Filters to help BetaMAX capture??

[LSchafroth]

I am trying to capture and convert some really old movies which reside on BetaMAX tapes.

I have a Sanyo 7200 player I got from someone in alt.videos... group for $35 shipped.

It plays great on most tapes but I have a few that I cannot get the tracking to remove the horizontal lines. Is this a sign the player's heads and etc need cleaned?

What filters are available for VirtualDub or TMPGEnc that I can use to brighten the video and cleanup any tracking or other noise? I'm new to this, so am learning as I go.

LS

PS I am using a PCTV PCI card for capture and using Composit Video in, via IuVCR. No dropped frames or audio sync issues in 1 hour of capture.

[LSchafroth]

Anyone?

LS

[redwudz]

If they are noise lines that move up and down as you change the tracking control, try cleaning the head. It may help. If they are fixed in place, you can filter with Virtualdub to minimize them (Along with other video noise).
I am going to try the Flaxen vhs filters with Virtualdub to do about the same thing. They reportably work well. The problem with noise filters is they take a lot of time. I would try a short piece of video, maybe 3 minutes with different filters and see what they do. I tried this with a DV from an old LP VHS tape and the quality was much improved. However, to filter the whole tape (5 hours) would take about 20-30 hours. (Filtering with TMPGEnc's noise filter and encoding to MP2). Virtualdub has a bunch of filters available with the package and there are others you can download.

[LSchafroth]

I took the player apart and cleaned the heads, but the video looks exactly the same as beore.

I wonder if the old camera recorder I used back in the 80's had tracking that was too far off. I will try the filter you mentioned.

Thanks!!

LS

[spiderman2k1]

ATI AIW cards are the best for this they have vidoesoap to clean up noise. Use MMC 8.1 or higher. You can get a ATI AIw for $33.00 dollars at www.pricewatch.com All the ATI AIW card use the same capture software the high end one goes for $500.00 dollars it's only better for gaming thats it.

[LSchafroth]

I tried the VHS filter and it didn't appear to do anything to the video.

Anything I need to do to get rid of the scan lines?

LS

[spiderman2k1]

Can you take a snap shot and post it so we can see might help.

[lordsmurf]

I'm betting he's just worried about the overscan area, which stores noise.

[mazinz]

i have quite a number of older beta tapes (some ranging 21 years), it could very well be " tape degrade" also. Exactly where on the screen do the lines appear? if its towards the middle, it was probably a bad tracking problem when the source was recorded or tape degrade. If it's towards the edges, that part of the pic might be matted out (like Lord smurf sugested) and that is something you would not have to worry about at all

[johns0]

some tracking lines cant be removed because the previous beta recorder made the tape with marginal tracking for other beta players, most likely tracking problems with beta 3,having fixed a few hundred beta machines the tracking problems are worse than vhs.

[LSchafroth]

The tracking lines are in the middle of the screen.

I can adjust the tracking and get them to stay around thebottom 1 third of the screen. I was just wondering if there was a filter to remove them. Looks like I will have tolive with them in the video.

LS

[johns0]

There is one way to get rid of the tracking lines but it requires opening the beta machine and adjust the tracking posts closest to the head assembly,the thing about adjusting them is that you have to be very careful with the tape running and also to remember exactly where the tracking position was before its changed cause it probably wont play other tapes without tracking lines when retracked.

[spiderman2k1]

"LSchafroth" I do not think youcan remove the tracking line's it's part of the picture youcan remove noise but tracking is not noise. IF you can not fix the tracking use TMPG rencode and crop little of the picture. Also if you see a tracking problem on the computer at the bottom you might not see it on the TV. The TV does not display all the video.

[LSchafroth]

I'm interested in adjusting the tracking of the machine.
I will take a snapshot of the head area and let you see what I need to adjust.

Here is a sample of the noise. Very old tapes. They were taken with a horrible VHS camera back then and dubbed to a Beta machine. All my Beta camera shots are super clean.

Thanks!

LS

I couldn't get the image small enough so I reduced the colors to 16 with dithering, but you can still see the lines.

[LSchafroth]

Wow! That is not what the image looks like. Not sure what the forum is doing to it.

LS

[LSchafroth]

There is one way to get rid of the tracking lines but it requires opening the beta machine and adjust the tracking posts closest to the head assembly,the thing about adjusting them is that you have to be very careful with the tape running and also to remember exactly where the tracking position was before its changed cause it probably wont play other tapes without tracking lines when retracked.

Here is a pic of it. Which ones do I adjust?

Lannie

[spiderman2k1]

The first pic I do not see if any thing can help. Try clean the head or do some thing with the head's or buy a new Beta VCR from ebay and buy a good one. The second picture it did not get posted right can you please post it again to see it.

If I was you once you fix the vcr problem capture with a ATI AIW card with MMC 8.1 to clean up the extra noise.

[oldfart13]

Looks like you got what you paid for on that transaction. Sanyo's were notorious tape eaters and were MUCH lower quality than SONY. That's the only decks true Betaphiles use. I have several I bought off Ebay and from intown sources. I have techs in town who are still able to get parts and fix them. From the pic you posted, it looks like the heads are shot. Head clogging galore with badly worn heads.

[LSchafroth]

The first pic I do not see if any thingcan help. Try clean the head or do some thing with the head's or buy a new Beta VCR from ebay and buy a good one. The second picture it did not get posted right can you please post it again to see it.

If I was you once you fix the vcr problem capture with a ATI AIW card with MMC 8.1 to clean up the extra noise.

This site is killing my images. 50K restriction hinders me from posting pics and it messed up the first pic so bad you can't amke out anything.

I took the VCR apart and found the four tracking posts. I adjusted them for about 1/2 hour and now the tracking is perfect. Thanks for the idea!!!

The picture is pretty darn good now. No more jumping, no more noise and hte tracks are gone. Thats without a good cleaning yet.

Are their any instructions for the VHS filter so you know what each setting does? Using the defaults cleaned it up some.

Thanks again...

LS

[spiderman2k1]

"LSchafroth" that great happy to hear it work now for you video filtering is very easy. But I would get a cheep ATI ALL IN WONDER card to clean up the noise trust me on this i do alot of remastering nad "LORDSMURF" will tell you the same thing. ATI AIW have videosoap to there great for clean up old VHS tape's and if you need more then use"TMPG" that also has noise filter's but there good for cartoon's not live action I would say but you can still use them on live action just do not over kill it.

http://www.lordsmurf.com/ best site for remastering