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  #1  
11-11-2011, 05:39 PM
LukeS LukeS is offline
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After watching eBay for some time for TBCs most of the broadcast grade equipment that came up was really old and just junk but there were a few that caught my eye. The Leitch DPS-474/575 seems to be a great value for what you get and they are not to hard to find second hand. This is a broadcast grade TBC that is not listed in the TBC sticky thread but has a great feature list. This is overkill for sure but since they cost about the same as AVT-8710 I figured I would purchase one of these instead of the standard TBCs I see people commonly buy on this forum. I picked the AV model up for $275 shipped to my door. If you get the models without front panel controls which are controlled via a web interface or over Ethernet with computure software you can pick them up for under $200 on ebay. Here is some information if others are interested.

Leitch Model Numbers (now owned by Harris)
- DPS-475 (NTSC only)
- DPS-575 (NTSC and PAL)

Features:
- 12-Bit Video Encoder/Decoder
- Auto Switch Time Base Corrector
- Simple, Adaptive-2D, and Adaptive-3D 12-Bit comb filter
- Temporal and spatial digital noise reduction (optional, unlockable with software key)
- Audio Synchronizer, syncs audio with video when delays added to video
- Procamp controls for Luma, Black, Chroma, Hue
- Genlock
- Bi-Directional Analog/Digital Interface
- DV (IEEE 1394) I/O (Optional add in card)
- Full I/O for composite, s-video, component, RGB, SDI, genlock, analog audio (on AV model), AES/EBU
- Full control over Ethernet
- Can be used as the A/D converter and capture can be on a computer with a SDI capture card

Models Extensions:
- No extension - Auto-Switch Video Synchronizer
- AV - Integrated Audio/Video Synchronizer
- LC - No front panel controls, must be controlled with software on PC via devices Ethernet port
- LCAV - Same as AV option but with no front panel controls




Attached Images
File Type: jpg DPS-475-575_rear-IO_small.jpg (18.9 KB, 895 downloads)
File Type: jpg dps575.jpg (31.0 KB, 850 downloads)
Attached Files
File Type: pdf DPS-575_brochure.pdf (548.6 KB, 73 downloads)
File Type: pdf DPS-575_brochure_Febr2004.pdf (713.6 KB, 73 downloads)
File Type: pdf DPS-575_manual.pdf (2.84 MB, 133 downloads)

Last edited by LukeS; 11-11-2011 at 05:51 PM.
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  #2  
11-11-2011, 05:54 PM
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How well does the comb filter work? How does the output look?
Same for the proc amp.
Did you get a license to unlock the NR filters?

The entire "DPS" series originated with Digital Processing Systems, and the DPS-220 was disappointing. And huge -- too huge.
Leitch bought out DPS.
Isn't Harris still operating the Leitch brand name? I thought so.

What are the physical dimensions of these TBCs? Still giant rack-mounts? (Bigger than VCRs.)

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  #3  
11-11-2011, 06:59 PM
LukeS LukeS is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lordsmurf View Post
How well does the comb filter work? How does the output look?
Same for the proc amp.
Did you get a license to unlock the NR filters?
I just received the unit today so I have not had much time to really give it a shake down. The proc-amp controls are great and do a very effective job at correcting color errors in the tapes I have tried. I plan to test out the comb filtering options, I am going to feed some test patters and video in via S-video from a DVD player. My unit does not have the unlock key entered for the NR filters, I really wish it did. If someone has these please send me a PM I have thought about contacting Harris and seeing if they would sell these for cheap since it is a old discontinued model. I am also considering a blackmagic decklink SDI capture card to only have one analog to digital conversion step.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lordsmurf View Post
The entire "DPS" series originated with Digital Processing Systems, and the DPS-220 was disappointing. And huge -- too huge.
Leitch bought out DPS.
Isn't Harris still operating the Leitch brand name? I thought so.

What are the physical dimensions of these TBCs? Still giant rack-mounts? (Bigger than VCRs.)
The older Digital Processing System stuff can be found on eBay often like the DPS-220,230,265,290 but I avoided these because they were too old and did not seem very impressive. The DPS-475/575 was designed with digital and hybrid workflows in-mind and is a huge step up from the 2xx models.

DPS was bought out by Leitch and then Harris bought out Leitch and now Harris manages the support for Leitch devices.

This unit is large but it is not a big deal for me. It is about the width of a VCR and is a 19inch 1U rack mount unit. Dimensions are 20in length x 17 width x 1 3/4in height.

I also have the firmware and remote control software if anyone needs it.

Last edited by LukeS; 11-11-2011 at 07:12 PM.
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  #4  
11-11-2011, 07:02 PM
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Skip the test patterns. Use DVDs of cartoons.
Or at least do some cartoon captures in addition to test patterns. Motion is very important, and cartoons don't hide flaws like live-action footage.

There's a reason so many guides on this site have cartoon images for samples/examples -- in addition to the fact that I simply like cartoons!

The DPS-220 was supposedly good at removing dropouts, but it was nominal at best -- Avisynth and VirtualDub do better there.

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  #5  
08-21-2012, 07:01 PM
juhok juhok is offline
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I've sent LukeS a private message but there's no answer as of yet. Anyone else have first hand experience with DPS-475/575? For the price it seems like a nobrainer. Keep in mind that TBC-1000 etc. are from the same time period as this. When TBC-1000 cost $1000 this was closer to $10000. Getting one for $200 is a joke and a blessing. Harris still sells a very similar model X50-AV-2PS which runs for about $4000. Using SDI we can skip an unnecessary DA->AD step which is needed by "analog" FS/TBCs. Btw according to instruction manual when using TBC functions, it quantizes using 8bit resolution so 12bit output is pretty meaningless?
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  #6  
09-14-2012, 11:06 AM
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Did he ever PM you back?


This was an unanswered question or unresolved issue found during a site audit. It's hard to have an FAQ when the answers are missing, or final outcomes are unknown. At The Digital FAQ support forum, questions are never intentionally ignored, and may have been missed due to a forum glitch or human error. More details on the audit. (In some cases, threads have been edited/updated with newer information.)


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  #7  
09-14-2012, 12:13 PM
juhok juhok is offline
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Nope. I've tried to find used DPS-575 from eBay but they either only ship to USA or ask too much. I got another SDI TBC/converter so DPD-575 is postponed. I'll get one if a cheap unit comes along.
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  #8  
09-14-2012, 12:20 PM
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If you ever need a shipping proxy, PM me. It will cost shipping twice, of course, but sometimes that's still an overall good price.
i.e. ... seller > digitalFAQ (U.S.) > you

Some people just don't seem to comprehend that we all live in a world market now. They have to make things difficult.

We've had the same problems importing VCRs from UK and Germany in years past.

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  #9  
09-14-2012, 12:25 PM
juhok juhok is offline
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Very nice, thanks for the offer. I will offer the same but I guess not many people buy stuff from Finland.

For some reason in the past many of the DPS sellers have blocked non-US buyers from even bidding and they don't allow for private message / question to be sent to their eBay profile. Talk about hard to get to.
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  #10  
09-14-2012, 12:33 PM
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German sellers on eBay.de are easily the worst when it comes to the isolated auction market mentality.

I've never seen it where you couldn't even bid or ask questions. We routinely help out a chap in UK, several times per years, who has U.S. items sent here. He bids, pays, does any/all Q&A with the seller, and we don't do anything aside from verify it's not broken, and maybe repack if needed. He's more of a "friend to the site" (actually a sister site) more than a customer or even an active member -- he contributes to its moderation.

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  #11  
09-14-2012, 01:40 PM
NJRoadfan NJRoadfan is offline
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One reason people don't ship overseas is ebay itself. The buyer protection coverage extends to overseas purchases depending on the country. Many seller have been burned by overseas shipments, usually by the "I didn't get it" or "its broken" excuse. Add on the expensive overseas shipping charges that they have to refund, and you'll see why.

My own policies (private sales) is to only ship small items like computer parts. They aren't too expensive to ship, and easy to pack well and cheap to insure. Most of the rackmount TBCs are bulky and heavy (10+lbs full depth 1-2U in size).
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  #12  
10-16-2012, 08:01 AM
meson1 meson1 is offline
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I hope I'm not breaking any rules by replying to this given the Reply Limitation warning.

I note that there are a few Leitch DPS-575's floating around ebay; all U.S. located and going for much more than the $275 quoted in the opening post.

I've been wanting something with decent Proc-amp capability that can work in PAL land (in the UK in my case). A more robust TBC than the AVT-8710 would be a bonus too.

Ignoring the shipping costs and the UK import duty and VAT, what sort of prices in USD would be reasonable? What would be a bargain and how much is too much?

Assume for the purposes of this that the unit is a DSP-575AV (i.e. with the front control panel) in good working condition with a few cosmetic scuffs (which seems to be the norm for these).
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  #13  
10-16-2012, 03:10 PM
juhok juhok is offline
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Come autumn, the prices have gone up a bit. I've seen some closing lately for as low as $350-400. Starting prices have been high but most sellers have accepted lower offers. I think it's amateurish to start at $600-800 and sell for 50% less.
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10-17-2012, 07:00 AM
meson1 meson1 is offline
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I'm looking at one now on eBay with a starting price of $565. I offered $400. He's countered with $500, saying "min price".

It includes the breakout cable and the audio module. Just trying to work out whether I should accept $500 or chance my arm by countering with $450. Trying to work out if it's worth it.

I'm also considering asking him if he would ship it declaring a nominal price for the item on the manifest which should reduce my import costs.
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10-17-2012, 07:09 AM
juhok juhok is offline
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The longer you wait the better deal you'll get. DPS575(AV)s pop up almost weekly. $500 is deep end.

In Finland it doesn't matter what the seller declares or if it's a "gift". You'll have to print them receipt and verify it to be correct with your signature, facing charges of tax fraud if you cheat and they find it out. I would hazard a guess that this system is in use pretty much everywhere. Custom officers know that those declarations are 99% bs.
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10-17-2012, 07:47 AM
meson1 meson1 is offline
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Fine. I'll politely decline his offer and wait for something better. I suspect he wouldn't have gone for $450 anyway.

Thanks.

Last edited by meson1; 10-17-2012 at 08:39 AM.
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  #17  
10-28-2012, 11:25 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by meson1 View Post
I hope I'm not breaking any rules by replying to this given the Reply Limitation warning.
Just to clarify this: No rule was broken. You were on-topic, and adding something useful to the conversation.
The "reply limitation" is mostly good for blocking would-be spammers and people that don't pay attention.

Thanks for being considerate and mindful, however.

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  #18  
09-16-2013, 07:00 PM
msgohan msgohan is offline
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I'm getting a DPS-470AV from eBay and I'm wondering how to hook up the audio, since my aim is S-Video + RCA -> SDI.

For analog audio inputs, these DPS units use something called a "removable barrier strip" or "terminal strip". They accept regular consumer -10 dBm unbalanced audio, but I have no idea how to take an RCA cable and attach it to one of these bare-wire strips.

The pinouts are here: http://www.mediamanagement.us/DPS475TBCSpecs.pdf (pg 3)
This thing shows the same type of strip: http://www.cs1.net/products/jensen_t...ers/PC-2XR.htm

The TBC I ordered is missing both of the "cover" pieces. Are those required to make the connection?


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File Type: jpg ebay2.jpg (57.4 KB, 39 downloads)
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  #19  
09-16-2013, 10:04 PM
NJRoadfan NJRoadfan is offline
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Its similar to a terminal strip used on a stereo receiver to connect speakers. Yes, having it will make life easier. Many professional products, particularly radio broadcasting equipment tends to use lug terminals like that since its a more reliable connection than a standard jack. A google search for "audio terminal block" reveals several options for replacement. It appears to be a standard: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euroblock

When connection an unbalanced audio source like RCA wires, you connect the signal cable to the "+" block, and the shield to the "ground" block.
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10-19-2013, 11:54 PM
msgohan msgohan is offline
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Thanks, NJRoadfan. The local electronics store had one in full 12-pin form. The owner actually called it a "Euro plug". I haven't gotten any further in hooking up the audio though, as I've been sidetracked with the video side.

Here are some initial experiences regarding the DPS-470AV (Software Revision: Rev-M1, Oct 99, NTSC).
  • The TBC can be changed from Normal VCR for regular video & pro tapes to Extreme Head Switch for consumer VCRs. Both modes correct VHS horizontal jitters, but the first mode has a slight left-curl near the top of the image. The second mode straightens this. So far I'm very pleased with the TBC performance.
  • The comb filter sucks. Nonstop rainbowing and dot crawl with a composite -> SDI capture.
  • I can't test S-Video or component outputs since they require a DB-15 breakout cable and I have no idea how to build any cable, even if the pinouts were provided.
  • It isn't visible on the test pattern in this post, but actual videos captured from the composite output seem to be softened by some sort of noise reduction. The SDI output appears unaffected.
Running the SDI output into my Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Shuttle 2, the captured image is misaligned and consequently cropped vertically by over 20 lines. Can't find any relevant adjustment on the DPS or the Shuttle. No response from Blackmagic either by email or forum, which is weird because their email support has been pretty good when I've contacted them before.



The biggest problem I see is that the highest resolution parts have been filtered away. There's also a mushy halo or something around the black letters. Not sure what's up with that. Still, you can see that color-wise the conversion from S-Video to SDI looks very nice.

On the other hand, what I get when I send a VHS signal into the DPS-470AV isn't pretty. Whether viewed via SDI or composite, the video becomes dull with reds shifted to orange. I haven't seen my other capture devices react to VHS like this, and playing with the Proc Amp controls on the front of the unit doesn't seem to bring the same life back to the image as the other devices display.


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