I want to update , TBC or VCR?

[davideck]

with the Jvc tbc button On , there is not distortion.

The distortion at the top of the picture represents a significant timebase step error in the vertical interval that would be difficult for any TBC to correct.

If I understand you correctly;

Without either TBC, the picture is skewed and causes frame dropping but does not jump vertically.

The JVC TBC/DNR by itself eliminates the skew but introduces vertical jumping and does not eliminate frame dropping.

The DataVideo TBC by itself eliminates the frame dropping but does not improve the skew and does not cause jumping.

I assume that when both TBCs are used together that the skew and frame dropping is gone, but the jumping remains?

If so, then all I can suggest is to experiment with the VCR manual tracking to see if it provides a reasonable compromise between picture quality and minimal jumping. If you're technically inclined, you could open up the VCR to try adjusting the entrance guide to the scanner. But note that this is a critical adjustment and should be returned to its EXACT original location after capturing this tape.

Might you have the ability to test the Panasonic ES10 as a passthrough device? I don't know where you'd want to put it, but it would add another set of filters to the equation.

For these types of timebase correction problems, any additional devices should go between the VCR and the DataVideo TBC. I would argue that the DataVideo TBC output should always be connected directly to the capture device for two reasons;

1) As the DataVideo TBC digitizes the video signal, it embeds the timebase error into the Video image and then combines that image with internally generated stable and continuous sync. Any device after the DataVideo TBC will therefore see stable sync and will be unable to detect (or correct) the original timebase errors.

2) The main benefit of the DataVideo TBC is to guarantee continuous sync to the capture device. Placing another device between it and your capture device might disturb the benefit of this pristine sync signal.

[lordsmurf]

The reason I'm reluctant to insist on a location is I've had experience at errors going against common chains.

Be sure to use various wires, s-video, composite, coax. As well as move the various components to various places in that chain.

I'm still wondering if VHS to VHS would work. And if one wire connection fails, try another. Coax instead of s-video, for example.

At this point, we're not looking for optimal performance, we're looking for ANYTHING that gets the data from tape to digital.