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MEGATEST
LOW BAND EDIT VCRS
INTRO
Edit VCRs have been rather thin on the ground
of late but we've managed to put together a selection of five/six machines that
deserve your very serious attention, if you're a home video movie-maker
COPY
The fact is almost any video recorder can be
used for editing, either as a replay (source) or record (destination) machine
but very few VCRs deserve to be called edit decks. There are no precise
definitions of the term edit deck but over the years we have established a few
simple ground-rules, to help us identify the machines that will be of most use
to camcorder owners.
Number one has to be picture quality. Even if
a VCR has all the facilities of a medium-sized editing suite, they are wasted
if the deck adds to the already significant quality losses that occur when a
video recording is copied. It happens, last year we saw what appeared to be a
well-equipped twin-deck editing machine, but it was let down by inferior
picture quality.
We look for four specific features on any
prospective edit VCR, they are: front-mounted AV terminal, audio dub,
jog/shuttle dial and insert edit. It's not essential for a VCR to have them
all, but unless it has at least two out of four, it's out of the running.
Together these features indicate that the VCR was designed with at least half
an eye on the home video-movie market, and it's not just another boring
time-shifter or AV component.
We also have a small shopping list of
secondary features, that we like to see but can live without, or stray from our
brief because they restrict the user to one particular make or format of
camcorder. Number one has to be an editing terminal, either a Control L socket,
or the Panasonic 5/11-pin RMC connector. Bother are essential if the machine is
going to be used as a source or replay deck with an edit controller, though in
the vast majority of editing set-ups the VCR is the record machine.
Nevertheless, an increasing number of third-party editing packages now feature
hard-wired record deck controls, in addition to learning or programmed
infra-red, so it's worth thinking about if you anticipate getting into editing
in a big way.
If you're planning a single-make system, i.e.
camcorder and VCR from the same manufacturer check to see if the machines in
question support some sort of syncro-edit facility, this will simplify and
speed up the transfer of single scenes, from camcorder to VCR. Picture in
picture can be handy to have, but only if it can be used as a preview monitor,
to display two pictures on the screen at the same time. Finally there's
automated assemble edit. This is only relevant when the VCR is being used as
the source machine, a second VCR is needed for the record deck. There is one
exception, the excellent Panasonic NV-HD700 (see review in April 94 issue),
which has an on-board edit controller to operate the camcorder, but only those
fitted with a 5/11-pin edit terminal, in other words it only works with a few
Panasonic machines (and a handful of badge-engineered clones). If only it had
Control L as well, now that would be something!
1993 was a lousy year for edit VCRs, most
manufacturers concentrated their efforts on the volume market, or updated their
existing ranges with hot features, like Video Plus, which explains why some of the machines might look a little
familiar. This year things are looking up, and we're expecting to see some
interesting new editing machines over the coming months. In the meantime,
here's the current pick of a very small crop.
AKAI VS-F100 £550
A handsome stereo machine that first saw
light of day in late 1992. In addition to a full compliment of the most
desirable editing features the F1000 has a useful tape-tuning facility, called
I-HQ. It makes a short test recording -- lasting around 15 seconds -- and
automatically optises the machines record circuitry to suit the tape being
used. This is of particular interest to movie-makers as it performs well on
high-grade tape formulations, minimising the inevitable quality losses that
occur when editing. Like most Akai VCRs it's loaded with gadgets, some of them
useful, like the advanced tape search and indexing facilities, others like
fastext, will only be of interest to those with older TVs.
Performance is very good, samples we've tried
are consistently able to resolve around 250-lines, and making full use of the
I-HQ facility results in lower than average levels of picture noise. Trick play
stability and colour accuracy are also better than average. The insert edit
facility works well, managing near seamless joins, with minimal colour
disturbance at the edit out point. Audio quality is good too, and the manual
recording level control is a welcome extra these days, especially for those who
take audio quality seriously. A solid, versatile machine, equally adept as a
edit deck or home cinema component. Recomended, but hurry, its days are
numbered.
VCR SPECS
Make/model Akai VS-F1000
Guide price £550
FEATURES
Front AV terminal yes
Audio dub yes
Jog/shuttle yes
Insert edit: yes
Edit terminal no
Syncro edit yes
Stereo/NICAM yes
Slow motion yes
Multi-speed yes
On-screen display yes
Microphone skt. yes
PERFORMANCE
Resolution 250-lines
Colour fidelity excellent
Trick play stability excellent
Audio performance very good
Edit functions good
VC RATINGS
Value for money 8
Ease of use 8
Performance 9
Features 9
GRUNDIG GV-450 £460
Grundig are not normally associated with
video movie-making, in the UK at least. Their occasional forays into the
camcorder market have been fairly low-key and usually fairly short-lived.
However, when it comes to VCRs they've come up with some real gems in the past.
The 450 is no exception, though it's a bit of a sleeper and it's movie-making
talents are well hidden in amongst all the other bits and bobs. There's a full
set of edit features plus something else that may interest camcorder owners, a
title generator. The 450 has quasi-SVHS and NTSC playback facilities and a very
eye-catching front-panel display; it's let down slightly by the control
labelling and instructions which are not terribly friendly, this is not the
sort of machine you'd give your old gran for Christmas...
Picture quality is average to good,
resolution is down a little on the top machines in this class, and there's a
tad more picture noise than we would have like to have seen but it's nothing to
be concerned about. Picture stability and trick-frame facilities are good, and
the insert edit works well. Sound quality on the stereo hi-fi sound tracks is
fine, little noise and a clean, even response. A difficult machine to get to
know but it's worth the effort, bristling with useful features and although not
the top-performer it can still show most of it's similarly priced rivals a
clean pair of heels.
VCR SPECS
Make/model Grundig GV-450
Guide price £460
FEATURES
Front AV terminal yes
Audio dub yes
Jog/shuttle yes
Insert edit: yes
Edit terminal no
Syncro edit no
Stereo Hi-Fi yes
Slow motion yes
Multi-speed yes
On-screen display yes
Microphone skt. no
PERFORMANCE
Resolution 240-lines
Colour fidelity good
Trick play stability good
Audio performance very good
Edit functions good
VC RATINGS
Value for money 8
Ease of use 7
Performance 8
Features 8
JVC HR-J815
VCR SPECS
Make/model X
Guide price
FEATURES
Front AV terminal yes/no
Audio dub yes/no
Jog/shuttle yes/no
Insert edit: yes/no
Edit terminal yes/no/RMC/LANC
Syncro edit yes/no
Stereo Hi-Fi yes/no
Slow motion yes/no
Multi-speed yes/no
On-screen display yes/no
Microphone yes/no
PERFORMANCE
Resolution
Colour fidelity
Trick play stability
Audio performance
Edit functions
VC RATINGS
Value for money
Ease of use
Performance
Features
PANASONIC NV HD-100 £580
If only... Don't get us wrong, the HD100 is a splendid machine, design,
build quality and performance are up to Panasonic's usual high standard, but
for the want of a couple of features this could have been a really special edit
VCR. Those features are front-mounted AV terminal and a 5/11-pin edit socket,
almost unforgivable omissions on a top-end Panasonic deck. The rest of the
machine makes up for it, though, and the syncro edit facility is well worth
having if you've already got a Panasonic camcorder. NTSC replay could be useful
if you've got friends or relatives living in North America or Japan and
Panasonic have finally relented and adopted the Video Plus+ timer programming
system, though it's not the best implementation we've seen due to the lack of
an on-screen display.
What it lacks in the way of editing refinements it more than makes up for
with sparkling picture performance. Horizontal resolution tops 250-lines, which
is getting close to the limits of the format, and noise levels are well below
average. Colours are bright and natural looking and trick play stability is
amongst the best we've seen. The stereo hi-fi audio system with its NICAM
decoder sounds clean with just a hint of background noise, certainly less than
on most other machines. Panasonic have redeemed themselves in the last few
months with the remarkable HD700, but the HD100 is not to be lightly dismissed
as an edit VCR. It's targetted at home cinema fans first, and camcorder owners
second, but picture quality is outstanding, and for this reason alone we're
prepared to overlook those missing sockets.
VCR SPECS
Make/model Panasonic
NV-HD100
Guide price £580
FEATURES
Front AV terminal no
Audio dub yes
Jog/shuttle yes
Insert edit: yes
Edit terminal no
Syncro edit yes
Stereo Hi-Fi yes
Slow motion yes
Multi-speed yes
On-screen display yes
Microphone yes
PERFORMANCE
Resolution >250-lines
Colour fidelity very good
Trick play stability very good
Audio performance very good
Edit functions fair
VC RATINGS
Value for money 8
Ease of use 8
Performance 9
Features 8
PHILIPS VR-838 £590
VCR SPECS
Make/model Philips VR-838
Guide price £590
FEATURES
Front AV terminal yes/no
Audio dub yes/no
Jog/shuttle yes/no
Insert edit: yes/no
Edit terminal yes/no/RMC/LANC
Syncro edit yes/no
Stereo Hi-Fi yes/no
Slow motion yes/no
Multi-speed yes/no
On-screen display yes/no
Microphone yes/no
PERFORMANCE
Resolution
Colour fidelity
Trick play stability
Audio performance
Edit functions
VC RATINGS
Value for money
Ease of use
Performance
Features
SONY SLV-835 £850
Ouch! Yes, we know, you could get a Super VHS
video recorder for that kind of money, but this one is a bit special. The 835
is an upgrade of the SLV-825 a classic edit deck from way back; the main
difference is a Video Plus+ timer, and a fairly substantial price hike, so its
worth keeping an eye out for an 825 if easy timer programming isn't high on
your list of priorities. The 835 has all four key edit feature plus a very neat
picture-in-picture facility, called edit monitor, which displays two
sub-screens -- source and destination -- plus tape count and deck status
information on screen. The icing on the cake is a Control L editing terminal so
it can be wired up to an edit controller, either as a replay or record deck,
with the promise of increased accuracy
and control flexibility.
On-screen performance is good, nudging
250-lines, noise levels are low, and the results are particularly good when
using higher grade tapes. Colour accuracy is better than average and trick play
is rock solid. Sound quality on the stereo hi-fi soundtracks is pretty good
with average amounts of background noise. It would be easy to dismiss the 835
on the ground of prtice, it is horrendously expensive, but the edit monitor and
Control L edit terminals go a long way towards justifying the cost, add to that
the top-grade picture quality and reassuring solid feel this machine has and it
may not seem quite so steep.
VCR SPECS
Make/model Sony SLV-835
Guide price £850
FEATURES
Front AV terminal yes
Audio dub yes
Jog/shuttle yes
Insert edit: yes
Edit terminal yes/Control L (LANC)
Syncro edit no
Stereo Hi-Fi yes
Slow motion yes
Multi-speed yes
On-screen display yes
Microphone yes
PERFORMANCE
Resolution 250-lines
Colour fidelity excellent
Trick play stability very good
Audio performance very good
Edit functions excellent
VC RATINGS
Value for money 7
Ease of use 8
Performance 9
Features 9
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© R.Maybury 1994 1503
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