> chroma crosstalk.

[lollo]

Nothing wrong with this. "Technical Quality" and "Personal Preference" are a different pair of shoes.

Well summarized!

But has anyone else had a similar experience where they found themselves preferring the look of a composite signal, even on the same VCR?

Never!

Eventually post a sample of the 2 captures to have some feedback

[Bwaak]

Regarding this...

I prefer the look of composite video each time. It's generating a softer image with flatter, more neutral colors. The S-video adds a sort of artificial sharpness and contrast that might be "better" in some technical sense, but it's not more enjoyable to look at.

...see this: The Relapse of Chroma Phobia by David Ranada (July 1989)

Also, does the S5000 have "TAPE DUB MODE"? If yes, set it to "ON" and re-compare.

[dellsam34]

We've seen it here before, Some people prefer soft picture with some loss of details because it's less noisy and has an overall smooth look, Some prefer sharper picture even if the noise is retained in the details. But the question is not about what you like, You always want to start from a raw quality that is as close as possible to what's recorded on tape, then soften it later if you want. What's lost through composite can never be recovered, But you can lose some quality if you so choose on a S-Video capture.

The biggest advantage of S-Video really is chroma. The interference of combining chroma and luma has a significant effect on the already weak chroma signal, That's why S-Video captures' color looks slightly vivid compared to composite captures' color that looks slightly washed out.

[oln]

The S5000U is one of the earliest JVC SVHS VCRs while the JVC HR-A591U is from the early 2000s. Even though the A591U is a much simpler model and only composite it does have 10+ years of technology improvements on the older deck.

Also, low usage doesn't preclude older decks from having issues with electronics, so I wouldn't bet on the S5000 not having some issues that could cause picture degradation despite it not being used much given it's age. It's might not just be a simple question about composite vs s-video here.