Capturing problem with SIMA Copy This! and ATI All in wonder

[cTx3]

I broke down and bought the Sima Capture This! macrovision descrambler...only it doesn't seem to work.

On some movies it works perfectly there's nothing wrong, while on other's it's almost like it isn't even there. It let's me record but the color keeps going bright and dark and I turn the knob on the box but that doesn't seem to do anything.

then I go to caputre the movie using it and all I get is a video of a big white area at the top of the screen and a jumpy video below, This happens when I do a direct from VHS to capture card conversion.

So I figure I will do it by first copying to another VCR...well all seems to go well but the color keeps brightning and darkning on the video...so I go out and buy some really good AV Cables (the ones I were using wern't the best) but still I get the color problems.

so I figure to hell with it I might be able to fix it after capturing, well I setup to capture and lo and behold that white bar is gone! BUT! The video is jumpy as hell for the rest of the movie.

So basically did I get screwed (Again) by buying the All in wonder 9200 ($150) & the Sima Copy This! ($60)? cause if I did I may just say to hell with technology again, it's just to much of a damn ripoff.

I've also tried everything I could think of to get rid of the white bar and the jumpy video but none of it worked worth a damn.

[presto]

It let's me record but the color keeps going bright and dark

That sure sounds like macrovision (It comes in several forms). I don't know why that device isn't removing the macrovision. My Sima SCC has a bypass button. Check and make sure you don't have something like that on. (I'm not calling you stupid we all sometimes miss obvious things).

I don't think this has anything to do with your ATI AIW card.

I keep hearing good things about The Clarifier. I had an email conversation with them and they were honest enought to tell me that the particular capture problem I was having did not sound like macrovision and The Clarifier probably wouldn't help. He also said they had a liberal return policy and if It did not work for me I could return it.

You might even email them about your device and ask if they know anything about it. They maintain a rougues gallery of bad devices. I don't have The Clarifier so do your own research and don't take my word.

[cTx3]

well this is the Sima Copy This! CT-1 model.
I didn't need the highend dvd - dvd one (since I'm just doing VHS tapes) I deffinatly can't order another one especially after I JUST got this one (It arrived this past saturday).

I don't see a button on it anywheres (just a knob, in the instruction booklet it says it adjusts the brightness) the instructions arn't very detailed but I fallow them exactly and the problems are still there (as if the card isn't there at all).

Edit: here's the one that I have http://www.simacorp.com/products/item.ep.html?id=476

[presto]

You don't think you can return it?

What are some examples of videos it works on and doesn't work on?

So the video cord go out of you VCR into the Copy This and then into the computer. Right?

It's funny that their add promises to copy any tape but doesn't mention macrovision. The Clarifier talks openly about macrovision.

What is that switch on top? Power?

[cTx3]

I'm not sure if I can return it or not, I bought it online from bestbuy.com but the closest bestbuy doesn't even carry them (I looked before ordering it online).

the two movies it keeps messing up on are Ed Wood (1994) & The Ref (1994)

the other movies I tried all apperantly don't even have copy protection, which end up looking perfect all the way through with it on but then I just tried it straight from the VCR to the capture card and the record button didn't go away.

I don't get how 2 movies from 10 years ago wouldn't be able to have the copy protection removed by something brand new, I emailed the company just a minuted ago and asked if they could help.

as for how I have it setup,

when I first got it I took the video cable from the capture card out and pluged it into the Sima copy this and then the other cable into the capture card, this created the big white spot across the top of the screen & jumpy video.

I then just hooked it from one VCR to another with the SCT! inbetween the two and the white bar is gone but the color still fades bright and dark (on both movies) and when I run the copied video from the VCR straight to the capture card that white bar is still across the top and makes the video jumpy (as though I have the SCT! inbetween the two).

it was REALLY hard to get the money for this (and the graphics/capture card, I would of taken it back but it was to late to by the time I found out the problem with it.) which is what is making me really sad & mad, cause it's JUST like when I bought the capture card without any warning of the macrovision protection, only now it's the other way around (I was told it would remove the macrovision only to find out it doesn't).

[presto]

, I emailed the company just a minuted ago and asked if they could help.

Be sure to let them know you are just backing up videos that you own. They might be concerned about talking about macrovision.

I would be very suprised if Bestbuy.com didn't accept a return on that. Give it a few days to see if Sima helps or not and if it still isn't working don't put it off, just box it up and return it. (Follow the directions on the back of the invoice or go to their website and find out exactly what to do.)

It is frustrating that this is happening to you but it's just a fluke. Macrovision is not some big mystery.

[presto]

when I first got it I took the video cable from the capture card out and pluged it into the Sima copy this and then the other cable into the capture card, this created the big white spot across the top of the screen & jumpy video.

I then just hooked it from one VCR to another with the SCT! inbetween the two and the white bar is gone but the color still fades bright and dark (on both movies) and when I run the copied video from the VCR straight to the capture card that white bar is still across the top and makes the video jumpy (as though I have the SCT! inbetween the two).

Neither one of those set ups is right. Seems like the second one should work but it is not the best way. Perhaps the vhs copy you made had macrovision removed but the overall signal was too weak for the video card to handle. (shouldn't be).

You just need to put the video cable from the video out on your vcr to the Sima IN and then from the Sima OUT to your Capture card IN. Run the two audio cords from the VCR Audio OUT to your capture card Audio IN.

This assumes you are using rca cables. If you use svideo it is the same but you will use the svideo cord instead. The audio cords would be the same.

Have you tried it that way?

[cTx3]

yeah, that's when the white bar get's really bad and the video get's real jumpy (like it's trying to correct itself).

I just looked at the back of the invoice and I am basically screwed if it doesn't work, they only allow credit returns on Unopened paackages (well how the hell am I supposed to know if it works or not when it's sealed like fort knocks?) and exchanges on opened ones. So basically I can return it but I can only get another one.

[FulciLives]

You need to get a full frame TBC which will remove ALL forms of copy protection as well as stabilize the video.

It's a great device to have especially for VHS capture (because it stablizes the video) but ...

The only 2 models I know of are like $180 and then $300

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Capmaster]

You need to get a full frame TBC which will remove ALL forms of copy protection as well as stabilize the video.

It's a great device to have especially for VHS capture (because it stablizes the video) but ...

The only 2 models I know of are like $180 and then $300

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

I have the $300 model (Datavideo TBC-1000). I want to be buried with it

[handyguy]

There is more than one type of macrovision.

Why don't you just copy dvds with dvdshrink? Its free.

[spiderman2k1]

Sima does not say any thing on there box about macrovision remover. Keep in mind people found oiut what it does. I have the Sima cplpr copy master it works good for DVD to PC VHS to VHS VHS to PC. Does not work for DVD to VHS. There are two kind's of macrovision that I know of Layer 1 and layer 2. And I bet there more now.

Get the www.facetvideo.com

If you have the Sima keep it it's still good for remaster old Black and WHite movie's. It help's to strip out color spot that show up on color TV set's. Make true Black and white.

[FulciLives]

You need to get a full frame TBC which will remove ALL forms of copy protection as well as stabilize the video.

It's a great device to have especially for VHS capture (because it stablizes the video) but ...

The only 2 models I know of are like $180 and then $300

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

I have the $300 model (Datavideo TBC-1000). I want to be buried with it

Along with a certain BLOW UP friend perhaps

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Capmaster]

You need to get a full frame TBC which will remove ALL forms of copy protection as well as stabilize the video.

It's a great device to have especially for VHS capture (because it stablizes the video) but ...

The only 2 models I know of are like $180 and then $300

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

I have the $300 model (Datavideo TBC-1000). I want to be buried with it

Along with a certain BLOW UP friend perhaps

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

I'm going to be buried INSIDE a blow-up friend, pressurized to 20 p.s.i., put on a wooden barge set adrift, and skilled archers will shoot flaming arrows into it while I drift off into the sunset I'm hoping I'll get a 10-compressor salute from the members of this board

[ajc53]

I broke down and bought the Sima Capture This! macrovision descrambler...only it doesn't seem to work.

I was exactly where you are. ATI AIW and SIMA CT-1.

I had to decide whether or not to buy the full TBC and/or a higher end VCR with TBC.

Instead I decided to "go with the flow" and I got the Canopus ADVC 100 ($220 Educational discount). IT REALLY WORKS!!!! At least for my needs, anyway.

Life has never been easier. No more wondering if my ATI was going to work on my old VHS home movies. And no more wondering which is the best version of MMC for my card.

I have elected not to capture straight to MPEG, so I can encode the DV AVI from the two hour tape, overnight.

Macrovision detection (real or false dectection) is a thing of the past.

So I believe you have two choices: spend more money on a TBC, and or VCR with TBC, or get another capture card/device that does not have sensitive Macrovision detection.

[cTx3]

have any links where I can find a vcr with TBC?

hopefully it's possible to get my money back on the SIMA thing.

[presto]

VCR with TBC is going to cost you at least $450.00

Are you sure that you hooked this thing up correctly? Your description of your set up indicated that you did not.

If this device isn't blocking macrovision and it is hooked up correctly all you have to do is get a device that blocks macrovision. The Clarifier or the Sima SCC definitely block macrovision.

[cTx3]

I fallowed how it says to in the instructions.

I plug the playing VCR on the OUT Video to the IN Vido of the Sima Copy This!

then from the Sima Copy This! I plug in the Video OUT to the Video IN (of either the VCR or Capture card.

I did alot of searching on this and everything that had the Sima Copy This! in it said it removed Macrovision (it's the reason I got it).

[FulciLives]

A VCR with a built-in TBC will not remove MACROVISION 100% of the time. It may remove it on some tapes but probably not from most.

The only way to remove MACORVISION and other forms of copy protection FOR SURE from a videotape is to use a stand alone TBC such as the DataVideo TBC-1000 or the AVT-8710 from AVTOOLBOX.COM

The other option is to use something like the Canopus ADVC-100 which is a capture device that can be made to ignore copy protection such as MACROVISION.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
The AVTOOLBOX.COM website has increased the price of the AVT-8710 to an unacceptable amount (from $179.00 to $250.00). If I recall correctly there is another website that you can purchase it from for a good $50 or so less (around $200.00) but I forget the name of that website now. Maybe someone else knows ...

Here is a link for the DataVideo TBC-1000
CLICK HERE

[presto]

The only way to remove MACORVISION and other forms of copy protection FOR SURE from a videotape is to use a stand alone TBC such as the DataVideo TBC-1000 or the AVT-8710 from AVTOOLBOX.COM

Are you saying The Clarifier and the Sima SCC do not remove macrovision for sure?

[FulciLives]

The only way to remove MACORVISION and other forms of copy protection FOR SURE from a videotape is to use a stand alone TBC such as the DataVideo TBC-1000 or the AVT-8710 from AVTOOLBOX.COM

Are you saying The Clarifier and the Sima SCC do not remove macrovision for sure?

The Clarifier has been reported to work but can create "shakey" looking video. Not a very good option if you ask me.

The Sima SCC does not remove MACROVISION from all sources though it does work on some sources.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[lordsmurf]

Do what FULCI said.

BTW, FULCI, that avatar is f***ing gross!

[presto]

Fulcilives,
Good Answer. I haven't heard anything bad about The Clarifier but I don't have one either. My Sima SCC works on most videos but I have had one or two where I think the macrovision was removed but the output siganal was shaky. Maybe this is symptomatic of these products.

[FulciLives]

Do what FULCI said.

BTW, FULCI, that avatar is f***ing gross!

LOL

You are like the 4th person to say that to me ... I'm proud

- John "FulciLives" Coleman