Is this VCR good enough as a source for capture job?

[MBTV]

Hi, my 1st post here.

Like so many, I have some VHS tapes I want to digitize while they appear to still be in reasonable order. They are about 20years old and haven't been played a lot. Out of a number of tapes there's about a dozen that takes precedence. The tapes are Panasonic Super High Grade HiFi E180 recorded on SP on the machine in question. The tapes have been stored upright and kept in the dark but may have been subject to some temperature fluctuations but not extremely so. I realize there's a number of links in this chain one needs to consider and capturing from a reasonable source is obviously the 1st one.

The VCR is a Stereo Mitsubishi HS -E52 (NZ) . Back in the day it cost much more than the ordinary run of the mill consumer level VCR. I presumed it to be "upper range consumer level." I dont know what the equivalent model number (if anything) would have been in other countries. It has never played rented videos or el cheapo's and I basically refused to play anyone elses videos in it. So it hasnt had a rough time.

The only problem Ive had is trying to pin down the reason for a few intermittent episodes of chewing tape. This was after rewinding to the start and pushing play. After unravelling the tape out of the machine you could see the clear leader tape had come out of the reel. Between those instances the unit played other tapes fine. So a recent episode had me taking it to get looked at.

At the time of inspection the only service work needed was with a mechanical part that needed lubricating but the unit seems to be in good condition otherwise, including the heads. The tapes he put in played fine. We couldn't recreate the problem and thus ascertain whether that leader came out after the rewind or after pushing play. I intend to test it with some tapes that "dont matter" but I have to get a capture device yet. 1st things 1st.

One acronym Ive come across time and again is TBC. Im wondering if this VCR suffices with these features as described in the manual:

Automatic Digital tracking - (which you can set manually as well.)
Picture quality adjustment - (sharpness or softness)
Intelligent Picture COntrol - (automatically "refines" tapes in good condition or bad condition)

Thanks for any comments and help.

[manono]

One acronym Ive come across time and again is TBC. Im wondering if this VCR suffices with these features as described in the manual...

None of those three features is a TBC. Since that's a major selling point, if it had a TBC (Time Base Corrector) in it you'd have come across mention of it somewhere in the manual. There would probably be a button on the outside to turn it on and off. Maybe some brands have it switchable in a menu somewhere (but I haven't heard of any like that).

You can always pick up a DVD recorder with one and use it in pass-through mode to get a line TBC into the chain.

[MBTV]

Thankyou for your response manono. Is there a list of models of DVD recorders that have this pass through mode and how do you tell if they have it? Also, are you saying the TBC feature is actually in the DVD recorder or do you mean another device "in the chain"?

[manono]

It's in the recorder. I have a Panasonic DMR-ES15 and although I'm in NTSC land, I believe it's called the same in PAL countries. Others know more about that than I and there are several threads here about which brands and models have them which are better than others. For example, try this:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/319420-Who-uses-a-DVD-recorder-as-a-line-TBC-and-what-do-you-use?