Send VCR audio through ES15 and/or DVK?

[DigiTime12]

I have bought myself an ES15 to go along with an DVK setup, as far as I am aware the vibe I am getting on here is that I should only really use the ES15 if its required if I am getting frame drops or stuff like that. Obviously I will run S-Video through both but should I also be sending audio through as well? not sure if I am potentially going to cause sync issues if I have audio going straight from VCR or camera to my capture device and video going through the ES15 and DVK.

[lordsmurf]

ES10/ES15 has internal delay, so audio must route through it. Audio will be out of sync if bypassed.

DVK does not process audio, no connections for it.

[DigiTime12]

Thanks lordsmurf! I get the vibe that not many things are black and white with these situations but In general would I be better using the ES15 for all analog videos or only running through it on tapes that seem to have frame drop/audio sync issues?

[lordsmurf]

ES10/15 type is not transparent, it adds noise.

- NR is on even when "off",
- posterization
- AGC is a bit aggressive
- luma can be hot
- IRE on recorders is always off by a %

These are not TBCs, but rather DVD recorders for MA & Pa Kettle to use. People who had a hard time setting the VCR clock. So many things are forced, to prevent returns and complaints ("that thing don't work right!")

It has an unusually strong anti-tearing, but also has crippling due to Macrovision.

Use it when the net effect is better video, but not when it harms.

ES10/15 does nothing for dropped frames, it's not frame timing correction (not frame TBC). It has non-TBC frame sync. The DVK is your weak TBC that handles frame. And DVK also has downsides (it also needed modding and presetting to not be a PITA to use).

However, this all said, ES10/15+DVK is a solid solution, even if downsides to image quality.

This is budget gear, and so you have lots of caveats and considerations. Actual TBCs, higher end VCRs, are the "it just works" options.

That all make sense?

[DigiTime12]

Thanks lordsmurf, all makes sense to me, one final question based on that: when you say the DVK needs to be modded/preset, what sort of settings are these? My current setup is S-Video into CAM INPUT 1 and then S Video out of the main output, I tend to leave the colour settings alond