Many VHS-players today can play SVHS tapes, at least in PAL-land.

Many newer VHS decks, as Roger said, play SVHS tapes, but cannot record them.

The difference in quality of SVHS vs. VHS is not subtle. If the tape looks bad, then it was probably recorded in VHS mode on an SVHS tape, something that is quite easy to do accidentally on many decks (having done it myself several dozen times).

Although many VHS players can play SVHS tapes precorder in SVHS mode, the playback still isn't at SVHS quality. ( I think some mfgrs call it Quasi-SVHS)

It's not the 400 Lines per inch that SVHS is capable of, but closer to the 240 lines per inch of standard VHS.

Well, I'm recording to a Sony SLVR-1000, a deck that was supposed to be top of the line when I purchased it back some three years or so ago. I know it is set to record in SVHS mode (I think I would get no signal to the tape through the S-Video cable if that setting were wrong).

The tapes look ok - I'm trying to solve some red bleeding issues - but I was truly surprised to find that tapes recorded on this deck play with equal clarity on most any VCR.

Makes me wonder if my "SVHS" tapes are really SVHS or not. I read somewhere that there was an extra hole or something on SVHS cassette shells that the vcr senses to switch on the SVHS setting.

I've examined my (expensive) SVHS cassette shells and compared them to my cheap VHS counterparts and can find no difference.

So, how would my deck know the difference?

Thanks in advance for any replies (and for previoius replies).

Caruso

S-Video and SVHS have absolutely nothing to do with each other in the slightest. They operate completely independantly. Just because the S-Video input is working doesn't mean that the deck is recording SVHS; S-Video input/output work perfectly well with regular VHS as well. Also, SVHS can use either S-Video or composite input/output.

My guess is that you really were recording regular VHS.

If you turn a S-VHS tape upside-down with the label edge furthest from you, there is a hole near the top right corner, at the right hand end of the groove about 2 cm from the label edge.

When recording S-VHS there should be something which lights up, saying "SVHS 625" or similar on your front console.

And the s-video connection works fine with VHS, so that is not an indicator.

The red bleeding issues would also be an indicator that this was recorded in standard VHS mode, since that format is more subject to that kind of problem than S-VHS is.

You probably have a switch set wrong somewhere.

The Sony VCR I mentioned has a record mode switch that turns SVHS on or off - I checked the switch and also checked the manual. I agree that there should be a noticeable difference in S vs non-SVHS quality - I've seen it, and I also recall those tapes not playing properly in non-vhs decks. I purchased cassettes that have SVHS printed in gold on the shell, and I will check for that special extra little hole.

Like most of you, I, too, suspect that these tapes aren't truly SVHS - but, then, am puzzled as to why they would be labelled as such.

It may all be something stupid I'm doing.

When I first purchased this deck, I thought I would go crazy until I finally got used to the remote control only on screen nested setup menus - without making the proper settings there, you can't even get the in/outputs to function properly - thought I was going to lose my mind until I figured it out - and, while I don't mind consulting the owner's manual, I get pretty bent out of shape when I want to get started using the machine and can't find any logical reference to the desired solution in the index which forces me to then read the entire manual - you know, safety first, "never use under water or during a fire - no user serviceable parts inside, connect this way to record, that way to playback, etc.

Don't mean to rant, just couldn't help myself.

I recently purchased a $129 JVC SVHS recorder for off-site work. It comes with one of those fold-up newpaper type manuals that is printed in four different languages.

To make the front input functional, you must change the "channel" to 'F-1'. Otherwise, inputs jacks are not functional. I scoured that @#$! excuse for a manual for the solution - kept finding that I should set input to F-1, but absolutely no chart of text telling me what switch or button I should use to make that setting - kept scrolling through the onscreen menus, hitting random buttonw - finally stumbled across the correct one. Should be a lot easier, if you ask me.

Well, sorry, I did it again. I'm going to have a cold one and cool off.

Thanks again for the replies - I'll have to double check everything one more time.

Caruso