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This Beta is one of only five USA models from Sony that featured S-video inputs and outputs. The reason for these additional sockets is that these are very high-end units that provide the very best picture performance that Betamax can provide. Why is S-video so special and reserved for only the finest of Betas? Here is the lowdown. To store information on magnetic media like video tape the electrical impulses must be converted to something that can excite microscopic iron particles (or another suitable alloy) and cause them to hold a negative or positive polarity position. In the process of converting the video signal (the USA NTSC composite standard) to analog energy that the tape can accept the incoming information (active) has to be changed. Converted into something that can be relayed by the video heads in the form of magnetic pluses or minuses. To playback a recording (passive) the conversion process is reversed. Here are three ways video can be inputted into the VCR for processing. One is using the RF In (or tuner), second is the composite video (RCA connector usually in the back using a yellow shielded cable) and third is S-video (also usually in the back requiring a cable having a 4-pin DIN plug). Audio is not going to be covered in detail here since we are mainly concerned with the picture quality. The least desirable way is to handle in the video signal using the tuner. This would come in on a coaxial VHF or UHF channel or TV cable. To record this signal the VCR has to internally change the selected TV channel RF into a composite signal. Next it must divide that signal into two electrical elements. These are the luminance designed as the Y element (which is the basic black and white signal responsible for brightness and detail) and the chrominance designated as the C element (which is the color information added to the luminance). These are two separate types of signals combined and they must be handled separately when recorded. If the video is in black and white only, the VCR will make a decision to turn off the C circuit and only record or play the Y. If it is in color the VCR must deal with it also. When the tuner is involved there is the possibility that line noise from a weak input could cause issues, or the electronics could be a little off, or some outside source, like static from electric motors or cars, could find its way into the recording. It is very dependent on the quality of the RF source and it is very sensitive. Because of these shortcomings most recorders have composite video inputs and outputs. Using these connectors eliminates the tuner and results is a more direct and therefore cleaner recording. Now it only has to separate the Y and C signals, no messing with the tuner or TV reception. With S-video the connections are even more direct. The S-video cable has two separate lines for video, one each for the Y and the C. The VCR doesn't have to separate or divide the two (like with composite video). This involves even less processing and less electronics. The result is a more direct connection for an even better and cleaner transfer of signals. This is what makes S-video desirable over composite and way better than using the tuner. When it come to outputting the signal the same benefit is gained only it in reverse. Through all this audio is handled separately having its own individual connectors even when using composite or S-video (or the composite RCA cable). Does S-video offer any improvement when the video is in black and white? Yes, it does. Because the separate Y signal is more direct and therefore also cleaner with less electronics involved. S-Video is a win-win situation when it comes to picture quality and clarity.

The Extended Definition Betas are unique. Not only do they record and play standard Beta and SuperBeta with operational elegance; they also exhibit superior picture performance. But using them for just these two formats is like pulling a sports car with a team of horses. Pretty, but not very exciting. What makes ED Beta really shine is it operates within a wider, extended luminance (brightness) range of 1.9 to 9.3 MHz, higher than SuperBeta, which is 1.9 to 5.6 MHz. The frequency allocation for SuperBeta sharpness is 4.4 MHz to 6.0 MHz, or an allocation of 1.6 MHz, the most any good grade of tape can handle. For ED Beta. it is between 6.8 MH to 9.3 MHz, or 2.5 MHz. This higher frequency allocation requires a metal tape that can absorb and retain this much signal. Specifically a dense, metal formula tape. For more on this operation, click here. So the higher the luminance frequency, the sharper the picture can be. The best that SuperBeta can do using the SL-HF2100 with ultra-high grade tape and S-video is 340 lines. The analog NTSC broadcast resolution is 525 (of which you actually see 500). So if you do the math, ED Beta is up over 680 lines, more than you need for a conventional television broadcast. But wait, there's more. Sony only bragged that the format could record well over 500 lines. At 9.3 MHz ED Beta should do well over 800 lines, and it does. Only thing is getting this high frequency signal into the machine. To do that, you need an ED Beta camera like the EDC-55 that produces the same luminance frequency or a device that can send an HDMI broadcast down the line at the higher modulation. This can be done, and there are just such converters out there to do it. (By the way, high-definition digital broadcasting is considered to be 720 lines or above.) So where do you get these conversion devices and the metal formula tape ED Beta requires? The internet is the answer, of course. There are so many converters to choose from I am not able to make a recommendation, but I can help you with the tape. You can use any good-quality evaporated metal based tape in an ED Beta machine and make superior recordings. These are BetacamSP, DigitalBetacam, BetacamSX, and others. As long as they are dense enough with small enough particles to do the job. For more on this click on the versatile cassette notice below or click here. Regular Betacam cassettes use the same tape as standard Beta and will only go up to SuperBeta in picture quality. Let me know if you come up with a reasonable way to take advantage of ED Betas superior resolution properties. And there is that 16x9 wide-screen issue for HDMI versus the 4x3 standard for analog that needs to be dealt with.