Capturing from VCR's S-VIDEO output

[Video Dude]

I found a JVC VCR in a store that has S-VIDEO output.

My question is, can I playback (and capture) a standard regular (non S-VHS) tape using the S-VIDEO output port?

I did not know if the S-VIDEO output is limited to only S-VHS tapes, or if it will also output regular standard tapes.

Thanks.

[LocalH]

Every VCR I've ever seen that had S-Video output, worked fine with all sources (whether it be SVHS or just regular VHS tape, as well as the aerial and composite video inputs). Besides, VHS stores luma and chroma separately for the most part, so you have the potential to get better output quality via S-Video (but likely negligible, as VHS is a low-bandwidth medium where most of the video quality issues have nothing to do with luma/chroma separation).

[Video Dude]

Thanks for the answer.

My pc capture card only has a S-Video input. So a VCR that can output using the s-video port for regular vhs tapes would be great. I won't have to use the composite to s-video adaptor that came with the card.

[setarip_old]

Do check to make sure that the direct S-Video connection transfers audio as well as video...

[Video Dude]

The audio would still be from the composite, since s-video only carries video.

My Canopus card has s-video in, composite audio (L/R), and a firewire port.

[setarip_old]

I mentioned that because I've read of some newer
S-Video+audio connectors...

[jmac698]

I just have to say that taking everything from an s-video connection seems like a great idea, but there's really no advantage unless you are playing an s-vhs tape (that was actually recorded from an s-video source).
Svideo is better because it separates color and brightness, which avoids some moving dots and other artifacts. But either the s-vhs deck or cap card does this function, either can do it. The difference in quality may be only slight, if any.
A VHS still has terrible quality - the svideo connection is just filtering out some of the garbage. It's a postprocessing step. Same thing could be done in avisynth as well.

[tedkunich]

I just have to say that taking everything from an s-video connection seems like a great idea, but there's really no advantage unless you are playing an s-vhs tape (that was actually recorded from an s-video source).
Svideo is better because it separates color and brightness, which avoids some moving dots and other artifacts. But either the s-vhs deck or cap card does this function, either can do it. The difference in quality may be only slight, if any.
A VHS still has terrible quality - the svideo connection is just filtering out some of the garbage. It's a postprocessing step. Same thing could be done in avisynth as well.


You might want to temper your enthusiasm for S-Video vs composite a little - it is all dependent on the source and the capture devices. If the capture card has a better comb filter than the source device, it would be preferable to let the card separate the chroma. Again, it depends on what you have available - there is no one "best" configuration.


T