VHS digital transfer distortion hit-or-miss?

[JOH898]

Hi all.

I am really sorry if this has been covered in other topics.
I have searched tirelessly to find someone else with this problem but have come to a dead end.
Can anyone help please.

I have a large project of digitising BETACAM and VHS tapes to digital. My capture of BETACAM is perfect.
Most capture of VHS is good (although audio sync problems which I can easily rectify so not an issue.)

My main problem is that on some of the tapes (VHS) I get terrible feedback on the digitised file. Generally increasing in noise the longer it goes. When recording and listening the the tape, this feedback is not there, it is only on the digitised file. It sounds like wobbly tape noise.
Can anyone give me any advice as to why this sometimes happens to my tapes and what I could do to rectify it. Thanks for your time.

Example:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1px2...ew?usp=sharing

My set up is as follows:

Blackmagic Ultra studio HD
Panasonic NVHS-1000 (with TBC)

VCR video out Scart RCA > Monitor (RC to SDI)
Monitor SDI > SDI in BMD
VCR audio out RCA > audio jack input > BMD
Thunderbolt out BMD > Thunderbolt in MacBook Pro
BlackMagic Media express

[latreche34]

It's either your capture card Blackmagic Ultra studio HD or the Mac OS, which neither are recommended for VHS capture, Try a PC and report back.
Post a sample here, your link is protected. Also what's RC and BMD?

[JOH898]

Thanks for your reply. I don't have a PC to try this on, however, do you still think this is the problem even though I can capture some VHS' with no feedback at all?

[latreche34]

I think it's either one, unless you can isolate each and try different things there is nothing we can do on our end. Describe your workflow without abbreviation.

[lordsmurf]

We cannot access your sample.

Common reasons =
(1) no frame TBC
(2) known-problem/bad captre cards, ie Blackmagic
(3) both

Many of us adore our Macs, but Mac is the wrong tool for video capture.

[JOH898]

Thanks for your reply. Quick question: when you say "no frame TBC" I have a TBC in the VCR player... are you referencing something different? Many thanks I've now made the link public.

[latreche34]

You are still not describing your workflow, It's hard to help when questions are not answered.

Actually, he edited his first post now, added requested details. -LS
Actually, no, he didn't fully edit. Such a confusing thread. -LS

[JOH898]

Apologies but I thought I had described my workflow in the first post? The only abbreviation I made was BMD.

Let me know what kind of description would be more helpful to you thanks.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOH898

Thanks for your reply. Quick question: when you say "no frame TBC" I have a TBC in the VCR player... are you referencing something different? Many thanks I've now made the link public.

No, you have a field (multi-line) TBC in the VCR, not a frame TBC. Not the same.

- line/field cleans the image
- frame cleans the signal (ie, capture card disotortion problems, audio sync issues, etc)

Why are you using SCART? That VCR has s-video. Use it.

Do you mean composite, the yellow wire? (Only audio is RCA.)

[JOH898]

Looks like that could be a possible problem then. I'll do some research on that thanks.

Is there one anyone can recommend or is that just a laughable question?

[latreche34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOH898

Let me know what kind of description would be more helpful to you thanks.

In my first post:

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

Describe your workflow without abbreviation.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOH898

Is there one anyone can recommend or is that just a laughable question?

One what?

- Frame TBC?
- New capture card?
- Both?

[JOH898]

Thought this was suppose to be a friendly platform to help people who need advice.

Im only using RCA audio output.

Thanks for the info so far. I'll ask somewhere else who sound less frustrated with my questions.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOH898

Apologies but I thought I had described my workflow in the first post? The only abbreviation I made was BMD.
Let me know what kind of description would be more helpful to you thanks.

latreche34 probably saw your first post before it was edited almost an hour later, and just never knew to re-read it. Hence confusion from both him (asking same question 3 times), and you (answering question without letting us know).

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOH898

Thought this was suppose to be a friendly platform to help people who need advice.

It is.

Quote:

Thanks for the info so far. I'll ask somewhere else who sound less frustrated with my questions.

No frustration from me, but I still am not 100% clear on your questions. Such as:

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOH898

Is there one anyone can recommend or is that just a laughable question?

Again, one what?

... but I doubt it will be "laughable" in any way.

We just need clarity here.

[latreche34]

I simply asked what is RC and BMD so I can help him which I never got an answer for, How is this my fault?

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

I simply asked what is RC and BMD so I can help him which I never got an answer for, How is this my fault?

It's not.
I also asked what one is, no answer.
I don't know what RC is either. He/she clarified BMD with the edit, but not RC. I hate alphabet soup.

[latreche34]

He didn't, I still don't know what BMD is, other than BM is obviously BlackMagic, I don't understand what's with people nowadays? You offer to help them for free when they don't make any effort and they still get upset, We had a whole thread closed in the other forum because of this.

[lordsmurf]

BMD = Blackmagic Designs. But still, not everybody uses that.

____

We are starting to live in a world of "Karens", and "snowflakes" (overly emotional, easily offended, unable to deal with opposing opinions). Sometimes they're both. Last week, I got a random phone call, from a woman looking for ... something? No idea who it was, nor even what she was blathering about.
Me: "Yes?"
Her: "Blahblahblahblahblahblahblah..." (aka, insert sound of Pac-Man eating dots)
Me: (interrupting here) "Wait, what? Slow down, I don't understand you."
Her: (slowly) "Do not speak to me with such disrepect!"
Me: "B*tch, you called me!" .... and I ended the call. She didn't call back.

There's been a lot of crazy threads lately, and on a lot of sites (not even video topics). I don't get it.

[latreche34]

I even assumed that but still couldn't understand the workflow, Because I'm not sure what BMD refers to, the capture card, the RC monitor, What's RC monitor, Is it like a flat panel monitor with remote control or a conversion device, I could've probably googled these devices and gotten a clue, but is it really my responsibility to decipher his questions to answer them?

[lordsmurf]

Yeah, I'm confused too.

Quote:

VCR video out Scart RCA > Monitor (RC to SDI)
Monitor SDI > SDI in BMD
VCR audio out RCA > audio jack input > BMD
Thunderbolt out BMD > Thunderbolt in MacBook Pro
BlackMagic Media express

But it's essentially just VCR > capture card (Blackmagic), no frame TBC, and that's probably the entire problem.