Jump to content

Can you play normal VHS tapes in a D-VHS player?

Sirgeorge
 Share
Posted

I'm curious if you can play normal VHS tapes in a D-VHS player. I'm getting artifacting on my setup and want to know if this specifically would be the problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

D-VHS stores digital signals. Normal VHS stores analogue TV signals. These two signals are entirely incompatible, to the extent that a player which only supported one couldn't possibly derive any even remotely correct video information from the other at all.

 

If you are seeing what looks like the correct video but with artifacts, then there's probably a fault with either your tape or the equipment.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

pythonmegapixel

into tech, public transport and architecture // amateur programmer // youtuber // beginner photographer

Thanks for reading all this by the way!

By the way, my desktop is a docked laptop. Get over it, No seriously, I have an exterrnal monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset, ethernet and cooling fans all connected. Using it feels no different to a desktop, it works for several hours if the power goes out, and disconnecting just a few cables gives me something I can take on the go. There's enough power for all games I play and it even copes with basic (and some not-so-basic) video editing. Give it a go - you might just love it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author
1 minute ago, pythonmegapixel said:

D-VHS stores digital signals. Normal VHS stores analogue TV signals. These two signals are entirely incompatible, to the extent that a player which only supported one couldn't possibly derive any even remotely correct video information from the other at all.

 

If you are seeing what looks like the correct video but with artifacts, then there's probably a fault with either your tape or the equipment.

interesting. Would this qualify (https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/523482515)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
1 minute ago, Sirgeorge said:

interesting. Would this qualify (https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/523482515)?

That link doesn't work.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

pythonmegapixel

into tech, public transport and architecture // amateur programmer // youtuber // beginner photographer

Thanks for reading all this by the way!

By the way, my desktop is a docked laptop. Get over it, No seriously, I have an exterrnal monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset, ethernet and cooling fans all connected. Using it feels no different to a desktop, it works for several hours if the power goes out, and disconnecting just a few cables gives me something I can take on the go. There's enough power for all games I play and it even copes with basic (and some not-so-basic) video editing. Give it a go - you might just love it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author
Just now, pythonmegapixel said:

That link doesn't work.

Oh, you're right. That's embarrassing. Here you go friend: 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
Just now, Sirgeorge said:

Oh, you're right. That's embarrassing. Here you go friend: 

 

That does look pretty dodgy.

 

Does it work OK with another tape? If so I imagine your tape is damaged (possibly stored in a strong magnetic field).

If not, does swapping out the cable or plugging into a different display improve things?

 

If you still get the artifacts after trying that, then the fault probably lies in your VHS machine. I don't know much about the internals of those so I won't speculate what the issue could be, but I don't think there's any chance it can be caused by a format incompatibility.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

pythonmegapixel

into tech, public transport and architecture // amateur programmer // youtuber // beginner photographer

Thanks for reading all this by the way!

By the way, my desktop is a docked laptop. Get over it, No seriously, I have an exterrnal monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset, ethernet and cooling fans all connected. Using it feels no different to a desktop, it works for several hours if the power goes out, and disconnecting just a few cables gives me something I can take on the go. There's enough power for all games I play and it even copes with basic (and some not-so-basic) video editing. Give it a go - you might just love it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author
2 hours ago, pythonmegapixel said:

That does look pretty dodgy.

 

Does it work OK with another tape? If so I imagine your tape is damaged (possibly stored in a strong magnetic field).

If not, does swapping out the cable or plugging into a different display improve things?

 

If you still get the artifacts after trying that, then the fault probably lies in your VHS machine. I don't know much about the internals of those so I won't speculate what the issue could be, but I don't think there's any chance it can be caused by a format incompatibility.

Greatly appreciated. The cable's not the problem and neither is the tape. If there's no incompatibility issue, then something's wrong with the player. I'll have to do further research.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

DVHS players should be able to play VHS.

 

Get your hands on a normal VHS VCR to confirm whether the tape is bad. You can literally find them in dumpsters now.

Gaming Room

Office PC

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 4 weeks later...
Posted
On 3/14/2021 at 1:40 PM, pythonmegapixel said:

 to the extent that a player which only supported one couldn't possibly derive any even remotely correct video information from the other at all.

That's not correct.

D-VHS players play D-VHS, S-VHS, and VHS.

 

I was hoping to see a follow-up on this post, if the OP ever tested that tape in another VCR.

For more AV advice, find me at The Digital FAQ forums.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
10 hours ago, lordsmurf said:

That's not correct.

D-VHS players play D-VHS, S-VHS, and VHS.

I said that the signals are so different that if a player only supported D-VHS, then it would not be able to derive any information from "analog" VHS at all, because the signals are different.

 

In reality, I don't believe anything ever actually supported only D-VHS. I was simply providing a explanation for my statement that if the players were incompatible you wouldn't see a correct picture at all.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

pythonmegapixel

into tech, public transport and architecture // amateur programmer // youtuber // beginner photographer

Thanks for reading all this by the way!

By the way, my desktop is a docked laptop. Get over it, No seriously, I have an exterrnal monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset, ethernet and cooling fans all connected. Using it feels no different to a desktop, it works for several hours if the power goes out, and disconnecting just a few cables gives me something I can take on the go. There's enough power for all games I play and it even copes with basic (and some not-so-basic) video editing. Give it a go - you might just love it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
4 hours ago, pythonmegapixel said:

I said that the signals are so different

The signals, yes. MPEG digital data vs. analog.

The recording method, no. That's why backwards compatibility existed. Same helical scan recording.

 

Another compatibility issue is between D-VHS and D-VHS. Yes, not a typo. JVC wasn't always compatible with other D-VHS deck brands, even one JVC deck to another. 

 

It's a lot like Video8, Hi8 and Digital8 -- aka the Sony formats (VHS was JVC's format).

 

 

For more AV advice, find me at The Digital FAQ forums.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing Home Theater Equipment

×