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

[lordsmurf]

Can you take photos of the inside of the unit -- especially the chips?

[Broekhuijsen]

Please see the PDF file in my previous message. It contains the picture you request.

I used a PDF file because else, the picture would be reduced in resolution causing the picture to be unsharp.

[ryanwj]

I have an AVT-8710 (SN 200804160080 black case) that I purchased on eBay about 2 yrs ago. I have been tinkering with capturing some Hi8 home movies when I have time but have been mostly disappointed with the results. Several issues around audio sync drifting in and out, color shift, and some tearing and ghosting that tends to emerge slowly after 15-20 mins of capture and get worse as the capture continues. I have almost given up and switched to a Canopus AVDC110 and just captured DV.

After reading through this post and several others I became concerned about the AVT-8710 being defective so I hooked it up to my JVC SR-V101US and sure enough it ghosts on the menu screens. This makes me think the AVT might be the source of some of my woes. Is any further testing justified or should I trash it and move to a used TBC-1000? What would be the best economical TBC option to purchase right now?

[premiumcapture]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanwj

I have an AVT-8710 (SN 200804160080 black case) that I purchased on eBay about 2 yrs ago. I have been tinkering with capturing some Hi8 home movies when I have time but have been mostly disappointed with the results. Several issues around audio sync drifting in and out, color shift, and some tearing and ghosting that tends to emerge slowly after 15-20 mins of capture and get worse as the capture continues. I have almost given up and switched to a Canopus AVDC110 and just captured DV.

After reading through this post and several others I became concerned about the AVT-8710 being defective so I hooked it up to my JVC SR-V101US and sure enough it ghosts on the menu screens. This makes me think the AVT might be the source of some of my woes. Is any further testing justified or should I trash it and move to a used TBC-1000? What would be the best economical TBC option to purchase right now?

The menu ghosting is due to the way the AVT handles video. As the menu output of the VCR is interlaced and doesn't follow any actual spec, the AVT will sometimes display the regular image, but more often will lock one set of fields and not the other. When the tape actually plays and it has video coming in, it doesn't do this. In a way, it is proof that the unit is actually working.

The ADVC is a capture unit, while the AVT is a frame sync. What were you capturing with before?

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by premiumcapture

The menu ghosting is due to the way the AVT handles video.

No. A properly working AVT-8710 does not do this.

[premiumcapture]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

No. A properly working AVT-8710 does not do this.

I read somewhere a while ago that it couldn't resync a menu signal due to the way the VCR outputs its menu, I have to wonder if mine is broken too, though I haven't really had any complaints as of late.

[Prelude]

After having read this forum for a while I also ordered a AVT-8710 (since I can't find the TBC-1000 anymore, production stopped?) and it seems to exhibit the same problems. At first I thought I was doing something wrong and rearranged gear and cables. The problem with the JVC menu seemed to have gone away.

I can only reproduce the JVC menu error after repeated tries (dozens of play/stop actions for example) so I kinda take that as a good sign. I have included a sample from a video that otherwise plays perfectly and has no ghosting effect.

I do not seem to get the ghosting on any of my tapes, even the pretty bad ones except for one VHS tape that had originally been shot on a camcorder and later transferred to VHS. If this is not ghosting or is another type of problem/error please correct me since I am still learning.

When I watch the previous video without the AVT in line and just the JVC TBC turned on it seems that on the parts where the AVT is affected the image jumps vertically ever so slightly. I can't capture it well but imagine the top line going black and the noise at the bottom dropping down a bit. This is very fast and does not really bother me but I am afraid these errors will produce drops during capture.

In any case, I digress. I made pictures of the unit inside and out and have attached them. If the errors shown are the same we can safely conclude that defective units are STILL made by AVT / Cypress and I beleive the buying guides should reflect this. I vote for removal of this product from the list since chances of a defective unit seem to run rather high.

[lordsmurf]

Sadly, I agree. It needs a warning. Most units do seem to be defective now. I'll make that change in a bit. The only reliable units are the older "green with black trim" models (and I can take a picture of my own).

However, jumping can be a byproduct of timing correction. So I'm not sure this is actually a defect of the unit here.

[rocko]

I'm hunting/looking for section of posts within that thread (many pages), about how to error test AVT 8710, or is that part of a guide?..or should that be made into a guide?..I noticed the first post is from LS about some kind of update, but that was 2011?..Also,I couldn't find any screenshots of good/bad AVT 8710 from posted by admin?. Please help

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockovids

I'm hunting/looking for section of posts within that thread (many pages), about how to error test AVT 8710, or is that part of a guide?..or should that be made into a guide?..I noticed the first post is from LS about some kind of update, but that was 2011?..Also,I couldn't find any screenshots of good/bad AVT 8710 from posted by admin?. Please help

There's not a guide, and one has never been suggested.
What post is missing screenshots?

I merged your post here. Keep the same conversations together.

[Prelude]

LordSmurf,

The jumping I described is when watching the same tape without the AVT in line so it's not a byproduct of the frame TBC, perhaps the line TBC of the JVC? I'd have to try that.

All I could observe is that at the parts where the AVT displays it's "ghosting" (see above attachements, I have not yet had confirmation of my description or analysis is correct) the video slightly jumps vertically without a TBC in line.

[rocko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

There's not a guide, and one has never been suggested.
What post is missing screenshots?

I merged your post here. Keep the same conversations together.

Well..I Re-Read your updated message at beginning of this thread, and now I realize it says to read thru the 1st 6 pages for info about AVtool 8710 problems, I was looking for any screenshots of TEST PATTERN generated by a defective/good 8710, but there may not be any, Plus I was looking for any posts about how to test the 8710 for defects, without having to fish thru the whole thread, but I will look again, I may have missed or breezed right past it!..perhaps I will post some shots of my 8710 Test-pattern, But my problem could still be the RF interference thing..still troubleshooting that, Plus I'm replacing the Power Supply in Capture PC, found out it may have over heated, and may be causing some RFI interference!

[SinghDk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockovids

Well..I Re-Read your updated message at beginning of this thread, and now I realize it says to read thru the 1st 6 pages for info about AVtool 8710 problems, I was looking for any screenshots of TEST PATTERN generated by a defective/good 8710, but there may not be any, Plus I was looking for any posts about how to test the 8710 for defects, without having to fish thru the whole thread, but I will look again, I may have missed or breezed right past it!..perhaps I will post some shots of my 8710 Test-pattern, But my problem could still be the RF interference thing..still troubleshooting that, Plus I'm replacing the Power Supply in Capture PC, found out it may have over heated, and may be causing some RFI interference!

Did you find any way to test to see if the 8710 is defective?

[Klastes]

Hello. I have the same problem as described before. I have question to people with faulty ones about power supply. My model is powered by 12v 1,25 A power adapter. In descriptions of avt 8710 was always 15V. Maybe here is a problem?

In the manual from www.avtoolbox.com there is inconsistency - in table of specification is 115 VAC to 15VDC adapter and
two lines below 115 VAC to +12VDC. I'm Wonder if problem appear when they've changed voltage.

[rocko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klastes

Hello. I have the same problem as described before. I have question to people with faulty ones about power supply. My model is powered by 12v 1,25 A power adapter. In descriptions of avt 8710 was always 15V. Maybe here is a problem?

In the manual from www.avtoolbox.com there is inconsistency - in table of specification is 115 VAC to 15VDC adapter and
two lines below 115 VAC to +12VDC. I'm Wonder if problem appear when they've changed voltage.

Hello Klastes, got your Private Message. I think defective units were sold between (about) 2010 and 2012?. If you notice, this thread was started in 2011, but is still very active!.. I bought my 8710 from B&H Photo in 2011, I thought mine was bad, but found out my problem was from something else, not my 8710. My power adapter says 15VDC. I think the +12VDC is just a technical thing, (like "+" means "above" 12 volts?), or maybe the 8710 runs on/uses 12 volts, but the adapter puts out 15 volts, possibly to allow for minor power fluctuations, to keep 8710 operation stable?. Also I'm not sure what Country you are living, or where you purchased your 8710 from, but 8710 automatically senses TV standard PAL/NTSC, at power-up, But it's important to have it set properly (note there are 7 Lights/LED's across the bottom row), and the first "A" (for auto-detect) should be on, (if not then the "RESET" button is your friend!) These can be accidentally set to the wrong one, if you play with the buttons too much. Plus proper power adapter for proper Country is also very important.

[Klastes]

Thanks for your quick answer - helped me a lot. I assume that you have 8710 powered 15V without ghosting effect.
Going this route I've bought universal power adapter. Connect to my AVT-8710 12v and set power adapter to 13,5 v.
The ghosting effect disappear!!!! I've checked vhs tapes PAL that have ghosting effect on 12v oryginal power adapter. Still remain strange interlaced looking menu in JVC HR-S9700 but this is no problem for me. Maybe when I go to 15V it will be gone, but I afraid to cook ma AVT-8710 with 15 V. I think the problem is voltage because when switch to 12 v on universal adapter the ghosting appear - more rare than on oryginal power adapter (there is a difference on voltage - the universal has 0,15V more) . The question is: If they change the power supply to 12 V do they change AVT-8710 hardware or maybe the hardware is the same - need to be powered 15 V?
I will report the progress on gaining voltage - wish me the luck.

[koberulz]

I just got an AVT-8710 from B&H, set it all up...and the menu on my VCR ghosted. I'm running S-Video in and composite out at the moment, because that's all I've got in terms of cables (I've ordered a second S-Video cable). I ran a tape through it, and after I stopped it the menu worked fine.

Should I be concerned? I couldn't quite follow the earlier discussion in terms of which numbers were for faulty units and which weren't, and in any event I'm not sure where I should be looking for those numbers. Not too confident about pulling it apart either, TBH.

-- merged --

It's possible I'm going blind, but I can't find an "Edit" button.

Ran composite in and composite out, and it looked fine for a while, then ghosted on the menu again, and it's ghosting through a bad portion of the tape, so...faulty. Five years, and still this problem.

I'm currently in the live chat with B&H, and the tech is trying to tell me ghosting is normal, and then tried to tell me there might be a firmware update.

And there's a green/black one on eBay, which IIRC is the good one, but it has no power supply, and I'm guessing I'm out international postage for a return as well.

[Tuco]

There is no "Edit" button on these. Are you trying to use the "proc amp"? Ghosting is not an issue with these chipsets. What you will see is jumpiness and flickering similar to frame skips. I just received one of the green ones from eBay, and you can check that post, but I'm in a rush right now, so all I can confirm is that it turns on and produces color bars. I'll be passing some trashy tapes through it later to confirm, but until I can open it and test it, its your gamble. Units appear to be surplus from University of Washington and the one I received was clean and didn't have any sort of stink to it. That's all I can vouch for at the moment. Power supply is 12v CENTER NEGATIVE 1.25amps if your wondering. I'll try to update ASAP once I can stress test. Sorry to be quick, but I hope this helps.

-- update --

Well, turns out my unit is defective (see http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/prem...html#post42651). Tried different cables, VCR, etc. It produces a garbled picture no matter what you throw at it. This is one from seller 'buyhitek' on eBay.

[latreche34]

I got the black one and it doesn't seem to do anything, If there is a spot with damage to the magnetic tape it tries to replace the lost sync signal but it flickers frames, I will keep mine as I only got it for $130 but I will end up selling it later on if I don't find it useful.
http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vide...vt-8710-a.html

[lchackr]

So is the AVT-8710 even worth buying at this point? Is there a similarly priced alternative? It seems like all the other TBCs that have similar prices are all the same device.