Video8 captured files with large horizontal bands

[FLP437]

Hello,
I recently decided it was time to digitize my stock of about 60 video8 tapes ,all of them 20 to 25 years old. My first captures run reasonably well but of the 60 tapes about 20 appears with strange horizontal bands that complete ruined the tapes playback. I have tried to identify the origin of the problem and a similar pattern on the forums like this one but didn´t find anything that appears identical and so far without identifying the problem I have not been able to find a solution hoping there is one.
The original camera a Sony CCD-F500E is no longer in good condition , eventually it will still be able to playback the tapes but I have been unable to open the cassete compartment,t it´s bloqued ,I have tried several possible solutions but gave up as I think the camera need service .
As I had a deck Sony SLV-T2000 dual hi8 / VHS in good condition that reads video8 tapes I tried to use it to make the captures and tried 2 hardware approaches :
SLV-T2000 (Svideo) – canopus advc55 – pc (firewire)
SLV-T2000 (Svideo) – pinnacle moviebox usb710 – pc (usb )
The results were of similar quality and both with very few or none drop frames
As a capture software I have tried windv, scenanalyser Live,virtualdub and pinnacle studio 15 the results where all very similar but in the end I have retained as more practical the svideo-advc55-firewire and windv as capture software.
However I have not been completely satisfied with the capture results and after reading that eventually better results were possible with a dgital8 camera, bought a used sony DCR- TRV238E with TBC/DNR backward compatible with video8.
The captures with the sony digital8 with TBC on and DNR off seemed to me to give the best results so far.
Is with that final configuration sony digital8 (TBC-on/DNR-off) directly through firewire and with WinDV that I got 40 very reasonable quality captured tapes and about 20 terrible ones all with the same problem 3-4 large horizontal bands/stripes occupying almost half of each frame.

I tried almost everything I could figure out to try to solve the situation ,namely a external TBC the AVT-8710
DCR-TRV238E (svideo or composite )- AVT-8710-advc55- pc(firewire) but got no results
The same problem appears using the deck SLV-T2000 and using any of the outputs svideo or composite. TBC or DNR camera switching as also no effect.
The tapes were ok 10-12 years ago the last time that I saw them and they don’t appear to have physical damages. The tapes with the problem are of the same brands as the good ones TDK and Sony , 60 and 90 min all them good and bad recorded in SP . All the tapes have been stored all together in a file box for the last 15 years or so. I tried to pos process the captured file with several filter in virtualdub, desinterlacing, denoise (neat video) , etc and got no results.
I hope an experienced member could identify the problem and if possible propose a solution
Thanks in advance

[Leo E. Backman]

Hi,

The problem with your Video8 tapes is obvious - and fairly common, too.

The two tape height guide poles attached to the so-called tape loading arms in your camera are loose. These guides pull the tape around to either side of the video head cylinder. The guides also determine tape height in relation to the rotating video heads. When loosened, these guides start slowly turning on their own, bringing the tape to wrong height in relation to the video heads - during recording!

We've had cases at DigiOmmel & Co., where thape guides in a Video8 camcorder had turned a little more at each reload of the tape. So we had to readjust the guides 'on the fly' to get the footage properly captured.

This is a case of serious tracking error, the one you can fix only by readjusting one or both of the guides. For this, you'll have to go inside the machine since Video8 VCRs do not have a manual tracking control knob like VHS machines do.

Remember also, that once you have tweaked your VCR/camcorder guide poles for these tapes, you'll need to be able to bring them back to standard height. So, before you do anything, mark the guide pole's initial position by a felt-tip marker or something.

I am posting here a sketch of Video8 mechanism. You'll need to adjust TG3 and TG6 for these tape and then bring them back to standard height.

LeoB

[FLP437]

Thanks for your useful and enlightening answer

However I would like to clarify if possible where do you think it will be more effective to make the modification as I have 3 possible equipment’s to do it.

Sony CCD-F500E the original camcorder that recorded this tapes, but currently doesn’t work but can be eventually be repaired ( The problem seems more mechanical than electrical with the cassette compartment mechanism blocked and refusing to open even if we hear the electrical gear trying to). However this camcorder is quite old about 26 years and only as composite video as output.

Combo VCR Sony SLV-T2000 videoHi8/8 – VHS – in full condition and not so old as the first one, where it will be perhaps easier to do the modification due to its size and as s-video output but offers a slightly lower quality than the digital8 camera

Sony Digital8 DCR-TRV238E camcorder which is the newest of the three, backward compatible with vídeo8, with tbc/dnr and firewire allowing to do the A/D conversion in one pass and as given as far as I am concerned the better results so far .

Thanks again for your time

[lordsmurf]

The tapes were likely recorded misaligned, so the player is not at fault.

[Leo E. Backman]

Thanks for your useful and enlightening answer

However I would like to clarify if possible where do you think it will be more effective to make the modification as I have 3 possible equipment’s to do it.

Hi again,

The SLV-T2000 seems the best choice since camcorders usually need to be taken pretty much apart to insert a screwdrider to the guide poles.
Also, the Y/C video output offers the best image quality. We are using Sony EV-S9000 and EVO-9850P for Video8/HI-8 transfers since they have internal TBCs.

I am just downloading a service manual for SLV-T2000. I'll take a look at it come back to you ok?

LeoB

[Leo E. Backman]

Hi,

I just looked at the SLV-T2000 service manua, but it doesn't offer much help because almost all service adjustments are done via remote control. But this error need to be fixed mechanically. I'll attach here a picture made from another machine, but it should give good instructions. If you need more info, please let me know.

[FLP437]

Thanks again for your detailed answer. I will try and see if i can do it