Screen jitter when transfering from VHS to DVD

[Corey]

I am trying to transfer home movies from VHS to DVD using a JVC VHS Player and an LG LRA-536.

When I try to record the screen jitters quite a bit, really noticeable when looking at the date on the bottom. How can I fix this? I am currently using a composite connection, would using S-Video fix it?

Edit: This topic was once about something else but I have been able to narrow my problems down to this one last thing

[Krispy Kritter]

Is the jitter also visible on the TV when viewing the tape? If it is, then it sounds like normal playback issues of old tapes and/or a dirty vcr. About the only thing you can do is have the vcr properly cleaned. There usually isn't much you can do with old/worn tapes except completely ff to the end and rw a couple of times.

[Corey]

It's not visible when just being viewed

The problem will sometimes go away if I split the recording up so that it is in 2 recordings of 1 hour rather then 1 long recording of 2 hours, this doesn't always fix it though

[Krispy Kritter]

Very odd, I wouldn't expect the output being recorded to be any different than the output displayed on the TV AND size should have absolutely no affect at all. All of which leads me to suspect the dvd recorder as the source of the problem. Trying the S-video connection shouldn't make any difference, but it can't hurt to try it and see what happens.

[discguy001]

I run in to this all the time with JVC vcrs. Turn OFF the video stabilizer in the menu.

[jman98]

Corey - while it may not help with your particular issue (discguy001's post probably will do that), please use the S-video and NOT the composite cable to connect to your DVD recorder. S-video is a higher quality video input than composite and it will help you to have better results.

[davideck]

Is the jitter from side to side or up and down (or both)?

[Corey]

Using S-Video now, problem still exists.

No video stabilizer is on the VCR, it is a JVC VCR and an LG DVD Recorder, the jitter is top to bottom. It seems random whether or not it shakes. I'll record a 2 hour tape in 2 halfs, one half will shake and the other won't. Yet when viewing the tape there is no jitter at all (the tape was a continuous recording of opening Christmas Presents with the camera on a tripod)

I want to obviously avoid redoing tapes if at all possible though since the tapes are very fragile and I would hate to accidentally damage one of the tapes. These tapes are over a decade old

[davideck]

If the VCR output is stable while the DVD Recorder passthrough output is jittery, then the TBC/Frame Synchronizer in the DVD Recorder is not locking properly. You could try adjusting the VCR tracking to see if the DVD Recorder passthrough output can be made stable.

A different DVD Recorder (or External TBC/Frame Synchronizer) may perform better. A different VCR might also help.

[kiches]

I have the exact same jitter problem when I tried using both a cyberhome dvd recorder, and a toshiba dvd-recorder. I tried switching vcr's as well but nothing seems to fix the jitter. When I view the playback its fine, but when viewing the picture through the dvd-recorder it jumps/jitters at random spots.

[Seeker47]

I have the exact same jitter problem when I tried using both a cyberhome dvd recorder, and a toshiba dvd-recorder. I tried switching vcr's as well but nothing seems to fix the jitter. When I view the playback its fine, but when viewing the picture through the dvd-recorder it jumps/jitters at random spots.

If it's not the physical condition of the tapes, or the mechanical status of the vcr's transport that is responsible, then it sounds like what you need is a good external TBC.