S-VHS
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Vhs_logo.jpg
VHS Logo
S-VHS or Super VHS was an improved, backward-compatible version of the VHS standard for domestic video cassette recorders. It was introduced in Japan in 1987.
It offered substantially better color fidelity and resolution, with approximately 400 dots per line (the standard measure of analog video resolution). This means the format could, in theory, deliver a better picture than broadcast analog television; when viewing material recorded off-air, a noticeable improvement over standard VHS was discernable.
To view the better picture, a direct video connection to the monitor was required, ideally an S-Video or component video connection. Older television sets tended not to support this, negating much of the improvement in picture quality, but with the boom in popularity of DVD appropriate connectors have become common on mid to large-sized screens.
Home S-VHS decks never became popular outside of Japan, probably mainly due to their high cost; S-VHS camcorders (S-VHS-C) did become popular for high-end amateur work, as it allowed for at least second-generation copies (necessary for editing) to be made at good quality.
It is not unusual to see the term S-VHS incorrectly used to refer to S-Video connectors, even in printed material. This may be due to S-VHS being the first exposure many people had to the S-Video connector; however, S-Video connectors are common now on other forms of video, particularly DVD and occasionally MiniDV, so this misnomer may die out.
S-VHS has largely disappeared from view, as it has been replaced by DVD for playing prerecorded content, and by the various digital video formats for amateur and semi-professional video production, though it is still used occasionally in community access television and other low-budget situations, where production is often still done on analog equipment due to budget constraints. S-VHS VCRs are still available, but hard to find and often not updated as often as other consumer products (Mitsubishi and JVC are notable manufacturers); however, probably due to the increase in popularity of S-VHS-C camcorders before the rise of MiniDV, most current VHS VCRs can play back S-VHS tapes.
See also
External link
- JVC S-VHS VCR line (http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?productId=PRD4602000)
- Repair Guide to the Sony SLV-R5UC S-VHS VCR (http://peach.mie.utoronto.ca/people/tsangc/video-r5-index.html)de:S-VHS