Panasonic AG-456 SVHS Camcorder Epic Episode 

Hey CM! I think the extended format is working and we will continue in that direction. As always, thanks for watching.

Ahhhh yes. I forgot to slide the button cover back over the VTR buttons. Whoops! Thanks pointing that out. I appreciate the intel.

Hey Ricardo, I’m so glad you enjoy our channel. So much effort goes into making these episodes, yet we have a very small crew so we try to trim where we can in order save time. The editors notes item was one of those trims we made. That being said, maybe we’ll bring back “the editor’s notes” in a limited capacity. Thanks for watching!

Hey Sean, I will admit, I’m not very good with the whole social media aspect of promoting my channel. That being said we now have someone who on it which will hopefully help others find my channel. Thanks for watching!

Hey Chris, That’s my other hobby is video production. I totally get into the details. Lighting, props, etc. Thanks for watching.

Hey Garbagebandit, I would like to thank you for checking out our channel. We enjoy producing these videos just as much as you enjoy watching them. We have both a DSR300 and DSR500 standing by, along with dozens of other cameras, ready to go for future episodes. Stay tuned!

Hey Jawsek, So much effort goes into each and every DRVL episode, therefore I would like to thank you for your kind words. The positive feedback keeps us going. We have some really fun, but informative shows coming up whihc I know our retro tech friends will enjoy. Thanks again for watching.

Ha! Thanks Mason. Producing this episode was a heavy lift. I’m not totally sure we will have another musical number anytime soon. :)

Thank you! Thank you! We’re happy to be compared to the best of cable access!

@@davesretrovideolab2709 Keep at it! Instant subscribe.

I expected worse from the 456, but I was surprised when I saw the image. It wasn’t broadcast quality but it was nicer than I expected. What I didn’t like was the plasticky build quality.

"Best in the world"? Wow, that is quite a compliment. Again, thank you for watching, and we would appreciate it if you shared our videos with fellow retro tech friends.

Hey Giovanni, We’re delighted you enjoy our channel. We have just as much fun producing the content as you do watching it. The ‘456 is a very capable S-VHS platform. I was astonished to see the image quality when I first fired up mine. It’s better than I thought it was going to be. It’s a little on the plasticky side, but that means less weight, right?? Lol. I hope enjoy your ‘456. - Dave

Go have fun with the camera, right!?! That’s why we buy these old relics. To bring them back to life and create new memories or fun projects with them. :)

Thanks Marty. We’ll get there. Thanks for watching.

Hey ASAP Films, There are two approaches to making your short film: 1. Shoot it in HD or 4K and use one of several NLE plugins which can make your video look like old school cool VHS footage. I used this approach when filming the "BENGAY with camcorder shoulder relief formula" commercial spoof which you can find in my channel video lineup. It was shot in 4K and the video was given a VHS look. I even downgraded the audio to match the video. 2. The other option is to record you footage with an old school VHS camcorder (which you mentioned) and upconvert the SD video to HD for delivery to RU-vid, etc. This approach can be fun, but also fraught with many problems. For one thing, you will be using a camcorder which will be @ 30 years old so it might be mechanically temperamental when it comes to functionality so you may want to have a backup camcorder on standby. Also, these camcorders can sometimes get hungry and eat tapes. This happened to me during a 48 hour film contest so you may not want to record to tape but to an outboard video recorder (That's a whole other rabbit hole I don't have time to dive into just quite yet.). Lastly, if I had to choose a camera I would go with a Panasonic CCD camcorder from the nineties. They are reliable, plentiful and produce a good image. Most vintage consumer grade CCDs have very little dynamic range, if any, when it comes to exposure so be prepared to re-learn how to light your sets. These old school CCDs love lots of light and the shadowy areas almost fall into a black abyss. Prior to filming your movie, I would highly recommend grabbing your light meter and test your camcorder's overall range of exposure and write down how many foot-candles are required to properly expose an actor's face and how much light is needed to adequately bring out the details in the shadowy areas (dark areas) of your set. It doesn't mean you have to blast everything with light, but rather just how much is needed for good exposure. What I'm getting at is to know the limitations of your 90s camcorder and you can squeeze some really interesting imagery out of an old CCD. Speaking of exposure, try to get a camera which offers a manual iris along with auto iris. You would be surprised just how many cameras had only auto everything and that can sometimes work against you. That's just a primer. Good luck!

@@davesretrovideolab2709 thank you so much 😊

Hey Henry, I’m so glad you’re enjoying my videos. They’re definitely geared towards a niche audience who enjoys these old memory makers just as much as I do. :)

Old school music videos are totally awesome!

Yes, the ‘456 is quite the workhorse. I’m sorry to hear about the zoom. There are so many of these camcorders out there, maybe you might want to roll the dice and try to getting another 456 with a working zoom?

Hey bobbio, I’m glad you “loved” this episode. Thanks for watching!

Hey Boris, I believe the ‘456 has vitc timecode and the 455 doesn’t. There may be one other option the 456 has. I’ll check.

@@davesretrovideolab2709 another difference is that the AG456 has a manual zooming lever while the AG455 only offers power zoom

@@CycloneCordVHS thanks for the additional intel. :)

I’m traveling right now, but when I return I can supply a link. Here’s another way to get the battery info. Go online and search for the camcorder’s manual. In the manual there will most likely be the model number for the battery. Write down or copy the battery number then go to Amazon.com and search for the battery model number. A comparable battery will appear in your Amazon search results. The supplier for the replacement battery will indicate the name of the old battery model number it replaces. I hope this helps.

In the rear of the camera there are several AV terminals; RCA, S-Video etc, which should allow you to route audio and video out of the camera and bypass the power supply. Charging the battery is done via the power supply. There is a slot in the power supply which will accept the battery. New batteries are available on either eBay or Amazon.

Thanks CJ!

Yeah, you can definitely say Marie is “timeless”. She adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the show. :)

One CCD helps handle the video's luminance signal, while the other tackles the chrominance. By separating them, you get less noise in the video's colors. I think that's correct??

Thanks Scott!

Ha! Finally someone who appreciates the Razzle Dazzle dance number. Thank you.

Consider it done. I have a newly repaired JVC DV300 (Thanks Dr. Smart) which I can put up against the single chip camcorders.

I believe the 195 is standard VHS and the 456 is S-VHS.

OK, thanks

Hey Doug, I’m glad you liked the video. There are so many way to record the video into your computer. It all boils down to quality. For starters you can buy an Elgato USB capture device from Amazon. It’s @ $90 and it makes the process very easy. It’s not necessarily the highest quality approach to this process, but it’s a starting point.

Thank you! I have ordered the Elgato. I'll share my footage with ya whenever I get done with my first project.@@davesretrovideolab2709

I’m so glad you liked the episode. The 456 is a great camera. Congrats on your find!

Thank you!

Hey Kyle, I want to thank you for helping us out this weekend at VCFMW. What a weekend right!?!? So much packed into just 72 hours. You’re now a DRVL lab rat remote tech. Thanks again and we hope to see you next year at VCFMW. That’s if they will have us back next year. Lolol

Thanks!

In my estimation, the 456 is not built to be thrown around, but the image quality was surprisingly good.

@@davesretrovideolab2709 very true, is it hyper had?

Thanks Kenny!

Who thought you couldn’t mix Broadway music and retro video gear into a show. What the heck were we thinking!?!!

Hey Dom, I just said tempus fugit to motivate Marie and her glam squad to move just a little bit faster.

Thank you!

Surprisingly enough, Panasonic’s camcorders are the more reliable of the camcorders from that era.

Thanks for the tip. Seems like everyone knew about this, but me. :)

One of my favorite lines in the whole show. Maybe just after Marie says “tempus fugit ‘my ass.”

Basically all the models are the same. Even though they are plastic pigs, they still put out a good image and are mostly reliable.

It’s a collector thing. That was the eBay completed auction price value at the time when I recorded the episode. It’s like a buying a vintage car. Some vintage cars cost more than their modern day counterparts. Now, I’m not saying the Panasonic was worth the $400 at the time. It was what buyers were willing to spend for the camera.