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Message |
Joe Kultgen
Guest
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 Posted:
Mon Nov 08, 2004 2:07 pm Post subject:
Opinions? AG-DS555 |
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Hi Everybody,
A couple of years ago I got interested in copying my collection of VHS
tapes over to VCD and now DVD. Unfortunately my hardware and budget
weren't up to the task. I couldn't get good enough results to make it
worth the effort.
A couple of months ago I tripped over a Panasonic WJ-MX12 at a surplus
center and dang near sprained my wrist reaching for my wallet when I saw
the $25 price tag. I'm still using my old Radeon 7500 AIW but with the
mixer cleaning up the signal I actually captured some acceptable video.
Unfortunately I'm still feeding from tired tapes in a $40 Hitachi that's
seen better days. I learned long ago that you're generally better off
buying top of the line used than spending the same money on top of the
budget new. From the browsing I've done it seems that the Panasonic AG-
DS555 was about the peak of the art as far as (S)VHS tape went. Does
anyone here know of a better machine I can get my hands on for under $500?
Later,
Joe
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Joe Kultgen
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:44 pm Post subject:
Re: Opinions? AG-DS555 |
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"Richard Crowley" <rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote in
news:10ov482oaihfiaf@corp.supernews.com:
| Quote: | "Joe Kultgen" wrote ...
A couple of years ago I got interested in copying my collection of
VHS tapes over to VCD and now DVD. Unfortunately my hardware and
budget weren't up to the task. I couldn't get good enough results to
make it worth the effort.
A couple of months ago I tripped over a Panasonic WJ-MX12 at a
surplus center and dang near sprained my wrist reaching for my wallet
when I saw the $25 price tag. I'm still using my old Radeon 7500 AIW
but with the mixer cleaning up the signal I actually captured some
acceptable video.
Unfortunately I'm still feeding from tired tapes in a $40 Hitachi
that's seen better days. I learned long ago that you're generally
better off buying top of the line used than spending the same money
on top of the budget new. From the browsing I've done it seems that
the Panasonic AG- DS555 was about the peak of the art as far as
(S)VHS tape went. Does anyone here know of a better machine I can
get my hands on for under $500?
Are you saying you can get an AG-DS555 for $500?
If your project is worth that investment, I'd say go for it.
|
$350 actually, including shipping. I figured that if I had to spend
another $150 getting it professionally cleaned and tweaked I'd still be
under budget. If you're anywhere near Raleigh, NC and interested I can
point you toward another one in the same price range.
I was also looking at AG-1980's but they seem to be bringing $600+. Must
be that sexy black case. :-)
Any idea how the two compare at pulling good signal off of less than
prime tapes?
Later,
Joe |
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Richard Crowley
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 08, 2004 8:30 pm Post subject:
Re: Opinions? AG-DS555 |
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"Joe Kultgen" wrote ...
| Quote: | A couple of years ago I got interested in copying my collection of VHS
tapes over to VCD and now DVD. Unfortunately my hardware and budget
weren't up to the task. I couldn't get good enough results to make it
worth the effort.
A couple of months ago I tripped over a Panasonic WJ-MX12 at a surplus
center and dang near sprained my wrist reaching for my wallet when I saw
the $25 price tag. I'm still using my old Radeon 7500 AIW but with the
mixer cleaning up the signal I actually captured some acceptable video.
Unfortunately I'm still feeding from tired tapes in a $40 Hitachi that's
seen better days. I learned long ago that you're generally better off
buying top of the line used than spending the same money on top of the
budget new. From the browsing I've done it seems that the Panasonic AG-
DS555 was about the peak of the art as far as (S)VHS tape went. Does
anyone here know of a better machine I can get my hands on for under $500?
|
Are you saying you can get an AG-DS555 for $500?
If your project is worth that investment, I'd say go for it. |
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Joe Kultgen
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 09, 2004 3:19 am Post subject:
Re: Opinions? AG-DS555 |
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peterwoj@aol.com (PETERWOJ) wrote in
news:20041108194458.11425.00000320@mb-m29.aol.com:
| Quote: | rom the browsing I've done it seems that the Panasonic AG-
DS555 was about the peak of the art as far as (S)VHS tape went. Does
anyone here know of a better machine I can get my hands on for under
$500?
If I was going to spend that much money I would try to find used or
refurbished JVC HD-4000 or similar. I've seen them new for less than
$500 and used/refurbished for $350. If you're not familiar it is D-VHS
recorder that will play/record VHS, S-VHS and D-VHS. Now here is the
trick: with regular S-VHS VCR you'll use it for the copy project and
then you'll have no use for it no more. With D-VHS you can record HD
programing so in case you decide to upgrade your TV and cable to High
Definition you'll have a way to record it. The only other options to
record HD right now is $1000 hardrive box similar to regular Tivo and
about year from now HD DVD. As an added bonus you can use your old
S-VHS tapes for digital HD recording and that's a biggie since normal
D-VHS tapes go for $10 each. In the worst case it should do the job
you intend to buy it for. BTW good HD signal looks awesome and D-VHS
tape is almost as good or better than HD broadcast.
|
Did you mean a JVC HM-DH40000U ?
Found one on ebay with a "buy it now" under $500. From the advertizing
it looks like a very good high end consumer deck. Using newer technology
it will lay down and play back a cleaner signal than the older Panasonic
could. If I were looking for something to put in the entertainment
center between a decent stereo and a big screen HDTV it would be a strong
contender.
It might help if I define the project a little better. I've got a
library of maybe a couple hundred tapes. Some of them are home movies
recorded on rental equipment of uncertain pedigree. Some of them are
student projects recorded on "semi-pro" hardware. Some of them are
public access cable recorded on a variety of consumer tape decks. While
the recording quality ranges from fair to dismal the content is pretty
much irreplaceable. A large part of my collection is odd label tapes
that were shot on video by companies that no longer exist. They made
something they called a "master", printed some adhesive backed labels,
and dubbed off copies only as the orders came in. I even have some tapes
of "real" movies that might eventually be re-released on DVD but I'm not
going to hold my breath waiting. I've also moved several times over the
years and the tapes haven't always received careful handling or storage.
I'd like to do the best possible job of capturing these tapes in digital
format before they're completely trashed.
It's my understanding that the biggest difference between a consumer VCR
and studio equipment is the tape handling. Not only are the cheap decks
pretty brutal to the tape passing through them, they have no way of
adjusting for worn and/or badly recorded media. The higher end consumer,
(pro-sumer?) units do a much better job but still lack the manual control
needed to get the best out of the worst. There is also the time factor.
Right now studios have pretty much gone digital. Equipment that sold new
for $3000 to $5000 is going for less than ten cents on the dollar, but
there's still a large pool of spares and trained technicians to maintain
the stuff. There's no telling how fast that pool is going to dry up.
$4000 dubbing decks never were the sort of item you could pick up at
Sears.
Have you ever used an AG-DS555 or similar studio dubbing deck? Do you
know of any specific "gotcha's" I should look out for?
Later,
Joe |
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PETERWOJ
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 09, 2004 5:44 am Post subject:
Re: Opinions? AG-DS555 |
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| Quote: | rom the browsing I've done it seems that the Panasonic AG-
DS555 was about the peak of the art as far as (S)VHS tape went. Does
anyone here know of a better machine I can get my hands on for under $500?
|
If I was going to spend that much money I would try to find used or refurbished
JVC HD-4000 or similar. I've seen them new for less than $500 and
used/refurbished for $350. If you're not familiar it is D-VHS recorder that
will play/record VHS, S-VHS and D-VHS. Now here is the trick: with regular
S-VHS VCR you'll use it for the copy project and then you'll have no use for it
no more. With D-VHS you can record HD programing so in case you decide to
upgrade your TV and cable to High Definition you'll have a way to record it.
The only other options to record HD right now is $1000 hardrive box similar to
regular Tivo and about year from now HD DVD. As an added bonus you can use your
old S-VHS tapes for digital HD recording and that's a biggie since normal D-VHS
tapes go for $10 each. In the worst case it should do the job you intend to buy
it for. BTW good HD signal looks awesome and D-VHS tape is almost as good or
better than HD broadcast. |
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Richard Crowley
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 09, 2004 10:53 am Post subject:
Re: Opinions? AG-DS555 |
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"Joe Kultgen" wrote ...
| Quote: | I was also looking at AG-1980's but they seem to be bringing
$600+. Must be that sexy black case. :-)
Any idea how the two compare at pulling good signal off of
less than prime tapes?
|
I have three AG-1980s and they are good machines. I use
them almost exclusively for recording, but sometimes for
reading VHS tapes for digitizing. The built-in "4-line TBC"
never impressed me a whole lot. I have external "real" TBCs
to clean up bad signals.
The AG-DS555 is in a whole 'nuther (significantly higher)
class than the AG-1980s which are just very-well done
consumer-class machines. If I had my choice between a
1980 and the DS555 (assuming it was in decent shape),
I'd go for the DS555 any day. |
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