Same recurrent problem with ATI AiW 8500DV card, comments ?

[Zetti]

Hi friends,

I have an All in Wonder 8500DV card and I have read this at the "comments" page at this site :

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"After having this card for a few months, found a big defect. So I'm lowering my rating to a "5".

Capturing Hi8mm analog to AVI or MPEG2 works great. Capturing VHS tapes made within past few years works great too.

But a major flaw has to do with old tapes. Say those recorded over 5-10 years ago. Not commercial tapes, but home videos recorded in the 80's.

Flaw is that when playing these tapes on current generation VCR's such as Sony, JVC, (4 head, digital tracking etc), they look great on TV. But when seeing video on PC even in capture preview, there are occasional frames of distortion on top 25% of video. Can be best described as tearing or bending of the top of the video.

Have found that by finding an old 2-head vcr from 1980's problem doesn't exist. Has something to do with AGC circuitry in current VCR's not present over 10 years ago. capture card appears to not handle this correctly. Via web/google searches have found dozens of other 8500DV owners with same complaint. Exchanged emails with a few. Even sent ATI customer support lists of complaints from others, sample pictures and they haven't responded with anything other than "will get back to you" in a month. Talked to them by phone too.

No its not macrovision. So if you are going to use this card to convert old vhs home video's and your VCR is relatively new, go find an old VCR at a garage sale first. Or buy a different capture card."


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I HAVE THE SAME ISSUE !

I admitt that, as clearly stated by the above user, it only happens to VHS tapes that have seen better days, but of course I'd like to fix it anyway,

Does anyone have any comment on this ?

I might say that this user reported clearly and very accurately the issue I have - and I have the same card.

Anyway, I don't intend to buy an old VCR to fix it, audio would be poor, video too (although probably stable), etc, etc;

I've been thinking about getting an external USB hardware encoder real time MPEG-2, and keep the AiW card only for Scheduled TV Recordings, what do people think about it ?

Does anyone have any insight about good USB external MPEG-2 encoders, on the range say of $ 200~400 ?

Does anyone have any particular comment about ADS "DVD + DV" external USB box ?

On another way of thinking, should a TBC fix it, so I could input the old tapes to 8500DV card properly ?

Well, comments welcomed;

Thanks,

Zetti

[Dr_Layne]

I have the same card. A Time Base Corrector fixed this for me.

[Zetti]

I have the same card. A Time Base Corrector fixed this for me.

Thanks Layne,

What exact model did you get ?
Can you recomend a Time Base Corrector in the range of $ 100 - 300 ?

Thanks,

Andre

[lordsmurf]

DataVideo TBC-1000 www.bhphotovideo.com

Also a good VCR helps JVC SR-V10U or JVC HRS-7900U or -9800U

[Zetti]

DataVideo TBC-1000 www.bhphotovideo.com

Also a good VCR helps JVC SR-V10U or JVC HRS-7900U or -9800U

Thanks Lord, but I have PAL-M tapes that need to be passed through an external NTSC transcoder, so I have to get a TBC instead of a non-capable PAL-M VCR;

Does the TBC-1000 also removes Macrovision ?

Thanks,

Zetti

[lordsmurf]

yes

[Zetti]

Thanks Lord and everybody that replied,

Well, TBC-1000 is too expensive - even more than an external USB hardware MPEG-2 real time encoder - I'll have to figure out carefully what is the best solution,

Thanks again,

Zetti

[lordsmurf]

SIMA SED-CM may help you out too, at only $40.

The "problem" is normally tape errors, or visual errors in overscan (which would not be seen on tv anyway) for most of those with "complaints".

If it's 25% of the image, it could be many things, but bad tape is still #1 error.

Only a few times do I see this on the ATI but not the tv (using same tape, same vcr). Normally very old homemade tape. Has flaws that the ATI exploits.