Help me identify this video flaw and how I might improve the quality

[michaelv976]

Please refer to the footage I have placed on You Tube for the purpose of this exercise (I hope this is ok?).

It's old footage of people I went through university with jamming at some backstreet pub. I've taken an extract of the flaw that is repetitive across pretty much the entire length of VHS-C tape, returning say every 10 seconds. Prior to burning onto a DVD I'd like to know if I can clean it up at all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g307xwrxqm4

Thanks in advance (and goodnight, it's late here!).

Cheers
Mike

[lordsmurf]

EP mode recording, bad tracking.
That whole video needs cleaning, be it chroma noise or audio issues.

VHS-C tapes are a real bitch to work with. Don't let the "VHS" part fool you, the tapes act nothing like VHS tapes, even if they are VHS spooled into a smaller cassette. These tapes damage easily, so the more you play it, the more you're messing it up, by all odds.

For something like this, you're honestly better off sending it to a service that specializes in both restoration and VHS/VHS-C format tapes.

[Megahurts]

It looks like a dirty audio/control track head.

Have you tried playing it on another vcr assuming you're using a vhsc to vhs adaptor?

[michaelv976]

Thanks for the feedback gents.

Tape was being played through about 4 different devices for that snippet (analog JVC cam into Sony VHS into JVC mini-dv into PC!) as the adapter tape is playing up. In any case it tended to do the same thing played in the converter tape directly into a VHS.

Any idea how much say an hour's worth of footage should cost to get it professionally cleaned? I'd need to consider whether we think it's really worth it.

Appreciate the advice.
Mike