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  #1  
07-15-2011, 07:04 PM
NJRoadfan NJRoadfan is offline
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I tested it with some pretty rotten Betamax tapes. It fixed line errors (bending of lines due to bright areas, actually a problem with the playback VCR that looks similar to time-base errors,maybe video output is too hot), and it fixed flagging at the top of the screen! It also provides continuous sync so no AVT-8710 or similar is needed in the chain. There doesn't seem to be much if any chroma noise reduction. The negative is the pass-thru doesn't appear to be transparent, color saturation is noticeably increased. Its easily fixed with either the capture card's proc amp or the BVP4+. Note that the JVC HM-DH40000U is the same VCR as the SR-VD400US. Nice to know that there is an alternate for the ES10 out there.

I have my borrowed Sanyo machine here that doesn't produce the bending artifacts (the same that page 15 of the BVP4+ manual warns about) on its output, turns out either the heads are worn or its dropout compensation isn't as good. I'm getting a crap-ton more visible dropouts with it compared to my machine. I'm debating what machine to use for the actual capture. I would like to avoid using the DVHS machine on these tapes due to its video altering properties, we'll see what happens.

Last edited by NJRoadfan; 07-15-2011 at 07:17 PM.
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  #2  
07-16-2011, 01:34 AM
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This is most interesting.

Does it also blank out portions of the signal where errors sometime reside, such as Macrovision (artificial error) ?
I would think not, but it's always possible.

SR-V10U and AG-1980P are my go-to machines right now. (I have a stack of about 4 blown-out VCRs in need of repair. A shorted-out transport, an electrical glitch, an unknown problem, and a faulty input. So anything in functional condition is my current favorite!)

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  #3  
07-16-2011, 11:13 AM
NJRoadfan NJRoadfan is offline
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Based on my tests using a VHS VCR connected through the SR-VD400 playing a Disney tape, no it does not kill Macrovision. It even goes as far as blanking the Firewire passthru because the machine actively detects it. This is a great option for Betamax though, since there was never a high end player with something like Digipure ever made.

There are limits to the flagging correcting the DVHS machine does though. Once the flagging reaches a certain point, the video output will start to stutter and the flagging gets worse, similar to what happens on JVC machines with Digipure turned on some tapes. Not surprising because its a similar circuit.

Its frustrating me with one tape because its happening a lot with it in my best tracking VCR (the one with the bending/bowing output, I'll upload a sample). The tape tracks great in the borrowed machine I have too, hardly any flagging and the DVHS doesn't get grumpy with it, but I have the random lines of dropout problem (I'd try cleaning it, but it isn't my machine). The best of the bunch (no bending or dropouts), my Sony SL-HF860D, has static tracking alignment woes and likely tape tension issues (tracking slowly drifts back and forth). I should really get that machine fixed sometime soon. Sony's U-threading system is a PITA to align without the factory tension and alignment tapes. Now I know what everyone needs when they say to have multiple VCRs on hand!
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07-17-2011, 01:19 AM
Steve(MS) Steve(MS) is offline
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That is good to know since I have 2 4000 vcrs...I never thought to use one as pass-thru.
Did you actually put it in record mode or just a input/output senario?
I see you mention using the firewire...I suppose you mean attaching firewire on 400 to computer?

I had some real nasty flagging a while back on some tapes my friend wanted converted, the 4000 couldn't handle
no matter what settings I tried so I ended up putting the tapes in a cheap JVC VCR that actually tracked it with no
flagging whatsoever.
This Cheap JVC only has composite out only but has pic controls (no TBC) but it has the video stabilizer....and using that setting allowed me to copy the tapes.
I also have 2 9911s but didn't even bother putting the tapes in either of them...maybe I should have tried.....

And I have 2 DR-DX5's...I have thought about putting them both inline, using one as a pass-thru but never have got around
to trying that yet.
I have one big problem right now however, since I use the DR-DX5 (hdd/DVD recorder) for capture, my new TV doesn't
have s-video input...almost makes it impossible for me to tell what I am getting while monitoring...what I see running composite out of the DX5 to TV, well, it looks much worse than than what it actually records. when I can I use S-video VCR out to DVD recorder input.
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07-17-2011, 01:44 AM
NJRoadfan NJRoadfan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve(MS) View Post
That is good to know since I have 2 4000 vcrs...I never thought to use one as pass-thru.
Did you actually put it in record mode or just a input/output senario?
I see you mention using the firewire...I suppose you mean attaching firewire on 400 to computer?
I used it strictly as a pass through, composite in to s-video out, no recording or firewire. Seems that all video entering the machine goes through the LSI DiMeNson chipset thats onboard whether its recorded or not.
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07-17-2011, 06:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve(MS) View Post
it looks much worse than than what it actually records..
This is how the DR-M10 and DR-M100 work, as well as the DR-MV1 and DR-MV5. There is no pass-through. The LSI Logic chipset cleaning only happens on the recording, because the output of the recorder bypasses the clean-up circuits. If you see something that looks as lousy as the original, it doesn't do a pass-through.

Few DVD recorders passed the processed output. Some even encoded all video to MPEG on input, and that's what you saw at all times. I forget which brand/model those were, but the quality was lousy because the recorder used a rotten MPEG encoder chipset. It's a shame that DVD recorders too often used garbage for parts, or use poorly thought out settings.

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07-18-2011, 07:19 AM
NJRoadfan NJRoadfan is offline
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One additional "con" of using the SR-VD400 as a pass thru that I have discovered is that its not as tolerant as the AVT-8710 to tracking errors. If tracking is way off, the VCR will go to its gray screen (but still play audio) well before the AVT-8710 will go to color bars. I don't know how sensitive the ES10 is to video quality, but the SR-VD400 is likely best reserved for fixing skewing on tapes that track correctly. Note that this doesn't apply to VHS tapes actually being played back by the SR-VD400 itself, just video coming into the inputs.
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07-18-2011, 06:04 PM
Steve(MS) Steve(MS) is offline
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Lordsmurf, is there a way I can convert s-video to composite without noticable artifacts?
My TV doesn't have s-video inputs, what a bummer....I may have to look for a cheap tube TV somewhere.
I have a Kramer transcoder, KR-10, someone threw it in the box with a proc-amp I bought last year, I haven't ever hooked it up.
I suppose I could try my various VCRs but I would think they would do extra stuff to the signal that would be detrimental for monitoring.
BVP claims one can use both outputs, one for monitoring...I have my doubts whether their comb filter is that good.
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07-18-2011, 07:41 PM
NJRoadfan NJRoadfan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve(MS) View Post
Lordsmurf, is there a way I can convert s-video to composite without noticable artifacts?
My TV doesn't have s-video inputs, what a bummer....I may have to look for a cheap tube TV somewhere.
I have a Kramer transcoder, KR-10, someone threw it in the box with a proc-amp I bought last year, I haven't ever hooked it up.
I suppose I could try my various VCRs but I would think they would do extra stuff to the signal that would be detrimental for monitoring.
BVP claims one can use both outputs, one for monitoring...I have my doubts whether their comb filter is that good.
You can just combine the wires, thats all composite is. Believe it or not, I monitor tplayback with coax. Its easy and one wire, plus I really don't feel like splitting the audio output as VCRs usually only have one set. Its really annoying that new TVs have completely dropped S-Video for no good reason, yet they kept crappy composite around. I have even seen TVs where the composite input is shared with the "Y" plug of the component input!
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09-18-2011, 06:14 AM
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I monitor with composite.

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