Iv'e got an old JVC S-VHS, with the S-VHS tapes you will get a better quality recording from the source you are recording from, S-VHS 400 lines, VHS is only 240 lines at best.
Another plus, you can connect via S-VIDEO instead of composite.
Mine cost me £1k when it was new, now that prices have droped so much if you do a lot of taping i would say they are well worth it, especially if you have digital.
bob