How do I use the Sony EV-S3000 TBC to enhance VHS tapes?

[yoda313]

Hello,

Ok I just bought a used Sony EV-S3000 TBC this morning for 10.00 USD at a garage sale. It seems to work and is in great shape.

I hooked it up and everything seems to work and it even came with the remote!

Now my question is how do I use it to enhance vhs tapes?



My initial hook up right now is to my pc with my pinnacle usb capture device. I have my Panasonic dvd-vcr combo deck (dmr-es46v) connected to the line in on the tbc (only via composite at the moment - I only have one svideo cable right now). I then have the tbc connected (line out) to the capture device via svideo and rca audio out. -

A couple of questions:

Should I have the monitor out going to a separate tv and the line out going to the capture device?

- this TBC actually has a hi-8 tape drive in it. Is the only way I'm going to get full use of the tbc by dubbing to hi-8 then playing back? - if that is the case how bad would the generational loss be on the extra transfer step?

Does this unit support full tbc passthrough? it does have line input of course.

Is this a full frame tbc and what does that mean in terms of quality and functionality?



This was only 10.00 so in the end if this isn't the perfect tbc to enhance vhs tapes with another vcr I am not out a lot of money - and it does work apparently.

I'll be searching the net for a manual so I can do more research on this.

Thanks for any advice and suggestions.

FYI this will be for dubbing personally recorded and personally owned commecially produced vhs video tapes by the way (backing up to the pc for eventual dvd production).


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Also another question would I be better off looping this machine back to the panasonic dvd-vcr combo unit and using its dvd burner to do realtime dvd dubs? It has 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hour record modes. It does also have a flexible recording mode that I haven't fully read up on yet - I'm hoping that means it would allow for 2 1/2 hour recordings instead of using a lessor quality 4 hour record mode.

Thanks again.

[yoda313]

Hello,

I tried using this unit as a passthrough.

I hooked up a normal stereo vcr to its inputs. I then hooked the line out into my panasonic dmres46v dvd recorder combo.

I played a commercially produced vhs tape in the normal stereo vcr and tried copying it on my panasonic dvd recorder. The dvd recorder said it could not record copyrighted material.

The evs3000 was turned on and the volume indicators showed it was receiving a signal and I saw it clearly on the tv on the input channel of the dvd recorder.

Is this not a true TBC? It is for hi8 camcorder tapes but it has input jacks and it clearly says it is a TBC.

Am I not doing something right? I used composite out from the vcr (regular vcr not svhs) to the ev-s3000 and the svideo out from the evs3000 to the input on the dmres46v. By all rights from what I understand of tbc they are supposed to eliminate copy protection.

What am I missing?

FYI the dnr and TBC lights were lit up on the evs3000.

[filmboss80]

You have things backwards. You do not have a TBC with a Hi-8 deck. You have a Hi-8 editing deck with onboard TBC. It is not a dedicated, standalone time base corrector. I don't know how well a pass-through signal is going to work, and making a VHS-to-Hi-8 dub will drop your video down a generation -- not so great when you're dealing with analog.

I had one of those decks in the '90s and it was stolen. (Lots of my old home videos are on Hi-8.) You got that deck for an absolute steal. If you can't get it to work for your purposes, you could still make a nice profit selling it on eBay. (I wouldn't even mind giving you a few bucks for it.)

[yoda313]

It is not a dedicated, standalone time base corrector

Ok thanks for clearing that up.

I don't know how well a pass-through signal is going to work

How would I be able to know if it works at all as a pass through? I don't know what I'm doing with it on the feed from vcr 1 to the sony ev-s3000 then to the recording dvd combo. I can get the signal to pass through properly but I don't know if the tbc function is being activated.

I also tried it in this configuration for stripping mv on a commercial tape but no go.

I also made sure it was going through the monitor out not the line out as i had previously set up but the dvd recorder still sees the mv and refuses to record the commercial tape.

making a VHS-to-Hi-8 dub will drop your video down a generation -- not so great when you're dealing with analog.

Should I at least try it to see how it goes? If there is any hardware filtering involved on the initial dub that might be better (or easier since its realtime) than doing things software side afterwards (post capture).

You got that deck for an absolute steal. If you can't get it to work for your purposes, you could still make a nice profit selling it on eBay.

Really? I haven't looked on ebay yet. This unit seems to be fully functional with no apparent issues (haven't tried the actual tape playback however). As I mentioned I also have the remote.

(I wouldn't even mind giving you a few bucks for it.)

PM me if you're serious. We could haggle if this won't really serve my intended purpose.

HOWEVER:

I do have a sony video 8 camcorder that is mid to late 90s vintage. It has a lanc output on it and this deck has lanc controls. I don't have a lanc cable that I know of. Is that the same thing as a headphone patch cable? You know the small headphone to small headphone jack adapter you use to go from a cd/mp3 player to an aux input on an alarm clock or car deck input jack?

Should I try using it for capping my tapes? I haven't had the need or desire to do so but if this deck is suited just for that it might be worth my while to test it.


FYI - I do have a left over blank in the wrapper tape I can use for dubbing tests that might be worthwhile.

[bidbiz1]

I have a EV-S3000, the TBC function is only utilized when actually recording onto the Hi8 tape. Copies of mediavision protected media can be recorded onto Hi8 tape but those tapes can not be copied onto a DVD recording deck, I believe some remnants of the mediavision protection remains in the signal. I will be trying a video stabalizer soon and will post results.

[yoda313]

I have a EV-S3000, the TBC function is only utilized when actually recording onto the Hi8 tape. Copies of mediavision protected media can be recorded onto Hi8 tape but those tapes can not be copied onto a DVD recording deck, I believe some remnants of the mediavision protection remains in the signal. I will be trying a video stabalizer soon and will post results.

Thanks. However that will not be necessary on my account. I have recently acquired a used panasonic svhs player with tbc. That has all that I need.

But others may find some benefit in your tests. If you do want to proceed you may want to start a new thread so it will be relevant to the topic.