S-Video/Composite Query (VHS)

[SirTopper]

Hello Chaps!
I'm trying to convert VHS to hard disk. Been using VirtualDub for capturing, as that seems to be the go-to as far as I can tell.

I have a JVC HR-V715EK, but it only has SCART output.
I can input Composite (from SCART) to my PC - which works, but is rubbish quality as you'd expect.
I can also input S-Video. Much better for transfer, but this is the bit I'm having issues with. See the screenshots below...

In short: Is there a way to make S-Video work properly over SCART, or is it simply a case of acquiring a VHS with S-Video output?

I did notice a post online mentioning something about S-Video having issues with luminance, and therefore bridging pins would help (I tried this, and curiously it does bring the colour to where it should be). But as for the overall jagged picture, I can't really explain this!

Any ideas would be much appreciated!
Tom

 

[Gavtech]

Hello Chaps!


In short: Is there a way to make S-Video work properly over SCART, or is it simply a case of acquiring a VHS with S-Video output?

Welcome to the forum.

I'm not clear here. Is the HR-V715EK an S-VHS machine? ( I suspect not)
In which case you cannot get an S-VHS output out of it.

Some S-VHS machines were equipped to be able to switch an S-VHS output via a scart output but they would always have a standard S-VHS output socket too.

If the machine is not S-VHS then yes you need an S-VHS machine to be able to do it.
A standard VHS machine will have no separate signal handling route for luminance and chrominance.

 

[SirTopper]

Hey Gavtech,

The VCR plays S-VHS but doesn't record S-VHS. Bit strange admittedly!
I'm using a SCART>Composite or SCART>S-Video cable for tests.

I only have non S-VHS tapes, but I'd like to output over S-Video to the capture card if possible.

Thinking out loud... I'd have thought the S-Video output would be B+W if there were no support for S-Video(?)

Tom

 

[volvofan]

Uncertain so please excuse,it's been over 20 years since I last used a VCR but did have decent quality Panasonic S-VHS recorders,I'm fairly certain that they needed both the SCART and S-Video outputs connected to properly display VHS and S-VHS recordings.
As in they couldn't convert from VHS recordings to ouput them as S-Video,one of the last recorders I bought could replay S-VHS recordings but in VHS quality.
As your recordings are not in S-Video maybe theres little point,though nothing ventured,nothing gained.

 

[Gavtech]

S-VHS was a dual standard improvement.

Part of the specification concerned the use of improved tapes and an improved writing spec and improved head pre-amplifiers thus offering improved bandwidth for the whole system.

The second part of the spec concerned the separate handling of the chrominance and luminance all the way from the start to the end of the chain.
The S in S-Video actually stands for 'separate'.

Because of the nature of the method used for encoding analogue TV signals in such systems there was a circumstantial problem of the luminance part of the signal crossing over into the chrominance part which the produces undesirable 'cross-colour' artefacts which we are all familiar with in VHS systems.

That 'separateness' of signal handling offers a significant improvement in picture quality, as it circumvents that problem- even with VHS sources, so it is definitely worth pursuing.


SirTopper - Normally if machines are capable of RGB passthrough (from one scart to another) which many of the better machines were ( Typically Panasonic and JVC) Then a scart cannot output an S signal unless it is configured/ switched to do so.

This could be achieved either in hardware - usually by a slide switch next to the scart sockets - or it may be switched in software.

If your machine has S-VHS playback I will be gobsmacked if there is no facility to output S-Video.
I've had a look around but so far I have not yet been able to discover how or where this machine outputs S-Video - so check out the switch or software setup possibilities as mentioned.

Incidentally - what hardware are you connecting to to get the signal in to the PC for capture?
I thought VirtualDub was just editing software - not capture??

 

[SirTopper]

Interesting, that's the clearest explanation I've seen

Your point about a switch made me curious - So I took the case off (only four screws!)
Found markings on the PCB for composite sockets, but hiding under the front panel was a flap with an 'S-VHS' marking - So one can only assume that this is a lower-model version without the extra ports!

Soldering on composite would be a super easy job, but oddly there's no S-Video solder points that I can see, so that's a shame. Would have been a quick thing to try!
Never found anywhere that a switch should be installed..

I've got an Avermedia HC82 'NanoExpress' on the PC. I had previously tried one of those EzCap/USB dongles, but it was so awful that I reverted back to the Avermedia - Which seems reasonable tbh.

VirtualDub is what I'm capturing with (in huge unprocessed AVI) - I can then use these to convert to (whatever) format and deinterlace if needed.

All this 'old tech'... Always interesting to play with!


Tom

 

[Migman]

The s-vhs socket may have been for the US market as they didn't (as far as i can see) use the scart/euro connector. also on one of my old machines, the scart socket could be configured to output RGB or S-VHS signal, it's not just a round plughole, but a sort of protocol, i'm not an expert, so may be talking drivel.