Modification of VHS tapes to allow S-VHS recording

Super-VHS is a really wonderful format. It offers a substancial improvement in picture quality (not to mention sound) over the ordinary VHS format.

S-VHS players have dropped in price, but tape prices are stil outrageous. It is simply too expensive to use S-VHS tapes (well, at least for a student such as I). S-VHS casettes are physically just like the good old VHS tape, but the actual tape material has to be able to hold the lager bandthwith of the S-VHS recording. VHS and 8-mm videotape formats are considered to have a horizontal resolution of 240 lines or 3.0 MHz bandwidth. Super VHS and Hi8 have about a 400 line (5.0 MHz bandwidth). Broadcast TV shows about 336 lines or 4.2 MHz. However by using ordinary VHS tapes of GOOD QUALITY you can get a better quality recording by using S-VHS format instead of VHS. Don't bother doing this with the cheap tapes you get a the supermarket checkout counter - they are simply not good enough and will result in snow and sparks on the recording. Use brand name tapes like BASF or TDK. Experiment a little with different brands - The limitations of the ordinary VHS tape can be observed on Long Play S-VHS recordings as snow, so this trick is best for Single Play recordings.

The way a VCR determines wether to use VHS or S-VHS recording is by sensing the S-VHS indicator hole on the casette. By making a hole in the same place on a VHS tape will allow S-VHS recording.

I have been using this trick for months with good results so I can recommend the procedure.

Use a 3 mm drill and be sure to remove the plastic bits so they do not fall into the casette. The casette material is very thin at the point that the hole has to be made, so just driving the drill with your hand gets the job done very quickly. Do not use an electric drill ! It will just go all the way through the casette :-(

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