Genlocking VHS to Betacam?
 

I'm doing a weird project right now that involves multiple formats. I want to sync these formats.

I plan on running my VCR output into Betacam and recording on Betacam for backup. Someone informed me that if I don't genlock then my image will roll if that makes sense. Their exact words were servo locked to the sync output. My VCR is not capable of doing that without help.

My question is, what would my equipment lineup look like? What equipment would I need to buy to make composite coming out of VCR compatible with a Betacam setup?

Genlock is for syncing two (or more) signals.

VCR (VHS?) into Betacam -- ie, daisy chaining VCRs, old school -- will need a line+frame TBC, not a genlock.

VCR needs line TBC.
Then chase with external framesync TBC.

So VCR+TBC > TBC > Betacam deck.

Interesting. Okay. That makes a lot more sense. Get ready for my dumb idea.

I was told that Betacam won't accept an output from a VCR unless the frame is locked. My dumb idea was seeing whether I could use the Betacam's TBC instead because of its unique chrome/luma and noise reduction controls. I may be wrong but would running a signal through a TBC twice not be ideal?

My friend in question has a Panasonic AG7350, and he explains that you can lock the servo to the sync output and his the Betacam should accept a signal and it's TBC will work. Perhaps that means he has the TBC engaged twice. I am going to find out.

I don't know what this means. It's technobabble.

Huh? Instead of what?

What does that have to do with TBC?

It depends on factors. For example, "TBC" is a wide term, can mean many things. You can (and often should) chain certain TBCs.

Huh?

Probably this.

Twice? Huh?

Generally you can just plug in a video source and a deck will record it. The servo lock/signal is only really needed if you are using the decks in an editing setup in order to do frame accurate edits.

That is exactly what I'm implying. So is there a way to servo lock/signal if my VCR doesn't have this option? I was curious what exactly a servo lock/signal means and if there were any external devices I could buy that could perform this option if my VCR does not have this feature so it would work with Betacam.

-- merged --

Alrighty, allow me to clarify. :) So the Sony PVW-2800 Betacam VCR can act as a pass-through TBC according to a few I have spoken with. I am interested in buying one on the used market for that purpose, however I don't want to be disappointed with my purchase if it won't work with my VCR. From a very old thread.

So what exactly is this implying and how would I be able to get a solid signal from my VCR? I'm very anxious to buy up a few old units and fool around with them and see what results I can get out of them. I want to find out what they are capable of doing for my VCR setup.

I haven't done this exact thing, but I have played around with passing vhs output through a betacam deck (PVW-2800) for it's TBC (which didn't do too great of a job and was quite wiggly, not sure if that's the tbc being mer or just bad electronics).
Unless I hooked the sync input of the VCR (an AG7350) (or used a normal vhs vcr) to sync or composite out of the betacam, the image I got out would roll. Maybe the TBCs in these can't buffer enough for a full frame. Alternatively, if you went through a tbc or something else that generated a fresh stable signal, maybe it would help to also connect to the sync input of the betacam deck.

EDIT: You quoted me while I was writing my post heh

Hello stranger! :D Okay I understand now. Then it probably would not be good to route the feed going into inputs from a consumer vcr.

Betacam deck needs clean signal input.
Dirty VHS signal not clean.
So cannot input VHS signal to use Betacam as a passthrough.

Why not the ES10/15?

Noting that passthrough is never as good as VCRs with line TBCs, and external framesync TBCs.

This thread is confusing me. :o

If anyone is curious so here is the game plan. I'm going to post the results in this thread and over @ VideoHelp.

Maybe this will make a little more sense. So this all started with my frustration from buying a pro VCR deck and realizing it will only play SP speed. I did not realize this. However a lot of my camcorder tapes are EP/LP from home videos I want to save. I'm a little late to the party. Now there are dramatically easier ways to do this but I want to perform a series of experiments. I suspect this is going to be around a six month project to get up and running.

So my equipment setup will involve a Sony SVO-5800, JVC HR-S7100u I bought specifically because it does not have TBC or DNR, PVW-2800 Betacam, and a JVC BRS unit if necessary. Each unit will be getting a grounds up restoration. My goal is to stretch the format to its highest branch. I am determined to find another pass-through TBC that does not involve a DataVideo which I was not impressed with, another alternative to an ES10/15, don't want to invest my time in a working 1980, and don't want to spend the money tracking down a Panny 8700.

My entire signal output will be digital component perhaps and maybe that could mean a cleaner signal. I may not have a use a Betacam VCR at all but I doubt it. It's all very unchartered territory. The results may turn out to be less than satisfactory, but I want to find out what happens with recapped video and TBC boards.

Benny K

Basically the you want to fix a problem with a microwave sized machine when you can just get a good S-VHS VCR with line TBC and a capture card from back in the day under Win 7 and you may get lucky capturing just like that. Instead, using low end VCR with composite, probably an easycap under Win 10 and top it off with an ancient piece of gear that was not designed for that purpose at all.

To be frank it's because I already spent the cheddar (don't ask) and want to get some use out of em.

Also not easycap but will be using Blackmagic HDMI and upscaling 1440p to keep 3:4 ratio. :smack:

It may turn out to be pretty pretty pretty good. My curiosity is peaked.

The Panasonic 7350 (the player / recorder version) and the player only version (I don't recall the model number, it was either a 7300 or maybe it was a 7100 or 7150?) actually output the best quality 6 hour extended play of any VHS/SVHS machine ever made. However, there are a couple of gotcha's.

The 7350 will not play in four hour mode, just 6 hour and 2 hour. And, when in six hour mode it will not play back the hi-fi channel, which is why it plays the 6 hour mode so nicely, the heads are too big to scan both the image and the high-fi so it ony scans the image. However, the linear tracks, which sound dreadful in six hour mode, do have dolby noise reduction so if one has the proper EQ set up they can cobble between dolby noise reduction on and off versus using a some type of EQ adjustment. Ideally, doing a picture pass with audio as reference, then doing a second pass on another machine that will play the HI-FI back is the best scenario in many cases.

There is an advance sync function on the unit so you can feed some type of black burst signal to both the 7350 and the betacam sp as a way to lock them together. However, if you can find an external TBC for the 7350 and then send that signal in via the S-Video connection to the betacam sp deck, that may be your best option.

How does it compare to the Panasonic AG-1980P? Because it's pretty universally regarded as best at SLP.

The Panasonic 1980 was probably one of the most utilitarian VCR's ever made. I never used one but I think it would switch between all three playback speeds automatically? I seem to recall it could over heat if not properly positioned and elevated.

In the six hour mode picture quality wise nothing was better than the Panasonic 7350. However, the 1980 probably plays back the HI-FI channel in the six hour mode which the 7350 cannot do, and the 1980 should play the four hour mode back, and I presume with HI-FI, while the 7350 does neither.

Definitely a form vs function issue. If one wants the absolute best picture quality from a six hour recording speed, the Panasonic 7350 is the machine to use. JVC made their own version of the 7350, I never used it, I don't know how close in quality it was to the 7350, I don't recall the model number either.

Sometimes the HI-FI audio matters as much as the picture so the 1980's definitely rule in that regard and also if they play all three recording speeds. I think the 1980 has a Time Base Stabilizer???? Which is basically a Time Base corrector but without the proc amps for making adjustments. But I am not sure about that. I always used RS-422 control so I primarily used video gear that locked up with RS-422. The 7350 actually worked off of RS-232 I think it was called? I had a one of a kind special box made that would convert the RS-232 to RS-422 and was able to lock up 6 hour VHS and S-VHS tapes to my betacam sp. Sure was trippy. I had to do a 10 second pre-roll so the RS-422 controller could lock the two together before the edit point occurred.

Hmm.. :unsure:

I'd like to see a direct comparison.

From the technical limitations you describe, it couldn't have had the best tracking. Tracking quality is what the AG-1980 is respected for. But overall, the JVC S-VHS decks give better quality.

It has a field TBC -- aka multi-line TBC, aka "infinite window" TBC.

Huh? TBC has nothing to do with proc amp. Some TBCs have proc amps integrated, some do not. Some TBCs have other things integrated as well (genlocks, generators, etc), and again with or without proc amps.

How do that work for you now? I would have thought all software controllers and ports would have been obsolete by now. RS-232/422 is essentially an ancient COM port comm standard from the 1980s. Even most 90s gear dropped it.

The 7350 had a manual tracking dial. To get full use of manual tracking the Channel 2 VU meter had a tracking option selector. I could then ride the tracking dial until the VU meter moved to the farthest right it could go. I also used a TV monitor with under scan and cross pulse. I would manually adjust tracking until I got the best looking image on cross pulse and under scan along with the VU meter set to tracking. For 2 hour speed if the tracking was off the Hi-FI would click off and the picture would get grainy.

If the original recording had a wobbly tracking alignment that could present a problem but I don't recall it happening more than once or twice, if that.

The 7350 was the only unit I used that had RS-232, Everything else was RS-422. i stopped editing when everything went to a computer screen because my mind does not work that way. When I edit I like to see all of my controls physically represented in front of me, not on pull down menus. I would love to see a Video Controller that could accommodate memory sticks.

TBC means Time Base Corrector. To have a corrector built in, there needs to be proc amp controls for hue, set-up, black level, and chroma. If a unit does not have the four pro amp controls than it probably has a Time Base Stabilizer, which is as good as a Time Base Corrector, it just doesn't have the four proc amp controls on it.

That's not correct.
TBC does not require proc amp, and quite a few do not have one.

I found out that JVC true multi-standard decks not the standard converters like the Samsungs, have wider compatibility of tape speeds, I had NTSC tapes that did not play in a US NTSC VCR due to bad recording or the Sony VCR I have sucks, The tape would display picture in pause and fast search but playback is too noisy or have a large noisy bar anywhere in the screen, The audio is fine and I know the VCR is perfectly aligned. When I pop that tape in the JVC deck it would play fine but the VCR would not display its speed like it would normally do for SP, EP, LP, SLP ...etc. The logo just goes away. I've come across several tapes like this from different sources and usually are LP or slower home recordings of TV programs.

The term time base stabilizers incorrectly being called Time Base Correctors started in the early 90's. I got the lecture straight from the horses mouth, JVC Cyprus, California division.

People were incorrectly calling Time Base Stabilizers as Time Base Corrector. The Corrector part specifically refers to the pro amp adjustments that would be located on the machine itself.

TBS's are Time Base Stabilizers, not Time Base Correctors. But they still perform the function of a TBC, except one cannot directly adjust chroma, hue, set-up, and brightness. I would have never learned the difference myself if it had not been explained to me by a JVC tech.

I think the JVC tech was confused. :question:

Quite a few ancient TBCs would need calibration of those values, and the "proc amp" wasn't actually a proc amp at all, but a self-calibration tool. But equally many didn't have the calibration options, at least not externally accessible.

To clarify, the origins of the term Time Base Stabilizer was the late 90's and was associated with a JVC S-VHS machine called the EDIT Deck, which was designed to have a high speed search function and a built in Time Base Stabilizer and was half the price of a BRS series machine. However, the picture quality was noticeably less because there was no settable digital noise reduction card. The C in TBC stands for correction, or, perhaps correctable. S in Time Base Stabilizer stands for the stabilizing of the video signal, which was the primary purpose of a Time Base unit. JVC probably made a point of clarifying the difference possibly because Panasonic was erroneously calling some of their TB's, TBC's, when they were actually TBS's. For instance, the 1980, it if has no external control panel for set-up, hue, chroma, or brightness, is actually a TBS that was been misidentified by Panasonic.

I don't think TBC is unique to JVC, So it doesn't matter how a JVC technician called it, TBC's were made earlier by Ampex for the quad machine 2" tape and the only function they did was to correct timing, They had other boards for chroma and luma and they did not call them TBC. So clearly the technician did not know what he is talking about or you miss understood him.

That is awesome info! I believe my Sony SVO-5800 has that option as well after reading in the manual. I can see on the rear of the 7350 it has "Ext Sync In" which is exactly what I'm looking for. On the Sony 5800 it's called "Reference Video In". Have to learn how to use those.

The 7350 from reading around it doesn't have TBC/TBS or video DNR. The 1980 has both. However the 7350 would be the perfect scenario for feeding into a Betacam. That would make an interesting project. Of course at this point in time it seems that the 7350 would need a major overhaul considering it's age. The Sony decks are indestructible and why I am so reluctant to sell mine but I think I will be as it cannot play EP/LP tapes.

I'm not seeing any RS-232 ports on the back of the 7350 from images online. The 7750 does. I'm seeing RCA/BNC and S-Video, and a weird remote input on the units for recording. If you recall do you remember how you worked with RS-232? I would love to do that myself.

In older threads throughout the forum above when the 7350 was brought up I was reading, it was mentioned that it does not play extended play tapes at the correct speed? Perhaps they were only referring to long play. It sounds like you didn't experience this with EP.

The 7350 requires an external TBC if one wants to optimize/straighten the picture before inputing it to the Betacam SP machine. I used a Fortel Super Pro TBC back in the day. It did a pretty decent job and had S-Video in and out. Internal fan design was kind of weak so it could heat up. I assume in the past 30 years there might be a better version for the 7350. The connector on the back of the unit can be converted to RS-422. I had a company called Adrienne Electronics make one for me. I don't know if they ever made another one but if they are still around they would know how to make a connection box that would then convert the signal to RS-422. It might be expensive however.

The old 2 inch decks most likely allowed the engineer to "correct" the signal, that is why it is called a Time Base Corrector. When the four basic signals cannot be manually adjusted, the correct term is time base stabilizer. https://www.adorama.com/jvsan50u.html. Just because Panasonic may have misrepresented their 1980 time base stabilizer doesn't mean they have precedence over JVC, which correctly differentiates between Time Base Corrector and Time Base Stabilizer. https://www.adorama.com/jvsan50u.html

JVC, Grass Valley, Snell, all use the word Time Base Stabilizer for Time Base units that do not have a way for a person to manually adjust basic video signals. This Snell / Grass Valley Manual mentions Time Base Stabilizer six different times. https://wwwapps.grassvalley.com/docs..._Operation.pdf

The Sony UVW's used Time Base Stabilizers, however, if one purchase the TBC remote, then they could access hue, chroma, brightness and set-up levels. Sony calls their internal TB's, TBS. Maybe that is the secret sauce here. if the TB is internal, it is a Time Base Stabilizer, if the TB has external access, then it is called a TBC. https://www.avgear.com/product/sony-...yer-for-parts/

Not exactly.

1. TBS may be a non-jargon (or obfuscated jargon) synonym on some uses. Because stabilize/correct is essentially duplicate verbiage in layman usage. Bad translation may have had a role here.

2. Again, proc amp has nothing to do with TBC. TBC is for line timing correction -- not adjusting luma, chroma, IRE/pedestal. Completely separate processes, almost no overlap.

3. It's very rare to type in a phrase in Google, and ... nothing. "time base stabilizer" yields almost no results, aside from (mostly) your own participation in various places (Quora, etc). In fact, at least once, Google replied "Did you mean time base corrector ?"

4. I did see this on the BM forums (BlackMagic, not bowel movement, though the former often does cause the latter): "Sony UVW-1200 deck has TBS (Time Base Stabilizer) which is not exactly the same as TBC, and locks SYNC and SC to the external reference signal". That's neither TBC nor genlock. That's some sort of special something for that narrow/niche hardware usage.

i just gave you three links to places that use Time Base Stabilizer that have nothing to do with me. If there is no external correction that can be made by a human, then it is a Time Base Stabilizer, as in stabilizing the picture. Otherwise, there would have to be a new term for TBC's that actually give one external control over the proc amps and if such a name exists, please share it. Why would TBC cover units that allow external control over various signals, aka correction, and also cover units that do not provide external control. Those are two different types of signal control. if you want to claim that TBC is the all encompassing name, then provide two names below it that depict internal control, and external control, then at least a logic tree has been created.

Yes, but those links don't define what TBS actually means.

- First you claimed that TBC must have proc amp, but the links don't support that.
- Then you claimed that all TBC are actually TBS, but the links don't support that.
- Now you're claiming that TBC must have manual human control of timing, but the links don't support that.

I've been doing video for decades, and I'd never heard the term TBS. The reason is obvious to me: I didn't use those old JVC BR or Sony editing decks, and was unaware of the obscure tech contained in them.

TBCs literally do as the name suggests: correct timing (time base), and on the axis/vector it's designed for.

The problem here is that TBC is a wide term. You have line, field, and frame, and each is different. Furthermore, you actually have frame TBC, and frame sync TBC (and non-TBC frame synchronizers). The effectiveness of the TBC depends on multiple factors, and is why you can have both consumer-source TBCs and pro-source TBCs.

Buffers, instructions, and programmed expected signal ingest are all variables that determine how a TBC reacts. Lots of chips, lots of 1's and 0's, make this determination on what it can do. Make not mistake: all are TBCs. (*Except items that aren't, such as "copy removers" like Grex and Sima toys.)

And if you want a framesync TBC with use-adjusted proc amp, here you go: DataVdeo TBC-3000, AVT-8710.

More details: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/myth...html#post34131

This is why general rules exist:
- frame: rackmount TBCs almost always bad for consumer videotapes like VHS
- frame: Cypress and DataVideo usually good -- except flawed-chip Cypress, or EOL DataVideo (5000-type gen)
- frame: avoid "also has TBC" devices like mixers
- line: JVC/Panasonic S-VHS VCRs usually best, safe
- line: avoid "also has TBC" devices like DV converters and DVD recording, as it's often BS

Interesting that the NTSC version of the AG7350 support SLP. The PAL ones are SP only. As far as I know share much of the video ICs with the prosumer SVHS-decks NV-FS100 (PAL) and AG1960 (NTSC), but the mechanism and servo parts are completely different, so maybe that helps with SLP playback too? They use individual servo motors for the tape reels instead of them being driven by a belt from the capstan motor like on most consumer vcrs, which presumably allows more fine control and quick response for seeking and such. I know seeking with the jog/shuttle dial is very smooth in comparison with consumer decks. The PAL one can give very good quality on SP tapes at least, but I've had some issues with the one we have here so never fully managed to compare it properly.

It seems to usually have come with a 34p remote control board, but panasonic made an optional RS-232 board with 25-pin d-sub connectors on it too which can replace it (ag-IA232TC). The remote output seems pretty basic too though, so it would probably not be terribly complicated for someone with engineering experience to diy a serial adapter for it.

A TBC (for a heterodyne VCR at least) had to decode and separate the luma and two chroma components, and digitize the signal in any case before stabilizing, so it made a lot of sense to combine it with video adjustment (which outside of very basic level adjustment requires separating the different components of the video signal to be done properly.). Even the TBCs in the panasonic AG1980P other VCRs typically feature some adjustments under the hood, they were just internal PCB trimpots, or, on later ICs set digitally, even if there wasn't some user control for it.

Whatever the correct term was, JVC used the term time-base corrector on their prosumer vcr and camcorders which didn't feature user level adjustments.

This early patent uses both "time base correction" and "time base stabilization" so I guess the terms have always been used a bit interchangeably.

I've pretty much said the same thing all the way through. If the TB is internal and has no adjustment parameter for basic video signals, it is a TBS. If the TB has accessible adjustable dials for color, hue, set-up and brightness, then it is a time base "corrector".
I would suggest the top of the definition tree would be frame synchronizer, then below it would be two branches, one would be a time base corrector in which a person can adjust various video picture elements, and the other one would be a TBS, a time base stabilizer, such as is in the Sony Betacam SP UVW series. One can "break out" a TBS and make it a TBC if an external piece of equipment can be connected to the internals of the UVW decks so that various signals can be adjusted.

TBS's can be TBC's with the proper break out boxes. I have used such break out boxes for UVW's. The JVC BRS 525, 622 and 822 units all have built in TBC's because there are actual knobs and dials to adjust various picture parameters, but one can also get a break out box as well.

The PVW sony's had internal TBC's with a break out box, but if the TBC external box connector is disconnected when the unit is on, it actually burns out a component and the break out box won't work until the burned out part has been repaired.

In each instance, If a human being has access to actual knobs and dials to make actual picture adjustments to a video signal, the unit has a TBC, if the unit does not have the adjustments readily available without needing a break out box, it is a TBS.

If 50hz creates tape speeds that travel almost 17% slower than 60hz, the 7350 and its full size video heads probably could not scan a six hour recording playing at a slower speed. Even with 60hz, the six hour mode on a 7350 can only play back picture as it won't read the HI-FI track even if one is on the tape.

Almost. :)

As suspected, synonym, with TBC being the jargon term.

Chroma and luma use level and phase adjustment not timing, So calling those adjustments TBC is flat out wrong, So TBC or TBS both refer to HBI and VBI signal timing not chroma and luma levels. Having said that lets just stick to TBC because it is more common.

Only if using composite for external TBCs, Using S-Video the signals are already separated. Line TBC I assume works out of the Y/C demodulator inside the VCR.

That is very odd. I guess that means there is an extra head and if so, does that have a negative effect on the video capabilities for SP speed? In other words it's not optimized for SP? Also shopping and asking around, I noticed the PAL version of the 7350 can play NTSC tapes, but the NTSC version cannot play PAL? Interesting.

Another interesting note. Most of them I see have 34p connections so looks like that was a rare option. So I would need a 34p to RS-422 adapter if possible.

-- merged --

Now this is from an older thread.

He mentioned that the signal coming out of the components was clean enough to be picked up by a modern capture card. I wonder if I would be better off running component into Betacam and that would produce a more stable signal that could work without using a TBC.

-- merged --

I listened to all of your recommendations and tried hooking up a generic VCR to the Betacam.

I can report a positive that the Betcam TBC controls responded to s-vid feed coming from the other VCR and noise reduction. I have video, chroma, set up, and hue adjustments. The Sony SVO-5800 TBC controls are a little nicer and more responsive, but to my amazement it's working and the setup cost $100. Apparently the Betacam tape mechanism works but I'll never need to use it unless I start collecting Betacam.

However the image does roll like others have said, so I've since purchased a VCR with external sync feature. I'm purchasing a blackburst generator. This way I can run the feed out of a Betacam to a capture device without dropped frames, and get the professional controls of a pro VCR while being able to run LP and SLP tapes out of any cheap VCR. Great alternative to finding a 1980/1970 out there. It does not matter if the Betacam tape mechanism does not work. Studios are dumping them like hot cakes for pennies on the dollar for the what they originally cost new.

I will report back my final thoughts when/if I get the image to stop rolling. I also have not tried running component out of the Sony 5800 to see if it gives me a stable enough signal for Betacam to like. I have to recap my Panasonic 7350 before I can start using it.

Full res: https://flic.kr/p/2m6gBh1

There is a BNC connector on the back of most Betacam machines called Ref. video, Try connecting the composite output of your VHS VCR to it and see if it picks up the sync pulses while capturing from the S-Video out of the same VHS VCR, If it works and gets rid of the rolling it saves you from getting a sync generator.

I'm back from trying that. Nope, still rolling. Anxiously awaiting my Horita in the mail.

On a second note folks, I've had more time messing around with the TBC. I now may say I like the controls on the Betacam better than the Sony SVO-5800. They are very responsive. It was hard to tell the first time with the image rolling but when I pause it you can very well see it working.

The Hue changes color. Video changes brightness. Chroma changes color intensity. It went from a black and white image to very colorful. This will come in handy in dealing with oversaturated tapes. Then Set Up appears to be changing the contrast. I can't really test the noise reduction without a still image. If I can get it to stop rolling this would be a great setup.

If the proc amp works it doesn't mean the line TBC is working in the passthrough mode, They are two separate circuits, The only way to be able to tell is if it straighten the lines, Play a tape in your VCR that has bright vertical lines with dark surrounding such as door frames, poles ..etc. If the lines become more straight than they were when TBC is turned on then you know it's working.

I may have been mistaken. You mention line TBC. I'm really looking to see if frame TBC is working so my capture device can record a clean signal without dropped frames.

I believe this model does not have line TBC but it could be the other way around.

When messing with the PVW-2800 at least I never found any way to avoid rolling with vcrs that did not feature externa sync input. The PVW-2800 could be locked to "itself" by looping one of the composite outs to the sync input, but it didn't stop the rolling. The only setup that didn't roll was when both the AG7350 and betacam were locked to the same signal (which could be the internal one in the betacam deck.) Trying to lock the betacam deck to the video output of the vcr didn't seem to work well, from what I remember it caused a lot of jitter and such. Even with the 7350 locked the image could sometimes move around a bit when there was instability. It did seem to result in a stable output signal though.

Well that indicates that the Betacam deck does not have a frame/field TBC or at least it doesn't work in passthrough mode, You would never have frame roll with an active frame TBC. I was under the impression that we are talking line TBC here.

I'm going to carefully read through the manual tonight. If all else fails, it could be a useful external proc control and possibly make line corrections that could come in handy paired with my Pan 7350. Although I was hoping by what I read it would stabilize frames as well for digital capture.

*It should also be known I'm using an upscaler @1080P so I can view it on my flat screen television. I no longer own an analog television. Not sure if that would change test results.

It does mention that it has TBC. The control knobs are even labeled "TBC controls". It could be referencing line TBC though and I was mistaken. Going to run more tests tonight. It could have both line and frame or only one. Even more than that, it could mean that proc is working in pass through but TBC only works with tapes playing like you say. Workflow will go as followed.

First test: I'm going to hook up my Blackmagic HDMI 1080P capture card and see what happens. If frame TBC is activated and there are no dropped frames then it should be able to record a signal. If not, then it will be blacked out and disabled from recording.

Second test: Will be feeding digital component out of my SVO-5800 and see if it stabilizes the image. The Betacam deck also has digital component output that could be useful. Unfortunately proc controls and TBC are disabled in pass-through on the SVO-5800.

Third test: I will run evidence of line correction when I can get it to stop rolling.

"The PVW-2800P is provided with a built-in TBC (Time Base Corrector) as standard. A superior quality output video is obtained directly from the PVW-2800P, with no additional time base correction required. Advanced high quality digital dropout compensation also ensures consistent picture performance. The Sony PVW-2800 has a built in time base corrector that you cannot bypass. All Sony Beta VTRs (BVW series, PVW series, UVW series) have built in time base correctors."

-- merged --

I forgot to add, is there a way to tell when digitizing if you don't have a frame TBC activated? I've never attempted digitizing tapes before but I have a Blackmagic HDMI 1080P capture card at 60FPS.

The intent of the test will be to purposely try to get skipped frames and black outs to determine whether TBC is engaged or not. Digital capture cards want a clean signal. I will be using an S-Video to HDMI adapter upscaler. I'm not sure if this will give an accurate test.

Based on responses in this thread, the fact that its rolling I have my doubts. However the Betacam manual says it has digital dropout compensation. I'm not exactly sure what that implies.