JVC HRDVS3U Mini-DV/S-VHS Combo, Silver

by JVC

Product Details

Product Manual [4.29mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 23 x 23 x 13 inches ; 11.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 17 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000066R6Z
• Item model number: HRDVS3U
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,913 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

JVC's HR-DVS3U blends MiniDV recording and playback abilities with high-quality S-VHS and standard VHS recording and playback, providing the utmost in flexibility, convenience, and economy. The HR-DVS3U can be used to enjoy MiniDV camcorder cassettes, to perform MiniDV to S-VHS/VHS dubbing, and to perform digital archiving (S-VHS/VHS to MiniDV). You can also use it as a computer peripheral for nonlinear editing.

JVC's DigiPure Technology (with 2 MB frame memory) is a suite of features including Super VHS ET recording with a TBC (Time Base Corrector) that digitally removes jitter from fluctuating video signals to deliver a stable picture, even on old tapes. TBC eliminates color distortion caused by jitter in the color signal, too. You also get PCM digital audio (with MiniDV recording) and hi-fi VHS stereo.

The HR-DVS3U offers front- and rear-panel S-video inputs and two rear-panel S-video outputs. The unit provides 500 lines of horizontal resolution with the DV format and over 400 lines of horizontal resolution with Super VHS. In addition, the system provides easy editing, one-touch dubbing, VCR Plus with cable box control, express programming, and a 1-year/6-event programmable timer. Other cool features include audio dubbing, auto index and index search, and a one-year/12-event timer (six events each for MiniDV and S-VHS/VHS).

Product Description

Designed to be a video solution rather than just a player, this dual deck VCR offers a multitude of recording and editing abilities made possible by leading edge technology and incredible compatibility. Of course it is an impressive player as well.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars JVC tech admits product is not compatible with sony or canon, October 17, 2003

By 

Judd Rackham "spicerack" (Folsom, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: JVC HRDVS3U Mini-DV/S-VHS Combo, Silver (Electronics)

They will however, blame it on sony and canon and insist they are right. I was told to go buy JVC camcorders to make it work right. I use a TRV 900 and a Canon XL1s , my tapes play fine out of cameras but i cant use JVC deck to do anything mini dv because it introduces glitches and dropped frames into video.
They know this is a problem and dont have any solutions for it. When I call they come up with ways to tell me Im using the product wrong. They have had my deck and sample tapes I provided them for over a month and havent decided what to do.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wouldn't buy it again, July 6, 2004

By 

"max16947" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: JVC HRDVS3U Mini-DV/S-VHS Combo, Silver (Electronics)

I would never buy this product again, and would never recommend it to anyone who desires a "professional" look from his or her work or who has a semi-professional workflow.

* Importing video from the HR-DVS3U into Final Cut Pro produces video that is full of audio and video (especially video) artifacts that are definitely not present in the source tape.

* The MiniDV deck will not take input from Final Cut Pro; i.e. there is no "printing to video," or even playback to video. After spending nearly $1000 on this deck, I still have to put my edited video on tape using the Canon XL-1 as my recording deck.

* The deck does not serve as an analog-to-digital mediator between an external source, or even its SVHS deck, and Final Cut Pro. In order to capture video from an analog source, you have to 1) record it to SVHS, 2) dub the SVHS to MiniDV, and 3) capture from MiniDV using the FireWire out to your computer. This is a process, that, with most MiniDV decks, you can complete with only one step (step 3) because the FireWire output has a switch that allows you to deliver to the computer informatioin that it converts from an auxiliary input device. I understand that this product is far less expensive than most other DVD decks, but it is obviously capable of analog-to-digital conversion because it is possible to go directly from SVHS to MiniDV. How much of a stretch would it be to allow conversion from an auxiliary source, or to allow real-time data streaming from the analog-to-digital device through the FireWire to the computer, rather than to necessitate real-time duplication to MiniDV as a precursor? If I am wrong about how much this upgrade would cost, I'd say it's worth the extra expense to pay an extra $1000-$1500 to save yourself the headaches, if that is possible.

* Two months after receiving this deck, I tried for the first time to dub from MiniDV to SVHS. The MiniDV would begin to play, and immediately stop and display a blue screen instructing me to use a cleaner cassette. I had used the deck less than six times prior to this.

* The controls, the remote, and the display are hopelessly chintsy.

It hurts to think that, for many of us, this deck is the only affordable option. I plan to send my deck back now that I have read the above reviews and realize that I have a good case to make. I've remained anonymous on this post 'cause you never know who reads.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Do not buy this deck, July 6, 2004

By 

Pater Multimedias (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: JVC HRDVS3U Mini-DV/S-VHS Combo, Silver (Electronics)

I would never buy this product again, and would never recommend it to anyone who desires a "professional" look from his or her work or who has a semi-professional workflow.

* Importing video from the HR-DVS3U into Final Cut Pro produces video that is full of audio and video (especially video) artifacts that are definitely not present in the source tape.

* The MiniDV deck will not take input from Final Cut Pro; i.e. there is no "printing to video," or even playback to video. After spending nearly $1000 on this deck, I still have to put my edited video on tape using the Canon XL-1 as my recording deck.

* The deck does not serve as an analog-to-digital mediator between an external source, or even its SVHS deck, and Final Cut Pro. In order to capture video from an analog source, you have to 1) record it to SVHS, 2) dub the SVHS to MiniDV, and 3) capture from MiniDV using the FireWire out to your computer. This is a process, that, with most MiniDV decks, you can complete with only one step (step 3) because the FireWire output has a switch that allows you to deliver to the computer informatioin that it converts from an auxiliary input device. I understand that this product is far less expensive than most other DVD decks, but it is obviously capable of analog-to-digital conversion because it is possible to go directly from SVHS to MiniDV. How much of a stretch would it be to allow conversion from an auxiliary source, or to allow real-time data streaming from the analog-to-digital device through the FireWire to the computer, rather than to necessitate real-time duplication to MiniDV as a precursor? If I am wrong about how much this upgrade would cost, I'd say it's worth the extra expense to pay an extra $1000-$1500 to save yourself the headaches, if that is possible.

* Two months after receiving this deck, I tried for the first time to dub from MiniDV to SVHS. The MiniDV would begin to play, and immediately stop and display a blue screen instructing me to use a cleaner cassette. I had used the deck less than six times prior to this.

* The controls, the remote, and the display are hopelessly chintsy.

It hurts to think that, for many of us, this deck is the only affordable option. I plan to send my deck back now that I have read the above reviews and realize that I have a good case to make. I've remained anonymous on this post 'cause you never know who reads.