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If you own a
High Definition Television (HDTV) and receive high definition
broadcasts, don’t you wish you could record these high
definition shows? Time shift them until a time that’s
convenient for you?
 Well, now you can. You can also have
pre-recorded movies in high definition. Believe it or
not, a video cassette tape format based on the old analog VHS
format can record and playback HDTV today. Just when you
thought the old video cassette recorders (VCRs) have died for
good, it makes a come back re-incarnated in digital and
in high definition. The high definition-capable
format is called Digital VHS or D-VHS. It is capable of
recording up to four (4) hours of HDTV programming at either
1080i or 720p resolution.
While typical HDTV broadcasts use data rates
of about 25 Mbps, D-VHS can record up to 28.2 Mbps.
That’s more than sufficient to ensure every bit of detail is
recorded. All Digital Television (DTV) formats can be
recorded with its original Dolby
Digital audio track, for up to 5.1-channel of surround
sound. D-VHS encodes Dolby Digital at a data rate of 576
Kbps versus DVD’s 384 Kbps and 448 Kbps data rates. This
can mean higher fidelity sound, since less compression is used
for the D-VHS Dolby Digital soundtrack.
JVC, the inventor of the VHS format,
re-invented the VCR for high definition with technical inputs
from Hitachi, Matsushita (parent company of Panasonic and
Technics), and Philips. Sony also contributed to this
format by way of the i.LINK (IEEE 1394) interface.
Sony’s contribution essentially seals up any possibility of a
format war. Those of you who are old enough to remember
the Betamax vs. VHS home video format war in the early 1980s
will know what I am talking about. In fact, there are
some 13 major VCR manufacturers who have shown support for
this format.
 As with VHS,
Digital VHS offers a number of recording speeds depending on
the resolution of program material you are trying to
record. For High Definition, you would use High Speed
(HS) recording to capture up to 28.2 Mbps. The nice
thing about D-VHS is that it can hold up to 50 GB or four
hours of high definition programming. Though the 4-hour
D-VHS tape is not available yet, right now a blank 3.5-hour
D-VHS tape (DF-420 video tape) is available and runs about
$25. For Enhanced Definition (ED) programming, you can
use the STD speed which captures 14.1 Mbps for a total of 7
hours of record time. There are four different Low Speed
(LS) modes. At its slowest speed, LS7, you can get 49
hours of analog VHS-quality recording on a DF-420 tape!
See the table below for the various recording modes (speeds)
and their associated data rate, record time, and equivalent
picture quality.
Digital-VHS recording modes,
data rates, and record times
based on a 3.5-hour DF-420
D-VHS tape.
Recording
Mode |
Data
Rate
[Mbps] |
Record
Time
[hours] |
Picture
Quality |
| HS |
28.2 |
3.5 |
High
Definition (HD)
(720p or 1080i) |
| STD |
14.1 |
7 |
Enhanced
Definition (ED)
|
| LS |
LS2 |
7.0 |
14 |
DVD-Video quality (480i),
Standard Definition
(SD) |
|
LS3 |
4.7 |
21 |
equivalent to S-VHS
quality
(400i) |
|
LS5 |
2.8 |
35 |
|
|
LS7 |
2.0 |
49 |
equivalent to VHS
quality
(240i) |
D-VHS VCRs can also record and playback
the analog VHS and S-VHS video tapes. For DTV sources,
you will need to use a D-VHS tape and record in one of the
D-VHS modes shown in the table above. You cannot use a
VHS or S-VHS video tape to record in D-VHS mode. These
days, you can buy a D-VHS VCR for under $600. When they
first came out in Spring 2002, they were about $1,500.
D-Theater:
Pre-Recorded High Definition Movies
 Some pre-recorded high
definition movies are available today on this tape-based
format. JVC in partnership with four studios,
Artisan, DreamWorks, Fox, and
Universal, has developed a copyright protection scheme
for the D-VHS format, called D-Theater. D-Theater
prevents copying and pirating of the movie studio’s precious
high definition digital video transfer.
So far, the number of D-Theater movie releases
has been small. Most are re-releases of movies that were
already released to DVD-Video.
Typical D-Theater movies cost about $30 - $45
and can be found at Best Buy, Circuit City, and
Sears retail stores. Online, D-Theater video
tapes can be purchased from DVHSMovieGuide.com
and Crutchfield.com.
D-VHS VCRs
Right now, there are only two D-VHS VCRs that
feature the D-Theater copy protection. The first of its
kind is the JVC HM-DH30000, originally introduced in
the Spring of 2002. It originally sold for $1,500, but
now goes for under $600.
It can play and record in the S-VHS and VHS tape formats as
well. Marantz just introduced its Marantz MV8300
D-VHS VCR with D-Theater early in 2003 for $1,600, with
similar features to the JVC model.
In fact, it is based
on JVC chassis, with some Marantz-unique electronics.
Mitsubishi offers two D-VHS
VCRs without the D-Theater feature, the Mitsubishi
HS-HD1100U and Mitsubishi
HS-HD2000U. Mitsubishi
currently has no plans to license JVC's D-Theater system.
JVC HM-DH30000 D-VHS VCR with D-Theater
Mitsubishi HS-HD2000U D-VHS VCR (with no
D-Theater)
D-VHS VCRs do not
currently include a DTV receiver. To record Digital
TV programming, these VCRs require a bi-directional i.LINK
(IEEE 1394 “Firewire”) connection to a set-top DTV receiver or
an integrated DTV (with a built in DTV receiver) to get the
DTV signal. The problem is only a few set-top DTV
receivers or integrated DTVs come with the needed
bi-directional i.LINK connection. We do know that
Mitsubishi's Platinum, Platinum Plus, and Diamond series of
integrated HDTVs do come with the needed bi-directional i.LINK
connection. Most DTV receivers or integrated DTVs have
i.LINK connections as inputs only and cannot pass out the DTV
signal. For D-VHS VCRs to be a practical device, it
needs have a built-in DTV receiver. This seems to be
a major oversight by D-VHS VCR manufacturers. This may
be a cost issue, since standalone DTV receivers
currently cost between $400 and $800. Eventually DTV
tuners will become far more affordable, and D-VHS VCRs will
then integrate this essential functionality.
Market
Acceptance
Will the D-VHS format, together with D-Theater
pre-recorded high definition movies, gain wide market
acceptance or will it always be a niche product popular with
early adopters and HDTV fanatics? Should you consider
adopting this format?
Because of the linear tape format, D-VHS lacks
the random and direct access that many of us have quickly
gotten accustomed to with the DVD-Video format. After
each viewing, you have to rewind the D-VHS tape. If not,
you have to rewind it the next time you view it.
Remember that hassle and the wait? D-VHS also lacks
DVD-Video’s multi-audio tracks (for multiple languages and
audio commentaries), multi-angle capability, and
multi-subtitles. Ultimately, the D-VHS tape format is a
few steps backwards from the DVD-Video optical disc format in
terms of convenience and interactivity.
From a collectible format perspective, D-VHS
suffers the same problems of the VHS tape format. The
magnetic particles degrade over time and the tape wears and
stretches with repeated use, limiting its useful shelf life to
about 5 to 10 years. Movie collectors do not want to replace
their expensive movie collection! In comparison, optical
disc formats like DVD-Video should last 30 years or
more. D-VHS is also sensitive to strong magnetic fields,
which can partially or completely demagnetize the tape.
Another factor in market acceptance is the
growth and popularity of HDTVs and availability of HDTV
programming. If the availability of HDTV programming
continues its slow growth, that is likely to pace the adoption
rate for D-VHS as well. If there is not much HDTV
programming, why would consumers need an HDTV recorder?
And this assumes that you can connect to a DTV receiver or
integrated DTV with DTV
output via i.LINK.
Another threat to the wide market acceptance
of D-VHS is competition from the forthcoming High Definition
DVD (HD DVD) optical disc format and hard drive-based personal
video recorders (PVRs) like TiVo and ReplayTV. Someday
HD DVD will offer everything DVD-Video has to offer, and will
add high definition picture and recordability. This
would put HD DVD heads and shoulders above the D-VHS
format. In late 2003 or early 2004, it is expected that
PVRs will offer the capability to record DTV and perhaps even
HDTV, as hard disk drive capacities go up and prices come
further down.
As far as the D-Theater movie releases,
Artisan, DreamWorks, Fox, and Universal, will continue
to release a small but steady stream of D-Theater titles aimed
at HDTV and serious home theater enthusiasts. But the everyday consumers will continue to embrace the
DVD-Video format, at least until the HD DVD format goes
mainstream. At least one studio has admitted that the
D-Theater format for high definition movies is expected to be
a niche product. Though we suppose that as long as the
high definition video transfer and D-Theater tape replication
costs are covered, the studios probably don’t mind selling
more versions of the same movie.
Assessment: D-VHS and
D-Theater will remain a niche format catering to serious HDTV
enthusiasts and videophiles for the time being. In about
five years' time, D-VHS may go the way of the
LaserDisc. It is likely to be supplanted by the
forthcoming HD DVD format, assuming the manufacturers can get
their act together and agree on a single HD DVD format.
It takes three or four
years before a real assessment can be made. How long
will the D-VHS format and the D-Theater high definition movie
releases continue, will directly depend on the introduction and
success of the HD DVD format. Until then, for those who
are HDTV-capable, it’s all about options.
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