Multi-Generation VHS restoration (sample video)

[Cherbette]

I have tons of VHS most of which is at least 2 or 3 generations copied...which means that things like time base errors have now become a part of the image:



Can anything be done?

Clip: http://www.mediafire.com/?2u45brkcmp12vp9

[jagabo]

You can fix things like black level and colors but you can't fix the time base problems in software. For small errors (frames here and there) you can replace frames with nearby frames, even motion interpolated from surrounding frames. But it's a lot of work.

[Cherbette]

If I had a unit with a built-in TBC to use as a passthrough (such as a DVD-R) would that correct the problem even if the tape has been copied several generations? Or would that sort of issue have to be corrected as you mentioned above through replacing nearby frames etc?

[jagabo]

I think there's a good chance an SVHS deck with a line TBC will clean up a lot of the time base problems in that clip -- it doesn't look too bad. Maybe a Panasonic ES15 or similar DVD recorder too.

[mathmax]

at least the source is not so bad.. if you deinterlace, you'll see that the the TBE are quite regular in space for each field. And the edges are rather clean.. I think that could also be fixed by aligning the lines if you can't get rid of that problem with hardwares.

[Cherbette]

I'm pretty sure my Panasonic DVD-R has S-Video...I still haven't gotten to it in storage but I'm pretty sure it's a DMR-E55K model.