VCR Question

[WayneReux]

My VCR is a low-end JVC Model HR-A591U. It has coax in & out and one set of composite out only. It is connected to my Denon 3805 via the composite out using decent cables. The coax connections are not used. The 3805 is connected to my Sony 34” XBR TV via component cables.

The problem is the video is poor – looks “smudged”. Seems worst than any Comcast analog channel.

I’ve tried setting the 3805 VCR input to both AUTO & VIDEO with no difference.

If the Denon is performing video up-conversion then shouldn’t it look better? Or is it the VCR? Or is this as good as it gets?

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[markw]

Upconversion can't polish a turd.

Upconversion allows you to pass a lower resolution signal as a switching convenience but it can't improve the quality of it. It's kind of like playing AM through an expensive setup. No matter how good the setup is, it's still AM.

FWIW, very, very few VCR's offer anything except composite (yellow plug) video.

If it's an old VCR, a spiffy replacement Hi-Fi Stereo VCR costs less than a decent dinner out for two.

 

[j_garcia]

Yup. Upconversion only upconverts the signal to be output by a different connector so you can use less cables, it DOES NOT improve the quality of the signal.

What's a VCR?

 

[WayneReux]

VCR - Very Crude Recording

Thanks you both for responding.

Then I should be getting a better picture and it is more than likely the VCR’s fault. So when I purchase a new VCR I should expect a cleaner picture. Correct?

I’ve seen reasonably priced models with S-Video and/or composite. Does anyone have any model suggestions?

(We old guys still have a large enough collection to justify a VCR. Wait till I get to my cassette questions.)

 

[MDS]

As others have already stated, component upconversion will not improve the image; however, Time Base Correction is often used to stabilize the image. The VCR is a mechanical device and the quality of the image can be affected by its ability to maintain a constant tape speed. TBC essentially converts the analog signal to digital and then reclocks the output so the individual frames are output with the correct timing.

I have no idea whether or not the Denon employs TBC in its upconversion. I know Onkyo does.

 

[Pyrrho]

Thanks you both for responding.

Then I should be getting a better picture and it is more than likely the VCR’s fault. So when I purchase a new VCR I should expect a cleaner picture. Correct?

I’ve seen reasonably priced models with S-Video and/or composite. Does anyone have any model suggestions?

(We old guys still have a large enough collection to justify a VCR. Wait till I get to my cassette questions.)

You say that your VCR looks worse than analog cable (in your initial post). Well, analog cable can look better than any VHS tape, so it may be that you will never get what you want. On the other hand, VHS machines these days often do give a better picture than older units, so it may be good enough. A couple of years back, I replaced an expensive old HiFi VHS VCR that died with a cheap new HiFi VHS VCR, and the picture was noticeably better. I bought a Panasonic after talking with an electronics technician about them, and he said that no one makes them as well as they used to, but that Panasonic would be as reliable as you can get.

 

[j_garcia]

Tapes get old too. Ultimately, they will not remain as clear as they were originally and the more often you view them, the worse it will be. Have you tried cleaning the heads? The heads get dirty and that will also affect your picture quality over time.

 

[BMXTRIX]

VHS is about as low on the totem pole as video can possibly be. It is worse than analog cable, it is far worse than DVD.

I think you get the idea of what is going on with your receiver, but here are a couple of terms to know:

1. Your receiver is TRANSCODING not upconverting. Transcoding takes an input signal in one cable format (composite) and converts it to another cable format (component). It does not analyze the image or perform any sort of upconversion to the video signal. If it looks really bad coming in, it will look really bad coming out. Transcoding.

2. Image Processing is what you thought was going on and that typically is an upconversion process where video will come in in one format (composite, s-video, etc.) and will be analyzed by circuitry that can help reduce noise, clean up edges, boost color, etc. The video that is output can potentially be better and cleaner than the video that came in. Check www.dvdo.com for products that actually do some image processing and upconversion (scaling).

Yes, a S-VHS VCR with your old tapes may produce slightly better results. If the tapes look really poor, then you may just have some worn out heads on your VCR. Since VCRs actually require the tape to run over the scanning heads, they quite often start to look worse and worse and eventually just have a horrible image. You may want to try to clean the tape heads before buying a new VCR.