WinDV, Sony camcorders pass through and signal stabilization

[W_Eagle]

As I understood from reading this forum, all or most Bone camcorders have the pass through option. In pass through analog video signal enters the camcorder's analog input, while the camcorder's firewire output is fed to a PC (or any other firewire input video recording device). This way, the analog video signal get stabilized by the Sony passing through camcorder.

Questions.

1. Is my understanding correct? If not, what is correct about pass through?

2. Does the quality, or degree, of stabilization in the pass through by Sony camcorders is good enough so that one wouldn't need a TBC in cases of very unstable video source, like VHS tapes?

3. If the answer to question 2 is "yes" -- is there any advantage to a TBC over pass through?

4. Does stabilization occur on all Sony camcorders that have pass through, including Digital 8 ones, like TRV460?

5. Does the same degree of analog signal stabilization is achieved by using the pass through of WinDV (though in this case the input should be firewire)?

[The_Doman]

I have a Sony DVD8 TRV120 (PAL) and use it a lot for A/V passthrough

Answers:

1. You are correct, that is how I use my camcorder too.

2. I digitized quite a lot of VHS stuff now this way and all with very good results. It even bypasses the Macrovision signal through the firewire (But I don't know if the newer models do the same).

3. I really can't say, possible there are higher quality solutions around but at a price. The passthrough option just makes great stable captures for me.

4. My guess is all the Sony camcorders with analog in use the same principe as part of their analog to DV conversion.

5. I don't know exactly what you mean, WINDV just copies digital data. Nothing will change there.

[thecoalman]

1. Is my understanding correct? If not, what is correct about pass through?

In a nutshell yes that is what it does.

2. Does the quality, or degree, of stabilization in the pass through by Sony camcorders is good enough so that one wouldn't need a TBC in cases of very unstable video source, like VHS tapes?

Depends on what you mean by unstable, consumer cams will never be able to correct as well as a full frame TBC. Matter of fact I would think most would offere little correction. They simply record what they are fed, once recorded it's stabilized since it's now a digital stream but it has only stabilized what it was fed. If the siganal is bad you're going to see little if any improvement. May even look worse.

3. If the answer to question 2 is "yes" -- is there any advantage to a TBC over pass through?

You still need to pass through or convert the video. A TBC only corrects the timing of a signal. If your tapes are in good shape you probably won't see a lot of benefit. On the other hand if the video is "moving" all over the place it can probably help a lot.

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1115672#1115672

[W_Eagle]

Thanks, both of you.

Anyone about the stabilization effect of WinDV when used as a pass through?

[The_Doman]

Depends on what you mean by unstable, consumer cams will never be able to correct as well as a full frame TBC. Matter of fact I would think most would offere little correction. They simply record what they are fed, once recorded it's stabilized since it's now a digital stream but it has only stabilized what it was fed. If the siganal is bad you're going to see little if any improvement. May even look worse.

Ofcourse there is no full featured TBC there, but all my VHS stuff I feed through my Sony Camcorder come out great.
All horizontal movement/jitter often present when when capturing a unstable (VHS) source is removed resulting in a rock steady picture.
I can cleary see the difference when I use my other capture devices (BT848 card, Hauppauge PVR150).

[The_Doman]

Depends on what you mean by unstable, consumer cams will never be able to correct as well as a full frame TBC. Matter of fact I would think most would offere little correction. They simply record what they are fed, once recorded it's stabilized since it's now a digital stream but it has only stabilized what it was fed. If the siganal is bad you're going to see little if any improvement. May even look worse.

Ofcourse there is no full featured TBC there, but all my VHS stuff I feed through my Sony Camcorder comes out great.
All horizontal movement/jitter often present when when capturing a unstable (VHS) source is removed resulting in a rock steady picture.
I can cleary see the difference when I use my other capture devices (BT848 card, Hauppauge PVR150).

[thecoalman]

Thanks, both of you.

Anyone about the stabilization effect of WinDV when used as a pass through?

I think you're missing the point. Once the cam converts it to DV that's it. It's now a digital stream. WinDV only acts as a go between. The stream coming off the cam is what is. No matter what software you use to "capture" with providing your capturing as DV-AVI the results will be indentical.