TBC

[Gaelin]

I've been thinking about getting a TBC. Before I spend the money, I'd like to know will it give me a clearer capture?

I use the Pinnacle USB Moviebox, and so far the capture have been great. Nothing dropped so far. No synch issues or anything. But, of course, capturing from 10+ year old VHS still gives me captures that are less than crystal clear. Not as sharp as I would like. I guess the best way to describe it is that videos comes out looking as if there is a layer of dust over it.

I doubt it, but I wonder if a TBC will do anything to help this, or a "dusty" picture is about as good as I will get.

Don't get me wrong, it's a very viewable image, but before I capture and burn disks and dispose of the VHS tapes, I'd like to know if I'm getting the best that I can get.

[Bob W]

I can tell you from my experience that my conversions from VHS to DVDR are vastly better recording directly to my Pioneer E50 recorder than I could ever get with a capture to a computer. IMO before I spent $275 or more for a TBC I would just buy a DVD recorder (and most already have a built in TBC).

[non-linear]

A TBC wouldn't improve the picture quality; that's not what they're designed to do. It would help capture video that has a lot of sync issues, bad tracking or other time base errors which without a TBC would result in dropped frames during capture.

[lordsmurf]

A TBC wouldn't improve the picture quality.

I'm guessing you've never used one.

Depending on the error, a TBC can vastly improve quality. Mainly good at adjusting shake and stutter, along with some glare and color issues. It purifies the signal (some visible, some not). Won't fix everything, but will earn it's keep. In fact, I couldn't do top-quality work without mine.

[phantomengineer]

What's a TBC?

[non-linear]

I'm guessing you've never used one.

Not consumer models, but I have used broadcast grade ones where I work.

The quality can improve, but as far as things like video noise (as Gaelin called it a "dusty picture"), it can't really do anything to improve that. Like I said, that's not what TBCs are designed to do. Their purpose is to correct time base errors, which would result in a better capture. Some of the improvements that you mention come about because of the time base correction that the units do.

[lordsmurf]

Some of the improvements that you mention come about because of the time base correction that the units do.

But perception of quality is just as important as the theoretical quality.

You know how it works, and I know how it works, but most people only care about what they see. Even I fall into this category.

[SatStorm]

TBC helps a lot for NTSC captures (from VHS/SVHS)
In a way, it is a must. If you don't use it, you have to emulate what it is doing, using filters. It is possible, but needs extra steps, more time to spent and the results are not always as good as using a TBC

Pioneer E50, has an average software TBC emulation system, a dynamic denoiser - like filter and a smart "luminance/colour" built in adjustment. The results are pretty good for NTSC sources. In a way, it is like capturing with virtualdub from a cheap VCR with an average TBC, filter, encode to mpeg2, author to DVD and burn in realtime. You do save time, but it works on good and excellent tapes. If the tapes are bad, or average, the PC root is better.