Broadcast Grade TBC - Leitch DPS-475/575 review
 

After watching eBay for some time for TBCs most of the broadcast grade equipment that came up was really old and just junk but there were a few that caught my eye. The Leitch DPS-474/575 seems to be a great value for what you get and they are not to hard to find second hand. This is a broadcast grade TBC that is not listed in the TBC sticky thread but has a great feature list. This is overkill for sure but since they cost about the same as AVT-8710 I figured I would purchase one of these instead of the standard TBCs I see people commonly buy on this forum. I picked the AV model up for $275 shipped to my door. If you get the models without front panel controls which are controlled via a web interface or over Ethernet with computure software you can pick them up for under $200 on ebay. Here is some information if others are interested.

Leitch Model Numbers (now owned by Harris)
- DPS-475 (NTSC only)
- DPS-575 (NTSC and PAL)

Features:
- 12-Bit Video Encoder/Decoder
- Auto Switch Time Base Corrector
- Simple, Adaptive-2D, and Adaptive-3D 12-Bit comb filter
- Temporal and spatial digital noise reduction (optional, unlockable with software key)
- Audio Synchronizer, syncs audio with video when delays added to video
- Procamp controls for Luma, Black, Chroma, Hue
- Genlock
- Bi-Directional Analog/Digital Interface
- DV (IEEE 1394) I/O (Optional add in card)
- Full I/O for composite, s-video, component, RGB, SDI, genlock, analog audio (on AV model), AES/EBU
- Full control over Ethernet
- Can be used as the A/D converter and capture can be on a computer with a SDI capture card

Models Extensions:
- No extension - Auto-Switch Video Synchronizer
- AV - Integrated Audio/Video Synchronizer
- LC - No front panel controls, must be controlled with software on PC via devices Ethernet port
- LCAV - Same as AV option but with no front panel controls

http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/atta...-tbc-dps575jpg
http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/atta...ps-475-575rear

How well does the comb filter work? How does the output look?
Same for the proc amp.
Did you get a license to unlock the NR filters?

The entire "DPS" series originated with Digital Processing Systems, and the DPS-220 was disappointing. And huge -- too huge.
Leitch bought out DPS.
Isn't Harris still operating the Leitch brand name? I thought so.

What are the physical dimensions of these TBCs? Still giant rack-mounts? (Bigger than VCRs.)

I just received the unit today so I have not had much time to really give it a shake down. The proc-amp controls are great and do a very effective job at correcting color errors in the tapes I have tried. I plan to test out the comb filtering options, I am going to feed some test patters and video in via S-video from a DVD player. My unit does not have the unlock key entered for the NR filters, I really wish it did. If someone has these please send me a PM :) I have thought about contacting Harris and seeing if they would sell these for cheap since it is a old discontinued model. I am also considering a blackmagic decklink SDI capture card to only have one analog to digital conversion step.

The older Digital Processing System stuff can be found on eBay often like the DPS-220,230,265,290 but I avoided these because they were too old and did not seem very impressive. The DPS-475/575 was designed with digital and hybrid workflows in-mind and is a huge step up from the 2xx models.

DPS was bought out by Leitch and then Harris bought out Leitch and now Harris manages the support for Leitch devices.

This unit is large but it is not a big deal for me. It is about the width of a VCR and is a 19inch 1U rack mount unit. Dimensions are 20in length x 17 width x 1 3/4in height.

I also have the firmware and remote control software if anyone needs it.

Skip the test patterns. Use DVDs of cartoons.
Or at least do some cartoon captures in addition to test patterns. Motion is very important, and cartoons don't hide flaws like live-action footage.

There's a reason so many guides on this site have cartoon images for samples/examples -- in addition to the fact that I simply like cartoons!

The DPS-220 was supposedly good at removing dropouts, but it was nominal at best -- Avisynth and VirtualDub do better there.

I've sent LukeS a private message but there's no answer as of yet. Anyone else have first hand experience with DPS-475/575? For the price it seems like a nobrainer. Keep in mind that TBC-1000 etc. are from the same time period as this. When TBC-1000 cost $1000 this was closer to $10000. Getting one for $200 is a joke and a blessing. Harris still sells a very similar model X50-AV-2PS which runs for about $4000. Using SDI we can skip an unnecessary DA->AD step which is needed by "analog" FS/TBCs. Btw according to instruction manual when using TBC functions, it quantizes using 8bit resolution so 12bit output is pretty meaningless?

Did he ever PM you back?

This was an unanswered question or unresolved issue found during a site audit. It's hard to have an FAQ when the answers are missing, or final outcomes are unknown. At The Digital FAQ support forum, questions are never intentionally ignored, and may have been missed due to a forum glitch or human error. More details on the audit. (In some cases, threads have been edited/updated with newer information.)

Nope. I've tried to find used DPS-575 from eBay but they either only ship to USA or ask too much. I got another SDI TBC/converter so DPD-575 is postponed. I'll get one if a cheap unit comes along.

If you ever need a shipping proxy, PM me. It will cost shipping twice, of course, but sometimes that's still an overall good price.
i.e. ... seller > digitalFAQ (U.S.) > you

Some people just don't seem to comprehend that we all live in a world market now. They have to make things difficult. :rolleyes:

We've had the same problems importing VCRs from UK and Germany in years past.

Very nice, thanks for the offer. I will offer the same but I guess not many people buy stuff from Finland. :)

For some reason in the past many of the DPS sellers have blocked non-US buyers from even bidding and they don't allow for private message / question to be sent to their eBay profile. Talk about hard to get to.

German sellers on eBay.de are easily the worst when it comes to the isolated auction market mentality.

I've never seen it where you couldn't even bid or ask questions. We routinely help out a chap in UK, several times per years, who has U.S. items sent here. He bids, pays, does any/all Q&A with the seller, and we don't do anything aside from verify it's not broken, and maybe repack if needed. He's more of a "friend to the site" (actually a sister site) more than a customer or even an active member -- he contributes to its moderation.

One reason people don't ship overseas is ebay itself. The buyer protection coverage extends to overseas purchases depending on the country. Many seller have been burned by overseas shipments, usually by the "I didn't get it" or "its broken" excuse. Add on the expensive overseas shipping charges that they have to refund, and you'll see why.

My own policies (private sales) is to only ship small items like computer parts. They aren't too expensive to ship, and easy to pack well and cheap to insure. Most of the rackmount TBCs are bulky and heavy (10+lbs full depth 1-2U in size).

I hope I'm not breaking any rules by replying to this given the Reply Limitation warning.

I note that there are a few Leitch DPS-575's floating around ebay; all U.S. located and going for much more than the $275 quoted in the opening post.

I've been wanting something with decent Proc-amp capability that can work in PAL land (in the UK in my case). A more robust TBC than the AVT-8710 would be a bonus too.

Ignoring the shipping costs and the UK import duty and VAT, what sort of prices in USD would be reasonable? What would be a bargain and how much is too much?

Assume for the purposes of this that the unit is a DSP-575AV (i.e. with the front control panel) in good working condition with a few cosmetic scuffs (which seems to be the norm for these).

Come autumn, the prices have gone up a bit. I've seen some closing lately for as low as $350-400. Starting prices have been high but most sellers have accepted lower offers. I think it's amateurish to start at $600-800 and sell for 50% less.

I'm looking at one now on eBay with a starting price of $565. I offered $400. He's countered with $500, saying "min price".

It includes the breakout cable and the audio module. Just trying to work out whether I should accept $500 or chance my arm by countering with $450. Trying to work out if it's worth it.

I'm also considering asking him if he would ship it declaring a nominal price for the item on the manifest which should reduce my import costs.

The longer you wait the better deal you'll get. DPS575(AV)s pop up almost weekly. $500 is deep end.

In Finland it doesn't matter what the seller declares or if it's a "gift". You'll have to print them receipt and verify it to be correct with your signature, facing charges of tax fraud if you cheat and they find it out. I would hazard a guess that this system is in use pretty much everywhere. Custom officers know that those declarations are 99% bs.

Fine. I'll politely decline his offer and wait for something better. I suspect he wouldn't have gone for $450 anyway.

Thanks.

Just to clarify this: No rule was broken. You were on-topic, and adding something useful to the conversation.
The "reply limitation" is mostly good for blocking would-be spammers and people that don't pay attention.

Thanks for being considerate and mindful, however. :congrats:

Audio inputs on these units?
 

I'm getting a DPS-470AV from eBay and I'm wondering how to hook up the audio, since my aim is S-Video + RCA -> SDI.

For analog audio inputs, these DPS units use something called a "removable barrier strip" or "terminal strip". They accept regular consumer -10 dBm unbalanced audio, but I have no idea how to take an RCA cable and attach it to one of these bare-wire strips.

The pinouts are here: http://www.mediamanagement.us/DPS475TBCSpecs.pdf (pg 3)
This thing shows the same type of strip: http://www.cs1.net/products/jensen_t...ers/PC-2XR.htm

The TBC I ordered is missing both of the "cover" pieces. Are those required to make the connection?

Its similar to a terminal strip used on a stereo receiver to connect speakers. Yes, having it will make life easier. Many professional products, particularly radio broadcasting equipment tends to use lug terminals like that since its a more reliable connection than a standard jack. A google search for "audio terminal block" reveals several options for replacement. It appears to be a standard: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euroblock

When connection an unbalanced audio source like RCA wires, you connect the signal cable to the "+" block, and the shield to the "ground" block.

DPS-470AV thoughts/issues
 

Thanks, NJRoadfan. The local electronics store had one in full 12-pin form. The owner actually called it a "Euro plug". I haven't gotten any further in hooking up the audio though, as I've been sidetracked with the video side.

Here are some initial experiences regarding the DPS-470AV (Software Revision: Rev-M1, Oct 99, NTSC).

• The TBC can be changed from Normal VCR for regular video & pro tapes to Extreme Head Switch for consumer VCRs. Both modes correct VHS horizontal jitters, but the first mode has a slight left-curl near the top of the image. The second mode straightens this. So far I'm very pleased with the TBC performance.
• The comb filter sucks. Nonstop rainbowing and dot crawl with a composite -> SDI capture.
• I can't test S-Video or component outputs since they require a DB-15 breakout cable and I have no idea how to build any cable, even if the pinouts were provided.
• It isn't visible on the test pattern in this post, but actual videos captured from the composite output seem to be softened by some sort of noise reduction. The SDI output appears unaffected.

Running the SDI output into my Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Shuttle 2, the captured image is misaligned and consequently cropped vertically by over 20 lines. Can't find any relevant adjustment on the DPS or the Shuttle. No response from Blackmagic either by email or forum, which is weird because their email support has been pretty good when I've contacted them before.

http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/atta...2&d=1382240084

The biggest problem I see is that the highest resolution parts have been filtered away. There's also a mushy halo or something around the black letters. Not sure what's up with that. Still, you can see that color-wise the conversion from S-Video to SDI looks very nice.

On the other hand, what I get when I send a VHS signal into the DPS-470AV isn't pretty. Whether viewed via SDI or composite, the video becomes dull with reds shifted to orange. I haven't seen my other capture devices react to VHS like this, and playing with the Proc Amp controls on the front of the unit doesn't seem to bring the same life back to the image as the other devices display.

I was never able to get correctly-aligned SDI recordings to the SSD using the HyperDeck Shuttle 2 with this, but outputting HDMI from the HDS2 to my capture card did result in a correctly-cropped 720x480 image.

I found that VHS signals are spatially noise-reduced even over SDI output, blurring away small details.

Several tapes show a slight bend at the top of the image even with the TBC set to Extreme Head Switch mode. The DMR-ES15 doesn't have this issue with the same tapes.

In summary, I can't recommend the DPS-470AV.

Thanks for the tests. Maybe we should also have a "do not buy" part to our buying guides?

There is a opportunity on ebay for a DPS-475 (NTSC only) (before leitch) with NR features unlocked.
I asked the seller by curiosity to check. I read somewhere that before leitch bought DPS, all the unit have the NR unlocked, locked NR came with leitch.

Item number on ebay
171748157169

"all the unit have the NR unlocked, locked NR came with leitch."

Interesting. :hmm:

I found the link where I read it, it seem to goes in the direction of the answer of ebay seller about NR...

http://www.smecc.org/dps_-_digital_p...ng_systems.htm

This looks to be a usegroup dump. :hmm:

I've reposted it here...

Leitch DPS-575AV Firmware, NR Option Code ?
 

Hi,

First of all I would like to thank you for this forum and its knowledge, reviews, stories, chit chat, etc. :congrats:

Great place to be, to read and to spend countless hours of research.

My first steps into this realm are two questions regarding the LEITCH DPS-575AV.

#1 I sourced a unit in great working condition and for a good price but unfortunately this unit does NOT have the NR-575 option/feature enabled.
Does anyone have a clue where I can get the code for unlocking the option?

#2 Same question for the firmware. Does anyone know which number the last firmware version has?
Any idea where to get the FW?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Cheers!

I have no idea where to get the firmware.
I have the same device and it would be nice to have the NR, but realistically NR has come along way since then and you will get far superior results using software NR esp some of the plugins for AVIsynth.
If you need NR with a GUI I would recommend Neat Video.

My Observations
 

The DPS-475/575 Units have a plethora of features going for them including a custom designed 3D comb filter, Proc. Amp, Test Pattern Generator, and a wide array of in- and out-puts, including SDI. The AV model also has audio embedding with automatic delay to compensate for the digital section. The control panel is slick! They show up at very affordable prices on eBay.

My observations: The TBC is not bad, but slow to respond to head-switching, which means sometimes you get the dreaded "top curl." Most of the time, it isn't a problem, though. Of greater importance, the comb filter doesn't actually work in TBC mode, greatly reducing the resolution of the composite input. This is noticeable even on regular VHS. Therefore, I can't recommend it for stabilizing a composite signal. The S-Video input is fine, however.

Also, don't worry about missing the noise reduction feature. It's nothing special. I kept getting blurring artifacts no matter how I adjusted the settings and thus never use it.

Odd, because the older DPS-235 (actually Personal TBC IV+ cards in a rackmount case) always has the 3-line adaptive comb filter turned on.

I guess newer isn't always better. Apparently both the comb filtering and TBC are done in software running on FPGAs. Either they didn't have the horsepower to do both simultaneously or they weren't weren't getting satisfactory results on jittery signals and decided to just use the notch filter built into a Phillips SAA7113.

None of this surprises me. The DPS was a rack mount unit, designed for and used in broadcast facilities, and better analog non-VHS sources were expected. These are unlike the Cypress and DataVideo units, that were expressly created for VHS>digital workflows.

I had tried/tested many of these "Big Bertha" TBCs in the late 2000s and early 2010s, in the hopes of finding TBC deals or to use the unique features. None were ever pleasing. Usually the quality was harmed in processing, or the TBC was flaky, or the advertised features didn't actually work (or work correctly) -- or a combination of all those faults. The entire DPS/Leitch/Harris brigade is something I learned to long ago avoid.

I'd never use one of these.

The sharp edges and big body alone makes it not-fun.

a littzle help with DPS 575
 

Hi guys...just got a fiew of dps-575 without front panel and so I need PC remote control software...anyone has it? please post it or send it to me...
thx

How does the DPS-470AV compares to the DSP-475AV does it come in a PAL version? And How does BrightEye 75 compare to all ? Is it good for VHS signal?

Hi!
I've owned and used the PAL enabled 575 version for a while now.

Bad things first: noisy fan and VERY deep. You can not use this thing in a typical living room.
My unit's VFD has some problems, too: it Flips into negative after a while. This does not affect Operation.
And it loses some button caps.
The unit will not accept an NTSC 4.43 signal. Actually, it would but output is b/w.

OK, even with the best of the best of VHS Players, like the Panasonic AG-7350, you're still going to need a TBC or frame sync to get any useful output for a digital production chain. (Who would have guessed). That means that the 575’s 3D comb filter is not available to you when you use VHS, unless you buy two and daisy-chain them. I found the 575’s TBS to be very reliable, so I do all my VHS dubbing through it. The 575 also has very fine video adjustments which allow tweaking weak or off signals. The unit does have an SDI output that allows direct recording to an SDI-capable VTR.

I also own a Snell & Wilcox KUDOS Plus TBS185 Advanced Synchronizer/Timebase Correctors with 3D Golden Gate Technology. Ironically, this device has a similar limitation than the DPS 575: If you need to stabilize the image, you must run it through the A or B composite inputs, but only input C employs the illustrious Golden Gate decoder. If you feed VHS to input C, you don’t get a stable picture. With Laserdisc, you do. Also with the JVC HR-DM10000EU, when you enable its integrated TBC. (Input C goes to the IQDAMDD 12-bit advance multi-standard decoder board, in case you are interested.)
Out of frustration, I put the TBS185 in daisy-chain after the DPS575 to use the latter’s TBC and the former’s decoder. Wait a minute, you’re going to say, how does he do that? I do connect the 575’s CVBS output to feed the 185’s CVBS input. Yes, this involves at least one unnecessary D/A conversion stage. OTOH, both units have 12 bit converters and we’re still talking about VHS, so let’s not split hairs I think.
Anyway, the results are really nice. Pictures are super stable and the TBS185’s noise reduction and enhancement circuits can contribute to a better image if used with caution.
Have fun with your standard definition gear and media!

The problem with going VHS > DPS decode/TBC > CVBS > TBS185 decode is you're limited by the DPS's initial notch filtered decoder in TBC mode. To take advantage of the Golden Gate you really need to feed it the analog signal directly, which as you've discovered, won't work because it can't tolerate VHS time base errors. That's a bummer.

While I initially bought the DPS for use as a TBC, I now use it more like an A/V receiver with Proc Amp and SDI converter. It works great in that capacity. My VHS machines have built-in TBCs, so I just turn that feature off on the DPS.

I added a resistor to the fan circuit to slow it down. No more noise! :)

Thanks for sharing your observations and advice with the resistor! :congrats: