VHS Capture - Just gets static (Help wanted)

[VHSFRustration]

I'm trying to convert an old video tape into a digital format, it does have Macrovision as far as I can tell, or some similar protection. But it was put out by a one man operation and he is now dead. The tape I have is as far I can tell the only one that exists so if I don't archive it the content might be lost forever as soon as the tape wears out.

I have a VHS player that only has SCART output. I bought a cable that takes SCART output and turns it into RCA. I am then running the RCA into a box to convert it into HDMI

https://www.amazon.com/Converter-ABLEWE-Composite-Supporting-Blue-Ray/dp/B07RX69KR8/re...tronics&sr=1-3

before running the HDMI into a budget capture device

https://www.amazon.com/AVERYN-Upgraded-Streaming-Compatible-A363/dp/B097D376BL/ref=sr_...%2C729&sr=8-11

so my laptop can pick it up.

It's probably the worst way to attempt this but I had half the equipment lying around anyway and I can't spend a lot on alternatives, many of which I've read wouldn't strip out the macrovision anyway.

My computer picks it up but when I try to capture the video in OBS or VLC there is intermittently nothing and then several second of static, so something is getting through, nothing I can record though.

Does anyone have any advice? This is the only time I've tried to do this, obviously because of the copy protection I can't just ask someone else to do it. I'm thinking maybe it's just being converted too many times and turning the signal to mush but then I can't think of an alternate set up to fix it.

[Cornucopia]

If your tape's producer was a one man operation, he could not afford to use Macrovision - it is VERRRYYY expensive to rent an encoder (btw, Rovi never sells their equipment, only leases it). Like in the 1000s per year (and that was decades ago).

My guess is that your tape has age/use-related physical issues. If true, best bet is NOT to use a non-optimized system like you have, but rather send it to a transfer service.


Scott

[DB83]

Firstly, take all the capture equipment out of the equation and connect the vcr direct to a tv (and do make sure that if the scart to RCA has a switch it is set correctly - to 'output'). If you still see these issues then it is possible that your vcr is faulty but you could check that with another tape (if you have one)

[jagabo]

Firstly, take all the capture equipment out of the equation and connect the vcr direct to a tv (and do make sure that if the scart to RCA has a switch it is set correctly - to 'output'). If you still see these issues then it is possible that your vcr is faulty but you could check that with another tape (if you have one)

If that is working plug the output of the AV-to-HDMI adapter into a TV to verify that that is working correctly.

I bought one of those HDMI-to-USB adapters (for US$6) just to see what it could do. It's not great but it's not horrible either. The MJPEG compression gives blocky artifacts with high detail and motion. The proc amp settings can be adjusted to get acceptable levels and colors.

The biggest problem you're likely to have is the deinterlacing that's going to happen somewhere along the line.

[lordsmurf]

I have both of those HDMI toys.
Complete crap.
Colors bad, image distortions, interlace mess.

If you're only going to view on a cell phone, and don't care about quality, fine, go for it.

[DB83]

The most frustrating thing here is the total lack of feedback from the OP.

If there is a plea for help then one would expect some response with the 10 days since the OP started the topic to now.


Even if the replies solved his issue one would typically hope for a response to, hopefully, guide the next user in the right direction.


Yet what confuses me all the more is that the OP, in his profile, stated his location to be within the UK yet his hardware links go to the US Amazon site.


Why should that be relevant ? Simply that a UK user - if he really is from here - could offer to do a one-off transfer. The cost of that could ultimately depend on what is actually on the VHS.


I state that with some experience with 'suppliers' who thought they had created copy-protected content. And I have dealt with 'one-arm bands' whose ultimate success in creating that 'view-only' product is suspect in the extreme.

[dellsam34]

These are frustrated people (as the username indicates) that come to forums like this by a google search and join for a one time deal, Most of them won't come back because they don't save the website address or forget about it, This is typical, they go on Amazon and buy the cheapest thing they could ever find and when they start using it they understand why it's so cheap and start looking for magic solutions online.

[jagabo]

Actually, that HDMI video capture device is capable of half decent captures.

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/404784-USB-capture-device-stuck-on-10-fps#post2648523

[lordsmurf]

start looking for magic solutions online.

Most never post, just read and read. Also watch endless Youtube goobers. Of course, no magic answer.

And the proper answers are ignored, or dismissed ("it's too hard/expensive, wah!")

So then give up.
Some give up forever.
Others use a crap service like LegacyBox. But surprise! The same sucky quality and problems. The folly of cheap and low-end.

Every now and again, you get some foaming-at-the-mouth lunatic poster. But some of us are really good at shutting that BS down within 1 post, after decades of doing this.

[dellsam34]

Actually, that HDMI video capture device is capable of half decent captures.

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/404784-USB-capture-device-stuck-on-10-fps#post2648523

But that's just half the workflow, The other half and the most destructive one is the RCA to HDMI. But I wouldn't use the HDMI route for analog tape formats anyway.

[dvd3500]

The most frustrating thing here is the total lack of feedback from the OP.

If there is a plea for help then one would expect some response with the 10 days since the OP started the topic to now.


Even if the replies solved his issue one would typically hope for a response to, hopefully, guide the next user in the right direction.


Yet what confuses me all the more is that the OP, in his profile, stated his location to be within the UK yet his hardware links go to the US Amazon site.


Why should that be relevant ? Simply that a UK user - if he really is from here - could offer to do a one-off transfer. The cost of that could ultimately depend on what is actually on the VHS.


I state that with some experience with 'suppliers' who thought they had created copy-protected content. And I have dealt with 'one-arm bands' whose ultimate success in creating that 'view-only' product is suspect in the extreme.

I am a moderator for the official forum of a well-known British slot car brand. When the pandemic hit you got the same questions literally dozens of times a day on social media.
When I pointed out that all these problems have been dealt with and solved on a forum that is searchable I got told off for being "old fashioned".

So I did an experiment:
For 72 hours I answered every question in the most condescending, rude and patronizing way I could get away with.

Of course I got labelled as a hate-monger and elitist.

I waited 72 hours and then I went back to answering more humanely but usually always pointing back to the official forum.

There was only one guy that remembered my triad and even said he was afraid of asking more questions.
I PMed him and told him that my experiment proved exactly what I though:
People are not really interested in solutions unless they meet their subjective pre-conceived notions as to what is "acceptable" in terms of time, effort and money.

The fact that it takes shear seconds to ask a question but minutes and perhaps hours to come up with a viable solution (plus possibly needing to learn a new skill or spend money) puts most people off of most things most of the time.

The other thing I learned is it seems perfectly acceptable to be an absolute jerk on social media most of the time. People simply forget. Your behavior is lost in the noise.

In a forum less so.

I am still a moderator on that forum and it is a thankless job for the most part.

[DB83]

^^ Been there. Done that. T-shirt no longer fits.

There was a topic only a week or so ago from a member I considered to be a friend having done him a favour some time back. But he started ranting when noone would accept his suggested transfer method even if our own opinion did not matter. The topic was later closed but before it was I made a comment about a percieved instabilty not in his posts here but his own yt channel where he would often post video only to remove them quite quickly - no, these posts were not strikes since he was still actively posting.


But now using his 'soapbox' he created a quite disparaging video about this forum claiming that all the replies in that topic were just trolling (sometimes one should first look in a mirror to see the real troll). Then just kept it up long enough for me to see it (since I subscribed to his channel but no longer) and then removed it within 12 hours of publication.


Why am I writing this here ? Whilst I do not think the OP and he are the same person, we never know since people are known to open new accounts which at times they create basically to TROLL these forums.


If I get in to trouble with this post then to quote the comment in that yt contribution which I can send to anyone by PM who wants to see it "See if I care"

[dvd3500]

I helped build the first connections to Internet for the Uni I was at we talked about how great it will be when everyone has access to all this information....
We mistook information for wisdom...

[Alwyn]

When I pointed out that all these problems have been dealt with and solved on a forum that is searchable I got told off for being "old fashioned".

I try to search for stuff I need info on. Has anybody actually tried it on this (and DigitalFAQ)? It's one of the greater WOFTAMs in existence! It is just so frustrating, most of the time I know I've made a comment on something I want to repeat but can't even find my own posts. I fully understand people asking questions. Same goes for "it's been described hundreds of times on the forum, use the search". Yeh right. Half the time newbys don't know what to search for!

That said, I admire you, DVD3500. It would be a thankless job, especially given the (increasing) lack of civility (which occurs on VH as well, IMO). I've commented before on the brutality of some posters that seem to have lost touch with what it's like to be a newby. It's a pity, because this is a subject/hobby about which there is so much to learn but which is so rewarding. People bag out YTbers, but don't provide any clear, detailed guidance themselves. A shame really.

[lordsmurf]

I try to search for stuff I need info on. Has anybody actually tried it on this (and DigitalFAQ)? It's one of the greater WOFTAMs in existence! It is just so frustrating, most of the time I know I've made a comment on something I want to repeat but can't even find my own posts. I fully understand people asking questions. Same goes for "it's been described hundreds of times on the forum, use the search". Yeh right. Half the time newbys don't know what to search for!

Curation will fix this. Big project. It's now gotten to a point where I can't my own past posts either. Sometimes takes Google-fu to find it again.

I've commented before on the brutality of some posters that seem to have lost touch with what it's like to be a newby.

Nah, I doubt that. But there's a problem in society where information is lorded over others. And an innate fear to admit you don't know something, because you'll be trolled for it. But there are folks out there, like me, that readily admit I only know a few things (like SD consumer analog video formats), and near-nothing about others (for example, your plane hobby is neat; but I know near-nothing about planes ... or trains, or boats). But I know too many people in real life that are "experts" at everything -- and often due to simply watching Youtube, or reading Wikipedia. It's f'ing ridiculous.

People bag out YTbers, but don't provide any clear, detailed guidance themselves. A shame really.

Some of the people that post stuff/junk on Youtube generally have nothing else to do. Whereas I can post some sentences on a forum, try to help push somebody in the right direction, detailed if I can. But spending lots of time making videos, samples images/graphics, etc? Essentially hand-holding, and doing it for them as they merely watch. No time for that. Health, family, work, those are my priorities. I do my best to help, but it's too easy and too often to request/demand I spend even more time doing so. And I know others are in the same situation. Not just video, either.