VideoHelp Forum - Newbie / General discussions https://forum.videohelp.com/ Post here if you are a newbie / new to video and/or you have problem deciding what section your post should be in. But only video related stuff here, no off topic posts. en Mon, 20 Jul 2026 22:46:34 GMT vBulletin 60 https://forum.videohelp.com/images/misc/rss.png VideoHelp Forum - Newbie / General discussions https://forum.videohelp.com/ Can a VHS tape be safely played without the leaf spring? https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420867-Can-a-VHS-tape-be-safely-played-without-the-leaf-spring?goto=newpost Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:56:18 GMT I have a VHS cassette where the metal pressure spring (the leaf spring that sits behind the tape at the front of the cassette) has completely come loose.

Please see the attached photo—the part I'm referring to is the metal spring shown at the picture.

I'm wondering if it's safe to play the tape without it, at least long enough to digitize it, or if that could damage the tape or cause playback issues.

Has anyone actually tried playing a VHS cassette without the pressure spring?

Did it still play normally?
Did you notice tracking or picture problems?
Is there any real risk of the tape getting damaged, or is the worst-case scenario just a poor image?

I'm trying to recover some important recordings, so I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone with first-hand experience rather than just guesses.

Thanks!

Image
[Attachment 93088 - Click to enlarge] ]]> Newbie / General discussions astronautJungie https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420867-Can-a-VHS-tape-be-safely-played-without-the-leaf-spring VideoStudio Ultimate 2023 - Video quality issues https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420865-VideoStudio-Ultimate-2023-Video-quality-issues?goto=newpost Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:36:52 GMT Ho folks
I'm new here, so be gentle.

I've been using various versions of VideoStudio for years, but recently have noticed that I get wavy lines on anything in a clip which is in motion (eg see Screenshot 2026-07-17 121046.png ). These lines persist through into the rendered video.

I've checked the original clips from the camera, and they are fine (eg see Screenshot 2026-07-17 121342.png )

I've tried changing the project properties of the video, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. I don't remember it being an issue when I've edited using previous versions of VideoStudio.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Rik
Attached Thumbnails
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Click image for larger version Name: Screenshot 2026-07-17 121342.png Views: N/A Size: 1.86 MB ID: 93085  

]]> Newbie / General discussions GE_Rik https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420865-VideoStudio-Ultimate-2023-Video-quality-issues VLC and other Players busted on playing DVDs https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420858-VLC-and-other-Players-busted-on-playing-DVDs?goto=newpost Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:17:23 GMT I couldn't play bluray to save my life. I managed to make VLC play BluRay and now it does the struggle bus with DVDs and won't play 'em. What did I mess up?

I have windows media player. Windows Media player classic. power DVD.

Nothing works. I thought originally it was that stupid Make DVD or whatever it's called. I uninstalled it and nothing went back to normal. I've tried just about everything, from uninstalling and reinstalling VLC, manually adding things in...

I've added the libdiv thing even though it was there. I’ve added the AACS for Blu-ray

I'm not sure what else can be done. ]]> Newbie / General discussions shuuyakano https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420858-VLC-and-other-Players-busted-on-playing-DVDs How can I improve video playback performance on a low-end Windows PC? https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420836-How-can-I-improve-video-playback-performance-on-a-low-end-Windows-PC?goto=newpost Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:28:10 GMT Hello everyone, I have a low-end Windows PC and sometimes experience lag, stuttering, or frame drops when playing high-resolution video files. Most of my videos are in MP4 format, and I use common media players such as VLC (https://www.videohelp.com/software/VLC-media-player) and MPC-HC... Hello everyone,

I have a low-end Windows PC and sometimes experience lag, stuttering, or frame drops when playing high-resolution video files. Most of my videos are in MP4 format, and I use common media players such as VLC and MPC-HC.

I would like to know:

What settings can improve video playback performance?
Are there recommended codecs for smoother playback?
Does hardware acceleration make a noticeable difference?
Which media player works best on older hardware?

I would appreciate any suggestions or recommendations from experienced users.

Thank you. ]]> Newbie / General discussions techy247 https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420836-How-can-I-improve-video-playback-performance-on-a-low-end-Windows-PC Google AI and ffmpeg preset https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420826-Google-AI-and-ffmpeg-preset?goto=newpost Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:39:12 GMT Hi All, I just want to share what I have been through with ffmpeg (https://www.videohelp.com/software/ffmpeg) preset with the help of Google AI. 1. The format of the video source e.g. 1440x1080p(16:9) aka 1080p Anamorphic. 2. The intended video output format e.g. smartphone, iphone, smart TV... Hi All,

I just want to share what I have been through with ffmpeg preset with the help of Google AI.
1. The format of the video source e.g. 1440x1080p(16:9) aka 1080p Anamorphic.
2. The intended video output format e.g. smartphone, iphone, smart TV etc.

It can even provide script for .bat file that produce the most compatible video.
"%FFMPEG_PATH%" -i "%INPUT_DIR_PATH%" -vf "scale=1920:1080" -c:v libx265 -crf 28 -preset slow -pix_fmt yuv420p -tag:v hvc1 -c:a aac -b:a 192k -ar 48000 "%OUTPUT_DIR_PATH%"

It's indeed a new frontier. ]]> Newbie / General discussions pchan https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420826-Google-AI-and-ffmpeg-preset Avisynth 64-bit on Windows 11 https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420823-Avisynth-64-bit-on-Windows-11?goto=newpost Sun, 05 Jul 2026 13:38:16 GMT Hi All, I am trying to get Avisynth (https://www.videohelp.com/software/Avisynth) 64bit to work but to no avail. Using VirtualDub (https://www.videohelp.com/software/Virtualdub) 64-bit to open a test.avs that contain only Version(). I get an error message : AVI Import Filter error: (Unknown)... Hi All,

I am trying to get Avisynth 64bit to work but to no avail. Using VirtualDub 64-bit to open a test.avs that contain only Version().
I get an error message : AVI Import Filter error: (Unknown) (80040154).
I go through many rounds with Google AI but I couldn't fix it.

Thanks in advance ]]> Newbie / General discussions pchan https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420823-Avisynth-64-bit-on-Windows-11 multiple file conversion with Handbrake https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420822-multiple-file-conversion-with-Handbrake?goto=newpost Sun, 05 Jul 2026 12:03:22 GMT mp3)?]]> Hi,

is it possible to convert some mp4 files into mp3 in one step with Handbrake, with the same file names but different extensions (mp4 -> mp3)? ]]> Newbie / General discussions blanc https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420822-multiple-file-conversion-with-Handbrake Looking for a rooted Fire TV Stick https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420807-Looking-for-a-rooted-Fire-TV-Stick?goto=newpost Thu, 02 Jul 2026 06:46:56 GMT Hi everyone, I’m working on a project that strictly requires root permissions on a Fire TV device. If you have an old, already-rooted stick (like a 1st Gen 4K) and want to help out, you don't even need to ship it—we can just bridge it to my computer virtually using Tailscale/ZeroTier.
Please reply here or shoot me a PM. Thanks! ]]> Newbie / General discussions blaze.rao https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420807-Looking-for-a-rooted-Fire-TV-Stick How to automatically translate the audio-track of a video? https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420805-How-to-automatically-translate-the-audio-track-of-a-video?goto=newpost Wed, 01 Jul 2026 19:45:02 GMT Hello, I'm a Spanish speaker.

There's a lot of high-quality content online in English, but unfortunately, I don't understand it.

I'd like to use an audio processing program with automatic translation, similar to the one on YouTube.

That is, I have an MKV video with the audio track in English, and I want a program that will translate the audio track into Castilian Spanish (not Latin American Spanish).

Then I use MKVToolNix to add the new audio track to the MKV.

And that way, I get a multi-audio video (english + spanish)

The only way I can think of to do this would be to upload the video to YouTube, get the audio track automatically, and then download it. But I'd like to avoid doing that; I prefer to do it locally.

Is there a program that can do this?
I know how to extract the audio track and remultiplex it.
I just need to generate the new, translated audio file.

thank you so much ]]> Newbie / General discussions cronos111 https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420805-How-to-automatically-translate-the-audio-track-of-a-video panasonic es-15 pass thru https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420794-panasonic-es-15-pass-thru?goto=newpost Mon, 29 Jun 2026 04:39:28 GMT I am trying to use the TBC of the Panasonic es-15 and on my laptop I get the playback video, via the capture card but the video has a black line across it and barely any colour. Image
[Attachment 92849 - Click to enlarge]

Please help me and advise what I am doing wrong, I seem to have tried everything and spent lots of hours!

So I have a JVC HR-S8600EU with the TBC button turned off. I am using a s-video from the back of the JVC unit to the s-video IN on the back of the Panasonic es-15. the audio red and white RCA's are connected directly to my Video Capture Card, which is a Elgato Video Capture Card. I then have a s-video cable going from the es-15 to the s-video port of the Elgato Video capture card. The Video card is then connected to my laptop via a usb. The Laptop is a ASUS TUF Gaming A14 FA401KH. OS is windows 11 with a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 GPU (8GB) and a AMD Radeon 860M Graphics card (512 MB).

There is a switch on the back of the VCR, not too sure what this does, I have tried it in both positions to no avail. see attached Image
[Attachment 92848 - Click to enlarge]

I have remote controls for both the JVC and Panasinic, when I access the menus from both the DVD or VCR the screen on my monitor via the video capture card is perfect, its only the black line scenrio when I try to play back a recording.

I do hope someone can help ]]> Newbie / General discussions shovels https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420794-panasonic-es-15-pass-thru Watch HGTV Content https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420770-Watch-HGTV-Content?goto=newpost Wed, 24 Jun 2026 21:10:44 GMT Hello, I'd like to be able to view blocked content on https://watch.hgtv.com/. In a previous thread, I asked for an account so I could set up a "link provider." I asked, but I shouldn't have. However, I'm looking for a workaround to bypass this link provider. Could someone help me? Thanks a lot, and I'm sorry if my requests seem out of place. ]]> Newbie / General discussions Tewstuff https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420770-Watch-HGTV-Content Watch HGTV content outside the United States https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420767-Watch-HGTV-content-outside-the-United-States?goto=newpost Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:31:32 GMT Hello! I'd like to access episodes of https://watch.hgtv.com/ outside the U.S. I'm using a VPN, so I'm able to log in to the site. However, some content is blocked, but it can be unblocked by a "link provider." The list of providers is very long, so I figure there’s a good chance I’ll find an answer to my question: is anyone able to provide me with valid accounts to access this content? I'm desperately looking for someone who can help me! Thank you so much. ]]> Newbie / General discussions Tewstuff https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420767-Watch-HGTV-content-outside-the-United-States Display https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420766-Display?goto=newpost Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:11:30 GMT I have Win11 DeskTop Computer and VLC Media Player (https://www.videohelp.com/software/VLC-media-player) and this Camcorder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUQ7Wu5GKJY I have Bad Eyes so after my Camcorder is up on the TryPod it is very hard for me to see if I have everything in the Shot. ... I have Win11 DeskTop Computer and VLC Media Player and this Camcorder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUQ7Wu5GKJY

I have Bad Eyes so after my Camcorder is up on the TryPod it is very hard for me to see if I have everything in the Shot.

So I pluged the Camcorder into my Computers USB Port.

Then on my Camcorder Display I select PC Device or something like that.

On my Computer I open VLV then go to File then Capture Device.

Undwer Video Device I pick the Camcorder then click Play.

It works I see everything on my Computer Screen that the Camcorder sees.

Now I click Record on my Camcorder and did a lot.

I put the SD Card in my Computer and it got nothing.

I think I know why maybe because it was being used as a Streaming Device?

Does anybody know what I am not understanding?

Thanks for the time. ]]> Newbie / General discussions biferi https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420766-Display How to Download Your Own Instagram Videos Using Snapinstaink https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420759-How-to-Download-Your-Own-Instagram-Videos-Using-Snapinstaink?goto=newpost Wed, 24 Jun 2026 04:51:56 GMT I wanted to share a practical tip for anyone who needs to retrieve their own previously published Instagram videos in original quality for video editing projects. Instagram provides no built in export option which means once the source file is gone from your device that video becomes inaccessible... I wanted to share a practical tip for anyone who needs to retrieve their own previously published Instagram videos in original quality for video editing projects. Instagram provides no built in export option which means once the source file is gone from your device that video becomes inaccessible at full resolution through the platform itself. For video editors who want to use their own Instagram Reels or clips as source footage in Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, or any other editing software, low quality screenshots and screen recordings are not suitable since the output quality is tied to screen resolution rather than the actual source file quality. I have been using snapinstaink as a browser based solution that retrieves the original quality video file directly from any public Instagram post URL with no installation required. The downloaded file is identical in quality to the original upload making it immediately usable as source footage in any video editing application. Has anyone else found useful workflows for sourcing Instagram video content for editing projects. ]]> Newbie / General discussions limorentaluae https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/420759-How-to-Download-Your-Own-Instagram-Videos-Using-Snapinstaink