Old Vivax DVD recorder IDE HDD to PC?

[Sicok]

Hi.

I have old Vivax DVD recorder which is dead. On his HDD I have videos which I really wan't to save. I managed to put HDD on HDD Caddy and with IsoBuster I managed to find 2 video files but on both video files are randomly scenes from my videos that were storaged on HDD (there was around 5 or 6 videos). How can I transfer videos with original start and ending position?

P.S. some scenes are missing after I recovered files, video is glitching and it is totaly unwatchable.

Thanks

[orsetto]

Are you using the trial version of ISObuster, or did you purchase a full license from the developer's website? The free trial version is limited to just showing you a partial demo of what it can salvage from a recorder HDD: to actually use the feature and properly transfer the videos to your PC, you must purchase a full license (approx 40 euro). If you did purchase the fully operational version:

ISObuster is pretty great at this task, but there are a few DVD/HDD recorder formats that the developer has not been able to fully solve (typically because he has not been able to obtain a sample of that recorder to examine closely). I've never heard of the Vivax brand in USA, and Google returns nothing but hits in Croatian language, so its not clear who actually mfr'd the machines. Either Vivax uses a file variation ISObuster cannot fully parse, or the HDD in your unit is corrupted/damaged to the point ISObuster cannot salvage enough data to recreate the videos.

Before ISObuster added capability to semi-automatically transfer videos from DVD recorder hard disks to PC a few years ago, the only method available was to tediously reconstruct a video fragment by fragment with a HDD salvage utility/editor like Stellar Phoenix. I suppose its possible such an app might be able to find more on your HDD than ISObuster did, but the work involved could be very difficult.

[Sicok]

Thanks for reply. I will try with stellar software.

P. S. I have full licence isobuster. Vivax DV Rhd100 is model of recorder. It is manufactured in Croatia. HDD is western digital 80 GB. HDD is surely not damaged. I watched videos normaly on dvd recorder before he stopped working. I cant turn him on any more.

[orsetto]

It appears the Vivax DV RHD100 was made in Asia, not Europe (almost all home video products were made in China by 2007 when this model was current). Who exactly made it for Vivax remains difficult to track down, since all the web reports of it are in Croatian and Google Translate is too clumsy to help in searching down such technical facts. Since you do speak the language and live there, perhaps you would have better luck searching thru the review websites to see if any of them mention the actual mfr that made the unit? I was able to comprehend a few remarks that Vivax sold standard recorders that had been customized with special firmware optimizing the menu displays for your language. Based on the design of the front panel, the true mfr was probably Funai/Phillips, LG or Lite On: some of these are not as well-supported by ISObuster as Panasonic, Sony, Pioneer, Toshiba and very late model (post-2008) Funai/Phillips recorders.

HDD is surely not damaged. I watched videos normaly on dvd recorder before he stopped working. I cant turn him on any more.

It is possible the HDD became damaged by whatever caused the unit to go dead. These recorder HDDs are not as protected as computer HDDs: if power to the recorder is suddenly interrupted by a surge in house electricity, or a capacitor wearing out in the unit, the HDD can easily trash its directory and video files.

Have you tried to get the unit repaired by an electronics technician? Sometimes it is much easier/better to repair the recorder than extract videos from the HDD with a PC. If your Vivax simply stopped working completely one day (no power to the display, won't turn on at all), it might actually be a simple repair: in most cases such a total failure is caused by either a blown fuse or an aging capacitor in the power area that needs to be replaced. Neither is difficult or a peculiar problem specific to video recorders: any shop that repairs computers should be able to test if your Vivax needs these simple repairs. Since ISObuster is unable to retrieve complete videos from Vivax HDD, your best solution might be to repair the unit so it can again burn it's HDD videos to DVD, then copy the DVD video files to your PC that way. Reconstructing 80GB worth of video fragments bit by bit with an HDD salvage tool will be very tedious, time consuming, and may result in missing minutes of the videos. Look into having the Vivax serviced if possible: if the HDD was not damaged by the power breakdown, the recorder should be good as new after repair.

[Sicok]

Thanks for quick reply. I will try to repair dvd recorder first. Thanks a lot. It is very probably fuse or something like that. DVD recorder stopped working over night. You cant turn him on any more.

[Spelio]

Thanks for these ideas.

My relevant question is what cables and jacks are you using?

I want to get VOB files from my Pioneer 520H via the unique FireWire jack on the front. I have 4 to 6 pin cables but no FireWire input to my Dell core i7…

Is there a FireWire to HDMI or to USB 3 cable that will work..?

Best wishes from Canberra, Au…

[orsetto]

I want to get VOB files from my Pioneer 520H via the unique FireWire jack on the front. I have 4 to 6 pin cables but no FireWire input to my Dell core i7…

Is there a FireWire to HDMI or to USB 3 cable that will work..?

See my reply to your similar question in the Pioneer DVR-520 DV thread, the answer is the same.

Using the Pioneer DV feature requires an old Win XP or Win 7 PC or laptop with standard early FW400/DV/IEEE1394 socket, preferably built into the motherboard but some add-on cards also work.

You cannot connect FireWire devices to a USB socket in your modern computer. The protocols are completely different and virtually no successful FW>USB adapters have ever been offered for sale (there was one old Pinnacle-branded video capture accessory that actually did manage to patch FireWire MiniDV camcorders thru USB, but it hasn't been tested with this very obscure Pioneer DV feature so I wouldn't recommend chasing one down second hand for a high price).

The Vivax brand DVD/HDD recorder this thread is dedicated to is an unusual unit specific to Croatia: the OP has not yet determined for sure whether the HDD is damaged or ISObuster is simply incapable of reading it because the developer was unable to evaluate a Vivax sample. You will not have these problems with a Pioneer 520: the ISObuster recorder HDD transfer feature was extensively tested and engineered for Pioneer file system compatibility. You can purchase an ISObuster license, Pioneer Service Remote and Pioneer Service DVD Disc for under 80 euro: this is your best solution.

[jwillis84]

I feel bad that we never got to look at more recorders from Hungry or Croatia.. we had a little more success with the UK and Germany recorders. People in those countries contributed feedback and contributed help to support a few models specific to those countries. Peter has spent a lot of effort to add support for some models I have no hope of ever touching from Belgium.

its not "impossible" for Isobuster to "never" learn how to support it.. but I simply don't have access to lot of recorders based on this chipset and i dont' have the incentive I once had to finish the work.

you can try to fix the DV-RHD100, but if that doesn't work, at least put the hard drive on a shelf and keep it in case its supported in the future

Orsetto's advice is probably best for the future.

[jwillis84]

Crazy cool experiment.

I don't have a DVR-520 handy at the moment, I could verify it later.

But I did have a DVR-510H, and a Dazzle Deluxe, or better known as the Pinnacle Marvin CR USB-500 (tiny blue box) with the Firewire port on it.

I fired up the DVR-510H, plugged a 6 pin to Firewire 400 cable between the DVR and the Marvin CR USB-500 and manually installed the Pinnacle Marvin Bus device driver. (The other end of the USB-500 was connected to a USB 2.0 port on the computer)

The Pioneer DVR-510H was recognized:


[Attachment 59384 - Click to enlarge]

Then it spawned a new device for the Pioneer DVR-510 under the Imaging branch of the device driver tree:


[Attachment 59385 - Click to enlarge]

Then I started VirtualDub 1.9.11 and it saw the Pioneer as a valid source:


[Attachment 59386 - Click to enlarge]

So I setup Virtualdub to point to a capture file and started playing a recording.

I turned off audio playback, and hit capture and it recorded.


The video file identified by MediaInfo suggests the Sony DV Codec was used:


[Attachment 59388 - Click to enlarge]

The following is the short clip from VirtualDub:

[orsetto]

Nice to hear you were still able to make the Pioneer 510/520 "undocumented" DV-out feature work on a current system, via the Pinnacle/Dazzle DV>USB bridge! As usual with this sort of thing, different user factions have different preferences as to the results (esp from VHS sources dubbed to these Pioneers). Some feel the DV transfer method yields sharper files, others feel the unconverted original MPG files on the HDD are cleaner if a trifle less sharp.

Kind of moot at this point, as the 510 is prehistoric and the 520 not much younger. None of the early Pioneers is good with direct VHS input: they lack the input buffers and stronger frame sync of the later models 530, 540, 550 and 560. Getting predictable, reliable VHS transfers with the Pio 510/520 usually requires a DataVideo TBC-1000 between VCR/recorder (the line TBC in a premium JVC/Panasonic VCR is often insufficient to prevent visible distortion). The 510/520 excelled at pre-ATSC off-air analog tuner broadcast recordings, which were impressively sharp and detailed with good color. Their line input performance suffered noticeably by comparison.

[jwillis84]

I think given the condition of most VCRs at this point, that a (full frame line tbc) and (frame synchronizer) are required by any serious effort to transfer tapes. The full frame line tbc seems the rarer thing to come by, but panasonic did make chips for that function.. found in many of their DVD recorders and Oppo DVD players. Marvell also appears to have made a chip that ended production in 2015 and was used in the Frame meister. Frame syncs seem a lot more common but also expensive. The only one available new today seems to go for 2995 usd. Shorter captures can help, but its a dogs breakfast.

My opinion is the DVD pass through method may become the only practical way going forward.. since the Datavideos are trading for such high price and need more and more service. Its just putting this hobby out of the reach of most beginners. I'm also not sure how much longer the DVD pass through method will last.. but it should last longer than the DVD burners.. I just hope people don't throw them out without realizing their utility in a second life.

It was a fun experiment though.

[jwillis84]

Checked using the Pioneer DVR-520H over FireWire with the Pinnacle 500-USB to my PC

Windows 7 x64 -- ( should work with Win8.1 and Win10 )

The FireWire 400 port is on the backside next to the USB 2.0 port


[Attachment 59401 - Click to enlarge]



[Attachment 59400 - Click to enlarge]

For completeness the same testing on DVR-510H succeeded on the DVR-520H.

Gee I miss the Nordic Pioneer Info website, that was truly a lifesaver for so many for so long.

[orsetto]

Gee I miss the Nordic Pioneer Info website, that was truly a lifesaver for so many for so long.

All us crazed Pioneer enthusiasts miss it, but while the website may be gone its "spirit" in the form of Hakan (Hkan here on VH) lives on and remains active. He still reads threads or posts from stranded Pioneer owners and does his best to offer personal assistance with things that were formerly available from the PioneerFAQ site. I hope he knows how much we appreciate his ongoing efforts to support the Pioneer user community...

Re VHS passthru: capabilities in this area vary significantly between Pioneer model series. Of the "Type 1" units, only the 2005 530 series can be relied on for digitizing VHS decently without assistance from a DataVideo TBC. And that may be limited to internal recording only: IIRC, my 533 wasn't terribly effective as a passthru unit for PC capture. The earliest 510, 810, 520 and 920 models of 2003-2004 are very unstable when recording from VHS unless a DataVideo TBC is patched ahead of them (meaning they're utterly useless for pasthru).

By contrast, ALL of the post-2005 "Type 2" Pioneers (540, 550, 560, LX series) make stable transfers from VHS with or without an outboard TBC (the 550/560/LX are a hair better than the 540/640 and Sony 780 due to their more advanced video chips). They also do a creditable job as passthru signal conditioners for PC capture of most "normal" VHS tapes, but aren't as capable as certain Panasonic recorders at correcting severe tape defects in passthru mode. OTOH, the Pioneers are more transparent with less potential artifacts, and they offer some fine tuning adjustments not available in the Panasonics. While Pioneers were more widely marketed in USA/Canada, the Sony versions were more prevalent in EU/Aus/NZ. The Sony equivalents to the "Type 2" Pioneers have model numbers ending in 70, 80 or 90 (i.e. RDR-HX780 etc).

As with VCRs, choosing the right passthru to match the tape being captured is best practice: if financially possible, owning both Pioneer and Panasonic (or Toshiba XS and Panasonic, or Sony RDR-HX and Panasonic) increases odds of success with any given tape.