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  1. Hi,
    hope some experienced folks can help after me fiddling and reading for days. I'm in the process of digitizing family hi8 and digital8 tapes. I tried that a few years back on Mac via firewire but I lost some files due to crash (I improved in the meantime my multiple storage strategies...).

    I have now a Windows 10 PC and thought I make my life easy and purchased the ClearClick video to digital converter which turned out to be a big disappointment. I still have my Sony TRV-110E which allowed me to shoot 16:9 which I did and the ClearClick only allows 3:2 and 4:3 capturing. I went ahead nonetheless though I will need to change the aspect ratio later via software. My first tape threw different error codes while I had connected the cam to clearclick via AV cables after reading a lot I decided to open the cam and check and fiddle around. When finally my s-video cable arrived and I used a different tape all looked good (besides the "squashed" picture). I'm considering already to get a firewire card and do all over again before all the tapes and cam completely die. (Still need to attack some VHS and check the VCR...one tape has already some serious mold)

    Now I have the last 8mm tape and it acts not friendly and I couldn't find anyone reporting a similar issue. The tape itself is curled at the edges and I suspect that's the problem but I would some picture. The tape instead starts and stops and not playing through. I RW and FW a few times in a row with the hope it'll help.
    Thanks

    Below some pics of the tape and a video of the behavior.
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    [Attachment 56899 - Click to enlarge]

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    [Attachment 56900 - Click to enlarge]

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    [Attachment 56901 - Click to enlarge]


    https://youtu.be/bS_26N5EeSE
    Last edited by Mr.Majestyk; 22nd Jan 2021 at 03:58.
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  2. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    It looks like the tape layers are stuck to each other due to mold, You need to take it a part and manually release it.
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  3. Originally Posted by dellsam34 View Post
    It looks like the tape layers are stuck to each other due to mold, You need to take it a part and manually release it.
    Thanks for the quick reply. I have to admit I didn't expect mold to be the culprit but may be (I have VHS where I can clearly see it's mold), here I sometimes stopped in between winding to check the band but I couldn't identify any mold. I was thinking if I should attempt ironing it.

    In case it's mold, do I just manually wind (after opening the case) and pull through a cloth or tissue ?
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  4. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    Yes, Take it out of the shell, wind it manually by making a jig on a tape to make sure the tape is not sticky, If you have another shell use it because it could be just the shell you have is defective.
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  5. well it kinda worked and not, my wife is gonna kill me, it's the tape with a scene from my younger son which we liked to remember ..
    first what I did and photos of my impromptu "jig" with lego
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    [Attachment 56923 - Click to enlarge]

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    [Attachment 56924 - Click to enlarge]

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    [Attachment 56925 - Click to enlarge]

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    [Attachment 56926 - Click to enlarge]

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    [Attachment 56927 - Click to enlarge]

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    [Attachment 56928 - Click to enlarge]


    The p2 hotos before the last show the only visible "anomalies" I could find. I have cut the portion which was damaged and tried to splice (last photo). The erratic behavior of start/stop disappeared but I have no picture and sound just blue screen. When I look at the clearclick it receives a video signal but nothing is showing.
    Is it possible I destroyed the band with my fiddling ? It shouldn't be possible that I would have wound the tape upside down ? (even with lego the winding was a pain..)
    Forgot to add, I took a tape I had captured and swapped the shells, no luck...
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  6. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    No, The scotch tape should not be facing the drum you risk damaging the heads, Do it again and reverse the adhesive tape. You should not have cut the tape, just clean it, it wasn't that bad to worry about.
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  7. Thanks for your support so far !
    I did correct my mistake (quite badly though but anywho..), I wound by hand beyond he spliced part and now I get some picture but with 3 grey bars , a bit pixilation now and then and again it will stop after a few seconds, start again and so on..gonna loose soon the few hairs left on my bald...

    Image
    [Attachment 56948 - Click to enlarge]
    Last edited by Mr.Majestyk; 24th Jan 2021 at 05:13.
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  8. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    How about the camcorder viewfinder? How does it look like? The best method to capture analog video is Vdub or AmarecTV PC software to hard drive.
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  9. Video Restorer lordsmurf's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Mr.Majestyk View Post
    purchased the ClearClick video to digital converter which turned out to be a big disappointment.
    Yep, junk.
    Want my help? Ask here! (not via PM!)
    FAQs: Best Blank DiscsBest TBCsBest VCRs for captureRestore VHS
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  10. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    Those boxes encode on the fly to the highest compression settings in mp4 container, every problem is baked in, not good. Kind of like what legacybox uses for their "Pro" service.
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  11. I know it's not good and I'm planning to use firewire on a Mac (though that dv format is a pain as a very limited apps seem to be able to open it on a PC) as I can't find a satisfactory way to connect the cam to my PC but for now at least I'd have a copy with the expensive toy.

    Viewfinder and monitor show the same picture as clearclick.
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