Maximizing VHS quality importing to FCP

Hi.
I have some old footage shot in SP mode on a full-size VHS camcorder, and I'd like to edit it in FCP. I've done a lot of searching online, but not sure that I have all of the facts straight on VCRs.
First, regarding play heads. What I've read suggests that VCRs featuring 4 heads / 6 heads / 19 micron heads are all designed to perform better with tapes recorded at slower speeds, or to improve the picture during fast-forward and pause. With my tapes being recorded in SP, will I get better results if I go out and buy a 4-head VCR, or is my plain old 2 head VCR going to work just as well?
Second, regarding outputs. I have the ability to import uncompressed SD video thru my BlackMagic Intensity Pro card and breakout cable. I know that component (Y/Pb/Pr) outputs offer the best quality, followed by S-Video (Y/C), followed by composite (single RCA). I can see how that comes into play when connecting a VCR to a newer display, but in my case, does the type of output becoming meaningless, since the camera these tapes were shot with pre-dates component and S-Video? In other words, even if I get the correct machine / cables / adapters to dub using component outputs, it won't turn out any better than using composite, because the original recording was not encoded in a way to allow the video channel to be separated. Is that a correct assessment?
Thanks for your input!
Fred

Regarding VHS playback heads. No matter what deck or number of total heads, only two are used during normal playback; one for the odd fields and one for the even fields. Any other video heads a deck might have are only used during special playback modes such as pause or fast play (forward and reverse). Other (non-video) heads are used for audio (linear and HiFi) and control track.
So-called "pro" VHS decks had 21 micron heads (as I recall), while consumer decks had 19 micron heads. Either will work.
About the best thing you can do for old analog footage is to route the signal through a TBC to correct playback timing errors. Preferably a full frame TBC - but those are rare and expensive. Most TBCs will only correct the first few lines.
As for output; with VHS only having the capacity of recording about 240 lines of resolution, I doubt you'd see too much improvement using Y/C or component cabling over composite. Just keep your cables lengths short enough so you don't introduce any further Y/C delay.
-DH

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Message was edited by: Andreas Sweden

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Maximizing VHS quality importing to FCP

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