LtlPhysics

I have a Panasonic ag-ds850 svhs vcr and it has svhs in and out, XLR audio and component BNC out; Y, Pr and Pb. I think that is the dvd's version of component, but maybe I'm wrong.

X

Uhh, ok.

jumbojp

Thanks for sharing

Do you have a question or did you just want to tell us about your VCR?

LtlPhysics

No, I wanted to know if the deck's component outs could be fed to a tv with component inputs as you would connect a dvd player.

X

I don't know for sure, but it sounds like it. Do you have component in on your set? You could try it, but you might need BNC to RCA cables or adapters.

LtlPhysics

My home theater is mostly junk. An aging 27" tv and pro-logic sound, although all of the speakers could handle full bandwith sound at a moderate volume level, certainly loud enough for me. I'm still waiting and reading reviews on widescreen displays. The Sony Wegas are very popular here, and I could slide one into the space that the 27" tube occupies with no trouble at all but to me it is still staring at a box, just a slightly larger box. A widescreen RPTV without scan lines lets your eyes relax. I was asking about a Panasonic widescreen set a few months ago and one of the features of a large RPTV is that your eyes can relax, if there aren't any scan lines.

I have the BNC cables and adapting them to RCA would probably be easy. I just wanted to get some opinions from people who know more about this than I do. I have heard that pcs, for example, have a component system that is quite different and requires an adjustment of color values, tint, whatever, to produce a good image and some displays don't log the changes into memory. If my vcr's component is the same as a dvd's component, that's cool. I can a/b them if I want to.

Thanks for your advice.

X

I just don't understand the need for component output on a VCR. I don't think the inherent quality of any non-digital VCR would be good enough to warrant any better than s-video output. Just as non-HDTV satellite doesn't require component. But DVD does.

mgn2

I have a question about component video as well -
which is better?
1.if you connect a dvd player component out to the TV directly
or
2.if connect the dvd player component to a receiver component in and then connect the receiver to the TV.

X

There's no way the switching through the receiver will improve things. At best it won't visibly degrade the signal. Component signals can be very high frequency and not all receivers have switching that can handle those frequencies.

mgn2

So basically is pointless to have a receiver that switches component video? The why do some receivers have this feature?

X

Convenience. And some people have many inputs to only one output.

DigIt

Y / Pb / Pr is a component output. You should be able to get adapters and connect it that way. There's also
Y / Cb / Cr, but I don't know if there's any difference...

LtlPhysics

That's it. I believe there is quite a bit of difference and video reviewers complain about expensive displays that lack the memory to store the different settings. Worse yet, some displays have no numeric value that can at least be written down.

movieguy65

Never heard of a SVHS vcr with component video.. Are you sure?

DigIt

Yes, component video outputs.

http://www.vidicomp.com/pan/agds850.htm

movieguy65

Wow! That thing is awesome! How much is it? I have a JVC Super VHS that I'm pretty happy with, but I'll bet that one has much better quality...

LtlPhysics

I got mine from an eBay auction where prices fluctuate wildly. The seller was liquidating his father's estate and had a number of video items. There were two other 850s on auction at the same time, but the seller's presentation of the vcr had the ring of "read the fine print carefully." They went for $1200 to $1500. Mine was $1800. They listed for about $7,750.00. They're not cheap and I have not seen another for auction in the last several months.

With XLRs for HiFi and normal audio, svhs in and out and component video out, it can slide inside a consumer rig fairly easily. However, there is no tuner, I don't have a remote, it runs at SP only, and you cannot see the menu via the svhs ouput and presumably the component as well. It's a broadcast vcr and the menu is sent to a separate output, so I will have to make a toggle box for that or set up a small tv so I can see the menu and the changes it makes at the same time. Once inside the menu I know that the y and c elements are adjustable and you can mandate regular vhs recording if you wish. The manual is packed full of editing information and connection diagrams that assumes the reader knows more than I do. You definitely will need the manual and the separate set-up menu list.

I have a jvc 9500 and its picture is sharper, but unfortunately has much more video noise. I don't know what is going on with jvc and their noisy vcrs. The 9500 does make stunning copies of dvds and both machines handle the Video Essentials dvd quite well, but you won't find DD or dts on any current vcrs. Hollywood might come out with a digital format that will use the same size tape as today's vcrs, but who knows. Vintage vhs may be a dinosaur, but they still sell millions of them every Christmas.