How many VCR decks do you have for capture?

[VideoTechMan]

I'm currently have use of a very small room for video work until I get a small building built on my property to have more room to spread out my gear. Until then, I was just curious on the number of VTR decks you guys are using for your capture setup? Most likely you won't be using them all at once, but maybe one or two depending on the situation.

My case I have a mix of broadcast SVHS decks (three) and the pair of AG-5710's. I know I won't need all of them at once when capturing so I am just wondering if it would be easier to just use one or two decks when working? There's only so many outlets in a room that I can use with a proper industrial surge protected 6-outlet tap (computers go on UPS).

I am trying to minimize my setup as much as I can without the room looking cluttered from so much gear. It would be kind of cool if some of the members here were willing to show their capturing setup.

[sanlyn]

I don't use all of the listed players all of the time. Each has its advantages and each gives different tapes. The playback properties of any particular tape determines which player is used for the capture. The best results IMO are with the first two players on most tapes. Sometimes I combine parts of captures made with more than one player.

refurbished, mechanically and electrically:
Panasonic AG-1980P
Panasonic PV-S4670 SVHS (circa 1986)
Panasonic PV-4662 VHS (circa 1986)
Panasonic PV-8661 VHS (circa 1988)
SONY SLV-595HF (circa 1980) mostly for ancient tapes made on that player

pass-thru for non-tbc players: Panasonic DMR-ES10 & DMR-ES15. (ES15 preferred)
full-frame tbc: AVT-8710 (circa 2004).
proc amp (occasional use): SignVideo PA-100 (circa 2005)

Capture cards:
ATI AIW 7500 AGP (2001) on XP/Sp2
ATI AIW 9600XT AGP (2004) on XP/Sp3
Diamond Multimedia VC500 USB (2016) on Win7

[cbehr91]

Unlike I think a lot of the members on this forum I have much more Hi8 and DVCPRO material than VHS.

Hi8:
- Sony EV-S7000
- Sony DCR-TRV730 (currently not working)

VHS:
- JVC HR-DVS3U...a Mini DV/S-VHS combo. The S-VHS side has digipicture technology and built-in TBC/DNR. The Mini DV
side hasn't worked in probably a decade.
- 1998 Sharp 4-head Hi-Fi (too lazy to look at model number)

DVCPRO:
- Panasonic AJ-D95 "shoe box" type DVCPRO50 deck
- Panasonic AJ-D230H "shoe box" type DVCPRO25 deck with FireWire card

TBCs and capture devices:
- One dead Panasonic DMR-ES10 I was using as a passthrough with the Sharp VCR. (Needs recapped.)
- TVOne 1T-TBC-GL frame TBC
- ATI 600 USB dongle
- Blackmagic DeckLink Mini Recorder (for the AJ-D95)
- Matrox MXO2 Max I/O box
- I may have a Hauppague USB-Live2 around here somewhere

In addition I have a RadioShack VHS rewinder, plus a Sima 8mm rewinder.

[lordsmurf]

So many decks over the years...

Most used decks currently =
AG-1980 x3
HR-S7800
HR-S7965EK (PAL)
SR-MV55
SR-V10 x3
SR-V101
SR-VS30/HR-DVS3U x6

There's more, many more, including some non-SVHS, but these are the regularly used models. All are A+ or A++ on my scale, unicorn grade, all maintained in tip-top shape. The AG-1980s re the biggest PITA, had another one recently go, another costly TGrant repair needed.

So many captures card ... but I'm sure you can already guess most are AIW.

So many cameras. My favorite oddball is the MicroMV that we have.

So many TBCs. All Cypress or DataVideo.

The most interesting hardware to talk about is the extra devices, like DR-1000 detailer, PA-200 proc amp, etc, but none of these are used regularly. Most of those stay in a drawer until needed.

More interesting yet is the crap devices that are never used. For example, TenLab TBCs, or Canopus ADVC DV boxes.

Or fragile devices like HR-S9800 (dynamic drums), or heavy breakable HR-DVS2U.

Then there's the broken devices, various TBCs and capture cards. I've actually given some of this away, such as the PAL ES10 that I sent to jwillis some months ago. I tried my best, time to pass those on. I probably give away 1-2 things per year, to somebody that has interested in tinkering, or for research, usually just ask for shipping costs.

[VideoTechMan]

Well, I may as well share my gear list, though I have slimmed some of it down in recent months:

Current deck list:

Panasonic AG-5710 x2 --one needs to be serviced
Panasonic AG-DS840
Panasonic AG-DS850
JVC BR-S525U
Sony EVO-9800 Hi-8
Panasonic AG-DV2000 for MiniDV/Large DV tapes

Sony BVW-D75 BetacamSP
Sony PVW-2800
Sony DVW-M2000 Digibeta (back compatible with legacy betacamSP tapes and other formats)

Sony TRV-350 D8 Camcorder (Hi8 compatible)

Capture cards: Had sold two of them recently but still have two extras for backups

AIW 9000
AIW 2006 Edition
AJA Kona LHi with breakout box
BM Hyperdeck (for HD stuff)
BM Ultrastudio Mini HD (for HD stuff, future portable gig setup)

TBC List: Don't have as many TBC's as some here do

AJA FS1--the only frame sync/TBC unit to have S-Video jacks, higher level models do not
Leitch DPS-575--Still fully functional, but hardly use it that much now. May consider selling it

Other items of interest:

Magni SDM-60 Waveform/Video Signal Monitor
JVC JX-S900 A/V switcher (for S-Video sources)
x2 Extron Crosspoint 8x4 switcher units (have yet to test them)
Several RS-422 edit controllers from Panasonic and JVC for deck control, which comes in handy for many tapes
x3 Broadcast CRT monitors
Several DVD/BD players
Grass Valley ADVC-3000 (no, not the 300) broadcast DV converter, which also utilizes SDI output


I think the main thing for me is trying to organize what I can use now in the limited space that I have at the moment. I don't have any idea on where to put my other two BetacamSP machines, other than climate controlled storage until I have room for them (putting them in a hot storage container will eventually destroy them). I still need to get my AG-5710 serviced by TGrant before he no longer works on them, but sadly funds have been very tight lately so has been difficult to get done.

I have most of the decks stacked in a equipment rack I built myself. Once I have done the majority of the analog video work I will move to doing HD based workflows and projects.

[Sergei316]

Decks:
AG-1980 x3 <---2 working / 1 needs some TG love.
HR-S7800 x3
VS-101
HR-DVS3U x2
J30sdi
UVW-1600 / 1800 <---Do not use in workflow

Cameras:
TRV-320 x2
AG-DVC-80 Pro

Capture Cards:
AIW 9000
AIW 9700
AIW 9600
AIW x600
AJA LHi
AJA LSe
AJA 3g
Osprey 100, 230, 300

TBC:
AVT-8710 x4 <--- Original Not Clones
Feral A4222
Hotronics AP41SD
DPS-235
Prime Image II <--- Terrible

OTHER:
PA-100
DR-1000
BVP+4
Broadcast LCD monitors x2
Magni SDM-560 <--- does not work
6 Extron Switchers
VS-16 Switcher
96 Port BNC patch panel
7 - XP/ Win7/ Win 10 systems

Began with a Dazzle, found DigitalFAQ, and here we are.

[VideoTechMan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sergei316

Decks:
AG-1980 x3 <---2 working / 1 needs some TG love.
HR-S7800 x3
VS-101
HR-DVS3U x2
J30sdi
UVW-1600 / 1800 <---Do not use in workflow

Cameras:
TRV-320 x2
AG-DVC-80 Pro

Capture Cards:
AIW 9000
AIW 9700
AIW 9600
AIW x600
AJA LHi
AJA LSe
AJA 3g
Osprey 100, 230, 300

TBC:
AVT-8710 x4 <--- Original Not Clones
Feral A4222
Hotronics AP41SD
DPS-235
Prime Image II <--- Terrible

OTHER:
PA-100
DR-1000
BVP+4
Broadcast LCD monitors x2
Magni SDM-560 <--- does not work
6 Extron Switchers
VS-16 Switcher
96 Port BNC patch panel
7 - XP/ Win7/ Win 10 systems

Began with a Dazzle, found DigitalFAQ, and here we are.

Now the question is, how do you fit all that gear in a small room space?

[Sergei316]

Most of my gear is on a custom L desk, occupying 10ft on one wall and 8ft on another. I built in 3 seperate 16U rack spaces for all of the rack gear (although I am barely using one full rack). I built 4 rows of shelves on one side to house all of the players. I dont have all the decks hooked up yet and I am still testing my workflows. I have very limited space as well and am trying to utilize the space I have. You just have to get creative.

[VideoTechMan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sergei316

Most of my gear is on a custom L desk, occupying 10ft on one wall and 8ft on another. I built in 3 seperate 16U rack spaces for all of the rack gear (although I am barely using one full rack). I built 4 rows of shelves on one side to house all of the players. I dont have all the decks hooked up yet and I am still testing my workflows. I have very limited space as well and am trying to utilize the space I have. You just have to get creative.

I have about 8.5 ft width on one wall and the other almost 10ft, but more around 9ft. I have built my own 26U rack for most of the audio gear and a 20U rack for the decks. In my case though most of the pro decks are 3-4U, up to 25" deep and take up alot of space. I usually don't like to stack the decks directly on top of each other for heat and weight considerations. I have a 42U HP server rack that I was using to house the decks in originally, but the room I am using now is too small for that to fit. I also have an old L desk my uncle let me have years ago that I have a quad monitor setup on one end, and audio related stuff on the other. Granted I need to put some shelves up myself so will be doing that soon.

I'm getting closer to a solution I can work with, but will still take a little time. Not to mention the wiring that has to be done as well.

[latreche34]

- 2 JVC HR-S7600AM S-VHS dual format 525/625 PAL/NTSC
- 2 Sony ED Beta EDV-7500 NTSC
- 1 JVC HM-DH5U D-VHS NTSC
- 1 Sony J3-SDI Betacam Multiformat Betacam/SP/Digibeta/SX/MPEG IMX small and large cassettes PAL/NTSC
- 1 Sony HVR-M15AU DV/DVCAM/HDV mini and full size cassettes PAL/NTSC
- 2 Sony camcorders 8mm/Hi8/Digital8

[latreche34]

I just want to add that I'm just a hobbyist not a professional.

[VideoTechMan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

- 2 JVC HR-S7600AM S-VHS dual format 525/625 PAL/NTSC

- 1 Sony J3-SDI Betacam Multiformat Betacam/SP/Digibeta/SX/MPEG IMX small and large cassettes PAL/NTSC

My Sony DVW-M2000 is basically the same as your machine, besides being full size with a ton of connections.

How well has the J3 worked for you, being a smaller portable unit? Out of the three BetacamSP machines I have, I'm not sure whether to just let them go and keep my M2000 since it can play the different formats as well, plus it has the optional HD converter board installed.

[Bogilein]

My equipment (PAL).

SVHS-Recorders:
Telefunken A1200 (JVC HR-5000 clone)
Blaupunkt RTV-925 (Panasonic FS88 clone)
Blaupunkt RTV-950 (Panasonic FS200 clone)
Blaupunkt RTV-966 (Panasonic HS1000 clone)
Hitachi S390E
JVC HR-7600
JVC HR-5950
JVC BR-S811
Nordmende S6005 (JVC HR-4700 clone)
Panasonic HS-860
Sharp VC-S2000

VHS-Recorder:
Panasonic NV-HD650
Thomson VP6990 (NTSC & PAL Playback)

Video 2000:
Grundig 2000 2x4 mono


pass-thru dvd recorders:
Panasonic DMR-ES10, ES15, EH65, EH495
Sony RDR-GX7, HX680, HX870
Pioneer DVR 3100, DVR630, DVR555
Thosiba RD-XS32
JVC DR-MH10

external tbc:
Electronic-Design TBC-Enhancer
JVC KM-F250

proc amp:
Hama AV-128

Capture cards:
Canopus NX (PCI-E Version) 2x
Canopus NX (PCI-X Version) 2x
Canopus ADVC 300
Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle
Matrox MXO2 Mini
Viewcast Osprey 240e
ATI AIW 7200, 9000, 9600
Pinnacle USB-500
Terratec Grabster AV150,350
and a few other USB capture cards from Tevion, Medion, Noname.......

Other:
DataVideo DVK-100
Kramer s-video Line amplifier 103YCB, PT102S
Profiko S-2099


Much equipment but I'm only a hobbyist.

[hodgey]

My setups (most work owned, some personal)

• S-VHS decks:
  Main:
  Philips VR1100 - main recording deck - (similar to JVC HR-S77xx/HR-S78xx decks, not sure which lineup is the closest)
  Panasonic NV-HS1000EC (the older revision) - for tapes in very good condition
  JVC HR-S8500 - backup/alternate, lacks the picture modes of the newer JVCs, but has TBC/DNR .Dynamic drum but in great shape.
  Other:
  Panasonic AG7350 (x2) - Broadcast SVHS deck with linear stereo, has some audio interference when hooking it up to anything, other one has a power issue, could probably use recaps
  Panasonic AG5700 - Industrial/professional deck with the same mech as the FS-200/FS-88 etc something wrong with the video on this one, in the process of trying to find the problem
  JVC HR-S8600 - personal pet VCR atm, haven't used it much yet. Dynamic drum but seems fine as of now.
  Camcorders:
  JVC GR-SX22E - SVHS camcorder with TBC/noise reduction. Useful in some cases for tapes with bad vertical jitter.
  Panasonic one (don't remember model) - needs new belt I think, rare SVHS camcorder with Hifi
  
• normal VHS
  Samsung SV-6553x - early 2000s hifi - Mainly for rewinding/searching and misaligned tapes (hifi no longer works for some reason)
  SHARP VC-220N - old portable VHSC recording unit - for rewinding VHSC tapes
  Samsung SV-7000W - hi-fi multi-system converting VCR. Playback not working atm, something wrong with tracking signal, suspecting bad joint/trace somewhere
  Toshiva VCP-C8 (Toshiba-branded Samsung) - 2-head multi-system VCR - used for NTSC tape that needed ES10
  
  JVC HR-J658, Sony SLV-SE60 - VCRs (6-head hifi) i've used for raw RF capture, Sony one gave a bit stronger signal
  
  + a bunch more random VHS decks I'm not really using for anything atm including a Nokia
  
• 8mm Video
  Sony CCD-TRV66e (x2) - Hi8 XR camcorders, main ones used for video8/hi8
  Sony CCD-TR840e - Hi8 XR, had an issue with the drum bearings, somehow managed to make it work again after a failed attempt at lubricating it (don't try this). Mainly for misaligned tapes
  Hitachi VM-D865LE - Digital8 with Hi8/video8 playback. Useful for some bad tapes as it doesn't bluescreen like the Sonys do on very bad signals.
  Sony CCD-TRV218 - Hi8, backup, not used atm
  Sony DCR-TRV460 - Digital8 with Hi8/video8 playback - missing pinch roller
  
  Sony DCR-TRV140e - for Digital8
  Sony DCR-TRV145e - for Digital8
  
  Sony EV-C2000e - Hi8 VCR, mainly used for rewinding/seeking
  Sony EV-C400e - Hi8 VCR, only for rewinding atm, something wrong with either head or rf amp pcb
  Sony EVO-250 (NTSC) - Video8 portable VCR, not really used as the sony camcorders do NTSC fine.
  
  + a bunch of other camcorders in various not so great states
  
• MiniDV:
  Sony DCR-PC100 (x2) - main miniDV capture
  Sony DCR-HC40 - backup (as it's annoying to use requiring a dock)
  
  Sony DSR-11 - DVCAM/miniDV VCR - not working due to some blown fuses that I have yet to replace
  Sony DHR-1000 - DVCAM/miniDV VCR - just for rewinding/seeking atm as it doesn't track tapes well compared to cameras
  
• TBCs:
  Datavideo TBC-3000
  TVOne 1-TBC + AVT8710 (both bad newer ones, so not used any more)
  
• DVD-Recorders for passthrough:
  Panasonic DMR-ES10 - only composite input working - some caps replaced
  Panasonic DMR-EH57 - seems to work nearly as well as ES10 and has (one) working S-Video input - some caps replaced
  Pioneer DVR-440 (x2) - Doesn't have the white clipping problem of PAL panasonics, but not as strong.
  Sony RDR-HX750 - similar to the pioneer, used as a "capture device" by grabbing the HDMI output (via an ISola HDMI splitter to avoid HDCP)
  
  + some others not used atm, incl. Toshiba, JVC, Samsung, LG
  
• Capture:
  Diamond VC500 (newer version)
  Blackmagic Intensity shuttle USB3- for HDMI capture
  Diamond VC500 mac (older one with SAA7113H) - used occasionally (with windows)
  
  Also got a ATI 9600 VIVO that I need to make a input adapter for and some conexant-based pci cards and the Domesday Duplicator 3.0 (for RF capture).
  
• Other stuff:
  Sony PVW-2800 Betacam - no idea if cassette playback works, the TBC works on passtrough but is pretty bad
  Vivanco Audio Video Center VCR 3078 - Video processor thing - not really useful as a proc amp as it rewrites sync and cuts image borders, but interesting to play with.
  Sony MicroMV camcorder (don't remember model number) - never had any customers with micromv yet though.
  Behringer mixer

[latreche34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VideoTechMan

My Sony DVW-M2000 is basically the same as your machine, besides being full size with a ton of connections.

How well has the J3 worked for you, being a smaller portable unit? Out of the three BetacamSP machines I have, I'm not sure whether to just let them go and keep my M2000 since it can play the different formats as well, plus it has the optional HD converter board installed.

Being just a player and few outputs they managed to shrink it down from rack mount to a desktop size, Since I don't need a recorder the J3 fits my needs, All what I needed is SDI output for capturing and S-Video for monitoring, none of the other connections is useful to me even if they did exist.

[lordsmurf]

I've added a poll to the top of the page.

[BarryTheCrab]

I know this is an "old" thread, but adding to it seems harmless. I also voted wrong, I have SIX VCR, dunce!
My setups include the following...
JVC S-3500U (used for moldy tapes, old, needs a little first aid)
JVC S-4800U (recently refurbed recapped)
JVC S-7800U (recently refurbed recapped)
Mitsubishi HS U778
Toshiba W808 (next in line for a checkup)
Philips VR-960B (also used for moldy tapes but I love this little machine-I may buy another and dump the 3500)
Sony Video8, and Digital8 (w/DNR-TBC), Canon HV30
TBC-ish...ES-10, ES-15, TBC-1000, CMD-1200
Elite BVP4 Proc amp (refurbished)
Dongles: Hauppauge 850 and 950, Diamond VC-500, and 2 Tevion Hi-Speed DVD Makers, one of them unopened.
Why do I love this old stuff? It's suppose it is just fun taking a shiny black tape and magically make it into a modern video.