Turning TBC off in favor of Video Calibration.

[digicube]

I have a JVC HRS-7600. TBC cannot be turned on when Video Stabilizer is on. So I usually leave TBC off in favor of Video Stabilizer because it seems to me Video Stabilizer is a more crucial feature than TBC because it prevents jumpy pictures. What do you guys think?

Edit: It should be Video Stabilizer, NOT Video Calibration.

[johnmeyer]

Turn off the video stabilizer unless you absolutely need it. On most decks, it only helps if the video is EP (i.e., the 6-hour mode). It is designed to reduce the vertical "jumping" that you sometimes get with old 6-hour video. If you don't see vertical jumping, then you don't need it.

A good TBC corrects quite a few different problems, and usually makes a substantial improvement in the quality of the end result.

So, don't use the video stabilizer unless your tapes are EP, and don't use it unless you have confirmed that your video has vertical jumpiness when it is turned off.

[digicube]

Yea most of my tapes are in EP. I will leave it on.

[johnmeyer]

What I was trying to say is that even if your tapes are EP, you still might want to turn it off. With each tape, you need to look at the video for 10-15 seconds with it turned on, and then with it turned off. If you don't see an obvious difference, keep it off, and then enable the TBC.

[digicube]

Problem is the jumpy scenes occurs intermittently, so I feel it's better to leave it on in case it occurs during playback. I don't want to restart a 6 hour VHS capture from start.

[johnmeyer]

From my JVC HR-S4500U manual:

By activating the Video Stabilizer you can correct vertical vibrations in the picture when playing back unstable EP recordings that were made on another VCR. When this function is set to "ON", vertical vibration will be automatically corrected. The default setting is "OFF"

NOTES:
Regardless of the setting, this function has no effect with SP recordings, during recording and during special-effects
playback. When you finish viewing the tape, be sure to set it back to "OFF".

The manuals for my other VCRs say pretty much the same thing.

[johnmeyer]

Didn't see your post as I was writing. Yes, if you have jumpiness on some scenes but not others, then it is probably best to leave it on. You can't babysit the thing, turning it on and off.

[digicube]

What's the purpose of Video Calibration? I read on the internet to turn it off. Should I leave it on for EP recordings?

[johnmeyer]

What's the purpose of Video Calibration? I read on the internet to turn it off. Should I leave it on for EP recordings?

I just posted four different times, answering exactly that question. Someone else needs to see if they can help.

[digicube]

I'm asking about Video Calibration this time, not Video Stabilizer.

[johnmeyer]

I'm asking about Video Calibration this time, not Video Stabilizer.

Ah, sorry. Similar names, different function. Video calibration is just auto-tracking. You definitely want to keep that enabled. The one time you don't want to enable it is if the tracking won't lock in. This is actually pretty common with EP tapes that were recorded on a deck other than the one you are using for playback. If you see the characteristic tearing, usually at the bottom of the screen, but it can be at the top, then you can rewind before the place where the problem happens, switch to manual tracking (see your VCR manual for instructions on how to do that), and then manually adjust the tracking until the problem goes away, or at least gets better.

[Brad]

Video calibration is just auto-tracking.

JVC claims it's an auto-magical quality adjustment, not auto tracking. I don't think engaging manual tracking makes the "AUTO" option disappear like turning off Video Calibration does.

VIDEO CALIBRATION — ON/OFF
When this function is set to “ON”, this VCR checks the condition of the tape in use during playback and recording, and compensates to provide the highest-possible pictures. This takes place whenever you play back a tape or start recording after inserting a tape.

PICTURE CONTROL — AUTO(NORM)/EDIT/SOFT/SHARP
[...]
When “VIDEO CALIBRATION” is “OFF”, “NORM” will appear instead of “AUTO”.

[PuzZLeR]

I have a JVC SR-V101US, which has those features.

I see zero to little benefit in the calibration feature. In fact, it ruins some tapes completely. I can give examples.

I see zero to little benefit in the TBC. In fact, it ruins some tapes completely. I can give examples.

I see zero to little benefit in this VCR. In fact, it ruins some tapes completely. I can give examples.

[lordsmurf]

I find that any EP tape that needs JVC stabilization is better suited for a Panasonic VCR anyway.

Calibration is not stabilization. Calibration causes more issues than it helps.

The TBC is married to DNR, and should help all VHS tapes. By not using it, you may as well use any old junky VCR. That's what you paid for. If TBC doesn't help, then your unit may be defective. That does happen.

[PuzZLeR]

The TBC is married to DNR, and should help all VHS tapes. By not using it, you may as well use any old junky VCR. That's what you paid for. If TBC doesn't help, then your unit may be defective. That does happen.

The TBC on this unit overcompensates and causes more jitter, particularly on EP tapes.

It's not defective. Just badly designed. (My JVC was bought new.)

[johnmeyer]

Yes, the so-called "TBC" built into some VCRs actually screws things up. That is certainly true of my old semi-professional Panasonic. I learned to always keep it turned off. However, a good TBC can do wonders to improve transfers.

[PuzZLeR]

Yes, the so-called "TBC" built into some VCRs actually screws things up. That is certainly true of my old semi-professional Panasonic. I learned to always keep it turned off. However, a good TBC can do wonders to improve transfers.

Yes, not only can a good TBC do wonders, it can be essential. However, I have yet to find one such unit that is not external. Never have I liked any of the onboard TBCs from any VCR that I've tried. If there was any benefit it would be for a very minority tape, or scene, that may have had a unique problem.

And if you're talking about the Panasonic's TBC, yes, based on what I've seen with the AG-1980, I too say turn it off. It's field-based (or half-frame based, whatever) which is the problem - it tends to output wrong field orders. I consider this a disaster.

I'd be more than happy to provide many examples of what (rather irreparable) harm these internal TBCs, and even some other so-called professional features, can do from such VCRs to your capture.

I know LS may not like me for saying this, but it is what it is, and I can provide proof.

[Brad]

I'd be curious to see what you're talking about. But I'm not one who needs to be convinced of the downsides of these features.

[PuzZLeR]

I'd be curious to see what you're talking about. But I'm not one who needs to be convinced of the downsides of these features.

Here are some samples.

-Using lossless, a Panasonic ES15 for a TBC passthrough, and a proc amp. Results vary greatly otherwise, and rather unacceptable without. (Had to compress the JVC caps to keep file size down.)

-The music video is from KoRn - no copyright infringement is intended, only demonstration. Same goes from the TV soccer game, which is from the old defunct Canadian Soccer League (however historical recognition is intended, and the fact that I was one of the youths in the crowd. )

->JVC:

With the TBC and Stabilizer off, you have the best results IMO. (Although still blurry, still shaky, and bad, and much better with other VCRs I have.)

With the TBC on, you see chroma banding (look at the top part of the screen), and an attempt to correct jitter by over-compensating, which shortens the oscillation, but increases the frequency, and looks so much worse. Should not be hard to notice. (I say this is a bad capture.)

With Stabilization on this is horrible, as you can see with the clip, and this happens with a good amount of tapes, mostly from EP recordings. However, this is because of the ES15. But removing the ES15 gives off a terrible flagging (which would be obvious, so I didn't bother to demonstrate, but will upon request.)

I could not really show any ill-effects of Calibration, since this would need at least 20-30 minutes, but from my experience, it hurts many captures with worse tracking. I'm sure many will agree here.

->Panasonic AG-1980:

This one was hard to demonstrate because I have one that is dead, and the other with serous electrical failure. (I am not replacing/repairing either.) But the wrong field order mess up (which I consider a disaster to any capture) should be obvious - and this would happen before any unit showed signs of serious failure.

Look carefully at the scene change. Notice one changes, and the other one blends? The TBC cap is the one with the wrong field order, and this happened frequently, and at random, so couldn't plan any settings in advance. I used film interlace source here, which should be more clear.

[PuzZLeR]

Just thought of something in case I upset someone.

I know the Panasonic AG-1980 caps in this example are of terrible quality, but I'm not stating the unit works that badly when it's in better condition, and didn't do this on purpose to insult the model. It's just that a failing unit is the only one I can demonstrate with. I do state - this unit is in bad condition, hence the very noticeable electrical failure issues on the caps.

However, the field order problem is the emphasis here. Even when my units functioned better, this problem still could not be anything less than apparent. That is my point