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  1. I have been trying to capture videotape images on my Radeon 7500 for transfer to DVD. However, on certain older tapes, there is some flickering distortion on the top quarter or so, as if the tape were bent. It does NOT appear on my television connection to my TV but it does show up on the capture (and on my computer monitor).

    Is it better to go through another device like Canopus? Is there a correction program?

    Thanks!

    Diesel
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  2. Member
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    Originally Posted by DieselsDen
    I have been trying to capture videotape images on my Radeon 7500 for transfer to DVD. However, on certain older tapes, there is some flickering distortion on the top quarter or so, as if the tape were bent. It does NOT appear on my television connection to my TV but it does show up on the capture (and on my computer monitor).

    Is it better to go through another device like Canopus? Is there a correction program?

    Thanks!

    Diesel
    Welcome to my nightmare. I struggled nonstop with this until I found the solution: a Time-Base Corrector. Unfortunately there are no good cheap ways to fix the problem. Running your capture through the a/v passthru on a mini-DV camcorder is one solution that works very well. Your capture is thus made via firewire.

    You can also buy standalone TBCs on the net, but for the price, you're better off spending slightly more and just getting the camcorder.
    -MPB/AZ
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  3. Thanks for your reply. I am certainly going to try that route. It's awfully frustrating (and ironic) to try to preserve an old tape onto DVD, but seeing it look better on a VCR than from a digitized format.

    I'll try it. Thanks again.

    Diesel
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  4. Member GreyDeath's Avatar
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    I have a Canopus ADVC-100 and it doesn't have the "bent screen/tape" problem you're refering to. It's well worth the money, synced A/V, firewire DV capture, simple set-up.

    On the other hand, even though I love my 100, my card does capture rather dark for my purposes of archiving to DVD-R and playing back on a standard TV. It's not a big issue, as I use TMPGEnc to brighten, but I feel one loses some of the subtleties and shapes in dark scenes. It's always easier to go darker, harder to go lighter...

    One other nitpicking problem is that on some Really Old VHS tapes, where the movie is of poor quality, I do notice the Canopus dropping frames when there's an audio spike/hiccup. Anyone else come across this problem and have a solution? I was thinking of outputting the audio from the vcr from the headphone jack where i could lower the volume.
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  5. Member twodogs's Avatar
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    Diesel,
    Searched forums but couldn't find, so relying on memory only...

    I seem to recall a suggestion in a thread last month - someone copied the contents of the old VHS tape to a new VHS tape (2 x VCRs), then captured from the new tape and it worked OK.

    Only a suggestion and maybe worth a shot before $ outlay, but don't blame me if it does nothing
    "speed's just a question of money. How fast can you go?" - Mad Max, 1979
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  6. You can copy a VHS to another and it will help with the time base thing, but you will lose part of your video signal.

    A VCR is a lossy device - it loses part of the video signal each time a copy is made. I remember reading on a site that 15% or so of the signal is lost each time a copy is made in SP mode, more if in EP mode.

    I wonder if a Sima CopyMaster device would be what you are looking for? Mine helps eliminate macrovision and it seems to strengthen the video signal a bit too.
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    TheInformer:

    I have a Sima CopyMaster and just the tried it the other day, to see if it would clear up the problem that DieselsDen is describing and some excessive jitter. Unfortunately it did not work for either problem. I did previously know that a timebase corrector should fix the problem. Maybe I'll get one, once I find another job.
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  8. Oh well, the CopyMaster does work with the macrovision stuff at least

    I seem to remember Circuit City having a VHS/SVHS machine for sale that had a TBC in it some time ago for around $150-$180. They may still have it for sale.
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