Top picture skewing from VHS - Who has a solution and is willing to try...

[tambrent]

Hey there.

I've been encountering top skew picture video issues in transferring VHS to DVD for some time now. I've been told the DataVideo TBC-1000 may work, although other solutions may as well.

I'm willing to try a bit of an experiment here, to ensure a proposed solution is one that would work for me. So, I'm asking anyone who currently has a solution to this sort of problem, I'd be willing to send a DVD copy showing the problem as well as the master videotape, to see if the method you'd use would resolve it. If it does, I'd look to move forward towards obtaining the product which resolved the issue.

So, if you are willing to help someone in need here, please let me know (replying to the post and sending me a private message through the site I guess is the best method).

Thanks very much.

Brent

[MOVIEGEEK]

That's normal when caturing analog,transfering DV via firewire can correct it.
If the distortion is <10% at the top or bottom the TV overscan will hide it.

[BrainStorm69]

Check into buying a used Panasonic ES10 DVD recorder. Using it in a chain between your VCR and capture device supposedly will fix the problem most times. Try doing a search in this forum for "ES10" and "tearing" and you should find more info on this topic.

[edDV]

If this is only for a few tapes that are important, take them to a dub house with a good frame synchronizer. Pay what you need to pay. They have the right equipment.

[tambrent]

Hey guys, thanks for your posts.

Hey Brainstorm69, one question. The current hook-up has a VCR hooked up directly to my Sony DVD Recorder. If I were to replace the DVD Recorder to a ES10, would that correct the issue directly? What I mean is, is there something in the ES10 that corrects the picture as it records? I'm not sure if that's the setup your describing. If so, I'll pursue one. Saw a few on eBay already.

Thanks.

PS - One more thing, during my searches, I've found a "Panasonic DMR-ES10S Diga Series DVD Recorder". Is that essentially the same thing?

[BrainStorm69]

Hey guys, thanks for your posts.

Hey Brainstorm69, one question. The current hook-up has a VCR hooked up directly to my Sony DVD Recorder. If I were to replace the DVD Recorder to a ES10, would that correct the issue directly? What I mean is, is there something in the ES10 that corrects the picture as it records? I'm not sure if that's the setup your describing. If so, I'll pursue one. Saw a few on eBay already.

Thanks.

PS - One more thing, during my searches, I've found a "Panasonic DMR-ES10S Diga Series DVD Recorder". Is that essentially the same thing?

Yes, the ES10 corrects the picture as it records. Some people think the Panasonics darken the picture too much, but it's a question of trade-offs. Would you rather have a darker picture (which can also probably be corrected) or the tearing.

I believe the S on the end only stands for the color of the unit (S=silver), but I'm not positive on that.

[ntscuser]

The Panasonic won't copy a commercial VHS tape to DVD.

[tambrent]

Brainstorm69, I think you're right, it was silver. Annoying how they add that into the name of the model. Found a black one and it didn't have the S (although I don't think it had a B either...). =) And, I figure I'd rather have a bit of a darker picture than the tearing, which is very annoying. Nonetheless, I figure I'll continue to use my Sony DVD Recorder for those tapes which don't have the tearing/skewing, otherwise I'd record the game on to the ES10, whenever I land one. Still keeping my master videotapes where this is the case so I can re-record them to DVDs once I have a method which eliminates this issue.

ntscuser, I'm only planning on transferring VHS tapes which have hockey games and such (recorded from TV, etc) to DVD, no commercial videos such as bought movies, etc. But thanks for the warning, I know all about the macrovision protection issues.

[Exousia]

How many VHS tapes do you have that you want transferred to DVD?

I have a Sharp Super VHS ET machine that I feed through a Canopus ADVC 300 unit into my computer via firewire. I then use Sony Vegas 7b and other comparable software to author and burn to printable DVDs very well. I print directly on to the DVDs and the result is excellent.

If it would be helpful to you I would be happy to take one of your tapes and do that for you to see if it would meet your needs. let me know.

[tambrent]

Hey Exousia, thanks for the offer. However, your setup is a little too much for what I currently am or am willing to accommodate here. I'm simply going VHS to DVD (and looking to continue that way) instead of going through the computer etc. With that current setup, I'd plan to continue using my Sony DVD Recorder for the majority of VHS to DVD transfers, unless I encounter a video with tearing/skewing issues. In that case, I'd naturally record on to the Panasonic unit.

It appears the Panasonic DMR-ES10 would resolve these tearing/skewing issues. I have my eye on a few. But I'm wondering if anyone can confirm as to whether the new model, the Panasonic DMR-ES15, possesses the same ability to eliminate these issues. I'll email Panasonic as well, although if they're as useless as the tech support at Sony with questions like this, I won't be receiving a worthwhile answer...

Thanks again to you all.

[ntscuser]

To the best of my knowledge, every Panasonic DVD recorder - from the DMR-E50 onwards - has had a digital timebase corrector built-in.

[tambrent]

Thanks again ntscuser. I'd just hate to purchase a unit on the Net and have it shipped here, only to find out it doesn't accommodate.

However, I'll take your positive feedback as one vote for the good side, although if there are any others who can confirm, that would be great as well.

[Barnabas]

I have a JVC VCR with a TBC, and an external TBC. For troublesome tapes such as the one you have, it usually takes both TBC's working together to get rid of the bending, and even then, there is occasional jumping or jittering in the area where the bending was, but it's not all the time, and usually is not noticeable. Some colorized tapes are the worst about bending for me.