Replying 5+ years later, but TBCs are still a current topic...
Quote:
Originally Posted by volksjager
has anyone here used a For.a FA-125?
i got a few of them super cheap and was wondering how they stack-up.
i dont have a 8710 or 1000 to compare them against
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The FA-125 is weaker than both DataVideos or Cypress, though you may not notice in normal use. It can make some strange artifacts with heavy timing errors, as found on severely degraded nth gen tapes. Sometimes the line TBC from a good VCR stabilizes it enough to prevent the artifacts, but sometimes not. An ES10/15 in front of the TBC will usually resolve it.
The artifacts vary on every copy of this TBC that I've seen to date. It can vary from almost-not-present to severe, with the same nth gen tapes. As with lots of other gear (VCRs, TBCs, etc), the exact unit has to be tested thoroughly for quirks and caveats.
That doesn't mean the FA-125 a bad TBC -- quite the opposite. It's suggested here.
It's scarce now, but even 5 years ago it wasn't a common model. The only time you find these is when a studio unloads all their rack gear, which is not often. And usually not cheap, not really priced any differently than a Cypress or DataVideo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJRoadfan
but you have to watch the video output levels. The "unity" setting on the proc amp isn't always correct after many years of use and things like the hue, color, and brightness may be off as components age. Seeing how new these are, it might not be a problem. A real test would be to see if it does any line jitter correction.
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Like a DataVideo or Cypress TBC, it does nothing for technical jitter (wiggling picture). It's an external framesync TBC, not line/field TBC.
I think the unit color runs a bit hot, perhaps tweak the contrast down, but that's it. I've not noticed anything unusual from the proc amp, certainly not unity. My only complaint would be that the proc amp controls aren't user friendly, but all you need is a tiny screwdriver. It is more nuances that the Cypress/DataVideo proc amps, more like Elite Video BVP4 in accuracy.
There are other adjustments on the unit, but I've never been able to get those to do anything discernible.
Speaking of hot, it does overheat after several hours. Like the plastic Cypress, I'd not run it for more than 6 before giving a break. It has a fan, but it mostly makes noise, as the unit has no air intake. If you want to use it for longer bursts, just remove the cover like many people used to do with computers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by volksjager
BVTBC-10
both seem quite good by my eyes.
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I have never seen a Key West Big Voodoo TBC that didn't output noise in the signal. Those things are ghastly. The FA-125 should be far superior to it.