New Article: What's in a Pro Video Workflow to Convert Videotapes?
 

My latest video article:

• What’s in a Professional Video Workflow to Convert Analog Videotapes?

It's a good read for anybody looking to build a workflow for converting VHS, Hi8, Video8, Betamax, and even DV tapes. There's been a lot of talk about workflows in the past several months, and some people have misconceptions on how to build one.


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Thanks for reading. :thumb:

Two :congrats::congrats: for an excellent article that I hope you don't mind I've posted a link to at www.videohelp.com.

Keep up the great work!!!

Wow! Nice Article, I always wondered about your professional set-up!
When I tell other folks about my VHS conversion (of my own tapes), they are either to young to know what I'm talking about, and quickly loose attention within 5 seconds, or they are my age, and hint that they have an old tape for me to convert, but I tell them to wait untill I have converted my personal tapes that I know are Clean, plus I have read and learned here on DFAQ, about unsatisfied customers, expecting high quality transfer, from thier defective tapes, No Thanks for me anyway , not worth the possible outcome later!

Many folks have absolutely no Idea what goes into capturing VHS to digital, to get a watchable copy of that that tape, that is viewable on thier HD computer, I-PAD, or smart phone.
Especially when that person of my age of 59 recorded audio or video or even film, then played back that content on analog equipment, thier "brain memory" of that content is usually perfect and digital, but when converted 20 or 30 years later, from analog to modern digital format, doesn't quite meet the mark as remembered in thier now digitized memory in thier brains?
I personally experienced this after transferring our Band music audio, from 20 years ago, that I was part of, even though I went through great pain to reproduce the sound as it was back then.

The band crowd from the pre-2000s, be it musicians or fans, are usually some of the most pleasant folks to work with. They at least understand how not-easy audio is. When you tell them that video is at least 2x as hard, they understand what you're dealing with. You get immediate head nodding, as they have many memories of the technical wizardry required.

In 20 years, I've only had one person that was a PITA. And I'm pretty sure she was just a band member's daughter.

Best of all, you get to hear some awesome music while capturing. :)

I was told by your professional guide to post here. Thanks for your numerous posts and articles on the transfer process!

I run a transfer business and we have mostly Panasonic AG-1980s with a few JVC machines. Capturing via S-Video to Panasonic EH-59 DVD burners. Then ripping, and deinterlacing/exporting to MP4s in Handbrake if the client wants a digital file.

Your guide mentioned that an additional TBC such as the Datavideo TBC-3000 (in addition to the built in TBC on the AG-1980) is recommended. Will such a device clean up those crappy SLP recorded VHS and VHS-C tapes that have tearing you can't get rid of? I always felt that some tapes were just too crappy to remove those issues. Also, where can I get a Datavideo TBC-3000? A quick Google didn't turn up the usual options in places like Ebay. I'm also going to be swapping out our DVD step and going direct to PC digital file capture. What analog to digital converter (with S-Video-IN for the VHS format) do you recommend in 2020?

Lastly, which software would you use with firewire cables to capture digitally from our Hi8 and MiniDV decks? My research gets the best results with WinDV, although Scenalyzer works sometimes too. Premiere capture is usually unworkable. It's a bit of a mess with all these discontinued programs, even when using older PCs with older OSs as recommended.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Nice write up! Still hoping you find the time to document your TBC testing flow. Hell, i'd pay for that write up ha.

Wise decision to get rid of the middle man DVD. Datavideo TBC box is hard to find and when you do find one it is going to be around $1000.

For a good professional workflow I use the BrightEye 75 with SDI output, All what you need is a SDI expansion card installed in your desktop ($30 on ebay) and you're good to go, You can use Vdub with no problemo. The BE75 is built in TBC/Frame synchroniser already so no need to go analog to digital then to analog then to digital again, It's all done after digitizing in one step. Some may disagree that it is not like a stand alone TBC frame synchroniser but I haven't come across a tape where I needed a different workflow, I have to admit though that I don't do this for a living.

I've seen the BE75 go for $700 on ebay but I've seen them go for as low as $300, it's supply and demand. I will be listing one pretty soon (already flashed to the latest firmware).

Always treat Video8 and Hi8 tapes as VHS and capture them with the same workflow, As for Digital8 and MiniDV I use WinDV app works fine on a PC platform.

The AG-1980 field TBCs, or JVC line TBCs, will do as much as possible to clean the image.

The external framesync TBC (DataVideo, Cypress, etc) is intended to clean the signal. This prevent dropped frames, audio sync problems, and some more severe image issues (often due to false anti-copy detection by the capture card/device/recorder).

Tearing is a special nuisance error that needs a DMR-ES10/15 in passthrough. VCR line TBC offin that workflow, ES10/15 pulls line duty, and the external cleans the signal.

There is a chance that lack of external frame TBC will allow/cause tearing.

Handbrake includes a terrible deinterlacer (non-QTGMC), and makes lots of mistakes interpreting source settings. So it should never be used for any serious needs. It's really just a program made to rip retail DVDs, to make MP4/MKV for a home DLNA. You need to learn selur's Hybrid, otherwise you're honestly doing your customs a great disservice, by returning lower quality.

For Digital8 and Firewire transfer, both WinDV and Scenalyzer are fine.
Note: For Hi8/Video8 transfer, converting to DV 4:1:1 (NTSC) will lose 50% color quality.

Panasonic EH-59H is a ghastly recorder, terrible quality recordings. So noisy.

Converting tapes to digital is now a legacy task, and all of my advice is still current. This will not change for the foreseeable future, if at all. So, understanding this, my capture card advice still applies. From the article: "Capture card: ATI All In Wonder AGP/PCI capture card, and USB capture card from ATI, Pinnacle, Tevion, and JVC LSI-based DVD recorders."

And at the moment, I still have a few items in the marketplace, including one final full workflow (trying to build a 2nd, but still iffy). Some captures, TBCs, VCRs. My stash of excess gear is almost completely gone.

Sorry to be disrespectful, but I'm very concerned that you run a transfer service and don't know what an external TBC does and how to properly capture Hi8.

It's great that you're asking questions and willing to get the right equipment, but please do your customers a favor and get the right equipment and knowledge before doing any more transfers.

It's no surprise, I know a lot of so called "Professionals" used a Walmart DVD/VHS combo and a home label printer and run it for years in their basement, It was the main reason that got me into learning this and did myself and my family and friends a big favor for not being a victim of one. At least the guy is using decent VCR's.