VCRs and Hard Drives Buyer's Guide

VCRs for Editing

Though they may not seem too similar on the outside, editing VCRs and hard drives perform the same basic function in the video editing world: they store video and audio information, and assist in manipulating and editing that information.

That's why we've decided to include both editing VCRs and hard drives in this month's buyer's guide. Each represents one of the two major methods of editing video (linear and nonlinear). With the information included in this guide, you'll be able to make your storage purchasing decisions with confidence.

Editing VCRs
If you've ever experimented with camcorder-to-home-VCR editing, then you've discovered that there's got to be a better way to edit. Home VCRs have little or no means of controlling audio, no way to ensure editing accuracy and no simple way to precisely locate desired scenes. The simplest solution: go out and buy yourself an editing VCR.

What's the difference between an ordinary VCR and an editing VCR? For the purposes of this article, we'll define "editing VCRs" as any decks that have at least a flying erase head and a jog/shuttle controller.

The Basics ($300-$600)
In this price range, you're primarily dealing with VHS and 8mm VCRs. (Good news: a couple of S-VHS editing VCRs managed to make their way into this price category in the past year).

First of all, you want to make sure that the model you purchase has a flying erase head. The flying erase head allows for glitch-free edits between frames on your tape.

There are a number of other features that, although not exactly essential, make editing easier and more comfortable. Most of the models in this range come with real time counters that count in seconds. These are useful but they lack the precision of time code. At this price level, there's a margin of error of about a half second (15 frames) to a full second (30 frames) that you'll have to live with.

The jog wheel and shuttle ring are features that many decks have. The jog/shuttle is a round dial that allows you to run the tape at different speeds for fast-forward or rewind and for moving the tape frame by frame. Audio/video insert--the ability to easily replace audio and/or video over existing scenes without creating a break in the tape's control track--is a very useful editing feature found on several VHS and S-VHS VCRs in this price range. (The 8mm format offers no decks with audio/video insert in this price range.) If you want to make a music video, for example, you'd typically record the song on one of the audio tracks and a black video signal, then go back and add (video insert) the visuals to go along with it.

Edit control protocols are available at this level, but only in the form of Control-L on some 8mm models and a version of synchro-edit on VHS models. Synchro-edit is useful for releasing the pause buttons on two VCRs at the exact same time, but it usually requires that both VCRs be manufactured by the same company.

One of the aforementioned low-cost S-VHS editing VCRs is JVC's HR-S4500U ($500), with jog/shuttle, audio/video insert and real-time counter. Hitachi's VT-UX717A ($549) is a popular low-budget VHS editing deck with a jog/shuttle, flying erase head, audio/video insert and real-time counter. On the 8mm front, Sony's EV-C25 ($549) offers Control-L for connection to edit controllers, a flying erase head and hi-fi stereo audio.

Moving Up ($700-$1,200)
As you look at mid-range editing VCRs, you may notice that only one or two features are different from those that we just discussed. But for some video editors, those one or two features are worth every penny.

Along with most of the features of the previous section, you may also find things like audio meters that allow you to monitor audio levels. It's nice to be able to match sound from different audio sources if you don't have a mixer.

Pre-roll comes on a number of the decks in this category, and it makes a difference. With pre-roll, the deck backs up a predetermined distance (usually five or 10 seconds) from your edit point and rolls the tape before the edit starts. By the time it reaches the edit point, the tape will be running smoothly and the edit will look cleaner.

In this price range, you're looking primarily at S-VHS and Hi8. Both of these formats have greater screen resolution and resist generation loss, which is the gradual degradation of picture quality on copies of the tape. The use of S-video signals also affects your edited tape quality. Typical VHS decks have video-in jacks that combine the luminance and chrominance signals together into a composite signal. This can create video noise when you make copies, which means poorer video quality. S-video, on the other hand, separates the luminance and chrominance signals and sends them along separate wires, so you have a cleaner picture.

At this level, check out the Sony Hi8 EV-C200 ($849), which has Control-L, frame advance and hi-fi stereo audio. On the S-VHS front, check out JVC's HR-S9400U ($1,200), which features a jog/shuttle controller, JLIP editing protocol, audio/video insert and TimeScan variable-speed playback.

At the Top (Over $1,200)
The price of models in this category may discourage some video hobbyists. But it is the special nature of these decks that separate the editing tools from the toys. They come with most of the features we already explored, except perhaps the tuner. Made for professionals and usually in the Hi8, S-VHS or DV format, they are ruggedly designed to edit 1000s of hours of high-quality video.

Most of these decks can read and write time code, which is essential for editing accuracy. Some of these decks have a built-in time base corrector for cleaning up the timing signals when making copies. Some even come with a built-in edit controller, which allows you to control both the player and recorder when editing. Also, look for insert/assemble editing modes, audio level meters, individual audio level controls for each stereo channel and fancy edit control protocols.

Panasonic's AG-1980 ($1,799) is a popular S-VHS editing VCR with jog/shuttle control, microphone input, Panasonic 5-pin editing protocol and a built-in time base corrector. Those looking for a Hi8 editing VCR in this price range should check out Sony's EVS-5000 ($1,899), which includes RC Time Code, jog/shuttle and front-panel A/V inputs.

On the DV front, Panasonic's AG-DV2000P ($2,995) has a built-in edit controller, DV time code, i.Link IEEE 1394 digital I/O and audio/video insert capabilities.

A/V drives for Desktop Video

If you're looking to produce high-quality desktop video on your computer, then you need to seriously consider one of the most important aspects of digital video post-production: hard drives. Typical hard drives--like those found in average home computers--are often not fast enough or large enough for the rigors of video production. For this reason, we'll focus our discussion (and our buyer's guide) on those hard drives that are at least 4GB in size and are capable of at least a 3MB per second data transfer rate. For video editing, we recommend drives with at least a 7200 RPM rotational speed.

There are three basic hard drive features that will affect your pocketbook as much as your performance: capacity, throughput and access time. One of the biggest constraints of digital video post production is disk storage space. Digital video consumes an enormous amount of storage space, so get the biggest drive you can. Ten minutes of Hi8-quality video requires about a gigabyte of hard drive space.

Throughput is the speed that the hard drive can read and write information. It is measured by the data transfer rate (DTR). When you're capturing video, for example, to cut down on dropped frames and other problems, you're looking to get the fastest uninterrupted flow of data you can. For professional quality, you need a sustained throughput of at least 3MB per second. Manufacturers typically gauge their minimum and maximum data transfer rates by testing them under ideal conditions on high-powered systems. It's a safe bet that the data transfer rate you experience will be considerably less than what the manufacturer lists. To be on the safe side, reduce the listed data transfer rate by 75%, then choose accordingly. (Note: specifications for SCSI drives tend to be much more reliable than those given for ATA drives. Also, some manufacturers are more honest in their reports of hard drive speed than others.)

Access time is the speed your hard drive can locate the specific cylinder it needs to read or write data. This affects the amount of time it takes to render transitions and other effects, as well as the amount of time it takes to start digitizing a clip.

Although price does indeed affect which hard drive is right for you, it's important to keep these prices in perspective. Just a few years ago for considerably more money, you got considerably less speed, size and reliability. Also, street prices vary widely, so be sure to shop around before you make your final purchase decision.

Under $500: The ATA Realm
ATA drives (also referred to as IDE drives) have recently improved dramatically in size and speed. Not too long ago, it was safe to say that ATA drives did not have sufficient speed for video editing. This is no longer the case; as the buyer's guide grid shows, there are now many A/V-capable ATA hard drives available.

For example, there's IBM's 14.4GB Deskstar 14GXP ($350), which boasts a 9.5ms access time, 7200 RPM platter speed and 13MB/second data transfer rate. Also, Fujitsu's 6.5GB MPC3065AH ($222) fits the bill with a 9ms access time, 7200 RPM platter speed and 12.6MB/second data transfer rate.

$500-$1,000: SCSI Drives
SCSI technology has also improved in recent years. Drives with 10,000 RPM rotational speed have become commonplace, and reliable data transfer rates have gone through the roof.

SCSI drives are more expensive than ATA drives, but they do have certain advantages. Unlike ATA, SCSI technology does not rely heavily on the computer's CPU to perform data transfers. This means that the data transfer rates given by the manufacturers are more likely to resemble the speed you'll actually achieve on your home computer. Also, SCSI allows true multi-tasking, which means that you can use multiple SCSI devices at the same time without greatly hindering performance. SCSI drives are also much easier to install and configure than ATA drives. They have the drawback, however, of requiring the installation of an appropriate SCSI controller card.

Seagate's Cheetah 9LP ($634) is a popular 9.1GB drive in this category, with a 10,000 RPM platter speed, 5.2ms access time and 14.5MB/second data transfer rate. Also worth a look is IBM's Ultrastar 9LZX ($750), a 9.1GB drive with 10,020 RPM platter speed, 5.3ms access time and 17.5MB/second data transfer rate.

Really Big Drives: $1,000 and Up
For those who want a gigantic storage device that can handle hours of audio and video, recent market trends have produced 18GB, 36GB and even 50GB behemoths to satisfy your need for hard drive space. Also in this category are RAIDs, which are essentially multiple hard drives arranged in parallel configuration to maximize both storage space and data transfer speed.

Currently at the top of the size list for single drives is Seagate's Barracuda 50 ($2,275), a SCSI drive with 50.1GB of storage, 7200 RPM platter speed, 7.4ms access time and 12.9MB/second data transfer rate. Though smaller, Seagate's 36GB Cheetah 36 ($2,100) offers a faster 10,000 RPM platter speed, 5.7ms access time and 18.3MB/second data transfer rate.

Medea's VideoRaid line of RAID storage devices were specifically designed for use in nonlinear video applications. Ranging from the 6.4GB VideoRaid DV30 ($899) to the 67GB VideoRaid 4/67pci ($3,549), these products offer data transfer rates from 8MB/second (VideoRaid DV30) to a sizzling 30MB/second (VideoRaid 4/67).

Do Your Homework
Admittedly, there is a lot that the prospective purchaser of video storage devices must know in order to make an informed purchase. Whether you're buying a VCR or a hard drive for your video productions, it's best to arm yourself with all of the information you can before you go shopping.