PAL LP VHS Tape - "Missing" colors during capture

[FrankDrebin]

Hello everybody.

Today I was trying to capture an almost 23 years old VHS tape using the TerraTec AV Grabster 250. I know that this is not a professional tool, but it does its job more than decently for my purposes.

Today I noticed one unusual thing: while capturing SP recorded tapes has never given me any kind of problems, today I found that there are some problems when trying to capture from a LP recorded tape.

Let me explain myself: if I connect the VCR to a TV, the image displayed is ok, keeping in mind that it is an LP tape that I was watching.

When, on the other hand, I connect the VCR to the TerraTec device, this is what I get: http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/8258/wovt.jpg

As you can see, the image displayed has got very few colors (look at the face of the man sitting on the right or the face of the lady sitting behind the desk), while they can be clearly seen on the TV screen, instead. Making a long story short, the image displayed on the TV is more "colorful" than the one I get via the TerraTec device.

I should point out that the VCR definitely can play LP tapes, that both the tape and the VCR are PAL based and that there are no tracking problems whatsoever.

I also tried adjusting the settings (Hue, Saturation, Value etc. etc.) of the TerraTec device without any success.

What can I do?

Thank you in advance for all your help.

[DB83]

Weak video singnal and/or excessive noise. Of cource the LP mode does not help here. The digital conversion picks up on the noise and thus kills the signal.

You can try a signal amplifier between the VCR and the capture device. Even another VCR may give a better result.

[hech54]

Today I noticed one unusual thing: while capturing SP recorded tapes has never given me any kind of problems

Just to clarify....you recorded SP PAL tapes before with no problems?

[FrankDrebin]

Today I noticed one unusual thing: while capturing SP recorded tapes has never given me any kind of problems

Just to clarify....you recorded SP PAL tapes before with no problems?

Exactly, yes. I always deal with PAL tapes.

[FrankDrebin]

What if I were to duplicate the original LP VHS onto another VHS, this time in SP instead? I would then try to capture the video from the second VHS. Could this help?

[DB83]

If you have access to a 2nd VCR then, as I said, try that machine first. I doubt that either machine was the one you recorded the tape on so the other could give better results.

You can try a dub from the first to second VCR but I doubt that will improve the matter since you are still duplicating the noise. But, by all means, prove me wrong

[NJRoadfan]

Its worth trying another VCR. The artifact is likely the byproduct of a weak colorburst signal. TVs are generally much more tolerant of signal problems like this than capture cards.

An external TBC may help depending on if it can lock onto the rotten colorburst reference. I have had luck with tapes with similar problems using JVC's Digipure TBC built into their VCRs, but that was with NTSC tapes. I don't know if it will perform similarly with PAL format tapes.