(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.

 

[barfle]

I wonder why it's only being presented in 4:3...

Well, that’s what the medium can hold. I have a couple of “letterboxed” recordings (DVD and LD) that are letterboxed, and when you zoom to fill the screen, they really look like crap.

 

[barfle]

What next... Laserdisc...

I have about a hundred laserdiscs that, as far as I can tell, were originally shot on video, so there’s little to no chance of them being released in a higher definition format. Lots of music, concerts, ballets, opera, etc. Most of the movies have been re-released on higher-res formats, but there’s a bunch I’m hanging on to.

 

[barfle]

Or better yet, bring back RCA's SELECTAVISION...utilizing a stylus to read gunked up discs which were nestled in a 'caddy!' What were they thinking??????

It basically killed the company.

 

[Owen Smith]

Well, that’s what the medium can hold. I have a couple of “letterboxed” recordings (DVD and LD) that are letterboxed, and when you zoom to fill the screen, they really look like crap.

You can store anamorphic 16:9 on VHS, you just need your TV to understand that on playback either by scan line 23 signalling or manually selected. I used to output S-Video 16:9 from my digital set top box to record on my S-VHS deck and play it back to my Sony Trinitron 21" 4:3 TV. I had to manually select the 16:9 aspect ratio on the TV but boy did it look good, I've never seen S-VHS look better. 400 lines in true 16:9 and no luma/chroma artefacts since they were never combined at any stage.

 

[barfle]

You can store anamorphic 16:9 on VHS, you just need your TV to understand that on playback either by scan line 23 signalling or manually selected. I used to output S-Video 16:9 from my digital set top box to record on my S-VHS deck and play it back to my Sony Trinitron 21" 4:3 TV. I had to manually select the 16:9 aspect ratio on the TV but boy did it look good, I've never seen S-VHS look better. 400 lines in true 16:9 and no luma/chroma artefacts since they were never combined at any stage.

My TV can do the stretching, as well as zooming in letterboxed analog video.

I had a really nice SVHS HiFi deck, but it died, and parts were not available. I've forgotten the brand, bit while it lasted, it was remarkable.

I now fear for a similar fate for my Oppo 105. So far so good.

 

[4-earredwonder]

All this RETRO TALK and the sad fact remains......a majority of the world still utilize DVD players as their main source and refuse to upgrade to even blu ray which would inevitably UPSAMPLE their crappy DVDs, play their RBCDs and even allow them to play the newest Pure Audio BD~As ..... and one could be had for as little as 100 bucks.....which ironically was the LIST price of a VHS tape, upon release, back in the early 80's!!!!!!!!!

For some, time has just stood still and if you want to spend your 2024 $$$$$$ on cassettes and VHS tapes for nostalgia purposes ..... remember how limited they were in quality way back when!