Is this good VCR (VHS) playback VCR?

[woko2]

So I've recently bought a used JVC SR-V101US that was in pretty great condition, and I found an old "Balto" VHS movie to test it out with to see how it's working. The only problem is, I have no idea/reference if the playback looks "correct" since I haven't used a VCR to play something since I was about 5 years old
https://imgur.com/gallery/XhvuHCV

My actual workflow will be: VCR with line TBC (or Camcorder for Video 8) -> ATI 600 USB2 -> VirtualDub on Windows 7 laptop.
BUT, while I'm waiting for the rest of my gear that I've purchased to get here (Really just a windows 7 Dell Latitude 6430 laptop and a JVC LP20303-018 Remote), I got a cheap AV to HDMI output gadget from amazon just to be able to connect the VCR (and my Sony Camcorder) to SOMETHING and see how they're working in the meantime. https://a.co/d/4cUvgTJ

So I popped in the Balto VHS, connected the S-video, and audio cables to the gadget and then to the TV via HDMI and pressed play. Now, the first thing I noticed was a "band" at the very top of the screen as well as the "fuzziness" of the overall picture, especially in the outlines of the characters, they weren't perfectly "straight" or defined, but rather seemed "zigzaggy" (This observation is from watching a 65" TV from like 2 feet away). I backed up about 10 feet and it looked better, kind of how I remember seeing it as a kid, but I'm not sure if this is what it's ACTUALLY supposed to look like? And if it does look bad, could the cause simply be the cheap AV to HDMI device? Or could it be the tape itself, or even the VCR? I'm kind of leaning towards the HDMI device I bought doing some funky stuff as in the video you can see some of the outlines of the characters fade away and come back, reminds me of trying to interpolate a 24fps scene from something to 60fps or something and you get those weird "transitions" where it kind of blurs the outlines of things as they move.

Since I don't have the remote yet, I haven't been able to go into the menu and adjust some of the settings to see if I can get a better picture, but I do see that the VCR says "TBC ON" in the front. Are there any settings you'd recommend me turning on/off for my specific playback video I've attached to try and narrow the cause down? (or it might be looking "normal", I just wouldn't know).

OH, and I should mention that I cleaned the heads using the printer paper and Isopropyl alcohol method, which did pick up some "dirt", as well as the other surfaces/rollers where the tape passes through/touches. This didn't help any though, looks the same, maybe just a tiny bit better picture. I just found out about "tracking", so I might try adjusting that as well to see if it stabilizes the image a bit, or just to see what it does really.

Any input is appreciated, thanks!

[aramkolt]

The actual output from the VCR looks fine (no tracking issues or static), so your problem likely lies with the cheap converters you've got. The zigzagging is just the converter device not doing deinterlacing very well and it won't appear that way in your captures. You'll be capturing interlaced, so I wouldn't worry about what the preview with cheap converters is looking like, focus on the actual results you get with your real capture hardware.

SD video never was super sharp and the cheap converter is likely not helping, so I wouldn't put too much worry into how well-defined the edges are on a preview in particular.

If you want something that looks good for live preview, just grab an older CRT from Facebook marketplace and those can often be had for very little.

[woko2]

Awesome that's great to hear! I was honestly more worried that it was the VCR but doesn't sound like that's the case! Can't wait to try out my actual workflow, but looks like the seller on Ebay is being slow to send me that laptop

[lordsmurf]

What laptop did you buy from eBay?
And from who? Some of the eBay resellers are real POS shysters. Their feedback looks good, but that's because it can be scrubbed -- something most people are not aware of. Yes, negative feedbacks are often removed.

The VCR seems fine on SP VHS, but that's not a high bar to cross.

ATI 600 USB should be fine, assuming complete and properly working. And properly installed (correct drivers). Use VirtualDub 1.9.x, no other versions. ATI 600 also requires Win7 or less.

@amarkolt, I'm about to recycle a ~7" B&W CRT. Or should I offer it here on the site, just pay shipping? Debating getting rid of my 20" color, too. (Keeping my 36", mostly because it's too heavy to move, but also for vintage games eventually/maybe.)