Flickering after implementing TBC

[teeg]

I just purchased a Sony TRV480 Digital8 earlier this week to playback numerous 8mm analog tapes. This unit features an inbuilt TBC and DNR.

Just now I have started to test the passthrough facility, and to see the function and quality of the time base corrector and noise filter. It seems that setting the TBC to 'on' gives a flickering image -- regardless of whether DNR is on or off. This effects the whole frame. It almost looks like a bad telecine with the incorrect shutter speed set.

When looking at the LCD on the camera, you can see the 'flicker' when playing back tapes with the function on. So, it probably has something to do with the camera itself.
When playing back the transferred footage in Windows Media Player it flickers, whereas in Virtualdub Source and Output windows, the flickering is no longer seen. For some reason, also, I can re-encode the DV-AVI to an uncompressed format in VirtualDub and the new file is flicker-free.

If anyone can shed some light on this problem it would be appreciated.

[teeg]

If this is of any help. 48 frames of (PAL DV-AVI, 7megabytes) video with this shimmering/flickering.
http://rapidshare.de/files/15455986/sample1.avi.html

[FulciLives]

SONY makes a TRV-480 Digital8 model here in the USA but it is a NTSC only model.

Is that the model you bought?

If so it cannot do PAL but only NTSC.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[teeg]

On the side of the box it says, 'This is a PAL camcorder, PAL'. I bought it from a local retailer.
The Sony technicians told me that I should only use the TBC on 'bad' tapes -- using this function on decent tapes will produce a flickering motion.

When I first viewed this strange capture I immediately thought that there was an issue with the TV system.
Perhaps they are installing NTSC TBC chips in their PAL camcorders? Who knows.

Thanks.

[FulciLives]

Well I know the USA model was "480" so I just wanted to verify that you got the correct TV system ... which I guess you do ... although you think the model number would be different since it is a PAL unit.

One thing I have heard is that the built-in analog-to-digital passthrough works best when you are inputting a signal rather than playing back a tape.

So if you have 8mm or Hi8 tapes you want to convert it is "best" to play them back on another camcorder then input that camcorder into the new digital camcorder for the analog-to-digital passthrough.

The problem you have ... is it only happening with the old 8mm/Hi8 tapes or with other source material?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[teeg]

I bought this camcorder purely to playback Video8 analog tapes.
I have a TBC-3000 for VHS as well as a JVC SVHS VCR for my other material which I input through a Panasonic MiniDV camcorder. I have another VCR arriving soon with digipure.

I did try the analog passthrough with some VHS material (TBC and DNR enabled) and it didn't seem to generate any flicker/jitter like it does with 8mm/Hi8.


Thanks.

[FulciLives]

All I know is I have read a couple of posts that say that Sony Digital8 camcorders do not play back 8mm and Hi8 tapes very well when trying to do the digital conversion and that it is better to use another camcorder for the analog playback.

Maybe you can play your 8mm and Hi8 tapes in the SONY and use the analog out to connect it to your Panasonic and have the Panasonic do the analog-to-digital conversion via FireWire.

I know that sounds like a round about way but I'm just going by what I have heard.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[slacker]

All my Hi-8 tapes I converted using the original Sony Hi-8 camcorder connected to (passed thru) a new Canon Optura 500 miniDV digital camcorder on into my PC. Flawless Victory!

[FulciLives]

That's great slacker but what I am trying to say is this ...

A Digital8 camcorder can play back 8mm and Hi8 tapes. It can play them back and output an analog A/V signal or it will convert them to DV AVI format so you can connect the Digital8 cam to the computer via FIREWIRE and do a digital capture.

However I read a post or two saying that at least some Digital8 cams do a poor analog-to-digital passthrough when playing back a 8mm/Hi8 tape but do fine when the 8mm/Hi8 tape is played back on another camcorder and connected to the analog inputs of the Digital8 cam ... then the conversion to digital happens A-OK.

But teeg doesn't have another way of playing back 8mm/Hi8 tapes but does have another digital camcorder with analog-to-digital passthrough so that is why I suggested he play the 8mm/Hi8 tapes on the Digital8 but use the analog out to the other digital cam for digital conversion.

Hope that makes sense and most importantly I hope it works without any "flicker" issues etc.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[slacker]

I understand FulciLives.

But based on your posts, long term and short term it seems logical to...

1. Take the Digital 8 back
2. Dig up the original 8 or borrow one
3. Purchase a new DV cam and use that for pass thru

To keep the Digital 8 seems pointless.