Do we normally use S-VHS or VHS?

Answer 1

As we pass through 2009, it's safe to say that video tape is becoming the exception rather than the norm for home recording. VHS was accepted as the universal standard for domestic video formats but DVD recorders and players as well as hard disk recorders are now so common that VHS has almost reached the end of its commercial life. However, to answer the question... VHS was introduced some thirty years ago as a home format. It was relatively compact and relatively low cost (although still expensive by today's standards). The format recorded both brightness and color information together and although it was a breakthrough in terms of affordable recording, the quality was never very good. The poor quality was highlighted whenever a tape was copied: The copy being noticeably poorer quality than the original. S-VHS was an attempt to improve quality. Instead of storing brightness and color information together, the two signals were separated and the picture quality was improved significantly. To fully benefit from the better off-tape quality, a new signal interface, S-video, was introduced. Together, the viewing quality was fairly respectable but still well below broadcast quality. S-VHS was a little too late to make a big impact. Although S-VHS decks could handle standard VHS tapes, they didn't ever catch on in a big way. In order to share tapes, S-VHS was avoided just in case the recipient only had VHS so even S-VHS owners avoided using the better format from time to time. By the time that the consumer began to think of replacing their VHS player with an S-VHS player, DVDs were making an entrance. Those people who were concerned with the best possible quality very quickly moved to DVD as the medium of choice. So, VHS remained the normal format for domestic tape. Manufacturers have largely ceased production of all VHS products and we are able to choose between several digital formats, all of which are far higher quality than VHS ever was. VHS has now passed away with little fuss and despite being such a big part of consumer television, few people are mourning the format today.