Proper equipment set up

[nathanaa]

Ok, I just finished getting all my hardware today, for my VHS to DVD transfer work. I've got a lot of VHS tapes (now) that I want to transfer over to DVD, mostly stuff off TV from the public domain from back in the '80s and '90s, but also my wedding video's, camcorder footage of my son when he was a toddler, stuff like that.

My equipment:

JVC HR-S9911U SVHS VCR
AVT-8710 TBC
JVC DR-M10 DVD writer
Walmart special 13" colour TV

What I am wondering is what is the proper set-up for the equipment? I am assuming it would be connected as I listed them (VCR->TBC->DVD writer->TV). I plan on using the S-video connections between the VCR->TBC and TBC-DVD writer. Hmmm, I just had a thought, not sure how I'm going to connect the TV in there so I can view what is going on - AV jacks from the DVD writer to the TV? Have to check that.

Any advice would be appreciated - I'm very new at all this!

[guns1inger]

If you have multiple outputs on the TBC, then surely you would want to see the output directly from there, rather than after a passthrough of the DVR ?

[jimmalenko]

VCR output --> TBC input
TBC output --> DVR input
DVR output --> TV input

[VideoTechMan]

Its obvious that the TV you have doesnt have S-Video....im not sure if the DVD writer you have can display from composite to the TV the same time the unit is getting input via the S-Video jacks. You should be just fine though; some units can be picky like that.

VTM

[lordsmurf]

Its obvious that the TV you have doesnt have S-Video....im not sure if the DVD writer you have can display from composite to the TV the same time the unit is getting input via the S-Video jacks. You should be just fine though; some units can be picky like that.

VTM

It can. I do it.

[nathanaa]

Ok, I need some more help.

I've got the VCR connected via S-video to the TBC. The TBC is connected via S-video to the DVD writer AND to the TV via the RCA cable (composite). The DVD writer is only receiving the signal from the TBC output.

The problem I have is that there is no audio though. I first had the DVD writer connected to the TV with the composite connection, but had no audio or video signal. Then I connected the VCR to the TV with the composite connection, and had both video and audio just fine, but could not use the TBC to adjust the video signal. Then I connected the composite out from the TBC to the TV, but had no audio. The TBC set up instructions told me to to it this way, but the way.

The DVD writer instructions say to connect the VCR to the TV and the DVD writer at the same time. That obviously won't work if I want to be able to make adjustments with the TBC.

I hope I explained all this clearly. Basically, can anyone see what I am doing wrong here - I want to be able to *see* the adjustments the TBC is making, or adjust it manually.

Also, my friend who I was talking with keeps saying that the S-video connection won't send an audio signal between the VCR and the DVD writer, and that I'll need to connect them with composite audio cable. Seeing as how I haven't done this yet, is that correct - have I been missing something in my readings???

Thanks for any help!

[jimmalenko]

The S-Video will only take video. The yellow composite (or AV) will only take video also.

As I said before:
VCR output --> TBC input
TBC output --> DVR input
DVR output --> TV input

You need both video and audio connections for all of these. I don't know whether you can use composite (red and white) with S-Video, but you might be able to. Whatever happens, you need one lead for video set up as above, and possibly two leads for audio set up as above.

[nathanaa]

The S-Video will only take video. The yellow composite (or AV) will only take video also.

As I said before:
VCR output --> TBC input
TBC output --> DVR input
DVR output --> TV input

You need both video and audio connections for all of these. I don't know whether you can use composite (red and white) with S-Video, but you might be able to. Whatever happens, you need one lead for video set up as above, and possibly two leads for audio set up as above.

OOOHHHH! So, I need to connect everything via BOTH the S-video AND the composite? I thought it was one or the other. Hmm - the TBC only has S-video and the yellow composite jack (both in and out). I guess I'll try to hook those all up and see if that works for me. Any other advice folks, please toss it out - thanks!

[SLICK RICK]

The S-Video will only take video. The yellow composite (or AV) will only take video also.

As I said before:
VCR output --> TBC input
TBC output --> DVR input
DVR output --> TV input

You need both video and audio connections for all of these. I don't know whether you can use composite (red and white) with S-Video, but you might be able to. Whatever happens, you need one lead for video set up as above, and possibly two leads for audio set up as above.

Yes, he can use composite (red and white) with S-Video. I do it sometimes from my dvd player to tv.

[SLICK RICK]

The S-Video will only take video. The yellow composite (or AV) will only take video also.

As I said before:
VCR output --> TBC input
TBC output --> DVR input
DVR output --> TV input

You need both video and audio connections for all of these. I don't know whether you can use composite (red and white) with S-Video, but you might be able to. Whatever happens, you need one lead for video set up as above, and possibly two leads for audio set up as above.

OOOHHHH! So, I need to connect everything via BOTH the S-video AND the composite? I thought it was one or the other. Hmm - the TBC only has S-video and the yellow composite jack (both in and out). I guess I'll try to hook those all up and see if that works for me. Any other advice folks, please toss it out - thanks!

I may be wrong because I don't have your TBC or any TBC for that matter. But I checked the specs for your TBC and it looks like, with your set-up, that you will have to connect everything like this:

VCR S-Video out -->TBC S-Video in
TBC S-Video out -->DVD Writer S-Video in
VCR audio out (red and white) -->DVD Writer audio in (red and white)
DVD Writer audio & video out-->TV audio & video in.

Like I said before I may be wrong but I gave it a shot.

[jimmalenko]

Hmm - the TBC only has S-video and the yellow composite jack (both in and out).

VCR S-Video out -->TBC S-Video in
TBC S-Video out -->DVD Writer S-Video in
VCR audio out (red and white) -->DVD Writer audio in (red and white)
DVD Writer audio & video out-->TV audio & video in.

If you TBC only has video input/outputs, as Slick Rick says, you need to take the video from your VHS through the TBC to the DVD Writer and back to the TV. Then you need to take your audio from the VHS straight into the DVD Writer, then back to TV.

BTW, you only need 1 video connection type - S-Video OR composite, NOT BOTH.

[lordsmurf]

only the video is "composite" (the yellow wire)
the audio is "RCA"

do NOT use s-video and yellow composite video at the same time !!!

[nathanaa]

only the video is "composite" (the yellow wire)
the audio is "RCA"

do NOT use s-video and yellow composite video at the same time !!!

Ok, then this is the set up I should use:

VCR S-Video Out -->TBC S-Video In

TBC S-Video Out -->DVD Writer S-Video In

VCR audio Out (red and white) -->DVD Writer audio In (red and white)

DVD Writer audio & video Out-->TV audio & video In.

The only problem I see with this is that the TV only has a yellow and white In, no red jack. But, if I understand it correctly, this is not really going to affect the transfer at all.

Just so I understand, how does the audio and video synch correction occur if the audio does not run through the TBC? I thought that was a great benefit to using a TBC, along with the video corrections. Or does it happen inside the DVD writer?

[guns1inger]

TV is mono. If you want hear both channels from the TV, get a stereo to mono adapter cable

[nathanaa]

I'm not so much concerned with hearing the stereo sound while the transfer processes as I am that the audio sync's properly with the video.

Do I need a TV with stereo audio to do that (I just got an "on special" 13" TV at Walmart as I thought I just needed "a" TV)?

I'm still not understanding how the audio sync's with the video when the audio does not run through the TBC - it must process that in the DVD writer, hey?