Capturing tapes while preserving closed captions?
 

Anyone have advice on capturing VHS tapes while preserving the embedded closed captions so they can be extracted to a file afterward? I'm pretty sure the tape I tried has them (no, ridiculously my TVs don't have the proper connectors to check it).

I've tried my Diamond CV500 and Blackmagic Shuttle Intensity with Virtualdub and Media Express direct from VCR to capture device without a TBC or EC15 and even with the VCR TBC/NR off, but no luck so far.

Erich

Don't use a TBC if you want to preserve the closed captions. Closed captioning is encoded in the vertical blanking interval (line 21). You're better off trying with a DVD recorder as many capture cards can't handle this. If the tape you're trying to capture has MV, you're pretty much f*** as there's no way to preserve closed captioning & strip out MV, at least in a single run.

I already tried without the external TBC with both capture devices, no soap. I haven't been able to find any info on whether either capture device can even save the CC signal.

You mean actually burning a DVD from the tape with the EC15? It'd be fine with me even if the video is messed up by the MV. As long as it also copies the closed captions signal I can demux the disk and extract the closed caption file. I'd do a full capture with the TBC anyway for restoration and then add back the CC afterward when editing.

Erich