Best Workchain Upgrade For $182?
I have a very low-end workchain of video equipment that has been surprisingly reliable playing the kinds of tapes that I deal with (OTA standard VHS usually SP or LP), but I think it could be a lot better and less of a pain whenever tapes do not want to track well. Out of all of the equipment, what would be the most important upgrade to make first?
VCR: Quasar Omnivision J1IA96012 (Mono with a mono-to-stereo adapter) Capture Card: Honestech NW-06 TBC: None cause it's expensive right now |
With a small $182 budget, add the Panasonic ES10/15 for TBC(ish) passthrough between VCR and capture card. You'll have some funds left over, use that for cheap s-video cables from Amazon or Monoprice.
Next upgrade is to replace that VCR, ideally with recommended non-TBC JVC S-VHS deck, for $200-300 range. Then capture card. None of this is perfect, but definite steps up. You're hemorrhaging quality right now. Your current hardware will convert video that looks/sounds pretty bad, even if you don't yet realize it. These upgrades will lessen the quality loss quite a bit. $182 is a random number. Tax refund, etc? |
First thing I would look for is a panasonic dvd-recorder, normally DMR-ES10/ES15 (but others may help too in a pinch), I think that would give you the biggest bump in video quality. If you are dealing with tapes that have hi-fi audio you want at least some VCR with Hi-Fi (I don't know what's the best budget option for US models.)
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Something that I've just now come to realize is that, unless I go through eBay, finding a recommended non-TBC JVC S-VHS deck for $200-300 doesn't seem to be feasible. I'm not sure if I'm looking into the wrong places, but the closest I could get to that price range were JVC SR-V10 machines for around the $700 range.
I assume that eBay is not a very trustworthy source for VCRs, unless I'm mistaken. |
Buying used gear through ebay is a gamble! What you receive might be spot on, or it might be junk. No good way to verify what you are getting is really working in advance of buying. The only positive is that you have recourse if what you receive does not match the description. Same warning applies to all auction sites where you can't test it first.
Note that there are reputable sellers on ebay as well as people who know not what they are doing, The problem is figuring out which is which. You may be able to do some vettign by asking pointed questiosn and seeign if the answers make sense. Buy used from a reputable source, then sell when your project is done as a way to reduce ultimate costs. T |
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eBay and video gear is like Las Vegas -- but less food, less lights, less noise, and jackpots are low (a working VCR, yay? :laugh:) Quote:
- North America, nope. The few of us that do this in NA are non-eBay. In fact, you have known video gear scammers on eBay, such as the guy in Houston. More irritating, he knows how to game the eBay system, so his negative feedbacks are always removed. Quote:
What more often happens is this: The newbies buys the VCR, and it doesn't get used within that 30-day return window (which is itself not bulletproof, as mentioned). Or if the unit is "tested" (the same sort of low-knowledge non-test the seller did), it's not actually used right away. By the time the user gets around to having everything setup up for capture, problems happen. So we get into adding TBCs, better capture cards -- which is needed. But still, issues. Long-term, the VCR has problems, either difficult or costly to repair, or irreparable. But now we're way past that 30-day window where eBay can attempt to "step in" and sort the transaction. Wasted money, you're screwed. Quote:
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