Capturing old video

[Michelle Cox]

I've got some old video on VHS I want to put on CD but it's so bad that AVI_IO chokes on it. A while back, I saw this reccommended:

http://www.globatronics.com/vidcop.html

I'm wondering if this is still the reccomended route for an inexpensive fix, or if there is something else I should be looking at? I'm not expecting perfection, and I can't afford to spend more than $50-$60 on hardware for it. I just want something that will clean it up enough that AVI_IO won't crash and the false macrovision won't trigger.

Thanks,

Michelle

Matrox G450 E-TV
P3-600
Win 98SE

[Dr Mordrid]

The SIMA Color Corrector (SCC) is a better option as it's got a more juice than the CopyMaster and isn't that much more expensive at about $99 USD. Please note the comments by VideoGuys on the link I'm providing re: SCC vs. CopyMaster.

If you want to go upscale there is also the Elite Video BVP4+ at about $730 USD. I use one of these and it's great. Tons of filters and adjustments to clean up all but the worst videos. I often use it on both captures and exports to get the highest possible quality down on tape, especially to VHS.

SCC: http://www.videoguys.com/sima.htm

BVP4+: http://www.elitevideo.com/cgi-local/...304+1003470068

Dr. Mordrid

[Christrati]

I agree with Dr. Mordrid on the SCC, it provides better functions for just a little more. However, when I called VideoGuys (http://www.videoguys.com) they claim that this will not help at all with old video tapes. In fact, the statement the guy told me on the phone was "You have a low end capture card" and "if you're dropping frames, it is always your harddrive". I really doubt that this is true for old, unstable video tapes, but maybe I'm just dumb. Either case, I was going to buy one and try it out, but according to the "experts" at VideoGuys, this would not help out at all.

On a better note, what about this (even though I doubt I will ever buy something from VideoGuys):

http://www.videoguys.com/tvone.htm

I'm not positive if this will help with old video tapes but here is why I think this might help:

CDM630 Standards Converter
An automatic gain circuit insures that the proper video output level of 1V p-p is maintained, even when the input signal varies between 0,5V and 2.0V p-p.

I believe this might help stabilize the image better and fix the dropped frames. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the guys/gals on this forum can answer this much better then I can and hopefully better then the guys at VideoGuys.

Chris

[Patrick]

I'm no expert at this either, but I notice the CDM630 has no S-video inputs/outputs, only composite connections. That is a big negative.

Before anyone reminds me that the original question regarded VHS tapes, keep in mind that playing back VHS tapes in a SVHS deck using the S-video outputs will result in better quality video transfer.

[Michelle Cox]

Dr. Mordrid: $99 is a lot more than $43 to me. I looked at the link you provided and it seems as though the benefit of the more expensive version is better macrovision defeating. Since the tapes I am trying to capture from aren't macrovision protected, what is the benefit of getting the more expensive one?

I looked at the $730 one and it looks like just what I need. Now who's going to buy it for me? Is there any second hand market for this or similar products? I tried Ebay, but had no luck.

Christrati: The "CDM630" looks pricey, too. I really don't want to spend a lot of money on this. Isn't there anything for $50 or less that stabalizes the video? I don't expect it to make it look wonderful that cheap; I just want it to not crash AVI_IO.

Patrick: I'm beginning to wish I had gotten the SVHS VCR I was considering a while ago...

Thanks, everyone, for your help,

Michelle

[Dr Mordrid]

The advantage goes beyond Macrovision disabling. It goes to restoring the colorburst & synch pulses along with the ability to tweak color levels in degraded tapes.

Dr. Mordrid

[IM_Riktar]

Hi fellow Cheesehead:
Somewhere in my collection of old stuff I have a "Video-Clarifier" that is/was simply a copy-protection-buster. It won't do squat for modern day copyprotection but it is probably just what you are looking for.
This thing runs off of AA batteries(4) and simply has composite in and composite out terminals for the video.
If you want it just get the postage to me and I will drop it off to you. It aint doin me any good just collecting dust. And I just hate to throw out anything that might be of some use to somebody else.
Besides you will make the wife happy as all get-out to see something leaving my collection of "junk".
Let me know,
Rick

[IM_Riktar]

Hi fellow Cheesehead:
Somewhere in my collection of old stuff I have a "Video-Clarifier" that is/was simply a copy-protection-buster. It won't do squat for modern day copyprotection but it is probably just what you are looking for.
This thing runs off of AA batteries(4) and simply has composite in and composite out terminals for the video.
If you want it just get the postage to me and I will drop it off to you. It aint doin me any good just collecting dust. And I just hate to throw out anything that.

Let me know,
Rick

[Michelle Cox]

Ok, you're talking to a complete video newbee. Do you know if it's these "color levels & synch pulses" that are messing up AVI_IO? All I know is that I can cap from new VHS just fine, but whenever I try one of my old video tapes, AVI_IO crashes so bad I have to reboot. I'm thinking it can't handle the jumpiness of the picture.

I'm going to try IM_Riktar's video clarifier and see if that helps. If not, I guess I'll save up for the $99 one. The $730 one sounds awesome, but I think I'd end up divorced if I spent that much money to clean up old TV shows. LOL! Is there anything in between those extremes that I might be able to pick up used? I looked at Ebay, but I don't really know what to search for other than "BVP4+" and that one didn't show up.

Thanks,

Michelle

Originally posted by Dr Mordrid
The advantage goes beyond Macrovision disabling. It goes to restoring the colorburst & synch pulses along with the ability to tweak color levels in degraded tapes.

Dr. Mordrid

[This_Idiot]

Rick,

It's guys like you that make places like this "home" - I'm glad to be a member of the family.

Hope it works for Michelle. (and no disrespect to Doc)

Chris

[Michelle Cox]

Yes, it was very nice of him. And he already put it in the mail! Very nice, and fast, too.

I'm hoping it works, too. Unfortunately, the tapes I want to capture from are nothing I can make money from, so I anything I buy comes out of my pocket and isn't justifiable beyond the enjoyment I get out of watching these old shows. I might be able to swing the $99 if Rick's device doesn't work, but that $730 one will only be if I win the lottery!

I just wish I could go back in time and tape these shows on high quality tapes in SP mode.

Michelle

Originally posted by This_Idiot
Rick,

It's guys like you that make places like this "home" - I'm glad to be a member of the family.

Hope it works for Michelle. (and no disrespect to Doc)

Chris

[Patrick]

Michelle, you mean to say that these old VHS tapes are NOT recorded in SP mode? Oh dear, it's no wonder you're having problems...

[Michelle Cox]

Hehe, no. Some of this stuff I taped when I was a teenager. My video tape source was old cast offs and I used SLP mode to get the most out of them. I never imagined I would want to put them on a computer 15 years later!

Unfortunately, even my newer stuff is in SLP since I didn't start appreciating the quality difference until rather recently.

You live and learn...

Michelle

Originally posted by Patrick
Michelle, you mean to say that these old VHS tapes are NOT recorded in SP mode? Oh dear, it's no wonder you're having problems...

[IM_Riktar]

Thanks for the kind words Chris. I figured the thing was no longer helping me so what the hey. If it works for Michele,, cool beans. If not , well the price was worth the risk for her and my wife is thrilled the closet shelves are lighter 1 item in my collection of stuff.

On a side note it was very cool to find someone in my own state that participated in a "Global" forum like this.

Michelle: I have quite a few old tapes that I recorded in a more "economical" speed back when I was young and foolish (As opposed to old but still foolish). I still watch em as long as I don't have the chance to re-record them in SP mode.

Good luck with the "Clarifier".

[bogieman]

I followed this thread with interest since I was having trouble capturing home videos from 1982 that were locking up a Pinnacle DC1000DV. The symptom was that the video would freeze for up to 30 seconds while the audio continued to record, then the video would start up again in sync so I lost the intervening frames. It did this repeatably at many spots on this tape (I did record in SP mode back then on a two-piece Panasonic VHS VTR with separate camera) but did not do it with newer tapes or live broadcast.

I took Doc Mordrid's advice and got the Sima Color Corrector from Videoguy's (they had the best price, $99., I could find) which was delivered today. I am pleased to report it fixed about 95% of the freezes although there are still a few short duration ones. But overall it's a great success! I'm transferring the old tapes to DVD-R and this solved my last problem.

As a side note, while I know this a Matrox User's site, the Pinnacle DC1000DV is a great card. It captures directly to MPEG-2 IBP and makes it editable in realtime in Premiere 6 so it is easy to clean up the captures and send them directly to the DVD authoring software without re-encoding.

Although I am now a Pinnacle user, I still read this site regularly as it has the best info on video editing in general. And the new site layout and performance are terrific.

Dave