SIMA CT2--normal?

[jmr2004]

I have a CT2 and a DMR-E50 and here's something I just noticed...

I have simply left the CT2 in the circuit between my VCR and DMR-E50 because on the majority of my VHS tapes....it's needed to get past macro.

I'm wondering if that's the smart thing to do, because I was watching a copy of an old black and white film (one that didn't need the CT2 to prevent macro, as it turns out)...and there was a constant fluctuating brightness level in the finished DVD.

Like it was picking up small variations with changes in "scene" brightness and amplifying it !?

However, if I take the CT2 out and just go straight to the panasonic...everything is fine.

Is this the case on tapes with early easily defeatable macro?....DO NOT use the CT2 on them?

On tapes where the CT2 is needed....I don't have this up and down brightness problem.

thanks for any insight on this.

[Capmaster]

Generally a good-quality TBC won't have any adverse affect on brightness,color, etc. But it sounds like what you're using is a macrovision stripper. They are less expensive for a reason. They try to suppress the huge-amplitude macrovision signal that resides in the retrace portion of the video signal, as opposed to a true TBC which removes the timing entirely and replaces it with its own timing.

The strippers suppress most of the macrovision signal (not all), but since they are basically filters, they also suppress part of the legitimate video. It's an inescapable reality.

Try removing the stripper unless you absolutely require it for MV removal

[ejai]

Generally a good-quality TBC won't have any adverse affect on brightness,color, etc. But it sounds like what you're using is a macrovision stripper. They are less expensive for a reason. They try to suppress the huge-amplitude macrovision signal that resides in the retrace portion of the video signal, as opposed to a true TBC which removes the timing entirely and replaces it with its own timing.

The strippers suppress most of the macrovision signal (not all), but since they are basically filters, they also suppress part of the legitimate video. It's an inescapable reality.

Try removing the stripper unless you absolutely require it for MV removal

I had the same problem, I was wondering if there is a way to stop the constant brightness shifting. I noticed this with the GoDVD and SCC2 I was wondering if there is a connector or hookup that will stop this from happening because I want to use the video enhancement features.

Do you possibly know one?

[jmr2004]

Actually, seemingly things are fine as long as I don't use the CT2 with a tape that doesn't need it for macro removal.

As so many tapes (maybe 80%) need it, I just left it inline.

Live and learn....I'm going to have to rig something up to be able to switch it in and out for whether I need it or not.

For those older tapes with simple macro I'll just use the TBC in the DMR-E50....(which gives excellent results).

Sounds like the CT2 "stripper" is just injecting this shift in level because it "expects" macro to be there rather than "sensing and reacting" to it being there?

[Capmaster]

Generally a good-quality TBC won't have any adverse affect on brightness,color, etc. But it sounds like what you're using is a macrovision stripper. They are less expensive for a reason. They try to suppress the huge-amplitude macrovision signal that resides in the retrace portion of the video signal, as opposed to a true TBC which removes the timing entirely and replaces it with its own timing.

The strippers suppress most of the macrovision signal (not all), but since they are basically filters, they also suppress part of the legitimate video. It's an inescapable reality.

Try removing the stripper unless you absolutely require it for MV removal

I had the same problem, I was wondering if there is a way to stop the constant brightness shifting. I noticed this with the GoDVD and SCC2 I was wondering if there is a connector or hookup that will stop this from happening because I want to use the video enhancement features.

Do you possibly know one?

No. I own a full frame TBC so I generally don't bother with the strippers ( ).

[jmr2004]

I bought this CT2 with the impression that it may be more current as far as defeating the latest macrovision.

But the fact is, rather than just stripping the copy protection, I'd really like to be able to do some color "tweaking" as well.

I'm wondering.....would it be smarter for me to lose the CT2 and get one of these SCC2 units?

Or continue using the CT2 and put something else in the chain? (SCC1?)

Looks like this is my final hurdle.....some of my tapes have flesh tones that are way out of wack.

Would appreciate your advice.

[chicola]

jmr2004,

My 2 cents:

(I don't know those devices but I'll speak in general analog video processing terms.)

That effect is caused by the different components used in the different video trajectories, inside the box. (The explanation is somewaht more complex.)

One has to use very similar components to demux and process the different effects (for example, luminance/chrominance inversion, HS alteration, VS supression, etc) and then mux them together.

If the components on one of the "ways" shifts or amplyfies the signal a "little" more that the other "way", you're going to have differences like the ones that you see.

Sometimes it's little chroma changes and not so much luminance changes.

One has to have luck with the manufacturing batch of the box...