From: rjn@FC.HP.COM (Bob Niland)
Subject: Re: S-VHS vs regular video output
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 02:52:25 GMT
Reply-To: rjn@FC.HP.COM
Organization: Hewlett-Packard/WSY Ft.Collins,CO,USA
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1scd1 PL4

> ng@mprgate.mpr.ca (Steve Ng) writes:

> I cannot see any difference in picture quality.  I am a bit disappointed
> since I spent $45 dollar on the S-VHS cable (a double shielded OFC cable).

You got the result predicted by archive LaserDisc article LD#92. 

> Did I do the right comparison?  or any types of output from a laser disc
> player give pretty much the same quality?  Can someone explain to me why I
> didn't get a better image quality from a S-VHS output?

You did the correct comparison.  Had you also tested the RF output (channel
3/4 emulation, if present), you would have found it to be worse.  Composite
video and Y/C (S-video) on LD are usually comparable because the storage
format of LD is composite.

Everyone is invited to ftp or request LD#92 for more details ...  before
they invest $20 or more in a Y/C cable (as I also did).
____________________________________________________________________________

LD#00: Index of Articles on Laser Video Disc (LD)                  25 Aug 92

I have the following available from my archives.  You may request any of
these at any time.  Recent copies are also available for anonymous ftp on:

princeton.edu (128.112.128.1, directory pub/Video/Niland) and
bobcat.bbn.com (128.89.2.103),
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (192.88.110.20).
nic.funet.fi (128.214.6.100, Finland, dir: /pub/culture/tv+film/laserdisc)

Sample ftp sessions are appended after the index.  I am not the admistrator
of these ftp sites.  "bobcat" is a 286/16.  If ftp performance is
unacceptable, try "princeton", "wsmr-simtel20" or send an email request.

              ___________________________________________________
                                     Note
              If you fail to include one or two known-valid email 
              addresses in your email request, I cannot guarantee
              you will receive anything.  Do not rely on the
              return path of your request being usable.
              ___________________________________________________

Timeliness:  This index and the listed articles are available on other
networks and BBS's on which I have no access.  If the date in the upper
right hand corner of this index is over 30 days old, you almost certainly
have an out of date copy of the index.  If your copy of the index is out of
date, one of more articles on your network/BBS are probably also out of
date, and completely new articles are probably absent altogether.  I always
send the latest version of any requested article(s).  Please ask for an
updated index when requesting an article.

All articles are flatfile ASCII (no HP ROMAN8 eurochars) and fit in 80
columns.  Caution:  some are over 65 Kbytes long and the complete set is
around 500 Kbytes.  If you have an antique or AppleLink mailer, please
advise and I will send <25K splits.  Feel free to request articles by number.

No. Topic                                                          Revision
--  ---------------------------------------------------            ---------
1.  Introduction to Laser Video Disc.  Contains info on            13 Jul 92
    LD that you won't  easily find anywhere else.

2.  Introduction to imported LDs.                                  17 Jul 92

3.  Introduction to surround sound.                                23 Aug 92

4.  LD media quality report.                                       30 Mar 91

5.  How to return a defective LD to Pioneer.                       18 Feb 92

6.  Introduction to Criterion Collection.                          22 Nov 91

7.  Current Voyager Press (Criterion Collection)                   Monthly
    catalog summary.

8.  LD loaning agreement.                                          30 Dec 90

9.  Identifying LD mint marks.                                     17 Aug 92

10. LD "Best Practices" suggestions for producers.                 13 Jul 92

11. <reserved for future article on aspect ratios>                 00 Abc 00

12. CAV still-frame: ramblings on 3-2 pull-down and white flags.   25 Nov 91

13. LD care and repair.                                            13 Jul 92

14. LD retail sources: national mail order and Colorado            13 Jul 92

15. A summary of articles on IDTV.                                 16 Mar 92

16. Looking back: CED                                              05 Mar 92

17. What is a "defect"?                                            06 Aug 92

18. Tips for LD retailers                                          01 Mar 92

Short subjects - These articles will disappear when they are incorporated
into planned larger articles.

91. LD Player purchase suggestions.                                07 Feb 92

92. Y/C ("S-video") connection on LD.                              22 Jan 92

93. LD-101 "A Video Standard" disc summary.                        16 Jan 92

94. How to buy a CD player (applies to LD audio).                  16 Jan 92

95. Laser Disc Newsletter overview.                                13 Jul 92

96. How is LD "analog"?                                            21 Jan 92

These articles are updated frequently and feedback is solicited.  They also
probably contain errors, as the author is not a video professional.  These
articles contain information that I want to know, and when I find it, I
write it down.  They exist because no one in the industry or in the trade
press has done the same.

Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland                                            3404 East Harmony Road
Internet: rjn@FC.HP.COM                               Ft Collins
CompuServe:  71044,2124                               CO          80525-9599
 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

$ ftp 128.112.128.1 
Connected to 128.112.128.1.
220-Princeton.EDU FTP server (Widener 3.55) ready.
220-Report any problems to ftp@Princeton.EDU.
220-If you are on an IBM mainframe and you are having trouble
220-logging into Princeton.EDU, we suggest you execute
220-    term chardel off
220 on your machine and then reestablish the ftp connection to Princeton.EDU.
Name (128.112.128.1:rjn): anonymous
Password (128.112.128.1:anonymous): yourname@yourhost.yourdomain
331 Guest login ok, send "user@host" as password.
230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
ftp> cd pub/Video/Niland
250 CWD command successful.

ftp> ls
200 PORT command successful.
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for file list.
ld_01
ld_02
ld_03
ld_04
ld_05
ld_06
ld_07
ld_08
ld_09
ld_10
ld_12
ld_13
ld_14
ld_15
ld_16
ld_17
ld_18
ld_91
ld_92
ld_93
ld_94
ld_95
ld_96
index
226 Transfer complete.
144 bytes received in 0.33 seconds (0.42 Kbytes/sec)

ftp> get ld_91 /tmp/ld_91
200 PORT command successful.
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for ld_91 (6972 bytes).
226 Transfer complete.
6972 bytes received in 9.21 seconds (0.74 Kbytes/sec)

ftp> quit
221 Ciao.
$ 

For wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (192.88.110.20):
log anonymous
any-password
cd pd2:<archives.videotech>  or cd pd2:[archives.videotech]
(ignore the request to send a password)
mget niland-ld*.txt
bye

Note: "index" is "niland-ld00.txt" on SIMTEL20.

EOF
Newsgroups: rec.video