daisychaining hardware for video restoration

[saggitarius]

If anyone can either confirm or deny this......


I just 'won' a vidicraft avp-100 detailer of eBay and am wondering if it would be of benefit or detrimental to my source to 'daisychain' it with other hardware to get better results.

my current setup

8mm Sony TR517 camcorder (w DNR/TBC) / JVC 4 head VHS VCR (not one of the better models like the 9800 or 9911, maybe later)

Sima CSS PRO
10 Band graphic EQ for audio boosting
Canon ZR700 w AV/DV passthru (works like a TBC) / ATI AIW 9800

I have recently started running eveything thru the Canon for some of my VHS tapes that gave me the 'flagging' error at the top of my screen, this solved that problem beautifully for me.

I am just wondering if I should put the AVP-100 in front of the Sima CSS or after it, or even do I take the Sima out of the chain because the AVP-100 will do anything the Sima can do. I am sure some of the video 'gurus' out there may have experience with this already and can lead me on the right path.

Thanks

[edDV]

The probem with daisy chaining these types of devices is each convert analog to digital and back to analog for connection to the next device. Repeated A/D D/A degrades the video so should be kept to a minimum.

For VHS, the quality is low from the start. You need to analyze the video and only process what needs processing. That means connect only the devices needed to correct that video. The higher the quality of the source (e.g. cable box or OTA tuner) the less you should use these devices.

Correction before final capture A/D to 8bit may be useful especially for TBC and gross levels issues, but too much of this may result in less quality than correction after digital conversion.

[Dr_Layne]

Here's what I do. I connect all my video devices (betacam SP, Umatic, two SVHS, Betamax, Hi8, and Laserdisc) to a JVC audio video switcher. The unit also upconverts composite connections to S-video and can except digital audio, firewire, and component connections as well. I output into a Datavideo TBC then to a Canopus ADVC-110. The JVC controller also has audio and video loops for outboard processors. I connect my detailer to the loop so I can switch it in and out of the chain as needed. The JVC unit is model JX-S777.

A_L