Leitch Harris X75 software update?

[mikey405]

Hi all.

I was wondering whether I could ask a question regarding my Leitch Harris X75 TBC (etc.) device please. I'm currently using the old girl as a TBC for converting some tapes (VHS mostly but some SVHS and old Philips formats) from composite and Y/C to SDI and then into a Black Magic Decklink Studio card. The TBC seems to work perfectly well and I've been very pleased with the device so far.

Actually, all the above is just background and of no real consequence but I was wondering whether anyone knew any way I can upgrade the software version and where I might be able to get hold of a copy of the firmware and the Leitch Harris CCS navigator software. (I'm happy to pay for both but I can't find anywhere on the "Imagine" web site where anything like this is available.)

Currently the software version is V3.2 and although I really have no idea what the latest version is, the instruction manual has all sorts of things shown for the X75 that are not in the device's menu. (Not paid options, but simple things like setting the brightness of the display etc.)

It's really not the end of the world if I can't update the software but I thought I'd put it out there to see if anyone could possibly advise.

Many thanks all.

Kind regards.

From Mike, Solihull, UK.
PS. Okay - Just to prove what an idiot I am - I've subsequently found all the "display" options that I was missing earlier. Not in the normal menu but a "sub-menu" available by pressing the "Option" button. (I'd still like to make sure I'm up-to-date etc. and to be able to use the CCS Navigator though.)

[latreche34]

I doubt the firmware will bring any improvement, What port it uses for firmware upgrade, Ethernet or USB 2.0?
Anyway besides its big size and 8bit only those do a great job at converting from VHS, reel to reel and uMatic to digital. There are small size devices available that can do 12bit processing, 10bit output via SDI.

[Angies_Husband]

Agreed, I don't think a FW upgrade would be worth the trouble if you already have it working fine. I also used an X75 as a dedicated TBC and loved it, although I had to replace all the fans because the noise was too much sitting next to my workstation.

In the copy of the manual I have, it is for both the X75/X85, and also has features associated with other optional cards and configurations. Not sure if that is the issue, but there are several different configs, and it's possible that options described in the manual are not available if the card/software add-on is not part of the unit.

[JeffMacK]

Hi all,

I have a Leitch X75 converter with a very old FW 1.8.134. I was wondering if someone has a newer version.
I hope someone can help me further.

Thanks!

Br,
Jeff

[latreche34]

If the manufacturer is not active, your chances are slim to none.

[lordsmurf]

I don't understand why people are trying to use these stodgy "pizza box" broadcast TBCs. This is the wrong tool for any consumer analog source, such as VHS.

It can work, or fail miserably. VHS was not the intended ingest source. Hence reviews going both ways, usually to the negative/downside.

I take a lot of "it works perfectly" comments with extreme skepticism, as I've seen the output, via the work from others. It's really not great. Far too many folks transfer video, without viewing the results. So lots of assumption goes on, usually assuming the video converted without issues. But you have to look deeper. Some of this only becomes obvious after many hours of conversions with viewings, and those "odd errors" become more noticed over time. The same errors.

Yes, cheap, do what you want. But you're been warned. If it was all rainbows and sunshine, we'd all have pizza boxes on our desks. But we don't, for a reason.

[eThree]

I have been using a Harris X75 (also a 575) with great success for many years. They do a perfectly fine job if you have the A3D hardware card installed for composite/s-video/YUV input. They do a couple of things that prosumer TBCs just don't...

1) They convert analog sources to SDI
2) They can do PAL/SECAM or NTSC no problem
3) If installed, their NR option is very, very good
4) You can also feed SDI into it
5) They will upconvert to HD (interlaced only for NTSC), but when combined with a Teranex, they can scale/convert to progressive or further up to 4k

They are not easy to use. They make a lot of fan noise. They use too much power. Their audio inputs are esoteric, and require some wire stripping on standard audio cables (I use TRS 1/4"). You really need a proper analog audio mixer to get consumer recorded tape levels up to snuff. They can be very frustrating for the uninitiated, and render less than stellar results for those folks, so I can see why the disdain. But frankly, I haven't found a more professional solution to take a VHS signal from whatever country, lock it up, convert it to digital and take it to HD resolution (albeit interlaced for NTSC - PAL will do progressive) all in one box. Just be careful to get the right options on it.

[aramkolt]

Sorry to dredge up an old thread, but I believe the most recent firmware version for the X75 is version 4.0. They were actually acquired by "Imagine Communications" and they actually do still have firmware updates available for it on their site which just takes a free login to get access to. They renamed it the "Selenio X75". You do need to update to 3.6 before upgrading to 4.0 and both sets of firmware are available on their site.

Once you are signed in, you can go to this link for 3.6:
https://community.imaginecommunicati...5-v3-6-Release

And then 4.0:
https://community.imaginecommunicati...on-4-0-Release

Updating is done by FTP. I haven't actually done it yet to mine, but I've spoken to others that have and they say it is pretty straightforward.

I'm told the main advantage to using these is that they have a pretty advanced 3D comb filter to give accurate Y/C separation without rainbowing if you're using a format that usually only has composite output available like U-Matic or Betamax, though usually machines can be modified to give something similar to direct S-Video (Y/C). Though in some cases, like laserdisc or with certain TBCs, there is no getting around it. Some machines also do some noise reduction to the composite signal itself that gives a visually preferable result over a modified YC output which I'm discovering about U-Matic in particular.

3D comb filter performance should be pretty easy to test, just need to throw the Snell and Wilcox SW2 moving zone plate pattern at each device you want to test. Now whether you'd see rainbowing artifacts on real-world captures depends a lot on your content, particularly if it has fine detailed/repeating patterns.

I agree with the above that this is something you'd mainly want for an SDI capture pathway as opposed to analog capture cards for the fewest analog to digital conversions in the chain. No idea if it can act as a line TBC or not, but that'll be on the list of things to test once I have mine upgraded and someday get around to testing a bunch of devices for the same.

[latreche34]

FTP update is OS dependent, I couldn't connect to my TBS800 in Win11, I had to install a XP virtual machine on my computer to get it to work, It was a pain but it's done.