New question about upscaling S-VHS

[Ken90630]

I probably should have asked this in my other two threads this weekend, but it slipped my mind.

I have a lot of Super-VHS tapes that I've recorded over the last 10 years or so: TV shows, concerts, sports highlights, major news events, etc. It's been my recording medium of choice (I don't have a DVR yet). If I get a 720p HDTV like I plan -- a TV that does upscaling itself -- will it be able to upscale a S-VHS signal fed to it? Or can HDTVs only upscale the defined resolutions output from a DVD player or standard definition TV broadcast?

Obviously my JVC S-VHS deck can't upscale its output signal, so the TV will need to do it. IIRC, S-VHS is 420X___ (forgot the other spec ).

 

[NutBucket]

Technically a digital TV will upscale everything to its native resolution. Otherwise there'd be large black areas surrounding a native resolution picture

 

[0roo0roo]

bingo, if it has an input with signal lower than native, it will be upscaled by default. lcd/plasma only can display their native resolution.

i'd more worry about the input plug selection. weren't svhs using svideo plugs? i'm pretty sure most tv's no longer bother with that connector. so you are left with either inferior composite or nothing. so you get even less quality than you would expect from svhs.

 

[NutBucket]

My Mitsubishi lacks a DB15 input but has everything else Failing all else, it can also be fed into most A/V receivers as they typically have s-video inputs.

 

[Ken90630]

weren't svhs using svideo plugs? i'm pretty sure most tv's no longer bother with that connector. so you are left with either inferior composite or nothing. so you get even less quality than you would expect from svhs.

Bloody hell. I hadn't thought of that (thank you!). Yeah, my S-VHS deck only has composite and S-Video outputs. Like Nutbucket says, I guess I'll have to get a HT receiver too. Another option I'm considering is just keeping my current JVC 24" 'regular' TV in the room along with the new plasma, sitting side by side. I could use the JVC for VHS & S-VHS viewing and the plasma for everything else, I suppose. The JVC is just kinda small (although the picture is surprisingly good).

*runs off to go get an idea of what a decent HT receiver costs*

 

[sdifox]

waste of time...

 

[Ken90630]

waste of time...

What is?

 

[0roo0roo]

What is?

keeping vhs.

any show really worth watching is going to end up on dvd or bluray. the you just rent. better to watch something once in all its glory rather than 10 times on vhs. even star trek the original series is on bluray now,a nd looks incredible.

just what is so important that you need to rewatch it on svhs. if the time ever arises that you need to, connect it using the composite and live with the quality... or simply rip that tape to a dvd and be done with it. storing stuff on tape is dodgy at this point, those svhs tapes are going to experience deterioration just sitting around.

 

[manimal]

keeping vhs.

any show really worth watching is going to end up on dvd or bluray. the you just rent. better to watch something once in all its glory rather than 10 times on vhs. even star trek the original series is on bluray now,a nd looks incredible.

just what is so important that you need to rewatch it on svhs. if the time ever arises that you need to, connect it using the composite and live with the quality... or simply rip that tape to a dvd and be done with it. storing stuff on tape is dodgy at this point, those svhs tapes are going to experience deterioration just sitting around.

But I have every matlock episode on 12 your old tapes?

oh and the star wars christmas special from 82...

 

[Ken90630]

keeping vhs.

any show really worth watching is going to end up on dvd or bluray. the you just rent. better to watch something once in all its glory rather than 10 times on vhs. even star trek the original series is on bluray now,a nd looks incredible.

just what is so important that you need to rewatch it on svhs. if the time ever arises that you need to, connect it using the composite and live with the quality... or simply rip that tape to a dvd and be done with it. storing stuff on tape is dodgy at this point, those svhs tapes are going to experience deterioration just sitting around.

I don't have movies on VHS -- I have lots of stuff I've taped off the air over the years like old PBS shows like "Frontline," musician interviews & concerts from MTV (back when it was good) and PBS, major news events (e.g., 9/11, the first Gulf War), local sports highlight & post-game shows (lots of vintage Lakers/Celtics playoff & championship stuff from the 80s) & that kind of stuff. I've replaced some of my VHS tapes with DVDs, but a lot of what I have isn't on DVD/Blu-Ray and probably never will be.

My S-VHS tapes are the same types of material, and again, most are not available on DVD. Even if they were, it would cost me a fortune (that I don't have) to replace everything. I'm talking ~ 150 tapes here (at least).

Re deterioration, that's true and at some point I will have to start transferring. Believe it or not, however, I've got VHS tapes I made in the early 80s that still play perfectly. I never used the $1.99 drugstore VHS tapes. About 90% of my tapes are TDK high grade and/or professional master grade, and they've held up exceptionally well. Most don't even squeak or chatter either after all this time. Go figure.

"Star Trek" on Blu-Ray does sound pretty bitchin' though.

 

[0roo0roo]

I know its nice to have around, but how often do you really rewatch frontline episodes.....

Trust me, shove the thing into the cupboard and you won't miss it. It is a hoarding type thing where in the back of your mind you think someday you "might" need it..generally you never do, I used to record some stuff to video as well, and I eventually just gave up, there is no point...and once you get used to the idea it is just in a box in the garage, you stop caring, it isn't important. If it is really important it will be rebroadcast, otherwise it will rarely be of any use at all.

 

[sdifox]

I don't have movies on VHS -- I have lots of stuff I've taped off the air over the years like old PBS shows like "Frontline," musician interviews & concerts from MTV (back when it was good) and PBS, major news events (e.g., 9/11, the first Gulf War), local sports highlight & post-game shows (lots of vintage Lakers/Celtics playoff & championship stuff from the 80s) & that kind of stuff. I've replaced some of my VHS tapes with DVDs, but a lot of what I have isn't on DVD/Blu-Ray and probably never will be.

My S-VHS tapes are the same types of material, and again, most are not available on DVD. Even if they were, it would cost me a fortune (that I don't have) to replace everything. I'm talking ~ 150 tapes here (at least).

Re deterioration, that's true and at some point I will have to start transferring. Believe it or not, however, I've got VHS tapes I made in the early 80s that still play perfectly. I never used the $1.99 drugstore VHS tapes. About 90% of my tapes are TDK high grade and/or professional master grade, and they've held up exceptionally well. Most don't even squeak or chatter either after all this time. Go figure.

"Star Trek" on Blu-Ray does sound pretty bitchin' though.

find an old video card with s-video in and transfer to computer then encode if you really want to go through it.

or get one of those vhs player/ dvd recorder machine. Would be less hassle to deal with.