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From: caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX)
Newsgroups: net.audio,net.video
Subject: Re: Comments on recent news
Message-ID: <390@omen.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-Aug-86 17:51:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: omen.390
Posted: Wed Aug 27 17:51:18 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 30-Aug-86 00:42:52 EDT
References: <4968@decwrl.DEC.COM> <6529@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: caf@omen.UUCP (PUT YOUR NAME HERE)
Organization: Omen Technology, Portland
Lines: 30
Xref: watmath net.audio:9388 net.video:3128

In article <6529@sun.uucp> mwicks@sun.uucp (Michael Wicks) writes:
:> Also, the VHS HQ is mostly a gimmick that yields minimal, if any, 
:> improvement in picture quality.  If absolute video fidelity is required, 
:> Super Beta is far and away the best.  Of course, if you want to be able 
:> to rent tapes, then go with VHS for availability.
:  If HQ is a "gimmick", then it's a pretty good one as I've had VCR's with
:  (Emerson VHS HI-FI Stereo VCR), and without (HITACHI VHS Stereo w/ Dolby
:  and HQ) and the HQ DEFINITELY improves the picture quality by a factor of
:  20. I am now able to buy 'regular grade' tape for recording and the

It isn't that simple.  First, there is no exact definition as to what HQ
requires in the way of circuitry.  Secondly, much of the picture improvement
attributed to HQ is really due to 1) Better recording technology, 2) Fresh
video heads, and 3) Placebo effect.

I have a JVC 2650 VCR, many years old.  I went through three HQ recorders
before settling on a JVC 756.  The first HQ recorder had a terrible picture
at EP.  The next two had lousy tuners.  The 756 is more nearly satisfactory.

The main advance in picture quality is at EP speed, which is now more or less
acceptable on a large screen set, at least for causal viewing.  But I don't
think the quality at SP is much better than the old JVC 2650.

My own hit is that HQ adds little to to the quality at SP, at least
on a decent 4 head machine.  A two head meachine or EP recording still
needs all the help it can get, but in that case not even HQ can repair
the damage.

BTW, I am fairly satisfied with the new JVC, except for its high $$$ and
lack of automatic Hi-Fi playback, a major cretinism.