VHS tape playback: S-Video + S-VHS heads vs. Composite & VHS-optimized heads

For best VHS tape playback quality for digitization / archival
purposes, is it truly better to use a S-VHS VCR for reasons of S-Video
connectivity and perhaps better overall design, than say a high
quality VHS deck (not what they make today, but one of the higher end
older machines which did not have much wear and tear).

The reason for my doubt is video head design - on the VHS, the
multiple head sets would be optimized for VHS SP and VHS EP (or LP)
playback.

On a S-VHS deck, would there be separate heads for VHS, or would S-VHS
heads be used for VHS mode playback? If so, are there any tradeoffs
sacrificing quality as far as VHS signal retrieval is concerned?

Thanks

Alec
P.S. The VHS tapes would be PAL, and a S-VHS VCR I am considering
would be Panasonic NV-FS88 or NV-FS90 or NV-FS100 or NV-FS200 (not
sure which is the best one).

 

"Alec" wrote ...

If you really have a good, old VHS machine it *might* be better
than a current S-VHS machine. But you'd have to do the acctual
experiment to know for sure.

I don't know of any generally-available VHS decks that have multiple
sets of heads for LP/EP/LP or for VHS/S-VHS.

 

For best VHS tape playback quality for digitization / archival

SVHS machines do not have separate video heads for SVHS and VHS. That is
unnecessary, since the difference between the two signal formats is in the
video FM signal bandwidth.

A well-designed, properly adjusted SVHS machine will play VHS tapes better than
a poorly designed, poorly adjusted VHS machine. That it is a an SVHS machine
does not, by itself say anything whatever about how well it plays VHS tapes.
The original selling price is a much better predictor of performance (you get
what you pay for). That understood....

You want a machine with separate (pairs of) video heads for:

1. SP (38 microns or wider)
2. EP/SLP/LP (19 microns)
3. VHS-HiFi (~6 microns IIRC)
4. Flying Erase Head (1)

You also want a built-in TBC (time-base corrector) and dynamic tracking...but
you probably can't afford the latter.

Now, what can you afford?


webpa