Datavideo TBC-3000 too bright with Macrovision tapes?
 

Trying to transfer a tape that I think has Macrovision, and for the life of me I can't get the levels right. I have my TBC-3000 set to the defaults and everything is too blown out. I've tried two capture cards (the I-O Data GV-USB2 and the Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1290) and my Retrotink 5X and they all have the same issue. But my CRT TV displays it perfectly fine.

I've tried messing with the proc amp, but I'm going in blind. I can't get a good result. Does anyone have any advice on what to do? I've only experienced this with some (but not sure if it's all) Macrovision tapes. Otherwise, my experience with the 3000 has been excellent!

Levels from the raw video
https://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/att...1&d=1688708491

Levels adjusted in Avisynth
https://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/att...1&d=1688708491

Certain Macrovision pisses off TBCs (and everything else but the CRT TV set). This may also be a rarer case where line + frame can also backfire. Disable line in your JVC, see what happens.

For some MV, different TBCs (which are actually less useful in other scenarios), and "ignore" capture cards, may be needed.

Sometimes nothing you do will allow capture without image defects.

And it's usually cartoon tapes with the issue. Some The Tick tapes are nasty, and certain Cartoon Network tapes.

Didn't change anything sadly.

Yeah, I guess it's the TBC, I had a capture of the same tape from when I didn't have a TBC and the levels looked fine. So I dunno what I should do.

This is why many of us more serious collectors have multiple VCRs, multiple TBCs, multiple capture cards. You just get such a wide variety of errors from tapes, and no single piece of gear masters them all. For all almost homemade tapes, and most retail tapes, what you want is the standard JVC/Panasonic and DataVideo/Cypress combo. But some errors, including the artificial errors (aka anti-copy, including Macrovision and others), you have to use compromise gear (better at X, worse at Y).

Since this is toons, my hobby, I'm always willing to look at why a tape does what it does, and see what gear combo will work. Maybe create a workflow recipe for others to follow, who are running into issues with anti-copy.