What VCR to capture with ?

[Topaz]

I have used an old trusted sony vcr to convert old tapes into my computer but suddenly got two more vcr's from a friend who bought one of those dvd recorder video things.

I have checked on the net but am not sure which one of these is the best to use.

1. JVC HRS6600

2. JVC HRS-7500

What do you experts say ?

:confused:

[2ZOD.COM]

I would guess since the second one has a higher number that it is a newer model. Newer usually means improved.

All VCR's pretty much work the same anyway. You may want to open it up and clean the heads on the VCR if they're old and or used. Rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab work well. That would allow it to read the tapes better.

[Topaz]

You are probably correct in what you say about the higher number being the one to keep but I wished manufacturers would leave info on their homepages on all their stuff and not just the latest.

Damn them all to hell :devil:

[jggimi]

If one of them is S-VHS capable (has an s-video out), I would select it over the other. The s-video signal is an improvement over composite, even with standard VHS tape.

[Topaz]

Thanks jggimi you solved my problem!

They are both super vhs but only one of them has both s-video in and out!

I know which one to keep now :rolleyes:

[jggimi]

You're sure the one without S-video connection isn't VHS-HQ rather than S-VHS? HQ was a "mid-life-kicker" for consumer VHS, and effects electronics only.

[Topaz]

No they both look about the same and they both read S-VHS on the front. I only checked for the numbers on them earlier but as I examined them closer I noticed that one of the had both s-video in and out while the other had neither s-video in or out but only two scarts (rgb).

So I can't go wrong with the one that has s-video in and out right ?

I could only use composite with my old sony vcr so still should be a step up in capturing I think.

[Arachnotron]

A scart connector may (and probably does in this case) contain the two S-video leads. AFAIKR all JVC VCR's starting with HR-S are s-VHS.

[BruceL]

Does either one have a built in Time Base Corrector?

[Topaz]

Time Base Corrector what is that ?

[FredThompson]

I have the HR-S7600U and love it. The only caveat is the integrated TBC/stabilizer can create some problems with worn tapes. Check my links page for some hints about configuring for capture. Gunnar Thalin's deshaker might be a good idea if you must have the bottom few lines. Unfortunately, it's a VirtualDub-only option so you're forced to use RGB.

[Topaz]

Thanks for the tips.

I usually capture at 720x576 (PAL) using a geforce 3 ti500 deluxe card and virtualdub. Perhaps now I can capture using s-video cable instead of composite from this new VCR.

What is the "best" compression filter, in your oppinion to use ?

[FredThompson]

"Best" is subjective, isn't it. Lots of people here claim you MUST use a lossless codec or you'll get junk. The real question is the final result. It really doesn't make a lot of sense to capture VHS at 4:4:4 if you're taking it to MPEG2 4:2:0, does it?

I always used huffyuv because it worked with everything but it is disk-intensive. The new Alparysoft codec is supposed to give smaller file sizes. If all you're doing is simple VHS source, MJPEG can be a very good option. There comes a point with VHS where increased capture "quality" just means better capture of the noise.

I only capture with DV passthru or an external MPEG2 device now. I was unhappy with the All-in-Wonder performance on near-black and near-white. Never could get it to do a proper job on those.