Time Base Correctors

[snafoo]

Hello. I've been on this website for about 15 years now, and i have a question about TBC's. We see the ones that cost A HELLUVA LOT on ebay, the ones that are made by the brand name DataVideo, and AVTools. Does that mean they are the only option? I have seen quite a few devices on ebay that are called Time Base Correctors that cost a lot less than $1,500. Would they be a good option to digitize videos with, or would the two most famous, and pricey, brands of TBC's be the best option? I would guess they are the best option, as they cost a lot, and that means if someone wants good captures, they need to fork over a ton of money! Does that mean it's the ONLY option? Would one of the $500 TBC's found on ebay be good to capture video with?

[Sharc]

As you are from Las Vegas gambling may be your daily business
I would be very cautious with eBay offers. Before spending a lot of money: Have you already tried a recommended DVD recorder in passthrough to stabilize the picture (line wiggle)? It may serve the purpose and usually costs much less. And don't expect wonders even using a full fledged TBC.
How far you want or need to go is up to you of course.

[lordsmurf]

Most of the "$500 units" are not really TBCs in the way you would expect.

"TBC" is a wide term, with many meanings. In some cases, it means whatever the manufacturer wanted (aside from money).

Also be careful with "DVD recorders". Very few have passthrough, with line TBC(ish) abilities. Those that do, have other quality-impacting side effects, none are transparent devices.

$1500 can actually be a quite decent price, as many were $2500 early this decade, in pandemic years.

At this late date, the 2020s, almost all TBCs now need refurb/bypass/modding work. So if you buy something "cheap" ($500 is not cheap to me), then you'll probably still have work to do. Are you good with electronics repair? The $1500+ units are generally better, but still not from eBay.

eBay is almost entirely flippers and recyclers now. The don't know the difference between a TBC and a toaster, all they see is potential money. They have no clue with it is, how it should function, etc. So you'll get problematic crap more than not, all for the low-low price of $500 or $1500, or whatever.

That's one of the reason there's a marketplace at DigitalFAQ.com, where video users can connect with other video users, to find items that work as we need them.