Great video home system

S-VHS is a redirect to this article. For the film of the same name (original title V / H / S / 2 ) see S-VHS (film)

Great video home system
Bandwidth:	½ "
Colour:	Subcarrier
Volume:	Longitudinal track, HiFi on a helical track
Running time:	SP: 0.5-5 hours (PAL) 0.5-3.5 hours (NTSC). Double barrel length in LP mode
Introduction:	1987

S-VHS ( S-VHS ) is an improved, downward compatible VHS - standard for home video . It was introduced in 1987 by JVC .

Image quality improvement

S-VHS offers an improved horizontal picture resolution compared to VHS . The color recording is identical to the VHS system. The horizontal image resolution has been improved by around 60 percent compared to VHS (−10 dB at 4.9 MHz instead of 3 MHz), which corresponds to around 500 instead of 320 line pairs.

property	VHS	S-VHS	Video-8	Hi-8
FM lifting range for luminance carriers	3.8 ... 4.8 MHz	5.5 ... 7.0 MHz	4.2 ... 5.4 MHz	5.7 ... 7.7 MHz
Frequency range for luminance carriers	1.3 ... 7.3 MHz	1.3 ... 11.2 MHz	1.8 ... 7.8 MHz	1.8 ... 11.6 MHz
Frequency for synchronous level	3.8 MHz	5.5 MHz	4.2 MHz	5.7 MHz
Frequency for blanking	4.1 MHz	5.98 MHz	4.56 MHz	6.3 MHz
Frequency for white	4.7 MHz	6.84 MHz	5.28 MHz	7.5 MHz
Frequency range for chrominance carriers	0.1 ... 1.15 MHz	0.1 ... 1.15 MHz	0.2 ... 1.25 MHz	0.2 ... 1.25 MHz
Chrominance carrier frequency	629 kHz	629 kHz	743 kHz	743 kHz
Hifi FM sound carrier frequencies	1.4 + 1.8 MHz		1.5 + 1.7 MHz

The higher horizontal resolution was made possible by a higher carrier frequency of the frequency-modulated brightness signal. The −10 dB video bandwidth is 4.9 MHz compared to VHS with only 3 MHz. Furthermore, the FM deviation range has been increased from 1.0 MHz to 1.6 MHz compared to VHS, which improves the signal-to-noise ratio by approx. 4 dB. However, these high frequencies cannot be reliably recorded by simple VHS tapes. This is why special, higher quality iron oxide coated tapes with increased magnetic particle density are typically used for S-VHS. The cassettes have the same dimensions as VHS cassettes and can also be used as such, but have an opening on the underside as an identifier, which S-VHS recorders use to recognize the cassette and switch to S-VHS mode. Some newer devices also allow the use of ordinary VHS cassettes for recordings in S-VHS format (JVC calls this function "S-VHS ET"). The quality is very different depending on the tape used and in the case of inferior tapes may even be worse than VHS, while high-quality VHS cassettes often achieve an image quality that is approximately comparable to real S-VHS cassettes.

Another decisive criterion for the better picture quality of the S-VHS system compared to VHS is the separation of brightness and color signals, not only during recording (as required by VHS), but also on the signal paths to the end devices, i.e. in connecting cables and plugs.

In theory, S-VHS can even offer a better picture than terrestrial analog television . The better image quality - achieved by separating the brightness (Y) and color signals (C) - was particularly beneficial for amateur filmmakers, because it allowed S-VHS cut copies in an acceptable quality.

The spread of S-VHS

S-VHS recorders had a relatively small market share. In normal home use for recording TV programs, VHS was completely sufficient for the majority of the population; there was hardly any need for a higher quality video system. Other reasons are likely to have been the higher acquisition costs for recorders and recording media, as well as the lack of purchase film cassettes. In the early days of S-VHS, there was also the problem that there were only a few televisions with S-Video inputs, which meant that the full quality of S-VHS could not be used at all. With the composite connection the problems of crosstalk with the color signal increase with the S-VHS much larger brightness bandwidth.

S-VHS was quite popular with amateur and semi-professional filmmakers, as the system offered considerably better picture quality than VHS at prices that were affordable for the average consumer. With high-quality S-VHS recorders and tapes, recordings were possible that could hardly be distinguished from today's digital recordings on an ordinary television set.

S-VHS was also found quite frequently in the medical field, for example for recording ultrasound images or endoscopic examinations.

JVC HR-S4700 Super-VHS video recorder from the early 90's years

In the professional sector, S-VHS only led a shadowy existence. The inventor of the system, JVC, marketed it under the name Professional-S. These recorders could be integrated into editing suites and some had interfaces for connecting computers for control. Although the color noise is still bearable in a simple recording, a color noise reduction is used (as with VHS), which leads to the VHS-typical bleeding of the color in tape copies.

TV stations with little financial means, especially in developing countries, still use S-VHS or even VHS today.

Today, both S-VHS and VHS are out of date; both formats have largely been replaced by DVD-Video in the home . In the semi-professional sector, DV and DVCAM are often used today instead of S-VHS .

A compact version called S-VHS-C was developed by S-VHS (see VHS-C ) and could be used in corresponding camcorders. S-VHS and S-VHS-C cassettes are still available from specialist retailers today.

S-VHS cassettes are used by ADAT (and comparable devices from other manufacturers) as a medium for digital 8-track sound recordings.

S-video

The term S-VHS is often incorrectly used for S-Video . S-VHS is a video tape recording process, while S-Video describes the nature of the signal path in cables and plugs and is an abbreviation for "Separated Video". For example, graphics cards do not have an S-VHS input / output; the correct name is an S-Video input / output. The connector shape for S-Video that is common today is the so-called Hosiden connector , which enables the separation of luminance (black and white signal) and chrominance (color signal). In contrast, there is the composite input / output, which combines the two signals and therefore needs a simple (yellow) cinch plug .

In the late 1980s, S-Video connections were introduced with the then-new S-VHS camcorders and Hi8 video cameras. With the spread of DVD players, AV receivers and digital camcorders, the term S-Video has become more and more popular for this type of connection. Cable and connector (Hosiden) have remained the same. Therefore the term “S-VHS cable” is wrong.

swell

• Heinrich Hübscher, Rolf Szapanski: Electrical engineering, training in communication electronics, part 2: radio and television technology . Westermann, Braunschweig 1997, ISBN 3-14-221430-5 , p. 393
• Wilhelm Benz: table book radio and television technology, radio electronics . 3. Edition. Kieser, Neusäß 1993, ISBN 3-88173-060-5
• Jürgen Burghardt: Manual of the professional video recorder . Essen 1994, ISBN 3-930524-01-5