fooling macrovision??

[roxbang]

hi everyone!!

I'm trying to copy old VHS tapes from my vcr to my ati radeon card. Of course the video looks like crap when I try to capture (probably macrovision messing up)....so ok.

BUT what if I try to connect the vcr to tv THEN connect tv to ATI??
Any chances macrovision signals will be gone??

I've tried to connect my vcr to my sony dvd standalone then to ATI...but unfortunately problem is still there. maybe because DVD players are "aware of macrovision"....

so, what do you think?? Besides software hacks (couldn't find ANY link!!), maybe there's a "physical" solution for it??

[steptoe]

This is about the cheapest hardware method of removing macrovision so you can put your VHS tapes onto DVD

It won't convert PAL/NTSC, its there to remove macrovision and thats it

The Link is :

http://interesting-devices.com/asp/product.asp?recorprod=1&product=251&cat=46&ph=&keyw...rchFor=&PT_ID=


There is also a super-duper do-it-all macrovision remover, but at a price. Then again, it miay be exactly what you need, as it will do a lot more than the first device

http://www.satalogue.com/section6/page0.htm




There is also a scart lead that does exactly the same thing, but its built into the actual cable, but I can't remember where the link is, nor what its called anymore !!

[roxbang]

hi, thanx for the tip!!

But I live in Brazil, so If I would try to import these things, I'd pay a fortune just with taxes and stuff (saaad...)

Still any solution to fool macrovision? I'm sure there must be an inexpensive way to get around this. My screen keeps on flashin on my old tapes...thats annoying...cause they arent "copy-protected".

oh gosh, ATI is killing me..I wonder if Pinnacle users suffers from the same problem

[offline]

I think steptoe covered the topic quite well. If you can etch your
own boards then there are designs on the net you can use to
make your own.

With ATI flashing with certain home videos - thats
a normal problem with ATI and NTSC - no fix except
an expensive TBC.

Either buy an analog capture card (cheapest) or
check out the ADVC and other cards in the
Capture Card link to the left - lots of info and comments.

[Nelson37]

There are software hacks, and $40 MV removers. It would be helpful to know your card model and OS, that is what your profile is there for.

[tweedledee]

Just a thought. Can it be done by using a DV camera pass through?

[roxbang]

I'm using an ATI RADEON 7500 and windows XP...

I'm really looking foward any ideas to try to fool macrovision...in my case, my problem is not exactly macrovision, it's a bad signal coming from the vcr..but getting around macrovision would (in consequence) solve the problem...


...but I really can't find any inexpensive solution :/

[dxj40c]

I use a product called Sima Videocopy Master ($50. at best buy). It has S-video and composite input/output. Just run the video signal thru this baby (VHS or DVD) and the protection is removed. They also have a web site, just use the key word 'Sima'. It allows you to copy with copy protection compliant cards like ATI AIW.
I've heard Best Buy quit carrying it, but I haven't verified that. I got mine about two years ago.

[lordsmurf]

I use a product called Sima Videocopy Master ($50. at best buy). It has S-video and composite input/output. Just run the video signal thru this baby (VHS or DVD) and the protection is removed. They also have a web site, just use the key word 'Sima'. It allows you to copy with copy protection compliant cards like ATI AIW.
I've heard Best Buy quit carrying it, but I haven't verified that. I got mine about two years ago.

Consider this verification. They quit stocking it about 6 months ago. Look online for SIMA products. The current SIMA items are the CT-1 and CT-2 (or something to that effect).

[presto]

Still any solution to fool macrovision? I'm sure there must be an inexpensive way to get around this. My screen keeps on flashin on my old tapes...thats annoying...cause they arent "copy-protected".

oh gosh, ATI is killing me..I wonder if Pinnacle users suffers from the same problem

I have an ATI AIW Radeon 7500 and have found that some of my older VHS tapes (home movies) simply could not be captured. The video exhibits what I call "flagging". It looks like a piece of the frame near the top has come loose and is flopping over the picture. It flops around like a flag and you can see the good picture under it.

Anyway, I was in Best Buy yesterday and saw a the Dazzle digital video creator 70. It only cost $70.00 so I bought it. Well it worked (pretty much). Most of the tapes that I had trouble with worked fine with this device. It is an external box that plugs into your USB.

I still had a few tapes that wouldn't work. I went back to Best Buy and returned the Dazzle 70 and bought the Dazzle Digital Video Creator 150. (Which cost $150). It worked even better. All the problem tapes that I tried worked.

I then got a bit greedy. I read up about the Pinnacle USB box (I forget the exact name). It seemed to do exactly what the Dazzle 150 did but it came with a full version of Pinnacle Studio 9 rather than the light version of Studio 8. So.. I went back to Best Buy (The gal behind the counter was getting a bit suspicious by now) and I returned the Dazzle 150 and bought the Pinnacle box. Well strangely enough it would not capture those videos at all. The preview screen just sort of froze.

Well Best Buy was very understanding and let me trade back to the Dazzle 150 and I'm very happy with it.

Trouble capturing old video tapes isn't macrovision it's your capture card.

[XBucklawX]

Trouble capturing old video tapes isn't macrovision it's your capture card.

I'm having trouble capturing vhs tapes with my ati 9000 pro because of macrovision and because of the fact that it (the card) is very sensitive to signals that are not 100%.
Now that exact same vhs tape can be captured PERFECTLY using my ati all in wonder pci card, which is about $200 cheaper than the ati 9000 pro!
These tapes are about 10 - 15 years old, and were recorded on an s-vhs machine back in the day, so these tapes are of excellent quality.

[psykoerik]

i remember i had the same problem!!
grrrhhh !!!..ATI radeon's are useless!!...
all the hype that they're the best is G.A.R.B.A.G.E!
(i searched all over net for cures..but it was useless!! )

i now use haupagge...and no signs ofmacrovision on ur old vhs tapes
also with my haupagge i use GREAT WIN-VDR software!...
lifes nice now

[lordsmurf]

More often than it being the card, it could also be a VCR or wires. This is why I use Monster cables and ahve 4 different VCRs available. Not all of them will feed a good signal to the ATI.

One VCR can make the ATI think it has MV, but another VCR does not. Same card. Another VCR gives the top-of-screen distortions, but another one does not. Again, same card.

So before you blame the card, it could also be your cruddy VCR. And yes, even my 9800 will do this with a tape from time to time, so I use another one. No piece of equipment is perfect enough to handle EVERY signal and tape it is fed.

[presto]

Lordsmurf,

Using my ATI AIW 7500 and my ATI AIW Radeon, I tried to capture these older tapes with every vcr in my house. (I have four). All exhibited the exact same flagging problem. With the Dazzle 150 this problem does not exist. Not on one tape yet.

[oldfart13]

Flagging indicates a sync problem, usually cleared up by something that restores the sync signal. Macrovision on myATI AIW 7500 was indicated by a solid green picture. The cure for that was the macrovision hack that was available on this site. Doing a quick check of the forums shows the tool isn't available here anymore but is available on other sites (with links). You'll just have to look for it...

[victor010170]

A website calls facetvision that sells clarifier. It states that this device will remove macrovision in vhs. Any one try yet?

[rtwaits]

Lordsmurf-
They must have moved the stock from your Best Buy store to mine in Syracuse, as there were many in stock, as well as some at Compusa, for $59, and $99.

My question is whether you would consider posting info on your links to the .RAR files on your site for ATI hacks stating that they will not work for drivers above MMC 8.1 or whatever the criteria is.

It seems that whoever wrote the hacks has not updated them or cannot change the software for whatever reason, so the answer is a corrector (such as Sima), or (another) video card that does s-video/composite capture only (I have an AverMedia PCI card. Good bad or indifferent, it seems to work
-Ross