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Panasonic AG-DS555
April 13, 2024
On the bench today is late 1990s Panasonic SVHS Recorder, the AG-DS555. It's a beast of a machine, weighing in at at just under 12 KGs, complete with illuminated buttons, analog meters, BNC outputs and a satisfying jog dial.
The machine looked to be exceptionally clean and the only issue with the externals that I could see was two missing knobs for the CH2 Video Tracking control. Before powering it up I took the cover off to have a peak at the internals in case I saw anything that looked off the rails.
Nice bonus, 'The Rock' on VHS!
Video drum
Modular design
Packed!
To my delight the interior of the unit looked as clean as the exterior. Wherever this had lived, it seemed like it had been taken care of. The sheer number and density of the components inside was impressive, but also the modular nature which would help greatly when repairs were needed. The icing on the cake was a VHS copy of 'The Rock' still in the deck!
With a visual inspection passed, I plugged the deck into a dim-bulb just to prevent serious damage in case there was a short. I flicked the power switch and the deck hummed to life without anything more than an inrush glow from the dim-bulb.
The back side of the unit has an impressive set of inputs and outputs. Using a BNC to RCA adapter I was able to hook an RCA cable up to the VIDEO MON output, and another RCA cable to the AUDIO MONITOR output. Clicking PLAY on the front panel brought the deck to life and in seconds Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage were taken on the bad guys on the screen in front of me. The output quality was excellent with no visible snow or other disturbance in the picture or sound. The front panel display lit up without any issues. I tested various controls including the jog dial. So satisfying!
Over the next hour I walked through testing as many of the controls and outputs as I could and everything checked out perfectly. All that remained was to 3D print some replacements for the two missing CH2 / Video Tracking knobs.
Look at all that analog meter goodness and those new knobs!
Although the Panasonic AG-DS555 is meant for commercial applications like broadcast and editing work, it was an interesting and fun process to look over the unit and learn more about it. The unit ended up finding a home with a musician / visual artist who incorporated its use into their live shows as well as using it to create and edit new visual media.
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