1987-2000

S-VHS (Super VHS) is an improved version of the VHS standard designed for consumer-level video recording.

The format was introduced in Japan by the Victor Company of Japan (JVC) in April 1987. Other manufacturers also introduced their first S-VHS video recorders that same year. S-VHS, like VHS, uses a color undermodulation process.

The most important improvement is the increase in brightness (luminance) bandwidth, which improves image detail.

The luminance carrier frequency was increased from 3.4 MHz to 5.4 MHz, thus increasing the bandwidth. While VHS used modulation frequencies of 3.8 MHz (sync) to 4.8 MHz (white peak), S-VHS uses 5.4 MHz (sync) and 7.4 MHz (white peak). This resulted in approximately 60% better picture sharpness, with 420 horizontal lines compared to VHS's 240 lines.

In terms of audio recording, S-VHS retained the traditional linear (baseband) and Hi-Fi (AFM) audio tracks.

Some professional S-VHS recorders were also capable of recording PCM digital audio (stereo, 48 kHz) in addition to the video and analog audio tracks.

S-VHS video recorders and cassettes are almost identical in appearance and operation to VHS, and are backward compatible: S-VHS devices can also play VHS cassettes. Older VHS recorders, however, cannot play S-VHS recordings, but can record onto S-VHS cassettes in VHS quality. Some later VHS recorders supported the SQPB (Super Quasi Playback) function, which allowed S-VHS recordings to be played back, but only in VHS quality.

This was especially useful for viewing footage from S-VHS-C cameras that used full-size or compact cassettes.