Which would be better quality ? at DVinfo.net

Cory Moorehead · December 24th, 2004, 10:15 PM

Hey guys. Well this is following my last topic I posted about the Studio Camera I just won off eBay. Alrighty now. I have an oportunity to pick up a portable SVHS Deck for 40.00. Same brand as the camera I just won. This deck has the actual Camera interface on the back to connect to my camera, as well as the SVIDEO connections which my camera has also. My question now is which would be better quality..recording directly to the SVHS Portable deck, or to a miniDV camera via SVIDEO cable ? Im leaning towards the deck HIGHLY..because it also has better audio inputs. Please..gimme a bit of help here guys. Sorry to bother you on XMAS..I know most of you are opening presents..and Frank playing with his GS400 he probably just got ;)

Brandon Greenlee · December 24th, 2004, 11:09 PM

SVHS is ~400 lines of resolution. MiniDV supports ~480-500.

I back up all of my work to SVHS and am satisfied with the quality. From a technical standpoint, however, it will not be the same quality as MiniDV.

I use my SVHS deck all the time. It really just depends on if you'll be satisfied with it. You might want to do some tests and see if it will work for you.

Glenn Chan · December 24th, 2004, 11:44 PM

If you would like a VCR for VHS dubs and such, a SVHS deck for $40 seems like a good deal. VHS tapes put into that deck will record as VHS so you won't get compatibility problems there.

For recording your masters and such however, mini-DV is probably better as it is easily editable with a lossless transfer to a NLE.

With SVHS, you may have to convert that to DV for editing, which means you lose quality on the extra step.

The electronics in your mini-DV camcorder may be so bad that it's worse than the SVHS deck, but that's unlikely.

Cory Moorehead · December 25th, 2004, 09:46 AM

Se id be using SVIDEO Cable to the deck, then SVIDEO cable out of the deck to my computer. The other thing leading me to this deck is that it has two audio inputs..1/4"...and the miniDV only has one 3.5mm....which im not even sure I can record to while using VCR mode.

Glenn Chan · December 25th, 2004, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Se id be using SVIDEO Cable to the deck, then SVIDEO cable out of the deck to my computer.

If you skipped the deck you'd have better quality. (i.e. Record straight into your computer... less generation loss.)

Do you have a capture card or something on your computer?

2- You still are probably better off with mini-DV quality-wise.

3- SVHS does have an advantage in that it doesn't tie up a mini-DV camera and you can record 2 hour tapes. If you need to make a master for duplication, then a SVHS deck may be useful.

Quote:

The other thing leading me to this deck is that it has two audio inputs..1/4"...and the miniDV only has one 3.5mm....which im not even sure I can record to while using VCR mode.

The mini-DV can record audio... you need the mini-jack to triple RCA cable that comes with most camcorders. The yellow and white RCA connectors are the audio connectors.

Cory Moorehead · December 25th, 2004, 09:54 AM

Yeah I would have better quality Glennif I skipped the deck, but im using this for ENG. So I can just put the protable deck in my backpack and run it off my battery belt. The miniDV canrecord audio that way..but id want to use SVIDEO into the camera..and with mine i dont beleive I can use the two inputs at once..RCA and SVIDEO that is.

Glenn Chan · December 25th, 2004, 09:58 AM

You should be able to use both S-video for video and RCAs for audio at once. What would be the point of the S-video connection if that wasn't the case?

You could test your camera to see if it can do both at once... DVD players usually have S-video outputs to try that. It should be able to do it.

2- Does that studio camera shoulder-mount? Is it heavy? It may not work that well for ENG use.

Cory Moorehead · December 25th, 2004, 10:00 AM

The camera isa shoulder mount. If you see my thread below. It isa GREAT camera for sure though, ive used it on many occasions. See I wish I could test out the AV thing with my mininDV..but..i lost the remote ..and with this stupid ZR60...you need it to do that..:(

Here are some pics of the deck :

http://www379.pair.com/rdrumm/EBAYPICS/VLS100-2.JPG

http://www379.pair.com/rdrumm/EBAYPICS/VLS100-5.JPG

http://www379.pair.com/rdrumm/EBAYPICS/VLS100-4.JPG

Dan Euritt · December 25th, 2004, 07:36 PM

one thing you might ask yourself is if the video out from that deck is run thru a time base corrector(tbc)... if not, i wouldn't bother with it.

just carry a cheap mini-dv camera to record the analog svhs camera output... you should be able to get one with analog recording inputs for under $400.

Cory Moorehead · December 25th, 2004, 08:25 PM

Dan I looked it up and yes it has TBC. I think im going to go with this portable recorder. :D

December 24th, 2004, 10:15 PM	#1
Cory Moorehead Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 148	Which would be better quality ? Hey guys. Well this is following my last topic I posted about the Studio Camera I just won off eBay. Alrighty now. I have an oportunity to pick up a portable SVHS Deck for 40.00. Same brand as the camera I just won. This deck has the actual Camera interface on the back to connect to my camera, as well as the SVIDEO connections which my camera has also. My question now is which would be better quality..recording directly to the SVHS Portable deck, or to a miniDV camera via SVIDEO cable ? Im leaning towards the deck HIGHLY..because it also has better audio inputs. Please..gimme a bit of help here guys. Sorry to bother you on XMAS..I know most of you are opening presents..and Frank playing with his GS400 he probably just got ;) __________________ Because im that...damn...good.

December 25th, 2004, 09:46 AM	#4
Cory Moorehead Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 148	Se id be using SVIDEO Cable to the deck, then SVIDEO cable out of the deck to my computer. The other thing leading me to this deck is that it has two audio inputs..1/4"...and the miniDV only has one 3.5mm....which im not even sure I can record to while using VCR mode. __________________ Because im that...damn...good.

December 25th, 2004, 09:54 AM	#6
Cory Moorehead Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 148	Yeah I would have better quality Glennif I skipped the deck, but im using this for ENG. So I can just put the protable deck in my backpack and run it off my battery belt. The miniDV canrecord audio that way..but id want to use SVIDEO into the camera..and with mine i dont beleive I can use the two inputs at once..RCA and SVIDEO that is. __________________ Because im that...damn...good.

December 25th, 2004, 10:00 AM	#8
Cory Moorehead Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 148	The camera isa shoulder mount. If you see my thread below. It isa GREAT camera for sure though, ive used it on many occasions. See I wish I could test out the AV thing with my mininDV..but..i lost the remote ..and with this stupid ZR60...you need it to do that..:( Here are some pics of the deck : http://www379.pair.com/rdrumm/EBAYPICS/VLS100-2.JPG http://www379.pair.com/rdrumm/EBAYPICS/VLS100-5.JPG http://www379.pair.com/rdrumm/EBAYPICS/VLS100-4.JPG __________________ Because im that...damn...good.

December 25th, 2004, 08:25 PM	#10
Cory Moorehead Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 148	Dan I looked it up and yes it has TBC. I think im going to go with this portable recorder. :D __________________ Because im that...damn...good.

December 24th, 2004, 11:09 PM	#2
Brandon Greenlee Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: North Alabama Posts: 242	SVHS is ~400 lines of resolution. MiniDV supports ~480-500. I back up all of my work to SVHS and am satisfied with the quality. From a technical standpoint, however, it will not be the same quality as MiniDV. I use my SVHS deck all the time. It really just depends on if you'll be satisfied with it. You might want to do some tests and see if it will work for you.

December 24th, 2004, 11:44 PM	#3
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	If you would like a VCR for VHS dubs and such, a SVHS deck for $40 seems like a good deal. VHS tapes put into that deck will record as VHS so you won't get compatibility problems there. For recording your masters and such however, mini-DV is probably better as it is easily editable with a lossless transfer to a NLE. With SVHS, you may have to convert that to DV for editing, which means you lose quality on the extra step. The electronics in your mini-DV camcorder may be so bad that it's worse than the SVHS deck, but that's unlikely.

December 25th, 2004, 09:58 AM	#7
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	You should be able to use both S-video for video and RCAs for audio at once. What would be the point of the S-video connection if that wasn't the case? You could test your camera to see if it can do both at once... DVD players usually have S-video outputs to try that. It should be able to do it. 2- Does that studio camera shoulder-mount? Is it heavy? It may not work that well for ENG use.

December 25th, 2004, 07:36 PM	#9
Dan Euritt Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Carlsbad CA Posts: 1,132	one thing you might ask yourself is if the video out from that deck is run thru a time base corrector(tbc)... if not, i wouldn't bother with it. just carry a cheap mini-dv camera to record the analog svhs camera output... you should be able to get one with analog recording inputs for under $400.