I picked up a mitsubish hs-u780 at the locak gw for 7.99 and i dont have any svhs tapes. I have heard that you can record wth a svhs deck onto norml vhs tapes but the qualit will degrade after a few months. So how would you make it record on normal tapes.

You have to drill a hole inth the cassette if I remember right; there must be a site online with the details. Some later Super VHS VCRs just let you hit a switch or something to use regular tapes in S-VHS mode. In any case, if you do try this, use the best quality tapes you have or can find ("super high grade"/"archive quality" or similar, not the basic $1 each ones).

I used to melt a hole in the cassette with a pointed soldering tip so no plastic drill shaving could get inside.

Does the Mitsubishi load tapes and play OK?

YEs it load and plays tapes that were recorded on macheens far out of adjustment and plays every other tape beuatifully It does record with reculat tapes but not in svhs mode. That is a good idea to use a slodering iorn to melt a hole in the case.

You have to drill a hole inth the cassette if I remember right; there must be a site online with the details. Some later Super VHS VCRs just let you hit a switch or something to use regular tapes in S-VHS mode. In any case, if you do try this, use the best quality tapes you have or can find ("super high grade"/"archive quality" or similar, not the basic $1 each ones).

S-VHS-ET decks are what you are thinking of. I have a few ET decks and find them to produce a much better picture when, time shifting, than regular VHS units.

Here's where you make the hole. If you use the melt method just check afterward for plastic that may have risen up above the bottom, make sure it's smooth.

http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=173664&stc=1&d=1331909735

Here's the good stuff in case you want to see just how good S-VHS can be.

http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-ST-120-S-VHS-Videocassette-1-Pack/dp/B00001XE0S/

Or even better...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SVHS-Blank-Fuji-Video-Tapes-H471ST-120-Prof-S-VHS-6-Hour-10-Lot-V1-SV120F1-/330695887995?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3D UA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D230643786849%26ps%3D63%26clk id%3D7043770763195177806

What output would be best as far as pictur quality is concerned? svideo?

To your TV? S-video should yield best results. That bypasses having to separate the composite video into luminance and chroma in the TV. Luminance and chroma stay separate signals.

thanks fir all of the help ed now all I have to do is find a remote.

Look for one on e-bay. Might still be available new from Mitsubishi. You need it to get into some functions, and some of those not likely duplicated on a universal remote. May even need it to to change recording speeds if I remember right.

I need it to do it for anything but play pause and record that's all I can do without a remote...

They really did a job de-buttoning that line of VCRs. I have an HS-U790 which gives you adjustable audio level controls, but I still have to use the remote to go into the menu and select Record Mode then select SP or EP to set the speed. I think yours is the same generation machine, maybe one notch lower on the features.

double post

mine dodsent even have volume controls on the front... why cant people just tape the remotes to the stuff that they donate is that to much to ask?

Another place to look for remotes is your local charity shop. Some of the ones around here get donated a machine with remote. The machine is then tossed, either due to not functioning or the policy of the store not to sell electrical items. The remote then gets put in a basket on the shelf, usually with a price tag less than $2. Got a few this way.
Cheers
Tony

Here's what you're looking for. A picture of mine. Says right on it what models goes with. Some other Mitsubishi remotes of that and prior generations will work some of the functions.

http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=173680&stc=1&d=1332032104

There are several on e-bay now - no affiliation.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MITSUBISHI-VCR-REMOTE-CONTROL-939P591C4-HS-U790-HS-U780-HS-U580-939P591040-OEM-/290676545442?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43adac17a2

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Mitsubishi-VCR-Plus-Remote-HS-U790-U780-U580-/400226005984?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2f5433e0

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mitsubishi-HS-U790-U780-U5-80-VCR-Remote-OEM-Tested-/150773161652?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231ac7deb4

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MITSUBISHI-HS-U790-U780-U580-REMOTE-HSU580-HSU780-HSU790-/160754448097?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item256db636e1

thanks imgonna see if i can get one of those off of ebay...

Yep seems to be a few around. Or like Tony75 mentioned, you might go by that Good Will store where you got it, and ask if they have any extra remotes, maybe you'll get lucky.

I got a $2 S-VHS deck a few months ago. I have exactly one S-VHS tape with a recording of something I provided A/V services on about 9 years ago. The remote was taped to the top of it, so I bought it.

The machine is barely used, and so cheap inside. JVC made it.

I just picked up a JVC S3800 S-VHS. The sticker on top claims the it will record on S-VHS mode by using EHG VHS tapes.

I just picked up a JVC S3800 S-VHS. The sticker on top claims the it will record on S-VHS mode by using EHG VHS tapes.
That would be the S-VHS-ET mode JVC came up with to offset the cost and lesser availablilty of true S-VHS tapes. S-VHS-ET is somewhat de-tuned by pulling back the full video peaking of S-VHS and probably some other technical aspects I don't remember, and retaining the higher carrier frequency of the FM luminance video signal that gets recorded on the tape.

mine dodsent even have volume controls on the front... why cant people just tape the remotes to the stuff that they donate is that to much to ask?

It's a big pet peeve of mine how most people seem to lose the remotes to every piece of electronic equipment they have. When I look at the listings for TV's and DVD players on Craig's List, I'd estimate that at least 75% of them have lost the remotes. Of course, the seller sluffs it off, saying you can easily use the cable company's or a universal remote, but a lot of manufacturers had dedicated functions on their remotes that are not supported by a universal remote.

Even when people do tape the remotes to things they donate to thrifts they don't always stay on......Case in point I bought a Laserdisc player at a thrift. The thing was mint and even had a sales or inventory tag from it's dealer taped on the side, and it also had remnants of tape where the remote had been taped on.....Several days later I returned and they had put out the remote, and were nice enough not to charge me for it when I found it.