Topic: Super-VHS VCR's

[setboy]

I need to pick up a  spuer-VHS VCR. does anyone know anything about these? is it a bad idea to buy these used?

Edit to make it more clear.

[rastasean]

is that S Video VCR?
If so, S video is better quality than RCA but it does not carry audio.

[setboy]

is that more clear?

[rastasean]

is that more clear?

Why yes. 

I don't know any particular brands but like I said before, SVHS is much superior to VHS. As long as you get to test the deck out, I don't think there is harm in buying them used. Other may be a little more picky, however.

[setboy]

thanks. if anyone elese has any info please let me know.

[guitard]

You might not have a choice but to buy one used...not many VCRs being sold new anymore.

Depending on what you're doing with it - make sure you get the right thing.  There are Super-VHS decks and "quasi" Super-VHS decks.  One can record to Super-VHS tapes, and the other (the "quasi" SVHS) can only play them back.

If you can get one new at a local electronics store, you might be better to go that route because shipping for a used one is going to be kind of pricey anyway.

If you only need it for a short while, you might consider renting or borrowing one.

[allan]

I've got one, bought it new a couple years ago, though i still haven't found the SVHS tapes that I know I have somewhere to transfer for which I bought the darn thing for in the first place!

[setboy]

I've got one, bought it new a couple years ago, though i still haven't found the SVHS tapes that I know I have somewhere to transfer for which I bought the darn thing for in the first place!

you don't want to sell/rent it out do ya?

[rsimms3]

JVC was considered the high end maker of SVHS decks.  I think it was a 9600....I can't remember right off.  I read up on them a lot several years ago at Videohelp.com when it was VCDhelp.com. 

Here we go....everything you ever wanted or thought you wanted to know about buying a deck.

http://forum.videohelp.com/topic347374.html

[ellaguru]

i have a Panasonic AG-1970 on loan to me & its a great deck..

[setboy]

i have a Panasonic AG-1970 on loan to me & its a great deck..

good to know

[allan]

I have a JVC HR-S5911U. How much stuff do you have to transfer?

[setboy]

I have a JVC HR-S5911U. How much stuff do you have to transfer?

It's hard to tell. if most of these tape are still in good shape then a lot. even if most of them are not any good anymore i think it would still be a lot.

[page]

I second the JVC and Panasonic remarks, I have a PV-VS4820 which is what Video Monitoring Services used for their master decks in many of their locations. I worked at one for 2 or 3 years and of the 100 or so decks we had, 3/4ths were these, couple of AG-1970s and JVC decks. We ran our master decks 12 hrs a day, 365 a year with in-house maintenance. The monitoring decks were almost universally 4820s which had to deal with multiple FF/RW while someone listened to a sentence, rewound, listened again (transcription). These were used about the same amount of time/day and in my 3 years there, I saw very very few replaced.

If you can find one that hasn't been abused already, the deck will outlast you. I'm biased, but if I had three choices:

AG-1970
PV-VS4820
JVC (insert general SVHS model, I've never seen a bad one).

I used to have a source for buying the tapes at relatively decent prices, if you need help let me know and I'll dig it up.

Also, get good SVideo cables, I'll never go back to RCAs for video.