Panasonic DMR-ES35V - a VHS+DVD recorder with built-in time base corrector (TBC)

Panasonic DMR-ES35V is a dual VHS and DVD deck. It is a member of 2006 Panasonic DVD recorder lineup, which included DMR-ES15 (US, Europe), DMR-ES25 (US), DMR-ES35V (US, Europe), DMR-ES45V (US), DMR-EH55 (US, Europe), DMR-EH65 (Europe), DMR-EH75V (US), DMR-EX75 (Europe), DMR-EX85 (Europe).
The VHS deck has SVHS playback capability (SQPB, Super VHS Quasi Playback). The DVD deck can record on recordable DVDs. The machine can dub VHS to DVD, and DVD to VHS.
The standout feature is "VHS Refresh", which was advertised as "an easy way to even more beautiful digital recordings". The "refresh" is achieved by using digital noise reduction (DNR) and digital time base corrector (digital TBC). The machine can be used in passthrough mode as an improvised TBC for analog-to-digital conversion.
Chapters
00:00 - Intro
01:42 - My setup
03:25 - Samples
This video uses information regarding black level from the Videohelp forum, in partucular:
⚫ Panasonic DVD recorder passthrough settings (DMR-ES10, DMR-ES15, DMR-ES25) | forum.videohelp.com/threads/4...
⚫ Where did I go wrong/What am I missing? | forum.videohelp.com/threads/3...
Video samples used:
⚫ SVHS-C SP reverse shot of Susie McCall conducting an interview for Vernon Hills Update (1995)
⚫ VHS-C EP home video found on a used cassette (2003)
⚫ VHS-C EP home video found on a used cassette (2004)
Text version on Medium (friend link): reflectiveobserver.medium.com...
#VHS #analog #digitization

[@cr9297]

I know what i have to see today! Always a pleasure to see news vidéos about that technology on your TH-cam channel 🙌

[@DGGamer_]

The Panasonic unit appears to have a better TBC than the JVC unit. Is the TBC used on this model similar to the one on the DMR-ES10?

[@ConsumerDV]

Frankly, I don't know. It is the only DVD recorder I have (so far). The ES10 is 2005, the ES15/25/35... are 2006. Does being newer make it better? IDK.

[@goatmen7996]

Will the quality be better if you record VHS to DVD or the same

[@ConsumerDV]

This depends on the format you are capturing into. If you record to DVD, you get DVD quality, which is at best around 9 Mbit/s MPEG-2 4:2:0 interlaced SD. I capture into Cineform at around 60-90 Mbit/s with 4:2:2 color subsampling. Truth to be told, DVD quality is usually enough, you lose quality elsewhere, like you image is unstable or has wrong aspect ratio or wrong scanning type or crushed blacks or blown out highlights, tons of other things can degrade your video.

[@goatmen7996]

@@ConsumerDV so the dvd quality is ok for vhs

[@ConsumerDV]

Different people will give you different answers :) To me, DVD is good enough for good quality VHS. The more noise or other high-frequency artifacts your recording has, the more bitrate you need to preserve all this information, which you may not need at the first place, but it is either preserving it or your picture breaks into macroblocks. Also, some people do not like that DVD uses 4:2:0 color subsampling, not 4:2:2. I think it is good enough if you do not plan to edit it.

[@goatmen7996]

@@ConsumerDV yah i bought a panasonic dmr es-25 and its comming in 1 week

[@ConsumerDV]

Congrats! Are you going to record to discs? I still have a half-used 100-pack of DVD-R discs from more than a decade ago. But I burned my DVDs on a computer. I also burned quite a few AVCHD discs.