Sony GX300 DVD Recorder as TBC pass-through?

[autephex]

I recently picked up a Sony GX300 (older version of the RDR-GX300) which claims to have a TBC built in. I've read all the stuff about how TBCs in DVD recorders aren't really true TBCs and I am not sure exactly how this one functions. There is basically no information I can find on it. The manual just states it has a TBC, and I've only seen a few people mention it in online forums - all posts by people also just stating it has one but no other info.

I have an ATI All In Wonder video card in an old XP system which I've been waiting to use in capturing some rare VHS tapes, but I haven't had the money to buy a TBC yet.... and probably won't any time soon.

Since I've got this GX300 for now, I have been transferring some of these tapes to DVD just to try it out, and also as a "just in case" measure to at least have them transferred in some format while I wait.

I was thinking maybe I should also try to use the GX300 as a pass through, connecting to my ATI capture card for a better transfer - if the GX300 TBC works in pass through.

Sorry if I'm going overboard with my story here, but just trying to provide some background as to why I would even want to try this instead of just buying a quality VCR with TBC and/or outboard TBC.

As much as I love working with video, I don't have much money to throw around and just trying to work with what I have access to for now. Also some of the tapes I have are PAL & SECAM, so I will ultimately need an actual TBC and not just a VCR with TBC. I have a Panasonic AG W1 for playback of PAL & SECAM, also able to convert playback to NTSC so I can use it with the GX300 on those tapes. Again, far from ideal, I know... conversion to NTSC is not desirable and the AG W1 is pretty crap as far as video quality goes... but again, its what I have to work with right now.

I have some better NTSC VCRs but still none with TBC.

I'm assuming I'll probably just have to try it and see if the GX300 works on passthrough, but thought I'd ask if anyone had experience with this model first, since there is such a wealth of experience and knowledge here.

Since I'm still learning a lot about this process, I'm also using this as an excuse to better understand VHS transferring... hopefully by the time I have a proper setup for capturing, all of this will prepare me to do a better job of it & understand what I'm doing more.

[lordsmurf]

It doesn't have any TBC-like ability, no. Even DVD recorder that did have TBC-like abilities did not contain true TBCs. The problem is that "TBC" is a very loose term, and can mean almost anything.

If you consider the 3 most important benefits of video capture --
- preventing dropped frames
- NOT flagging for "copy protection" (false or legit)
- correcting image skew

... then most DVD recorders fail on at least one of these. No recorder will pass all 3. None. Some fail at all 3. The GX300 fails on at least 2.

The primary reason for passthrough is not instead of a TBC, but in addition to one. Before I talked about the ES10 in 2005, nobody anywhere ever mention the term "passthrough" that I can recall. The reason it was so special was that it had a image skew correction that was stronger than anything else that I'd ever seen, and could tame the harshest top-screen tearing. It was much later that some decides to try it as a TBC replacement, though it was met with mixed results (namely that it had posterizing issues).

I tested the GX300 DVD recorder when new. It was really bad. I need to dig out that review, as it wasn't published at the time. I though the need would never arise, but I was wrong. May as well publish.

Feel free to try it for yourself and see what happens.

[autephex]

Thanks for the input. Would love to read your review just to see what you had to say about this unit. There is virtually no information about this recorder out there, aside from a few consumer reviews which don't provide any real insight as the reviewers do not have any real knowledge on these topics. So I am sure others would find your review valuable as well.

I didn't plan on keeping this recorder and was only capturing a few tapes to DVD as backup measures, in case something should happen with the tapes before I get my hands on all components needed for a quality transfer.

So I probably won't bother trying it as a passthrough based on your comments.

[lordsmurf]

I was going to at least copy/paste my review to this thread, but it's missing. It was supposed to be with a specific batch of documents from 2009, but the DVD recorder reviews (3-5 of them) are gone. LG, Philips, Toshiba and this Sony. Hmmm....