Is my new AVT-8710 DOA? (screenshots/clips of error)

[MikeT]

I am new to this site and read this whole thread which is quite long and has a lot of details. Is there a very simple way to determine if my new AVT-8710 (sn#2238406019888) is defective or not? (Wrong chipset? Bad sn# range? Fails a particular test? Etc.) I am not experienced with TBCs & want to make the determination before the return period expires in 2 weeks from BZBExpress. I see that a lot of people have had problems with this unit but some like it a lot. In my first experiences with this unit the results were mostly disappointing but I'm not sure how much I can expect out of it. I am using it with a Mitsubishi HS-HD2000U.
Thanks!
Mike

[lordsmurf]

Welcome to the site.

One of the posts discusses the chipsets affected. You may have missed it. Just go through it again until you find it.
The easiest test is to see how it reacts on a JVC S-VHS bluee screen. Good = good, wonky = bad.

[MikeT]

Thank you for the warm welcome! I connected my JVC (HR-S4600U) video out directly to my TV & got a clean blue picture in both the standby & menu modes. However when I put the AVT-8710 in between the VCR & the TV, I first got a herringbone like pattern, then a multi colored confetti like pattern & then just a screen full of tiny dashes lined up horizontally in both standby & menu modes. I tried both S-Video & composite inputs/outputs with the same results. The strange thing is that I didn't see these patterns while playing a tape. But, I guess this means the unit is defective, right? Is it worthwhile getting a replacement with all these defectives out there or is there a better choice? I do like the proc amp features in the unit so I can adjusted color, tint etc. should I need to do that.

-- merged --

Is the gosting issue with the AVT-8710 a defect in only some units or a design flaw in all of them?
Thanks!
Mike

[lordsmurf]

Unfortunately, I think you one of the defective units.
It was semi-random, and did not affect them all. However, it tended top affected an an lot/stock. So don't buy it there again.

It presents less often with a tape, but still happened. So that's not good.

[mikepham]

Been having some trouble with my AVT-8710 lately, especially random "ghosting" during video playback. Found this old thread and learned A LOT about this unit, so thanks to all for sharing the info. I'm sorry to report however, that B&H still has bad units for sale. I just ordered mine last week, received today, 7/16/13, turned it on and tried my JVC SR-V101's menu screen, and sure enough, got the same crazy problem.

S/N 2238406021680

Has anyone else had any luck finding a good unit? Thanks in advance.

[lordsmurf]

That's disappointing. At this time, the DataVideo TBC-1000 (or TBC-100, if you can find it) is suggested. While it's about $100 more expensive than the AVT-8710, it works. You won't have to waste time testing, buying/returning defects, etc. Note that it's only more expnsive when new ... sometime you can find them on eBay for less used. Sometimes even in the $225 range, like the AVT-8710.

You best bet is to find a used green/black model, if you want the 8710.

[cedricm]

Hello everyone,

I bought an AVT-8710 on eBay a few months ago and I think my TBC started having the same problem since today...
I have provided a sample of the problem as attachment. Some frames freeze for some seconds
Can anyone confirm this is the problem mentioned in this topic? As I don't own a JVC VCR to test the menu.

Man I'm so angry right now... Bought the TBC for about 115€ second hand from an ebayer in the UK, so there's no chance of getting any warranty whatsoever...

The device worked perfectly for months and started acting up like this all of the sudden.

[lordsmurf]

Something like this does not "just start", but rather is a flaw that's always present. (You may have simply just noticed it. Better check past transfers!) It's an uncorrectable error in the chipset that was switched to at some point back in 2011 or so. I have TBCs from before that time, which are flawless. The new ones, sadly, are not. It's somewhat random, because every unit does not use that same chips. To me, that sloppy (inexcusable!) practice by the manufacturer, Cypress Technologies.

That all said, I'm not sure what's causing this image problem. So here's what you need to do:

1. Re-capture part of a tape that used to be okay. Has it changed? (I doubt it did.)
2. Try to capture on another device, with the TBC.
3. Try another TBC. I know, you probably don't have one. But that's sometimes the only way to compare.

Something like this could be caused by capture cards, tapes, or even the computer itself (internal codec issues). It's hard to know what did it.

[cedricm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Something like this does not "just start", but rather is a flaw that's always present. (You may have simply just noticed it. Better check past transfers!) It's an uncorrectable error in the chipset that was switched to at some point back in 2011 or so. I have TBCs from before that time, which are flawless. The new ones, sadly, are not. It's somewhat random, because every unit does not use that same chips. To me, that sloppy (inexcusable!) practice by the manufacturer, Cypress Technologies.

That all said, I'm not sure what's causing this image problem. So here's what you need to do:

1. Re-capture part of a tape that used to be okay. Has it changed? (I doubt it did.)
2. Try to capture on another device, with the TBC.
3. Try another TBC. I know, you probably don't have one. But that's sometimes the only way to compare.

Something like this could be caused by capture cards, tapes, or even the computer itself (internal codec issues). It's hard to know what did it.

Well, after a night of sleep I tried again this morning and everything seems to be ok now. I hope it stays this way. Could this be caused by the typical overheating of the device? (I've read about this on another forum) As I'm in the process of digitizing 22 Hi8 tapes.

However, I'm pretty sure this ghosting was caused by the AVT-8710 itself, because as soon as I linked the Hi8 player directly to the capture card, the ghosting was completely gone!

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Could this be caused by the typical overheating of the device? (I've read about this on another forum) As I'm in the process of digitizing 22 Hi8 tapes.

Yes. After about 6 hours, it overheats, and can do odd things.
I forgot about that. (Haven't used mine for a few weeks. Doing editing, not capturing lately. Out of sight, out of mind!)

Keep those fingers crossed, and maybe it won't happen again!

[cedricm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Yes. After about 6 hours, it overheats, and can do odd things.
I forgot about that. (Haven't used mine for a few weeks. Doing editing, not capturing lately. Out of sight, out of mind!)

Keep those fingers crossed, and maybe it won't happen again!

Yep, started happening again after about 4,5 hours... Any way to solve this problem? (As in: extra heat sinks on the chips?)

I actually wonder if this is caused by the heat of the chips or bad soldering... Tried blowing with a fan on the board but ghosting was still there unfortunately.

[lordsmurf]

There may be room to mod it with extra heat sinks. If not, you may have to mod the case for it, too.
I never run this one more than ~6 hours at a time, and it's fine. It's the older (~2003) NTSC green/black model.

[cedricm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

There may be room to mod it with extra heat sinks. If not, you may have to mod the case for it, too.
I never run this one more than ~6 hours at a time, and it's fine. It's the older (~2003) NTSC green/black model.

I might make a modded casing in the future.
Let's see if my test setup works

[cedricm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cedricm

I might make a modded casing in the future.
Let's see if my test setup works

Well, that didn't seem to have much effect... Problems still start to occur after a certain amount of time. Even with a fan blowing at full speed on the chips.

I'm busy with a tape now where i seem to be unable to capture the 90 minutes as a whole.
The tape has an unstable image since it was captured while driving on a bumpy road which probably made the tape/heads move a bit in the camcorder resulting in the wobble of the picture

After a while of playback, it's like the AVT-8710 says: "screw this, too much work" and then there's the ghosting again which i can't get rid off unless i leave the TBC off for a few hours...

Very strange... Should've saved my money for the TBC-1000 instead of buying this unreliable piece of equipment

[dansms]

Are there still defective units of these around. Here's what I'm getting:

http://1drv.ms/1gdNTcP

Four pictures on my onedrive, the third one without the AVT8710. Should this unit be sent back?

[lordsmurf]

That almost looks like bad wiring, or a bad input/output connection.

Do the faulty chipset units still exist? Sadly, yes. The USED units are passed around all the time, as they're unwanted. The persona selling wants to recoup funds and unload it on another sucker. Lots of eBay/Paypal disputes from this mess.

Are NEW units still bad? That I do not know. I've not seen a new units in months now.

But again, your exact images don't appear to be a chipset issue. Not at first, anyway.

[dansms]

OK, this is a brand new unit, I'm going scart to composite in, composite out, but I've also done s-video in, and composite out with the same results. I like what it does when the video starts Though it does seem to brighten the picture quite a bit, or dull the contrast, but I've just started using it.

Another question, though may be this should go in another thread, shouldn't these rectify PAL60? i.e. playing an NTSC vhs in a PAL VCR. Direct to TV it's colour, through the AVT8710 it's black and white.

[lordsmurf]

None of that sounds right.

It should NOT be messing with the brightness or colors. That points to the chipset issue. Is it a major difference, or just a minor nitpick of 1% differences? A TBC does change these values some, but it should never be harsh or major. (A few noted exceptions for badly damaged nth generation videos.)

The TBC won't signal convert, if that's what you mean.

[dansms]

What I've got going is a scart going from the VHS to a scart/composite splitter. A scart cable goes direct to the TV scart and the composite goes via AVT8710 to the composite on TV so I switch between the two. What I've noticed is that when I switch from scart to composite input on the TV i.e. from direct to via the AVT8710 the picture is vibrant for a second and then dulls by itself.

Here's some test photos if they're any use, I haven't got a capture card yet so taking pics of the TV is the best I can do for the moment, direct to TV and via AVT8710:

http://1drv.ms/1ge6Ig9

It does a good job but wondering why it thinks about it for a second then dulls. The TV isn't on 'intelligent sensor' just 'satndard'

For my other query I'm wondering how I can get a colour picture from a retail NTSC tape as the AVT8710 outputs a B/W picture. I thought it was to do with mv.

[Broekhuijsen]

Hi there, today I received my AVT-8710 with serial number 2238406 025619

It seems to have some newer components in it.

Now I don´t have a JVC deck to freak out this device so I cannot test it with that.

My Philips VR550 does have some blue menu´s it is connected via composite (it is only VHS so no SVideo out) and then from the AVT-8710 I go to my Pinnacle 700 pci card via Svideo out of the AVT-8710

Now so far I have not seen any ghosting. I did see it, but that was due to noise removal from virtual dub.

I am not really shocked by the dramatic improvement this makes on my video´s so far. But I didn´t have much time yet to thoroughly test it.

I don´t have the idea there are frame freezes (except when I fast forward video)

So any ideas on how I can give this a good test?

Hope that I can either find out if I should return the unit, or that I can help determine that if it is safe again to buy these devices.

So far I do not get the impression it gets very hot, but maybe I should leave it on for some time.

I converted the picture to PDF so the resolution stays high enough to see the parts