VHS tracking...

[MeekloBraca]

Is there a product of relative low cost, that can help fix tracking errors in tapes. Im not looking at video quality restoration, but I just want the screen to stay still.

[lordsmurf]

Just try lots of VCRs. Including the $25 off-brand Walmart special.

[MeekloBraca]

Ive realized my problem is the Lite on dvd recorder not the VCR or even the tapes. The tapes, while old, play reasonably well on their own without the recorder, in the recorder they play like shit. It could be macrovison? But then ive seen what macrovision did to my tapes with the panasonic es20 and thgat was much worse than it is now.

Can you recommend a solution? I went back to standard lite on firmware and it looks about the same.

[MeekloBraca]

You know what? This must be a macrovision problem and ill tell why.

When I recorded to DVD tapes in my 7600 JVC there were no jitters. The tapes were very good quality and playback was excellent. There were no jitters Where the 7600 failed was for tapes in not go good quality, the tracking was abysmal. These tapes played on another VCR without the dvd recorder play just fine, plug it into the dvd player with the standard vcr and its jitter city. What do you guys think?

[Cyrax9]

LordSmurf hit the nail on the head here if it's not Macrovision. I've learned that some tapes recorded on Sony VCRs in the mid-90s are only going to play on Sony VCRs from the mid-90s or the dreaded Wal*Mat nonstandard special that'll last you three days. I had tapes where the tracking was the problem and almost wondered if it would have been a better idea to scan the tape a la film negatives had I had the ability to do so.

If it's Macrovision a TBC should do the trick -- stick it between the VCR and your capture device. If PC capture gives you a headache, use a JVC Set-Top Recorder, (I say JVC since they're the best for remastering) and any of the Prosumer S-VHS VCRs from JVC, stick the TBC between the two, copy onto a cheap "disposable" DVD-R in the JVC Recorder, rip in DVDFAB Decrypter, and then do whatever other editing you deem nessecary on your PC. I've learned that for analog video this seems to be the best way to avoid dropping frames, and I reccomend JVC because when I took my first TV class I was in a lab of nothing but JVC equipment and the "Lab" was an actual studio that broadcasts to two counties so there has to be some reason why they went with JVC on everything.

[MeekloBraca]

I dont believe it was a macrovision problem, it was a dvd recorder problem. I did some tests and plugged the vcr into the dvd recorder and then the tv while playing the tape and it was night and day. It only did this for a select few but that was enough for me to send it back to the yard. JVC DMR70 does the trick perfectly, now 14 flawless conversions. Well flawless in that it comes out as well as its played.