(2024-12) The Return of VHS (& Dolby Surround?)

[kfbkfb]

How so?
Videotape Hi-Fi was still analog stereo, no?

(matrix) Dolby Surround encoded stereo movies - any stereo media (analog or digital) can contain Dolby Surround (stereo radio, stereo tape, stereo vinyl, stereo optical disc etc.).

Videotape Hi-Fi stereo has higher fidelity than videotape linear stereo (especially at the slower videotape speeds), videotape Hi-Fi has the same high fidelity sound quality at all videotape speeds.


Kirk Bayne

 

[jamoke]

(matrix) Dolby Surround encoded stereo movies - any stereo media (analog or digital) can contain Dolby Surround (stereo radio, stereo tape, stereo vinyl, stereo optical disc etc.).

Videotape Hi-Fi stereo has higher fidelity than videotape linear stereo (especially at the slower videotape speeds), videotape Hi-Fi has the same high fidelity sound quality at all videotape speeds.


Kirk Bayne

I am aware of the higher fidelity of VHS Hi-Fi vs linear stereo (VHS Hi-Fi using the addtional 2 heads on the rotating drum)
but I was not aware of any matrix encoding of commercial VHS tapes.
I was an early adopter of VHS HiFi but never heard of Surround encoded VHS tapes.

Live and learn.....Thx.

 

[kfbkfb]

I am aware of the higher fidelity of VHS Hi-Fi vs linear stereo (VHS Hi-Fi using the addtional 2 heads on the rotating drum)
but I was not aware of any matrix encoding of commercial VHS tapes.
I was an early adopter of VHS HiFi but never heard of Surround encoded VHS tapes.

Live and learn.....Thx.

Dolby Surround encoded movies use the phrase "DOLBY STEREO" in the end credits, I wish they had used the word "surround" in some way for every Dolby Surround encoded movie.

If no Dolby Surround decoder is available, a Hafler/DynaQuad decoder or a (Sansui) QS decoder will do a good job of decoding Dolby Surround.


Kirk Bayne

 

[Owen Smith]

I am aware of the higher fidelity of VHS Hi-Fi vs linear stereo (VHS Hi-Fi using the addtional 2 heads on the rotating drum)
but I was not aware of any matrix encoding of commercial VHS tapes.
I was an early adopter of VHS HiFi but never heard of Surround encoded VHS tapes.

Most commercial films released on VHS were Dolby Surround matrix encoded if the original film was made that way. That's basically Star Wars A New Hope onwards. Plus many older films with 4 or 6 track magnetic sound were released on VHS with Dolby Surround encoded sound.