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Gear / Technical Help => Photo / Video Recording => Topic started by: setboy on October 21, 2008, 06:28:36 PM

Title: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: setboy on October 21, 2008, 06:28:36 PM

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.

Title: Re: S-VCR's
Post by: rastasean on October 21, 2008, 06:40:28 PM

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

Title: Re: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: setboy on October 21, 2008, 06:48:25 PM

is that more clear?

Title: Re: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: rastasean on October 21, 2008, 07:01:01 PM

Quote from: setboy on October 21, 2008, 06:48:25 PM

is that more clear?

Why yes.  :D

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.

Title: Re: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: setboy on October 21, 2008, 07:06:01 PM

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

Title: Re: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: guitard on October 22, 2008, 02:41:56 AM

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.

Title: Re: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: allan on October 22, 2008, 01:15:09 PM

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!

Title: Re: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: setboy on October 22, 2008, 02:00:11 PM

Quote from: allan on October 22, 2008, 01:15:09 PM

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?

Title: Re: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: rsimms3 on October 22, 2008, 03:00:47 PM

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

Title: Re: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: ellaguru on October 22, 2008, 04:00:59 PM

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

Title: Re: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: setboy on October 22, 2008, 04:11:01 PM

Quote from: ellaguru on October 22, 2008, 04:00:59 PM

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

good to know

Title: Re: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: allan on October 22, 2008, 08:41:14 PM

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

Title: Re: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: setboy on October 22, 2008, 09:34:56 PM

Quote from: allan on October 22, 2008, 08:41:14 PM

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.

Title: Re: Super-VHS VCR's
Post by: page on October 22, 2008, 10:08:14 PM

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.