Need help? lordsmurf is here!
 

How to Get Help from lordsmurf!

This post is being written for VideoHelp.com members/visitors who are seeking my help. :)

If you have questions, and want my help, you need to post here in The Digital FAQ forum (aka digitalFAQ.com). I do not answer questions via private messages (at any site!), and I'll easily miss those "help me lordsmurf!" type VH posts since I do not visit that site daily anymore. This is my home site/forum, and as a Site Staff member, I see all questions.

Step 1: Login -or- Register for the forum as a Free Member or Premium Member. Then login. (Hint: scroll up!)
Step 2: Post a new question in the appropriate forum -- or General Discussion if you're unsure.
Step 3: Ask for me in the body of your post -- NOT the topic title.
Step 4: Wait for me to reply. (Hint: If you're a Premium Member, I'll reply faster.)

Thanks!
-LS


FAQ:

Q: What's wrong with VideoHelp?!

A: Nothing. I've been a member there for more than two decades, and it's a nice site. I have a good relationship with the owner (Baldrick) and quite a few members. At one point I was a moderator, and created the Restoration forum there. But these days, I only visit maybe once per week to see what's going on. That site has always been more about copying discs (VCD/DVD/BD/etc), downloading videos, using "easy" lesser-quality methods (like "all-in-one" software), open-source software (anti-payware mentality), cheap hardware, etc. As both a video professional AND a video hobbyist, that's not what I'm about. It's why www.digitalFAQ.com was established back in 2002, and thrives to this day.

Q: Why no advice via PMs?

A: It hides advice. Free advice needs to be shared, and that's why forums exist. When we have discussions in public, others can read them and learn from the conversations.

Q: You won't download my sample from ___ site?! Where can I share the file?

A: I only accept 4 ways to get sample files:
- (1) Google Drive, Dropbox
- (2) Attachments to posts at this site (99mb max). See also: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/news...ly-upload.html
- (3) Via the digitalFAQ (CDN4) FTP -- Premium Membership required -- see also http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/news...mbers-how.html
- (4) Your own hosted server where you've uploaded files.

Q: Why do you not use VH much anymore? Where have you been?

A: From 2003 to 2008, I was on there almost daily, and made more than 30,000 posts in that time. But as the years moved on, so did the topics and conversations -- mostly to things I had no interest in. Then in December 2012, I had a tragic accident that sidelined me for ~18 months. See also:
- December 2012: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/news...q-updates.html
- July 2013: False start, too optimistic: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/news...ack-246-a.html
- April 2014: Back, finally, after almost 18 months mostly offline: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/news...html#post31514 (post#12)
- 2015-2018, steady progress, slow recovery from my life-changing ordeal.
- 2019-2023, plateaued, stable, have learned to accept and live within my permanent limitations.

Can you recommend me a video restoration service? What are their prices like?

You need to specify. Restoration is a broad topic. Some misuse the term when they actually mean data recovery (phones, SD cards, etc), or media recovery (remove mold, fire damage, etc).

We do analog signal repair, meaning we make the videos look better to perfect. :)

8mm tapes are moldy and sticky, easily tears.

You want SpecBros, and it'll cost about $100 per tape. That's not an easy task.

Any DIY tutorials available? I hear immersing the tapes in hydrogen peroxide may help.